Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Accessory Buildings Garage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves 1,200-sq-ft detached garage at 2109 South Bellevue with buffering condition after neighbor drainage concerns
Summary
The board granted a variance for a 1,200-square-foot, 16-foot-high detached garage at 2109 South Bellevue but amended the motion to include retention of landscape buffers (arborvitae) after neighbors raised concerns about easements, creek erosion, and runoff; staff noted drainage responsibility rests with property owners while the city explores a stormwater utility.
The Bellbrook Board of Zoning Appeals voted June 23 to approve a variance allowing a 1,200-square-foot, 16-foot-high detached garage at 2109 South Bellevue, with an added condition that landscape buffering (existing arborvitae) remain to limit visual impact on neighbors.
Staff told the board the proposal exceeded accessory-structure limits in zoning code 18.05 A (the code limits detached accessory buildings by height and aggregate square footage; aggregate accessory structures on a lot are limited to 600 square feet). The applicant, who later identified himself as Brady Harding, said the garage is needed to store an 11-foot-6-inch motorhome (requiring a 12-foot door) and to provide a personal shop space for car restoration; he emphasized the property’s extensive screening and design intent to match the house.
A nearby resident, identified by the chair as Melissa, opposed the request and presented photos showing existing drainage and erosion within a creek that runs along property lines. Melissa said two easements exist across the applicant’s lot, that overgrowth and a fence across the creek impede flow, and that current erosion has already undermined her fence and backyard. “I’m concerned about what that might do to my property as well, adding that water flow,” she said.
Applicant Harding replied the creek begins on the parcel as a spring and that the proposed siting, arborvitae buffers and finishes would limit visibility and maintain neighborhood character. City staff explained the swale/creek is largely on private property, property owners currently bear maintenance responsibility, and the city is evaluating a stormwater utility and systematic drainage improvements for problem areas.
During deliberation board members expressed sympathy for the drainage and easement concerns but said many of those issues are separate from the variance’s code-based review (which focuses on size and location) and may be addressed through other city processes. A motion to approve was amended on the floor to include retention of existing landscape buffering (arborvitae) and corroborating design commitments; the amended motion was seconded and carried by recorded vote.
The board’s approval allows the applicant to proceed with permits subject to any building-permit requirements and the agreed-upon buffering condition; the transcript records the board’s direction to check fence/easement concerns separately.
