Council committee backs reduced setbacks to allow home on pie‑shaped Schubert Street lot

Staff described a request for reduced rear-yard and side-yard setbacks to allow construction of a new house on a pie-shaped vacant lot on Schubert Street. The site is zoned R-2, is part of a subdivision planned in 1927, and the property sits adjacent to a church parking lot and commercial parcels; staff said prior special-use approvals for septic reductions had been granted in 2005 but were never memorialized.

Explaining the lot's geometry, staff said, "it is a pie face pie shaped, piece of property," and argued that building by right would be difficult. The zoning board of appeals reviewed the request and unanimously recommended approval; staff concurred. Councilman Helms said he had expected the church to acquire the parcel but had no objection to the building proposal. The committee voted to recommend the special uses and the item was placed on the council's consent agenda for final adoption.

Staff noted the requested setbacks would be comparable to the prior approvals and that the change in code since 2005 had created the need for a formal side-yard reduction request. No audience opposition was recorded in the transcript.