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Applicant says marsh curvature and prior approvals drove variance request at Kiawah lot
Summary
Applicant representative told the BZA that a marsh‑created "pinch point" and reliance on prior approvals left the purchaser with limited siting options and that avoiding the 89‑square‑foot encroachment would require substantial redesign; board members asked for more evidence on redesign infeasibility.
Matt McCauley, representing Round 2 LLC, told the Board of Zoning Appeals the proposed single‑family residence (heated area the applicant said is roughly 4,265 square feet) could not be reconfigured easily on the lot because marsh curvature creates a “pinch point” limiting driveway and garage placement. He acknowledged an oversight in relying on previously approved plans when the property was purchased in 2025 and argued that the encroachment into the 25‑foot side setback is minimal relative to environmental protections that remain in place.
"I will admit it was it was overlooked on our end," McCauley said while describing the lot and the constraints he says make a redesign impractical. McCauley said the proposed encroachment does not extend into the 20‑foot wetland buffer and that redesign would require a "substantial redesign" rather than a simple lateral adjustment, so he asked the board to weigh the lot's physical constraints in considering the variance.
Board members pressed the applicant for concrete evidence on cost or infeasibility: some members said the record lacked sufficient detail to conclude redesign was impossible or extraordinarily costly, while others expressed sympathy for the purchaser's reliance on earlier approvals. The applicant's claims therefore remained contested at the close of the hearing.
