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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVA199000085 Action Letter 1991-01-09 ire '!.Ngif:W"16/7 COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE Department of Zoning 401 McIntire Road Charlottesville, Virginia 22901-4596 (804) 296-5875 January 9, 1991 Douglas & Brenda Lilly Rt. 1, Box 102 Charlottesville, VA 22901 RE: Board of Zoning Appeals Action VA-90-85 Tax Map 89, Parcel 32 Dear Mr. & Mrs. Lilly: This letter is to inform you that on January 8 , 1991, during the meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Zoning Appeals, the Board approved your request for VA-90-85 subject to the condition that the variance be approved for the addition described in building permit #90-1790AR only. This variance approval allows relief from Section 10 . 4 to reduce the front setback from 75 to 30 cf fr::.i the right-of-way to build an addition to the existing house. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call . Sincerely, Babette Thorpe Zoning Assistant BT/st cc: VA-90-85 Inspections Department STAFF PERSON: Babette Thorpe PUBLIC HEARING: January 8, 1991 STAFF REPORT - VA-90-85 OWNER/APPLICANT: Mr. and Mrs. Douglas W. and Brenda K. Lilly TAX MAP/PARCEL: 89-32 ZONING: RA, Rural Areas ACREAGE: 6. 341 LOCATION: On a private road approximately 0. 1 mile west of Route 631 REQUEST: The applicant requests relief from Section 4 . 6. 3 . 2 of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance, which states: Other yards adjacent to streets shall have a minimum depth equal to the minimum front yard depth required in the district in which the lot is located. and Section 10. 4 , Area and Bulk Regulations, which sets the minimum front yard depth at 75 feet in the Rural Areas. The applicant requests a variance of 45 feet to build an addition to an existing house 30 feet from the right-of-way of the private road fronting their property. This 16 feet X 28 feet (448 square feet) addition would house two bedrooms and a bath. The applicant' s justification includes: 1. The existing house (756 square feet) is too small for a family of five. 2 . The addition would be no closer to the right-of-way than the existing house. RELEVANT HISTORY: The existing house was built before the County adopted a Zoning Ordinance. RECOMMENDATION: Since the existing house falls entirely within the 75-foot setback required from the right-of-way, any addition to the house would require a variance. Staff agrees that restricting any addition to the existing house would constitute a hardship due to the small size of the existing house. It is staff' s opinion that an addition is necessary to enjoy reasonable use of the property. Given the modest size of the addition and the fact that it would lie no closer to the right-of-way than the existing house, staff believes that approving this variance would not change the character of the district. Therefore, staff recommends approval for cause: 1. The applicant has provided evidence that the strict application of the ordinance would produce undue hardship; 2 . The applicant has provided evidence that such hardship is not shared generally by other properties in the same zoning district and the same vicinity; and 3 . The applicant has 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. Should the Board approve this variance, staff recommends the following condition: 1. Variance approved for the addition described in Building Permit 90-1790AR only.