Board OKs small setback reduction for covered deck at 5362 Warside

The Jefferson County board approved a modest variance to allow a covered deck with a roof to sit 28 feet 2 inches from the rear property line at 5362 Warside, a reduction of 22 inches from the 30-foot requirement.

Staff clarified the request at the outset: an earlier read of the application suggested a reduction to 22 feet, but the petitioner had requested only a 22-inch reduction to 28 feet 2 inches. "So it is only a 22 inch reduction in the building setback, to 28 feet," the staff member said.

Staff told the board that decks without a roof can be permitted closer to the rear line but that adding a roof brings the full 30-foot setback into play; staff recommended denial while noting there are several covered decks in the neighborhood that appear similar to the petitioner’s request. The petitioner’s builder, Brad Dowdowski, who identified himself and said he had been sworn in, told the board the deck backs up to common ground and that nearby homes have covered decks of comparable encroachment.

After brief questions, a board member moved to approve the 22-inch reduction and the motion carried by voice vote. The transcript records the motion and the chair’s announcement that the motion carries, but does not record a roll-call tally or any conditions attached to the approval.

Next steps: The transcript does not include permit issuance or recorded order details; those administrative follow-ups were not specified in the meeting record.