Neighbors support rebuild after house fire; board approves variances tied to consolidation plat
April 16, 2026 | Wilson County, Tennessee
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The Wilson County Board of Zoning Appeals on April 1 approved variances enabling a family to rebuild a home that burned to the ground in November, subject to a consolidation (recombination) plat being submitted and recorded with the planning office.
A man representing the property (address given as 5550 Vanderbilt Road) told the board the house burned two days before Thanksgiving, praised emergency responders and said his family wants to rebuild “basically what we had within 100 square foot of the same footage.” He said neighbors had turned out to support the family. Josh White of ASM Land Surveyors told the board a consolidation plat for three small lots is in submission to the planning office and that the prior house had been about 7 feet from the rear property line.
Neighbor Loren Whitby, who lives next door, described arriving at the scene and helping the family obtain clothing and supplies; she urged the board to approve rebuilding in the existing footprint and said the neighborhood is strongly supportive.
Staff told the board the property is on older lots (dating to the 1950s) and that, given the zoning ordinance language for pre-existing tracts of record and the circumstances of the fire, staff could recommend approval of the requested rear-yard and side-yard variances. Staff and the board clarified that if the consolidation plat is not recorded the variance would be voided and that no permit will be issued for structures across property lines.
The board approved the variances based on staff recommendation; the approval was recorded with the condition tying relief to the submitted consolidation plat. The planning office will review the submitted plat before the zoning office issues any permits.
What happens next: the consolidation/recombination plat must be reviewed and recorded by the planning office; once recorded, the applicant may seek building permits consistent with the approved variances and the recorded lot configuration.
A man representing the property (address given as 5550 Vanderbilt Road) told the board the house burned two days before Thanksgiving, praised emergency responders and said his family wants to rebuild “basically what we had within 100 square foot of the same footage.” He said neighbors had turned out to support the family. Josh White of ASM Land Surveyors told the board a consolidation plat for three small lots is in submission to the planning office and that the prior house had been about 7 feet from the rear property line.
Neighbor Loren Whitby, who lives next door, described arriving at the scene and helping the family obtain clothing and supplies; she urged the board to approve rebuilding in the existing footprint and said the neighborhood is strongly supportive.
Staff told the board the property is on older lots (dating to the 1950s) and that, given the zoning ordinance language for pre-existing tracts of record and the circumstances of the fire, staff could recommend approval of the requested rear-yard and side-yard variances. Staff and the board clarified that if the consolidation plat is not recorded the variance would be voided and that no permit will be issued for structures across property lines.
The board approved the variances based on staff recommendation; the approval was recorded with the condition tying relief to the submitted consolidation plat. The planning office will review the submitted plat before the zoning office issues any permits.
What happens next: the consolidation/recombination plat must be reviewed and recorded by the planning office; once recorded, the applicant may seek building permits consistent with the approved variances and the recorded lot configuration.
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