Board approves side-yard variance to allow ADA bedroom suite for Gilreath and Skelton

The Lancaster County Board of Zoning Appeals granted a side-yard setback variance to allow a single-story, ADA-compliant bedroom suite to be added at 5500 Windmill Point Road.

Miss Pruitt presented the request on behalf of applicants Thomas Gilreath and Natalie Skelton, saying the owners seek a 15-foot setback from the north property line where the ordinance requires 25 feet. She said the existing four-bedroom house sits on a 2.558-acre parcel fronting Little Oyster Creek and that the proposed suite would permit step-free entry and daily caregiving for a family member. The staff packet included the current survey, photos and a written narrative explaining constraints such as the septic system location and limited building envelope.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the footprint and which area of the existing porch/sunroom would be converted. One board member who visited the site said the addition appeared minimal and that trees and a wooded buffer would separate the residence from neighboring lots.

After discussion the board moved to approve the variance “as requested.” The transcript records a voice approval; no written public opposition was noted in the staff memo.

Outcome: variance approved. The staff memo and attached materials accompanied the request; the meeting transcript records voice approval but does not include a complete official roll-call tally.