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BZA approves variances for 31360 Lake Rd after applicant agrees to center replacement home
Summary
After debate about precedent and drainage, the Board of Zoning Appeals granted five variances for a rebuild at 31360 Lake Rd — front and rear line variances, side-yard variances conditioned on centering the house with 3' on each side, lot-coverage allowance, and A/C placement with year-round screening.
Brandon Young, representing property owner Richard Kwarciak, asked the Board of Zoning Appeals to grant five variances to rebuild a single-family home at 31360 Lake Rd. He described the request as a revised application from April 2, 2026, and said the existing foundation has cracks and a sinking crawlspace that make re-using the foundation impracticable.
Ms. Kwarciak described the lot as constrained and said the family would be forced to sell if denied. “their lot is just too small – they’re not asking for anything outside of what they currently have,” she said, framing the request as replacement on the same footprint rather than an expansion. Board members pressed whether the project should be treated as a renovation or a new build and noted the risk of creating a pattern that could push future homes very close together.
Building Director Eric Tuck-Macalla flagged grading and drainage concerns if a structure is placed close to the property line, and board members discussed centering the house to allow pitch and maintenance access. The applicant agreed to revise the plan to center the primary structure so it would have roughly 3' on both the east and west sides, which changed the variance amounts the board would grant.
The board adopted a series of motions to accommodate the revised application: a front building line variance (vote 6-0), a rear yard setback variance (6-0), side-yard variances conditioned on centering the structure (vote 5-1; Crawford opposed), a variance for maximum lot coverage as amended to maintain the existing driveway/hammerhead layout at 67% impervious coverage (6-0), and a placement variance for an A/C condensing unit to be no closer than 1' to the east property line provided the unit is screened year-round (6-0). Several approvals were explicitly conditioned on screening and maintaining the existing driveway dimensions as aligned with the relocated structure.
The motions leave the project approved subject to the applicant filing amended drawings showing the centered footprint and meeting the screening conditions; the board also noted that centering improves constructability and drainage.
