Board approves retroactive permit for 572-sq-ft structure at 1804 Cambourne Place; homeowner cites contractor misconduct

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a request on June 15, 2026, to regularize a 572-square-foot detached accessory structure at 1804 Cambourne Place that was constructed without prior city approval.

Allison, a city staff member, told the board the structure was built by a previous contractor without the required building permit and that the homeowner, Dante DeWitt, is now working to bring it into compliance. Staff said the structure sits within the required setbacks, is under the 750-square-foot size limit, and recommended approval subject to a third-party structural-engineer inspection and standard conditions.

DeWitt told the board the contractor they hired had told them he would handle permitting but did not, and that the contractor later went to prison. "We paid him to actually do the permitting. He said he did the permitting. Turns out later on, he actually didn't do the permitting for us and a bunch of others, and he went to prison for it," DeWitt said.

Board members asked technical questions about the cedar posts and foundations; DeWitt explained the posts sit on metal posts set into poured concrete and that stone around the posts is decorative rather than structural. A staff member noted the board has previously approved similar wood pavilion structures and can waive strict material-compatibility requirements in cases where the structure was previously constructed.

A board member moved to approve the structure with staff conditions plus an explicit waiver of the material-compatibility requirement because the cedar columns do not match the primary structure; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The approval requires the third-party structural inspection and the applicant to obtain necessary permits and inspections going forward.

The board recorded that staff had received two mailed notifications and a phone call regarding the request.