Webster Groves board approves 3-foot variance for Martinez to build 9-foot retaining wall

The Webster Groves Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance Tuesday allowing property owners Dominic and Michelle Martinez to build a 9-foot retaining wall on the rear line of their yard at 26 Summit Place, three feet above the six-foot limit in the zoning code.

John Wagner, the city's director of planning and development, told the board the Martinez yard drops steeply toward the adjacent city park and that the family seeks the taller wall to create usable, flat space. "The backyard is quite steep," Wagner said, and Parks staff "had no concerns" about the wall's height; he added that permit review will require measures to mitigate stormwater so runoff does not drain into the park.

The applicants described the practical hardship the board considered. Dominic Martinez said his yard is unsafe and essentially unusable for a one-year-old and a second child on the way: "we'd love to have a yard that's usable for a toddler running around." Contractor Joe Frankie testified the installation uses SRT block with engineered drainage and that only a corner of the wall exceeds the code's six-foot limit; a safety fence will be installed atop the new wall.

Board members said they visited or reviewed the site plan and concluded topography—not neighborhood preference or precedent—justified relief. After no members of the public spoke in opposition, a motion to close the public hearing passed and the board approved the variance by a 5-0 vote.

The board directed staff on next steps for permits and reminded the applicants to consult with plan-review staff about stormwater controls during the building-permit process. The decision restores the applicants' ability to proceed with construction subject to the usual permit conditions.

The board adjourned after taking the second docket on the agenda.