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St. Charles County board approves variance to allow carport at 301 South Church Street
Summary
The St. Charles County Board of Zoning Adjustment approved Variance VAR25-04 to permit a new carport to encroach four feet into the seven-foot side-yard setback at 301 South Church Street; the board voted 5–0 with one abstention and attached staff-recommended conditions.
The St. Charles County Board of Zoning Adjustment on Jan. 8 approved a variance allowing a new carport to encroach four feet into the seven-foot side-yard setback at 301 South Church Street.
The board approved Application VAR25-04 after a staff presentation and comments from applicant Terry Yeakey. The motion to approve, made by board member Vicki LaRose and seconded by David Bauer, passed with five members voting yes and Chairman Gerry Prinster abstaining. The approval included the conditions recommended in the staff report.
Staff planner Jack Weindel told the board the home and the detached garage on the 0.53-acre parcel were built in 1940 and predate current zoning rules. Weindel reviewed the four variance criteria in the county ordinance and concluded that practical difficulties exist because the driveway and a one-car garage—located about three feet from the property line—limit feasible locations for a carport. Staff recommended approval with conditions.
Applicant Terry Yeakey, who was sworn in before presenting, said the previous carport had been removed in 2007 and that he now proposes to construct a new carport in the same location. Yeakey told the board the carport is estimated to cost about $40,000 and said the existing garage is structurally sound and built of concrete block with a stone-like appearance.
Board member David Bauer asked whether the garage’s condition could affect the proposal if demolition became necessary; Yeakey confirmed the garage is currently structurally sound. Board Secretary Kevin DeSain noted the garage itself encroaches on the setback and asked about a survey; Yeakey said survey stakes from a neighboring lot had been flagged on his property.
Chairman Gerry Prinster opened the public hearing and, with no members of the public wishing to speak, closed it. LaRose moved to approve the variance with staff-recommended conditions; Bauer seconded and the board voted with DeSain, Bauer, Strick, LaRose and Matlick voting yes and Prinster abstaining. The board’s recorded vote matched the motion and conditions included in the staff report.
The board then approved the minutes of its Sept. 4, 2025 regular meeting by unanimous voice acclamation and adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
The variance approval allows the applicant to construct the carport as proposed but is limited by the conditions the board adopted from the staff report.
