Board approves 107-foot Riverside Drive setback for 880 Oak Meadow Drive after fire-access debates

The Franklin Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance to allow a proposed principal building at 880 Oak Meadow Drive to have a maximum front-yard setback of 107 feet from Riverside Drive. The decision followed extended discussion about whether fire-code access, power-line easements and slopes justified the requested distance.

Staff argued the parcel has topographical constraints and an easement that requires a minimum distance from Riverside Drive, but also said the applicant had not demonstrated that a 107-foot setback was the minimal necessary deviation from the zoning ordinance. "It does not seem that the applicant has explored all of the options and therefore has not shown an effort to achieve the most minimal deviation from the zoning ordinance," staff said, noting the city sidewalk and ADA cross-slope requirements were not barriers to a closer building location. Several board members pressed staff and the applicant for clarification about the combined effect of easement depth, a required fire lane and ladder zone.

Applicant representative Greg Gamble described fire-marshal guidance and on-site constraints, saying the design had been adjusted to eliminate on-street parking and accommodate fire access. "...the fire marshal...states the 26 foot fire lane is required for a 2 story, 100,000 square foot gross building that's taller than 30 feet," Gamble told the board. One commissioner proposed amending the motion to set a 90-foot setback instead of 107 feet; that amendment failed for lack of a second. The board then approved the 107-foot variance by voice vote.