ZBA approves side-setback variance for Baybrook Way accessory structure

The Cherokee County Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance for Case 204 to allow an accessory structure at 613 Baybrook Way to encroach into the required 10-foot side setback by up to 6.1 feet.

Staff told the board the property is a pie-shaped, narrow lot in the Overlook subdivision zoned R20 with approximately 0.52 acres and that the existing shed was unpermitted and encroaches into the setback. The applicant (speaker 12) explained the lot’s steep elevation, retaining walls and the difficulty of relocating the prefabricated structure; the applicant also indicated a neighbor had provided a letter of support.

Board members inspected the existing conditions and discussed whether the structure could be moved. One board member suggested the approval apply only to the current structure and location to prevent proliferation; a motion to approve the variance with that limitation passed 4-0.

The board recorded the motion as approval for the existing accessory structure at its present footprint; staff noted that any future additional structures would need separate approvals.