Board reduces Weber River setback for 2650 South Lakeside Drive after applicant moves house and redesigns deck

The Summit County Board of Adjustment approved a variance to reduce the Weber River setback at 2650 South Lakeside Drive, authorizing a variable setback between about 45 and 50 feet in the configuration shown in staff exhibits.

County planner Jennifer presented the continued application (project 23193) for a property in the Wanship Cottage Sites subdivision. Jennifer said the applicant’s revised plan pushed the garage to the front setback and reduced the rear deck to a shallow, enclosed patio and that the revised layout allowed the project to meet the five variance criteria. She noted the revised site plan keeps nearly the entirety of the house at or beyond a roughly 50-foot setback, with approximately 55 square feet that do not comply with 50 feet but remain inside the variable proposal. Jennifer recommended approval and asked the board to adopt the variance as depicted in the exhibit to prevent an open-ended land-right change.

Design architect Brett Polo and project team member Daniel Ross described technical changes since the January hearing: moving the garage forward, converting the rear feature into a sub‑12-inch cantilevered patio (no structural elements entering the setback), and coordinating two septic-system opinions with the health department to place the replacement system farther from the river. The applicants said they worked with the water department and health department and presented the revised plan to respond to previous board concerns.

Deputy county attorney Ryan Stack advised that if the board approves a reduced setback, the safest approach is to tie approval to the exhibit depicting the approved footprint so that the reduced setback is not interpreted as an unconstrained right that runs with any future design.

A board member moved to approve the setback reduction from the code- required 100-foot Weber River setback to roughly 45–50 feet as depicted in exhibit A and the staff report, subject to the staff findings, conclusions of law, and conditions of approval. The board voted in favor and the chair confirmed the motion carried.

The approval was recorded with conditions noted in the staff report and with the exhibit incorporated by reference; the applicant will need to satisfy septic and other permitting requirements before demolition or construction begins.