The Augusta-Richmond County Board of Zoning Appeals approved two petitions accommodating proposed developments in its meeting Monday afternoon.
Donte Davis had requested a variance in the city’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to reduce the side setback from seven to six feet at property along three parcels on Luckey St. zoned R-2, two-family residential.
Davis plans to build two duplexes, both two bedrooms and two baths, totaling 1,960 square feet; one at 1612 Luckey St., and another at 1614 and 1616, at 24 feet wide per unit, centered within 60-foot-wide parcels.
The zoning ordinance requires structures zoned R-2 to have side yards no less than seven feet wide.
In October of last year, the Augusta Commission approved rezoning the property, currently “””””””.””.…
single-family residential to R-2. Davis told the Board of Zoning Appeals that he was unaware that variances on the side setback would be required when he applied for the rezoning.
Board Member Ross Trulock asked Davis if he had considered redesigning the plans for the duplex to fit the ordinance requirements, and whether the seven-foot setback would be detrimental to the project.
Davis replied that he had not thought about amending the duplex designs.
“The board never told me that anything was out of regulation,” said Davis, referring again to the rezoning in October, and that seven feet would make the duplex homes smaller. “I had no idea it was a seven-foot setback [required]. I actually thought it was a five, because that’s what was on the plan.”
Augusta Planning and Development staff recommended denying approval for the request, stating it had not met the criteria demonstrating unnecessary hardship warranting a variance. However, in case the board approved, staff recommended applying conditions that the 1614 and 1616 parcels be officially combined and that the setbacks be no less than six feet.
The Board of Zoning appeals would ultimately unanimously approve Davis’ variance request.
Bill Corder of Bluewater Engineering Services petitioned on behalf of Atlanta-based Integrity Development Group for a variance on a 13-acre tract at 3270 Deans Bridge Road, zoned B-2 General Business.
The developer aims to construct 135 townhome units along the property, each unit 19 feet wide, and was seeking to reduce the required front setback from 15 feet to 13 feet.
Planning staff recommended denial of this variance request as well, citing the reduction in the subdivision would create a “high-density Compact Neighborhood that crowds the right-of-way,” and that parking was not evenly dispersed throughout the development in the plan. The staff also recommended guest parking.
Corder, speaking to the board, noted three chief concerns about the setbacks, which would be from the subdivision’s 60-foot right-of-way. He explained that there would be roughly 29 feet from the back of the curb of a townhome unit, leaving nearly 30 feet of concrete on every lot leading to the building.
Corder also noted that the Georgia Department of Transportation is requiring the neighborhood to have extra right-of-way on one lane and that the developer donate some additional right-of-way.
“The developer is willing to do that, but they won’t be able to if we don’t get the front setback variance,” Corder said. “In other words, if they give the DOT the additional right-of-way that they’ve requested, there won’t be room without major revisions to the plan and the units.”
Planner Kevin Boyd of the Development Review Committee clarified to the board that redistributing the extra parking among the 135 lots could provide adequate guest parking, rather than including one larger extra lot.
The Board of Zoning appeals would vote in favor of the variance, under the conditions that the overflow parking be dispersed throughout the subdivision, and that a parking plan be submitted to Planning and Development with the site plan. The Board voted 5 – 1, with Board Member Ethoin Rowe opposed.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
