ZBA approves variance for two-car garage at historic Plumgrove home

Lee and Carol Abraham told the zoning board their 1887 house has a small footprint and the requested 24-by-24 detached two-car garage exceeds the standard by roughly 84 square feet. "The house was built in 1887, so it's a pretty small footprint," Lee Abraham said during the hearing, explaining the garage would provide typical two-car parking and relieve future driveway needs.

Staff and engineering reviewed the proposal and raised no concerns; staff reported setbacks, building and lot-coverage percentages would meet code and recommended approval subject to conformance with the submitted site plan. Board members said detached garages are common in the area and that the unusual small-lot footprint provided unique circumstances supporting a variance. The board voted unanimously to approve the variation; the matter will proceed to administrative review.