Board approves setback variance for Mastell and Bennett property on Bermuda Road
June 05, 2026 | Lancaster County, Virginia
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Lancaster County Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve a setback variance for property owners Frank Mastell and Kimberly Bennett to allow a proposed vehicle bay and addition closer to Bermuda Road.
Miss Pruitt, staff presenting the case, told the board the owners request a 55-foot setback from the center line of Bermuda Road rather than the 75 feet required under corner-setback rules. She said the parcel is a 1.798-acre combination of four lots in the White House Creek subdivision and that “the proposed addition makes the most sense in order to be able to tie into the electrical power that’s there, as well as its proximity to the owners’ tools and vehicle maintenance equipment currently located in the existing garage.”
The staff presentation described constraints that limit alternative building locations: a roughly 4-foot topographic drop on the southwesterly side, the proximity of the septic drain field and a drainage swale on the northwesterly side, and a 100-foot Resource Protection Area (RPA) buffer preserved under a Bay Act agreement. An attendee asked staff to clarify the RPA line on the submitted site plan; Pruitt indicated the yellow line on the plan marks the RPA as recorded when the house was built.
Board members who inspected the property called it a “tricky situation” and said the owners were not asking for an excessive encroachment—20 feet into a 75-foot setback. After brief discussion, a board member moved to approve the variance “as requested,” a motion that was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The board closed the public hearing and moved on to its next agenda item. The staff packet for the case included a site plan, floor plans, photos, a survey and signed neighbor approvals, and Pruitt said adjoining property owners were notified as required by law.
Outcome: variance approved. The transcript records voice approval during the meeting; the official recorded vote tally in the county minutes was not provided in the transcript.
Miss Pruitt, staff presenting the case, told the board the owners request a 55-foot setback from the center line of Bermuda Road rather than the 75 feet required under corner-setback rules. She said the parcel is a 1.798-acre combination of four lots in the White House Creek subdivision and that “the proposed addition makes the most sense in order to be able to tie into the electrical power that’s there, as well as its proximity to the owners’ tools and vehicle maintenance equipment currently located in the existing garage.”
The staff presentation described constraints that limit alternative building locations: a roughly 4-foot topographic drop on the southwesterly side, the proximity of the septic drain field and a drainage swale on the northwesterly side, and a 100-foot Resource Protection Area (RPA) buffer preserved under a Bay Act agreement. An attendee asked staff to clarify the RPA line on the submitted site plan; Pruitt indicated the yellow line on the plan marks the RPA as recorded when the house was built.
Board members who inspected the property called it a “tricky situation” and said the owners were not asking for an excessive encroachment—20 feet into a 75-foot setback. After brief discussion, a board member moved to approve the variance “as requested,” a motion that was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The board closed the public hearing and moved on to its next agenda item. The staff packet for the case included a site plan, floor plans, photos, a survey and signed neighbor approvals, and Pruitt said adjoining property owners were notified as required by law.
Outcome: variance approved. The transcript records voice approval during the meeting; the official recorded vote tally in the county minutes was not provided in the transcript.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
