Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutVA199000059 Action Letter 1990-08-22 f.-.-id ,,,,) COUNTY OF AI.BE MARI.I Department of Zoning 401 Mclntini Road ('hitilott&viilr. Virqu,i.i 22901 Ti)')f> ($04) 2% 5S7fi August 22 , 1990 Mr. & Mrs. George Hamp 48 Canterburg Road Charlottesville, VA 22901 Re: Board of Zoning Appeals Action VA-90-59 , Tax Map 76C, Parcel A23 Dear Mr. & Mrs. Hamp: This letter is to inform you that on August 21, 1990, during the meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Zoning Appeals, the Board granted your request for withdrawal of VA-90-59 . If you have any questions, please contact our office. Sincerely, --1Z (--71Amiti John Grady Deputy Zoning Administrator JG/st cc: VA-90-59 STAFF PERSON: John Grady PUBLIC HEARING: August 21, 1990 STAFF REPORT - VA-90-59 OWNER/APPLICANT: Mr. and Mrs. George Hamp TAX MAP/PARCEL: 76C/A23 ZONING: R-1, Residential ACREAGE: 1. 08 acres LOCATION: Located at 48 Canterbury Road in Bellair Estates Subdivision. REQUEST: The applicant requests relief from Section 4. 11.2 . 1 of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance, which states: "4 . 11. 2 . 1 ACCESSORY STRUCTURES If no utility or drainage easements or other easements are adversely affected, accessory structures or portions thereof may be erected no closer than six (6) feet to adjacent lot lines in the case of detached structures, or to a common wall in the case of attached structures; provided further that no such structure shall be located within any yard required by Section 4 . 6. 3 (Addition 3-18-81) (Amended 1-1-83) The applicant requests a 5 foot variance in order to construct a 20 foot by 20 foot carport, 1 foot from a side property line. Construction materials are to be wood and wrought iron. The applicant's justification includes the following: 1. The proposed area for the carport is already a paved parking area. 2 . Because Mr. Hamp is to some degree handicapped the covered carport would be very beneficial in inclement weather. 3 . The utility easement shown on the plat was secured when the subdivision was originally developed and no longer serves any purpose as the existing utilities are located on the rear property line and the opposite side property line. Page 2 Staff Report - VA-90-59 RECOMMENDATION: The applicant's assumption that the 10 foot utility easement was an original development easement when the subdivision was planned, is probably correct. To reserve utility easements along all property lines in the preliminary stages of development was a common practice. This enabled the utility companies and developers to put in the needed utilities at a later date hopefully cutting the cost by using those easement areas that offered best access. Staff has reviewed the subdivision plats for Bellair Estates and it appears that all lots are subject to the 10 foot utility easement requirement along all property lines. Although staff is sympathetic to the applicant's position, the Department does not feel the applicant meets the criteria listed below to grant a variance and therefore recommends denial for cause. In additional, staff is concerned about-approval of a variance that would permit encroachment into an easement for others. Until the easement is vacated, these utility easement rights exists, and the owner makes improvements at his own risk. Staff recommends denial for cause: 1. The applicant has not provided evidence that the strict application of the ordinance would produce undue hardship; 2 . The applicant has not provided evidence that such hardship is not shared generally by other properties in the same zoning district and the same vicinity; 3 . The applicant has not provided evidence that the authorization of such variance will not be of substantial detriment to adjacent property and that the character of the district will not be changed by the granting of the variance.