Board of Adjustment tables variance request to split 205 East Hackberry after applicant seeks more time

The Fredericksburg Board of Adjustment on Tuesday agreed to table a variance request to subdivide a property at 205 East Hackberry after the applicant asked for time to gather more information.

Acting Chair Eric Amerson opened the public hearing on case ZBA2026-02 and said staff would first summarize the proposal. A staff presenter told the board the applicant seeks to split an approximately 22,326-square-foot parcel into two lots of about 13,176 sq ft and 9,150 sq ft. "The second lot would meet minimum area but not the 70-foot width requirement," the staff member said, citing Section 3.1 (minimum lot width) and the variance procedures under Section 5.6/5.65 of the city code.

The applicant, who was sworn in, described buying the property in 2022 and said she had been told it could be subdivided. "I didn't know that it would have some limits on it," the applicant said, describing historic maps and photos she provided to the board. She said her plans were to either sell the vacant parcel or sell her current home and build on the newly subdivided lot.

Board members and staff pressed the applicant on the parcel's history and practical constraints for future construction. Staff noted that county tax maps and GCAD records sometimes consolidate parcels for billing and recommended a surveyor to verify whether the lot historically consisted of two parcels. Staff also stressed that approval of the variance as presented would create a recordable lot but would not guarantee a future building permit: "This variance only allows for the creation of the lot. The lot is still nonbuildable, which means for any structure to go on there, they still have to get a variance to build the structure," the staff member said, explaining that 5-foot side setbacks could limit a future residence to roughly 40 feet in width.

Given those practical uncertainties, staff and the applicant discussed options including withdrawing and refiling to include both subdivision and building variances, consolidating adjacent parcels to improve dimensions, or tabling the case to allow additional research and surveying. The staff representative described the notice timetable if the case were refiled: legal advertising and mailings typically require about 15–22 days.

At the applicant's request, the board voted to table the matter for roughly two months to allow follow-up work; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board did not take a final vote on the variance itself.

The case remains on the board's docket and could return after the applicant obtains additional surveys or chooses to refile for both subdivision and any necessary building variances. The applicant and staff indicated possible timelines that could place the next hearing in about a month or two, depending on re-noticing and administrative schedules.