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Board grants homeowner 5‑foot setback variance for canopy at 701 Rosswood Road
Summary
After a staff investigation found a setback violation, the Board of Adjustment granted Morgan Randall a 5‑foot variance to keep an open canopy at 701 Rosswood Road (parcel 02694), with a condition that the variance expires if the structure is removed.
The Chatham County Board of Adjustment voted Oct. 8 to grant a variance allowing an open canopy on the property at 701 Rosswood Road to remain five feet closer to the property line than the zoning setback requires.
County zoning administrator Angela Plummer told the board that building inspections issued a notice of violation on 06/21/2024 after staff determined the lean‑to encroached on the required setback; the applicant filed a variance application on 07/17/2024. The applicant, introduced in the record as Morgan Randall, said the lean‑to was built during the COVID period to protect a boat, had been in place five to six years, and that removing it would cause hardship. "I really just never really thought of it as being something where I should get a permit to do it," the applicant said.
Board members discussed measurement uncertainty, eave encroachment allowances and the legal standards for variances. The board moved to grant a 5‑foot variance—the minimum relief staff recommended to bring the structure into compliance—while including a condition that ordinary maintenance and repair are permitted but that if the structure is removed the variance will expire. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.
Next steps: The variance is recorded in the hearing record and county staff will attach the submitted drawings to the file for future code enforcement reference.
