Board grants small side-yard variance for 922 Farwell Drive

The Village of Maple Bluff Board of Appeals voted to grant an area variance for 922 Farwell Drive, allowing an encroachment of about two feet into the required side-yard setback to permit a modest two‑story office addition.

The applicant’s representative, Mark Lori Solner, told the board the change responds to “lifestyle changes” with more people working from home and that the request is “a very proportionate small encroachment to make that particular use possible.” Solner emphasized that the design was intentionally modest and that the proposal sought to preserve the neighborhood character and mature trees on the lot.

Tanner, the village zoning administrator and planner, told the board the submitted materials referenced slightly different encroachment measurements — “approximately 2 feet and 2 ft 3 3/4 of an inch” — and said staff had reservations about whether alternative designs might meet the setback without a variance. Tanner urged the board to base its decision on the ordinance criteria rather than just the size of the intrusion.

Board members who spoke in favor cited the home’s siting — the existing structure is not aligned parallel to lot lines — as a property condition that contributed to the practical difficulty. One member noted the encroachment was minimal relative to the overall lot and that the applicant had provided neighbor support letters, though the board acknowledged neighbor support alone does not satisfy the legal standard.

On a roll-call vote, five members voted in favor (Rich Burnham, John Schmidt, Laura Bogle, Laura Beerhoff, Bob Shoemaker); the motion carried. The board required an affirmative vote of four members to grant the variance.