08/07/13 It was a full house for Tuesday night’s Plymouth Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. In front of an overflowing room Tori Predergast of Bremen explained her plans to split lot 57 in Eastwood Estates into two separate lots with the plan to build on one lot and in the future build a home on the second lot to sell.
Prendergast would need to approach the Plymouth Plan Commission for the lot split but would then need a variance of development standard from the Board of Zoning Appeals to reduce the setback requirements for the front yard from 40 feet to 25 feet.
Planning consultant Ralph Booker explained that when Eastwood Estates was platted it was zoned A with a front yard setback of 25 feet, a side yard setback of 10 feet and a back yard setback of 25 feet. In 2008 the zoning was changed to R2 with a front yard setback of 40 feet, side yard of 10 feet and rear yard setback of 20 feet.
Prior to the public hearing Consultant Booker read 13 letters of opposition to the lot split and variance to reduce the front yard setbacks.
Nearly a dozen people spoke to members of the Plymouth BZA. Their comments were basically concerns of effects on property values, not upholding the land and building restrictions, reducing the quality of homes in the subdivision and not being in the best interest of the community.
Local attorney Jere Humphery said he and his wife have purchased a lot in the subdivision and have begun to build their new home. They liked the “spacious feeling of the subdivision” and said the request violates the first Findings of Fact, there are no practical difficulties to build on the existing lot.
BZA member Alan Slege motioned to deny the request for the setback variance based on the third Finding of Fact, the variance would allow for economic gain by the applicant. The board voted unanimously to deny the variance.
