Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

VA-03-07-077 — City of Belle Isle

Request: Variance in C-1 (retail commercial) zone to construct an opened steel roof addition 7.5 ft. from rear property line (west) in lieu of 20 ft.

Decision: Approved

Hearing: During the course of researching this request, Staff presented the minutes from the Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Commission November 1984 meeting which granted this property its C-2 zoning. The minutes revealed that the applicant had agreed to construct a 6-foot masonry (concrete) wall along the perimeter of the property, as well as install dense landscaping. Neither the wall or the dense landscaping, were ever installed. The applicant objected to staff¿s recommendations for a 6-foot high masonry wall along the north property line and a portion of the east property line, stating that the poor condition of the adjacent properties did not warrant such extreme attempts at buffering. The applicant was not aware of the City¿s earlier agreements with the County, but offered to increase landscaping and maintain the subject property. One person (the northern adjacent property owner) spoke in opposition to this request. His concern was the noise and appearance of the applicant¿s maintenance vehicles would continue being a detriment to the community. He was in favor of a 6-foot masonry wall along the north line adjacent to his. The Board unanimously approved this request. The Board agreed with Staff and the neighbor. However, the Board went further by recalling the applicant¿s agreements in 1984 to the P&Z Commission, and instructed the applicant to construct a 6-foot masonry wall along the entire perimeter of the subject property. Because of the lack of adequate irrigation, however, no additional landscaping would be required.