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Board reviews carport at 2011 Bradford St.; staff finds special-exception criteria unmet
Summary
Planning staff told the Zoning Board of Adjustments that a carport already constructed at 2011 Bradford Street does not meet multiple approval criteria for a special exception under section 1.15 0.5; the structure was cited by code enforcement and the building-permit application is on hold pending the board’s action.
At a July 8 work session, planning staff presented case 2026136BOA for 2011 Bradford Street: a request for a special exception to allow a carport within an established front-yard setback. Gina Costanza Grant of the planning department said the carport has already been constructed and that code enforcement issued a notice for constructing a permanent structure without a permit; the building-permit application is on hold until the board resolves the zoning question.
Grant described the neighborhood’s established front-yard setback as averaging about 37.5 feet and said the proposed carport would sit roughly 21 feet from the property line—about a 16.5-foot variance from the established line. She reviewed the seven criteria required by ordinance section 1.15 0.5 and said the carport meets some elements (including setback distance from the immediate property line and no apparent detrimental impact on adjacent properties) but does not meet other criteria related to access and the existing garage configuration. "We don't make a recommendation. It's based on whether it meets the criteria," Grant said when asked whether staff recommended approval.
Board members asked procedural questions about options if criteria are not met; staff said the options include removing the carport or reconstructing a compliant sheltered covering in another location and that a building permit cannot substitute for a variance. A staff member also clarified that a rear unimproved alley exists and is used for access but is not a paved or 'improved' alley, and that code enforcement would follow up if the zoning decision required removal.
No formal vote or decision on the variance is recorded in the work-session transcript. The item was presented for board review and questions and will return for formal action at the appropriate hearing.
