Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Okay, at 6 pm um the U Blunt County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting for November 2025 is now in session. Um clerk, can you call the role, please? You have a We have a forum.

Okay. All right. Um, first item on our agenda tonight is approval of minutes from September 4th of 2025. Do I have a motion to approve? So moved. Second. Motion and a second. Minutes are approved. Um, it's Bruce Damro was the motion and second was

Larry Chestn. You do have to change it to brace. voting. Okay, now you guys. Now you can vote.

Motion passes. Okay. All right. The first item, new business on our agenda tonight is a variance request for 507 Henderson Street in Mville. Um, is there anyone here tonight that wants to speak in favor of that? Okay, sir. When we call, I'll uh I'll have something else for you. Never mind. Uh Cameron, uh could you uh give us a little brief on this one?

Yes, sir. Um the reason they're asking for a variance, it's a front setback variance. Um the front setback would normally be 30 feet, but they are asking to reduce it to 20 ft and 5 in. [snorts] And the reason they're doing that is the lot is an existing non-conforming lot, which means it was platted prior to our regulations. So, this lot is very small. It's 8,900 square ft. So, without this this 10-ft variance, it will meet the setbacks on all other sides. But without that 10ft variance, they're not going to be able to build very much. You can look at the floor plan that they attached, and it they're trying to accommodate the lot the best they can. And the I think the house itself is only 26 foot wide. So I mean they can't go much smaller than that. But um there's an existing house on it they're going to demolish. Um I assume they wanted to get this approved first but I can take any questions if you have them.

Okay. Home. No it's sight. No it's not a mobile home. It's a stick built home. There's a illustration of the home on on couple pages behind the memo there. Yeah, there's an illustration and a floor plan. It's toward the back. It's folded

folded up. And the lot's 57 feet wide by 158 feet long. So I mean it it's small. Do you have any object to it? Neighbors? No. The neighbor called and asked what he wanted to know what was going on. Um he said he wanted to make sure it wasn't going to be uh town houses or something. And so I told him it was a single family dwelling and he was fine with with that.

Are there others in the area have a similar setback? Yeah, there are. Um a lot of them were built prior to us having any regulations. So the 20 foot's not uncommon in there. So there's not a lot of um very few of the lots would meet our our setback requirements today with the ones with existing homes. So this is not going to be more of a

absolutely not. Would you all would you like to hear from the Yeah, Mr. Sir, if you would step up to the podium and there should be a pen and paper there for you to write your name and uh also I have to uh advise you. Um, if you intend as you intend to speak or give testimony uh to item on the agenda tonight, you need to uh raise your hand and affirm that you swear or affirm that the information answers you provide to this board tonight are true and correct to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief, sir. Okay. Thank you, sir. All right. And I guess first off, I'll just ask if you have any questions that

Okay. No, I'm the surveyor. I'm I'm here to represent the the owner. You're here to represent. You have surveyed and this plot has been served. Yes. Yes. Thank you. I've been Yeah, that's that's my stamp on the the map there. And there are three existing lots of record. They're one tax parcel. But um I'm sorry. I didn't understand that. What do you say? I was going to ask you your name if you cuz I didn't. Sorry. Alan Bernard. Alan Bernard. Yes. Okay. All right. Mr. Bernard. Um you said there's three lots of record there.

You'll notice there's there was previously one tax parcel and there were three lots of record within that one tax parcel. And now they're wanting to build on each of the three lots. And this lot is the corner lot. And uh it's you know if if um you a 30ft setback were required from Henderson Street, they would only have a 17t wide building space there. And you you can't really put a house on a 17 foot wide building footprint. When I heard him say, there was originally three lots and this is one of the three and he has surveyed it. Yes. Yes.

Okay. Yes, sir. Um, are there plans to build on the other two? Yes. Okay.

Yes. They're going to demolish the existing house that's shown on on my survey there. And then they'll they'll build on lots eight, nine, and 39, I believe, were the three lots. This this is the only lot that they're going to have any trouble with setbacks because of that 30foot setback from Henderson Street. And I think there was a question about other houses being similar to that. The one across Henderson Street is pretty close to a 20 foot setback. And then if you go just on the other side of the block, I think you're looking at a 10-ft setback from what's that next street down I think is Dun maybe. I think Dun is on here. Yes, sir.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um there's there's a house that's even closer to Dun Street than than will be putting to Henderson Street. So, it's it won't look any different than than what's at other street corners. Okay. Where were those other lot numbers that you're going to build on eventually? They should be on the survey there. Let me pull that up. It's here. Here. Maybe here. 8 9 and 39. That'll be the two adjoining lots. Lot 8 and lot 39. Okay. So 8, 9, and 39 are the three that you're working with.

Yes. Correct. And this lot nine is the one that we're asking for the variance for. Okay. The others will meet setbacks just fine. They're because they don't have two road frontages, whereas this is the corner lot and you have to meet the Would Would you be doing a similar type uh build on the other two lots? Yes. Yes. It might be a little bit wider a house given that you know for the side step backs you'll have 10 ft rather than so he's 23 right here 89. Okay. 39. Right. Right. So you you can the one we're looking at is

you can do essentially what is existing in that community on all three of these lots. But this one lot has an issue because of that one setback on Henderson. Yes. As you're dealing with two road frontages since it's a corner lot. Yeah. I see if it were a 10ft side setback we're dealing with and wouldn't be any problem fitting a house in there. Um, so with this one being oriented the way it is, the uh the the rear set back or as built or as shown would be only 10 ft. That would be the side of the house. The the rear

side. Yeah. The the front of the house, you can see there's a porch um up toward Clark Street. That would be the front. So it's you're actually fronting on Clark. Yes. Yes. The front of the house will be on Clark and uh then Henderson Street will function more as a side of the house. You will pull into the garage from Henderson Street if if you okay look up there toward the existing residence that's to be demolished. That's actually the garage on that end of the house and it's 44 ft from the rear lot line. I see.

So it it will face the same direction as the new house on lot 8. They'll both front on Clark Street. So, as you're going up Henderson, Okay. All right. You'll see the side of the house with the the the the garage in the rear. Okay. So, H Anderson Street site is where the 10 ft thing is, right? That's where the setback is not meet requirements. I didn't understand. Henderson, I'm sorry. H Anderson is where the setback is located. Okay. Yeah, we meet the 30 foot setback from Clark just fine.

It's it's the the additional 30 foot setback on Henderson. That's that's the issue. And yeah, um you have the the garage is on is uh accessing from Henderson, correct? and says 247. Is that correct?

Well, instead of beating around, is there ample room to park vehicles in the driveway beyond the sidewalk and everything so they're not encroaching upon pedestrian way or in the street or anything of that nature? There's there's no sidewalk. Okay. There. and you're about 10 ft from the rideway line to the edge of pavement. So, yeah, you'll you'll have well over 30 feet of space between the garage and the edge of pavement. Okay.

So, that 24.7 ft that's from your garage to the rideway. And that most vehicles are less than 25 ft long. I guess some of these big trucks, you know, it might be longer than that, but there should be enough for a normal size vehicle to be well out of the street right away and and definitely off of the pavement there. There wouldn't be any any issue with that. [clears throat]

Y'all have any more questions? Okay. If there's no more questions, I'll entertain a motion. Make a motion that we grant the variance in accordance with 11-6F. They have been met. Second. I have a motion and a second. All right. Vote. Motion passes. Motion's passed, sir. Good. Thank you.

We have no audience. Mhm. So, what's this? What's this then? Since we don't have anybody else here, special exemption. The exemption. Cameron, would you tell us about this, please? Yeah. So th this 8020 Benfield Road, that's the p the pictures I put in front of you, the warehouse.

This is the second time it's been to this board. So the warehouse is in a residential area. It's not a commercial property. So you couldn't build the warehouse there today. It's an existing non-conforming use. It's been there for a long time. Um but in order to change a use in in that situation, the board of zoning appeals has to change a use. So just because there's an existing non-conforming commercial use doesn't mean it can continue to change without being approved by the board of zoning appeals. So um the last time it was let's see here it went from manufacturing and fabrication um and the board approved a change of use to boat repair. So that individual selling this property um and somebody else is buying it and wanting to do manufacturing and fabrication. So it'd be going from boat manufacturing fabrication a boat repair back to manufacturing fabrication. That makes sense. But

so they filled everything underneath 11. I don't know. I mean this I don't know. This is for um warehousing for cabinets and countertops, things of that nature. They're going to fabricate all that there and store it there. From what I both from what I understand, I think it they have another facility. So, this isn't going to be their primary facility. Um, I think it will be primarily for storage, but they they said they will be doing some fabrication there.

So, is uh is it fair to call it a cabinet shop? No, I don't think it's it's not a store it's not a storefront deal, I don't think. Okay. I don't know. I mean, I I can't really speak to um much of the details because they're not here. So, and I only know what what they told me. Did anybody did anybody call in and say you didn't want it? No, nobody called. Okay. So, there's a note on this one, right? Where? I saw a note somewhere on this.

Is it farther back? Yeah. Off of that. Cameron, would we have any issue at all about a survey for this property? Did you say survey? Yeah. Yes. I don't What's the context of the question? Why would it need to be surveyed? Yes, just to make sure we know where the property lines are. Nothing's moving. What do you say in the building? I don't have a survey. I mean, the building's been there since 1986. So, has Imagine if it hasn't been disputed in the last 37 years or whatever. I doubt it. And he's not adding to the footprint of the building.

They're not building anything. They're just occupi. This is just approving the the use itself. Okay. All right. Make your motion. I'll second. He's got Go ahead. He's He's wait. He's anxiously awaiting you. You ready for a motion? Um I I have I have uh um I mean it's I wish somebody were here.

Yeah. Be nice. So um if there's not any more discussion from you fells, I'll take them. We'll have a motion. Okay. I move we grant the uh special exemption under section 115. Second. I have a motion and a second passes. Motion pass for whoever this is. Our special exception is granted. Congratulations. Way to go.

We sure are glad you guys showed up tonight. This was kind of contentious. We're not We're not done. I still want one more out at [laughter] all. Yeah. Yeah. Stan's not here. We'll give him everything. Let's keep him the same. Stanley is going to be the uh president and secretary. Secretary now. You are. Yeah. Let's keep them the same. Well, Stan's not here. It's like school board. If they're not here, [laughter]

I'll make a motion we keep them the same. Go ahead. You can do that. Go ahead and do a motion. Have to second it. Second it, too. [laughter] Y'all sure you don't want to say it is do the call [laughter] the four times a year that we're here? Who's the rule of order? Robert's Robert. Yeah, Robert's not here. [laughter] We'll use Okay, I'll second.

I should abstain. I start [laughter] present like they do in Congress. Do the same. I want to know. I missed my granddaughter's first cheerleading. Oh, just for you guys. Where is it? One more time.

Up at St. John Newman. I wonder if we so if I'd abstain that still pass. The next motion is our adjourn. Yeah, I'll make a motion we second. Okay. All right. It's