The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMinutesTheCityofFairhopeBoardofAdjustmentsandAppealsmetonMonday,August18,2003at5:00PMintheCityAdministrationBuilding,161N.SectionStreet.MembersPresent:BernieFogarty,Chairman;SusanCunningham,ViceChairman;BobMannich;CharlieBassett;LewisAgee;ErikCortinas,CBOandBrendaHoifren.SecretaryAbsentwasRayClarkChairmanFogartycalledtheproceedingstoorderat5:00PM.TheminutesoftheJuly21,2003minuteswereconsideredandapprovedwithamotionbyCharlieBassettandasecondbySusanCunningham.CaseZBA03-09forMarthaWatkinswasfirstontheagenda.MsWatkinswasnotpresentandErikCortinasexplainedtotheBoardthatshehadabrokenlegandmighthavebeendelayed.HehadspokentoherandshewasgoingtoattempttobeatthemeetingasherrequesthadbeentabledattheJulymeeting.TheBoardmovedhercasetolastpositiontogiveheradditionaltimetoarrive.CaseZBA03-15RequestofEubieandSarahStaceyforafrontyardsetbackvariancefortheadditionofanattachedgarage.ChairmanFogartyopenedthePublicHearingandaskedMs.Staceytocomeforwardandpresenthercase.Shestatedthisisinheritedpropertyandtheyaretryingtomakeimprovementstoaccommodateherandherhusbandsphysicaldisabilitiesaswellashermother,whohasParkinsonDisease.TheywantagaragewithalaundryroomlocatedongroundlevelenteringfromJanDriveandbuildingwithinthesetbackswilltakeupmuchoftheirrearyard,TheoppositeendoftheresidenceonPatlynniselevatedfromtheexistinggarageandrequirestheclimbingofstairstoaccessthehouse.Adiscussionfollowedregardingdifferentplacementsoftheproposedaddition.Theadditionaspresentedwastohaveasideentrygaragewhichwouldhaveaminimumturningradiusandwouldrequireadditionalspacetoenterfromtheside.ConsensusoftheBoardmembersandstaffwasthattheadditioncouldbemovedbackwithinthesetbackswithafrontentrygaragewithoutintrndingonsetbacksandsatisfyingthegroundlevelentrancetheapplicantwanted.Afterfurtherdiscussion,ChainnanFogartycalledforcommentsfromthepublic.Therewerenone.ThePublicHearingwasclosedandamotionwascalledforonthevariance.CharlieBassettmadeamotiontodeny.LewisAgeeSeconded.Themotioncarriedunanimously.I Bd.OfAdjustments/August18,2003/MinutesZBA03-16RequestofJim&SuzetteLowreyat511LibertyStreetforastreetsideyardvariance.ChairmanFogartycalledforthePublicHearingtobeopenedandaskedMr.Lowreytopresenthiscase.Mr.Lowreystatedthattheywereenclosingtheirexistingcarporttoexpandtheirlivingspacebetweenthemainhouseandthemother-in-lawsuiteattachedtothehouse.TheywouldliketousetheexistingdrivewayoffLibertyStreettoerectadoublecarportadjacenttotheentrancetothehouse.ThehousefacesLibertybuttheactualfrontyardfrontsFigStreet.Hebelievesthatthiscreatesaproblemfortheminplacingacarportontheproperty.HerequestedthattheCitychangehissetbackstotheLibertyStreetfrontage.Hepresentedalettersignedbyeight(8)ofhisneighborsindicatingtheirapprovalofhissubmittal.(Petitionattached)Thisvariancerequiredan11‘-12’intrusionintothe20’streetsidesetback.BobMannichquestionedifhehadtohavea24’carport.Mr.Lowreysaidtheycouldlivewith22’,butneededthatmuchforbothcars.CharlieBassettaskedifitwasn’tpossibletoplacethecarportintherearyard.Mr.Lowreyindicatedthatthecostwasprohibitive,andhehadtreesandornamentalfruittreeshewouldloseifheplaceditthere.Onlyonetreehastoberemovedintherequestedareaandtheyalreadyhavethedriveway.BobMannichsaidhewouldliketoseethecarportplacedawayfromtheLibertyStreetside.Adiscussionfollowedregardingthepossibilityofusingthenonconformityprovisionsinthezoningordinance.Thiswasnotpossibleastherearenoexistingresidenceswithintherequired200’feetwithwhichtoalign.Mr.Lowreyindicatedthathemightbeabletoplaceitinadifferentlocation,butwasnotsure.TheBoardofferedtotablethecaseuntilthenextmonthsohecouldbringbackanalternateplan.Mr.Lowreyagreed.ErikCortinasindicatedthatwehaveaspecialmeetingsetupforMonday,August25,2003andMr.Lowreycouldbeheardatthatmeeting.Itwasagreedthathewouldbeplacedonthespecialmeetingagenda.ZC03-09requestofMarthaWatkinsforrear,interiorsideanddrivewaysidesetbackvariancesforpropertylocatedat357Satsuma.Ms.Watkinswasstillnotpresentforthemeeting.Asithasbeenpostponedlastmonthandneighboringpropertyownerswerepresent,theBoarddecidedtogoaheadwiththehearing.ChairmanFogartyopenedthePublicHearingandaskedEriktoreadhiscommentsregardingtherequest.Theyfollow:Foiowingstrictinterpretationofthehardshipclause,therehastobeaninherentcharacteristicofthepropertythatwillnotallowtheapplicanttofulfilltherequirementsoftheregulations.Duetotheirregularshapeofthelot,Ms.Watkinsdoesnothave50’oflotwidthattherearofthepropertyasrequiredbythe2 ZoningOrdinance.Thereforeitisdifficultforhertomeetsideyardsetbackrequirementsattherearofthelot.Theoverallwidthoftheproposedbuildingis25’,whichisfarfromexcessiveinrelationtothelotwidth.Myprimaryconcernishavingthe15’drivewaysidesetbackreducedto9’ontheEastside.Ms.Watkinsproposestouseagraveldriveway(pervioussurface)insteadofconcreteorasphaltsoastonotaggravatedrainagefromherpropertytotheother.Thiswillalsoallowforthedrivingsurfacetobeconstructedallthewaytothepropertylineinsteadofhavingtherequired3’greenspacebetweenthesurfaceandthepropertyline.Otherissuesregardingallowablemaximumwindowcoverageonthesideswithalessthan10’setbackfromthepropertyllnecanbeaddressedduringtheconstructionreviewoftheactualbuildingplans.TheBoardshouldtakeintoaccounttheshapeofthelot,theimpact,ifany,totheneighboringproperties,andwhethersubstantialjusticeisdoneingrantingthesevariancerequests.ChairmanFogartythenaskedforcomments.AnnaEtheridgeof355Satsumaspokesayingshehadspokeagainstitatthelastmeetingandherfeelingshaven’tchanged.ItisaninfringementonbothpropertylinesandshefeelsthatMs.Watkinsshouldhavetofollowtherulesandsetbacktherequireddistance.DianeOwenof359Satsumaspokenextindicatingthatshewasalsoagainstthevariancesasitwouldmovethehousetooclosetoherproperty.Erikspoketryingtoanswersomeoftheladiesconcernswithrespecttobuildingcodes,lotsofrecord,andthenonconformityprovisionsinthezoningordinance.Theladieswereshownthesubmittedsiteplanshowingtheexistinghouseandproposedhouse.Astherewerenoadditionalcomments,ChairmanFogartyclosedthePublicHearingandcalledforamotion.BobMannichmadeamotiontoapproveassubmitted.SusanCunninghamseconded.Allapproved.--ChairmanFogartyannouncedundernewbusinessthataspecialmeetingwasbeingheldatthesametimeonMondayAugust25,2003.AtthattimetheBoardshouldconsidertheirnominationsforOfficers.Somemembersindicatedtheywouldnotbeavailabletomeetonthatdate.Questionsregardingthenumberneededforaquorumwereraised.Therebeingnofurtherbusiness,CharlieBassettmadeamotiontoadjourn.SecondbyLewisAgee.Themeetingwasadjournedat6:05PM3