Grand County board approves 15-foot front-yard variance for historic Tabernash cabin

The Grand County Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance on May 13 to allow a 15-foot front-yard setback at 39 County Road 824 in Tabernash, allowing the owners to add a main-level bedroom to a historic log cabin.

The board’s decision, made by a 3-0 vote after deliberation, follows a staff recommendation that the request meets the Board’s variance criteria because of exceptional site conditions and compatibility with the public good. Community Development Director Kristen Manguso said the request is intended to permit a modest one-bedroom, one-bath addition that cannot be constructed elsewhere on the constrained 0.26-acre parcel without damaging the 110-year-old structure.

The change matters because county zoning normally requires a 30-foot front-yard setback; staff said the parcel’s historic platting and compact lot lines create a practical difficulty that justifies a reduced setback. Manguso told the Board that the property spans Lot 1 and Lot 2, Block 5 of E.J. Vulgamotts 4th Addition to Tabernash and that an Amended Final Plat combining the lots will be required as a condition of approval.

Applicant Brady Kilgallen said the residence was originally part of the historic Arrow development and that the cabin “only features a loft space and lacks private bedrooms,” making the proposed front addition the only structurally feasible option identified in engineering consultations. Kilgallen described the change as a way to preserve the cabin’s historic integrity without forcing a full reconstruction.

Board member Sandra Scanlon asked how legal frontage is determined when a lot has two street frontages; Manguso replied that county zoning establishes the shorter lot line as the legal front. After discussion, Thomas Johnson moved to approve the variance; Sandra Scanlon seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

The approval is subject to four staff conditions: payment of certified mailing and public notice fees; administrative lot consolidation through an Amended Final Plat; a one-year expiration of the variance on May 13, 2027; and a professional setback survey when applying for a building permit. The Board’s action allows the applicants to pursue the building permit process under those conditions.

Next steps for the applicants include completing the Amended Final Plat and submitting the professional setback survey as part of their building permit application. The variance’s one-year term means the property owners must begin permitting and construction steps within that timeframe or seek further relief from the Board.