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WebLinkAboutMinutesTheCityofFairhopeBoardofAdjustmentsandAppealsmetonMonday,November17,2003at5:00PMintheCityAdministrationBuilding,161N.SectionStreet.MembersPresent:BernieFogarty,Chairman;CharlieBassett,ViceChairman;LewisAgee;BobMannich;ErikCortinas,CBOandBrendaHoffren,Secretary;Absent:RayClarkChairmanFogartycalledtheproceedingstoorderat5:00PM.TheminutesoftheOctober20,2003meetingwereconsidered.MotiontoacceptaswrittenbyCharlieBassettandasecondbyLewisAgee.Allapproved.ZBA03-21-PublicHearingtoconsidertherequestofJohn&SheliaProppforanapproximate11’rearyardsetbackvarianceat430PatlynnDrive.Mr.Proppstatedthattheywerewantingtoimprovetheappearanceoftheproperty.Byenclosingtheexistingcarportandwalkway,itwouldpresentabetterappearancefromthestreetandgivethemneededadditionalstoragearea.ChairmanFogartyopenedthepublichearingandaskedforcommentsfromanyoneintheaudience.Therewerenone.PublichearingwasclosedandcommentsweresolicitedfromErikandBoardmembers.ErikstatedthatthelotmeetsallrequirementsforanR-2district.Therearenoexistingnonconformities.Thecarportcanbeenclosedasitsitsnowwithoutavariance.Astorageareacouldbeaddedtotherearsidewithoutcreatinganeedforanyvariance,leavingthebreezewayconnectoropen.Hedoesn’twanttoseenonconformitiescreatedwheretherearenone.BobMannichstatedthathedidnotseetherequirementforavarianceonthelayoutsubmitted.Mr.Proppsaiditisnottoscaleanddoesnotshowtheactualfootprintasitexists.Thecarportsitsapproximately24’fromtherearpropertyline,whichrequiresan11’varianceiftheyaregrantedapprovaltoenclosethebreezewayandcarport.ErikstatedthathehadreceivedonlyonecallafternoticeswentoutanditwasinfavorofthevariancefromaMrs.Fricker.Mrs.Frickerwasintheaudienceandaskedifshecouldspeak.ChairmanFogartyreopenedthepublichearingtoallowhercomments,afterbrieflyexplainingtheprocessforcommentsduringapublichearing.Mrs.Frickersaidshewantedtoseehowthehearingwasgoingbeforeshespoke.Shethoughtthestreetwouldbemoreattractivewiththecarportenclosed.Sheunderstoodcarportsweredisallowedinthisneighborhoodbyrestrictivecovenants.SheurgedtheBoardtoapprovetheenclosureassheandanotherneighborfeltitwasinthebestinterestoftheneighborhood.ErikexplainedthattheCitydoesnotruleuponrestrictivecovenants,onlythezoningordinanceandcitycodes.Thepublichearingwasclosed.ChairmanFogartyaskedforamotion.CharlieBassettmovedtodenytheenclosureofthewalkway.LewisAgeeseconded.Motioncarriedunanimouslytodeny.I ZBA03-22PublicHearingtoconsidertherequestofAliezeCapellforafrontandsideyardsetbacklocatedonlot7FrederickSID.JimmyUtseyistheson-in-lawofAliezeCapellwhoownsthereferencedproperty.TheyaretryingtofitaproposedresidenceforMs.Capellontothislotwithoutencroachingintothefloodway.Theyareaskingfora20’frontvarianceand5’ontheEastsidesetback.Asthereisa66’ROWinfrontofthepropertyinsteadoftheusual50’inneighborhoods,theyfeelthiswouldvisuallycreatemoregreenspaceinfront.Theyplantobuilda1200squarefoothouse.Thereiscurrentlyavacantlottoeithersideoftheproperty.ChairmanFogartyopenedthepublichearing.GregGinderof402RosaAvenuespokeregardingthewaterwhichhasfloodedhisbasementandgarageinthepast.Thishashappenedduring6”rainevents,nothurricaneevents.Hisconcernisforanythingplacedwithinthefloodwaywhichisgoingtocreateadditionalrunoffwhichcomesthroughtheculvertandontohisproperty.HefeelsthepipeunderSectionStreetistoosmalltoaccommodatetheamountofwatergeneratedduringrainevents.HestatedthathehasseentheCapellpropertyunderwaterattimes.Evenwithsetbackvariances,hedoesn’tseehowbuildinginthisareawilldoanythingbutdamagehisproperty.Whoisdesigningthisplanifhebuildsinthefloodway?Whoisresponsibleifitfails?KatieDennisof412Frederickspokesayingshehasbeenthere2‘/2years.ShewantedtosecondthecommentsofMr.Ginder,statingthat“...therunofflookslikeaclass4whitewaterriver...”duringastorm.Movingthesetbacksonthishousethatfarforwardwouldbeestheticallystrangninrelationshiptotherestoftheneighborhood.Astherewerenoadditionalpubliccomments,thepublichearingwasclosed.CommentsfromtheBoardandErikwererequestedbytheChairman..Questionswereaskedwithregardtosettingaprecedentforalignmentofneighboringresidencesifthesesetbackswereapproved.Eriksaidtheycouldputconditionsonthesetbackswhichwouldnotallowanyalignmentwiththissite.CharlieBassettaskedifgrantingthevarianceswouldstillrequireano-risecertificate.Mr.Utseystatedthattherequestedvariancewouldallowtheplannedresidencetobebuiltentireoutofthefloodway.EriksaidthataccordingtoCityandFEMAregulations,thehousecanbebuiltwithintherequiredsetbacksinafloodwayaslongashewasgivenano-risecertificatesignedbyanAlabamaregisteredprofessionalengineer.IftheplannedbuildingcanbebuiltentirelyoutofthefloodwayboundarieswiththerequestedvariancethenthiswouldnegatetherequirementforaNo-Risecertificate.Otherwisethisisalegallyplattedlotofrecordwhichmakesitabuildablelotaslongasallrequirementsaremetforbuildinginthefloodway.Mr.Utseystatedthatheistryingtogetasfaroutofthefloodwayaspossiblebyrequestingthesevariances.Mr.Ageeaskedifthewholevarianceisneededtoaccomplishthis?Erikstatedthattoentirelyremovethebuildingfootprint2 fromthefloodwaythentherequestedvarianceswouldberequired.Mr.Bassettsaidthisisaninherentcharacteristicofthepropertyandoncetheno-riseisissued,itlosesitsinherentcharacteristic.Hehasaconcernthatoncethevarianceisgranted,theno-risecouldbeusedtofurtherconstructinthefloodway.EriksaidtheBoardisfreetoputconditionsontheissuanceofthevariance.CharlieBassettmadeamotiontograntthevariancesrequestedaslongasthereisaconditionincludedwhichprohibitstheissuanceofanyadditionalbuildingpermitsforadditionalconstructioninthefloodwayandtheunderstandingthatthefrontsetbackallowedunderthisvarianceisnottobeusedbyadjacentpropertyownersforthepurposeofmovingproposedstructuresclosertothestreetfrontage.SecondbyLewisAgee.Votepassedunanimously.ZBA03-23PublicHearingtoconsidertherequestofGenevaBrownforanapproximate24’frontyardvarianceat405N.Ingleside.Mrs.Brownstatedthatshehasnoplacetoparkhercar,asthereisnoroomoneithersideoftheresidence.Sheisrequestingthevarianceinordertoplaceacarportinthefrontyard.Shehasaseptictankandfieldlinesintherearyardthatshefeelsprohibitsherfromplacingitthere.BobMannichaskedifshealreadyhadagaragethere.Shestatedthatyearsagotheyhadafireandthatwhentherepairsweredone,thegaragewasenclosedtomakeaden.Commentsweresolicitedfromtheaudience.Therewerenone.Thepublichearingwasclosed.CommentswereaskedforfromErikandboardmembers.Erikstatedthatherresidencealreadyencroachesintothe‘setbackonthefrontbyapproximately5’.Allowinganadditionalstructureinthefrontwouldrequireaminimumadditional24’feet.Thiswouldmakeherfrontyard16’deep.CharlieBassettaskedaboutplacingitintherearyard.Isitpossibletolocatetheseptictankandallowherasideyardvarianceforthedriveway?Eriksaidhehadbeenouttolookatthesitebuthadnotlookedattherearyard.Hewouldbegladtodoso.AmotionwasmadebyCharlieBassetttotablethecaseuntilthepossibilityofconstructingintherearyardwaslookedinto.SecondbyLewisAgee.Allapprovedtotableuntilnextmeeting.ZBA03-24PublicHearingtoconsidertherequestofReedBechtelforanapproximate6’streetsideyardsetbackat7NicholsAvenue.ReedBechtelandSueHeatterareplanningtoconstructanadditiontotheStreetsideyardoftheirhome.Theyneeda6’varianceonthestreetside.Theoriginalhousehadbeenaddedontoverybadly.Thisisthefirstphaseoftheirplanstoupgradetheappearanceandfloorplanofthehouse.Theyhavebeenworkingwithhistoricalarchitect,DouglasCurley,tomaintainthecottagefeelingfortheproperty.ChairmanFogartyopenedthepublichearing.Therewerenocomments.ThehearingwasclosedandcommentswereaskedoftheboardandErik.Erikexplainedthatthislotissubstandard,asitisonly66’3 wide.PhotosprovidedshowagreenspacebufferalongFreedomStreetwithbambooscreeningwhichwouldmaketheadditionpracticallyinvisiblefromthestreet.Herecommendedapproval.Questionswereaskedoftheapplicantregardingplacingtheadditiontotherear,andifthescreeningweregoingtostayinplace.Mr.Bechtelsaidthesideadditionfitsinbetterwiththelayoutofthehouseandthescreeningandadditionallandscapematerialswillstayinplace.BobMannichmadeamotiontoapprovetherequest.SecondbyLewisAgee.Allapproved.ZBA03-26PublichearingtoconsidertherequestofFrankLoft,Jr.foranadministrativeappealat151S.BayviewStreet,partofBayViewPlaceSID.FrankLottof22183MainStreetinFairhopesaidhehassoldhishouseinMontroseandpurchasedthislottobuildanewresidence.Mr.LottsaidthatheandLeeVemeuillewerepresenttoappealanadministrativedecisiononthebreezewayshowninthebuildingplans.SincethereisnodefinitionofabreezewayineithertheZoningOrdinanceorBuildingCode,thenthedecisionfallstotheBoardtoclarifywhatconstitutesabreezeway.ThelotsinBayviewPlacearenonconforminglots.Thebreezewaytakesaroundaboutwaygettingfromthegaragetothehouse,butitneedstobethereforweathercoverage.LeeVemeuilleisMr.Loft’sarchitect.Hesaidthereisadilemmaofdefinition.Thecoverisincidentaltocoverthewalkwayfromgaragetothehouse.Hepresentedanewdrawingwhichbetterdefinedthecover.Theywanttosupportthiscoverwithbeams,notpostsadheredtotheground.Thiswillprojectfromtheresidenceasanoverhang.Thereisnospaceundertheoverhangtobeusedforoutdoorlivingarea,asitistakenupbythesteps.Thepublichearingwasopenandcommentswereallowedfromtheaudience.DennisFrodshamspokesayinghewasthereassupportashesoldthelottoMr.Loft.Beingnoothercomments,thepublichearingwasclosed.QuestionswereturnedovertotheBoardandErik.ErikcommentedthatneithertheBuildingCodenortheZoningOrdinanceprovidesadefinitionofabreezeway,whichisallowedasanincidentalusetokeeppersonsoutoftheweatherwhenaccessingaccessorystructureslikegaragesandcarports.Aseverystructurediffers,hefeelsthattheBoardneedstomakethatdecisiononacase-by-casebasiswherethecoveringexceedsasimplewalkway.ThedrawingssubmittedforbuildingplansforMr.Lott’sresidenceindicatedaverylargearea,whichappearedtobeacoveredoutdoorarea,ratherthanabreezeway,soMr.VerneuillewasreferredtotheBOAforadetermination.LeavingthistothebuildingdepartmentleavesthedooropenadministrativelyifeachuseisnotclarifiedbytheBOA.CharlieBassettcommentedthatthenewdrawingshowstherooflineschangesdirectionbecauseofthestepschangingdirection.BobMannichsaidthesketchshowsabetterperspectiveofwhatisactuallybeingdone.Canthegaragedoorbemovedtocutdownontheexpanseofthecoverinthisarea?LeeVemeuillesaiditwouldcreateadead4 spaceforwaterandmakeitmoredifficulttocarrythewaterawayfromthisarea.Evenasitexistswaterisatoughproblemtofix.CharlieBassettstatedhisopinionthattheplansshowedessentiallytwoparallelwalkways.Basedonthenewdrawings,heissatisfiedthatitisabreezewaycover.AmotionwasmadetoapproveassubmittedbyCharlieBassett.SecondbyLewisAgee.Themotionpassedunanimously.MotiontoadjournbyBobMannich.SecondbyLewisAgee.Passedunanimously.Adjournat6:15PMTherebeingnofurtherbusiness,CharlieBassettmadeamotiontoadjourn.SecondbyRayClark.Themeetingwasadjournedat5:17PM5