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ZBA allows 12‑foot separation and square‑footage variance for pool cabana at 420 Dunston Road
Summary
A detached pool cabana/exercise room at 420 Dunston Road was approved to be sited 12 feet from the primary residence and to exceed the ordinance's accessory‑building area limit; applicant argued lot geometry and grade made the placement necessary and that mechanicals in a basement reduce visual and noise impacts.
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved variances enabling construction of a detached pool cabana/exercise room at 420 Dunston Road that will sit 12 feet from the main house (an 8‑foot encroachment of the city’s 20‑foot standard) and will exceed the accessory‑building square‑footage allowance when below‑grade area is included.
Applicant design team members, including Matt Mosier and Charlie Datica, described the lot as pie‑shaped with steep grades to the east, which constrained locations for the structure. Mosier said the below‑grade level is intended to house pool mechanicals and a generator to keep equipment out of sight and reduce noise for neighbors. “The basement is completely invisible from every neighboring property and from the street,” Mosier said.
Board members asked whether the basement should count toward accessory‑building square footage, how mechanicals would be vented and whether alternatives (smaller plan, moving driveway) were feasible. Engineering and architecture staff explained the basement solution reduced above‑ground impact and that vents and code‑compliant mechanical enclosures would be used.
After clarifying that the requested separation in the approved motion is 12 feet (not 16), the board adopted findings of practical difficulty, citing the property’s unusual geometry, existing placement of the primary structure and the goal of minimizing visual and acoustic impacts, and approved the requested variances on a voice vote.
Next steps: applicant to proceed with building‑permit submittal and to ensure mechanical venting meets code.
