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Board of Appeals grants after‑the‑fact setback variance for Chesapeake Beach sheds
Summary
The Calvert County Board of Appeals unanimously approved an after‑the‑fact front‑setback variance allowing two sheds on a Chesapeake Beach property to be placed at a 20‑foot Bonney Court setback instead of 25 feet, after staff advised the rear shed must be moved to meet environmental‑health requirements.
The Calvert County Board of Appeals on April 3 granted Jerry and Ruby Bridal an after‑the‑fact variance reducing the Bonney Court front setback from 25 to 20 feet to allow two existing sheds at 7033 Napa Drive to remain after an approved site plan relocates one shed to meet health‑department constraints. The board voted unanimously to close the record and approve the variance with no conditions.
Applicant Jerry Bridal told the board the sheds have been in place “for almost 4 years” and said the backyard is a septic recovery area that limits buildable space. Planner Beth Ann Remmer told the board that environmental health would not approve the rear shed in its current location and that the plan before the board would move that shed next to the existing one on the Bonney Court side. Remmer said public notice and staff exhibits had been provided, and the file included three emails of neighbor support.
Board deliberations focused on the practical hardships created by the septic recovery area and the double front‑setback configuration on a corner lot. In making findings, a board member noted the sheds appear to be the most reasonable locations given the lot’s constraints and the fact that the backyard is largely an SRA; the board also acknowledged that environmental health retains authority to require a different location if necessary. The motion to grant the variance carried by unanimous vote.
What happens next: the board will issue an order within 45 days; environmental health approval is required for the shed placement in the new location and remains a separate administrative step.
