License and Variance Board Meeting - A. MAX BACON CITY HALL - COUNCIL CHAMBERS — Minutes
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July 09, 2025 10:00 AM City of Smyrna License and Variance Board Meeting 2800 King Street SE Council Chambers Page 3 of 8 Board Member Mary Moore made a motion to approve item V25-058; seconded by Board Member Bo Jones. The motion to approve carried with the following vote: Aye: 3 – Chairperson Worthy, Board Member Jones, Board Member Moore Nay: 0 – None Recuse: 0 – None B. V25-063 Public Hearing - Variance Request - V25-063 - Reduce the western side setback from 12 feet to 7 feet - Land Lot 598 - 3489 Vinings North Way - Keisha Chambers Ward 6 Mayor Pro Tem / Councilmember - Tim Gould Caitlin Crowe, Land Development Services Coordinator, provided the following background: The subject parcel is a 0.54-acre lot located on the south side of the Vinings North Way cul-de-sac in the Vinings North subdivision. The subject parcel and all adjacent properties are zoned R-20 and are all occupied by single-family detached residences. The property is currently occupied by a 2,345 square foot split-level home and roughly 435 square foot accessory structure in the rear. The original variance application contemplated a new 840 square foot two-car garage on the property, while the new application includes a second-floor addition as well. The proposed 1,400 square foot addition will have two levels: a garage on the first floor and a living area complete with bedroom, bathroom, and living room on the second floor, which will be accessed by an interior staircase. Although the new garage is much larger due to the second-floor addition, the actual footprint of the garage has been reduced, going from a 30 foot x 28 foot footprint to a 28 foot by 25-foot footprint. However, due to the location of the proposed garage, the side setback encroachment increased by 1 foot, bringing the addition closer to the western side but further from the front. The existing home sits at a slight angle on the property. Due to the angle of the home on the property, any side expansion more than 15 feet to the west in line with the existing home would create a variance, which would only allow for a one-car garage. To reduce the extent of the variance request and still maintain today’s standard of a two-car garage, the proposed addition will jog forward roughly 4 feet before extending in line with the existing home, thus creating the minimum variance needed. A six-foot privacy fence extends along the western side property line along with mature evergreen trees that provide a buffer to the adjacent property, so impact should be minimal. Although the nearest structure on the adjacent property is approximately 50 feet away, due to the proposed garage moving closer to the side property line than current zoning allows, gutters and downspouts will be required to direct runoff onto the subject property without impacting adjacent properties. Community Development believes there should be minimal impact to the adjacent properties. Due to the orientation of the existing structure on the property and the existing driveway, the most logical area to put the garage is on the western side of the property. At the time of this report, Community Development has not received any phone calls in opposition to this request.