Board of Adjustments

Rome-Floyd Board of Adjustments Minutes Location: City Hall Sam King Room and Zoom Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023 Time: 2:30 PM PLEASE REFER TO THE VIDEO RECORDING FOR FULL DETAIL OF THE MEETING CALL TO ORDER Meeting convened: 2:30 p.m. led by Chair Abney. Determination of Quorum (4 of 7 needed) P – Present MEMBER Notes STAFF Z – Zoom P Cameron Abney Chair P Frank Beacham - City Atty P Phil Burkhalter P Chris Jackson – County Atty A Will Byington A Bruce Ivey – County Mgr. P David Clonts Vice Chair P Meredith Ulmer – Asst City Mgr. P Jarrod Johnson P James Martin – Bldg. Official P Von Lambert P Brice Wood – Asst Director - Planning Dept P Terry Williamson P Michelle Kite – Planning & Zoning Coordinator P Julia Harris – Associate Planner Public (from sign-in sheet): M.H. Thornton, Sam Moss, Travis Williams, Todd Fox, Bobby Ferguson, Debbie Shepherd Kines, Luther Johnson, Jim Harrington, Steve Kelley, Clark Ellard, Norma, Diana Welcome and Introduction of Visitors Abney welcomed the public to the meeting and requested that all visitors sign in. Approval of Minutes from July 2023 Meeting Burkhalter made a motion to approve the July 2023 minutes, which was seconded by Johnson. The motion passed by common consent. Approval/Modification of Agenda Johnson made a motion to approve the agenda, which was seconded by Williamson. The motion passed by common consent. ROME/FLOYD ZONING VARIANCE APPLICATIONS: BOA23-08-02, for the property at 0 Cave Spring St. and 0 Cave Spring Rd., Rome, GA 30161, Floyd County Tax Parcels J14L071, J14L072, and J14L073, being zoned Community Commercial (C-C), requests to remove the requirement for curb and gutter. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Mary Hardin Thornton and Sam Moss were present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Lambert made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Clonts. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington M Von Lambert Y Phil Burkhalter S David Clonts Y Terry Williamson Y Jarrod Johnson 1 BOA23-08-01, for the property at 5 W Callahan St., Rome, GA 30161, Floyd County Tax Parcel J13I294, being zoned Community Commercial (C-C), requests to reduce landscape buffer on W Callahan St from 20’ to 6’, on Forsyth St. from 20’ to 15’, and to reduce from 20 parking spaces to 6 parking spaces. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. No one was present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Johnson made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Williamson. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert Y Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts S Terry Williamson M Jarrod Johnson BOA23-08-03, for the property at 609 Maple Ave and 600 E 2nd Ave., Rome, GA 30161, Floyd County Tax Parcels J14F151 and J14F156, being zoned Community Commercial (C-C), requests a setback reduction on Tract A on the southwestern property line measuring 39.48 feet from 15 feet to 14.8 feet, a frontage reduction on Tract B from 60 feet to 48 feet, and a lot width reduction on from 150 feet to 48 feet for Tract B. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Clark Ellard was present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to oppose the application. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Lambert. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington S Von Lambert M Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts Y Terry Williamson Y Jarrod Johnson BOA23-08-04, for the property at 118 Holder St., Rome, GA 30161, Floyd County Tax Parcel J14N331, being zoned High-Density Traditional Residential (H-T-R), requests to reduce the secondary front by 11’. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. The applicant, Omar Avendano, was present to speak in favor. There was no one present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Williamson. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert M Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts S Terry Williamson Y Jarrod Johnson BOA23-08-05, for the property at 3 S. Division St. (3 Division St. as listed on the Parcel Viewer), Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcel I13K181, being zoned Community Commercial (C-C), requests to increase sign height from 20’ to 30’, requests side setback reduction from 15’ to 0’. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. No one was present to speak in favor or in opposition. 2 Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Johnson made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Williamson. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert Y Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts S Terry Williamson M Jarrod Johnson BOA23-08-06, for the property at 209 Redmond Circle (209 Redmond Rd. as listed on the Parcel Viewer), Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcel I13W086, being zoned Neighborhood Office Commercial (N-O-C), requests to place parking in front of the building, to increase building size over N-O-C zoning. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Travis Williams was present to speak in favor of the application. No one was present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve both requests, there was no second and the motion failed. Clonts made a motion to approve the request to increase building size over N-O-C zoning and to deny the request to place parking in front of the building, which was seconded by Williamson. The motion passed 4-2. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington N Von Lambert N Phil Burkhalter M David Clonts S Terry Williamson Y Jarrod Johnson BOA23-08-07, for the property at 10 General Avenue, Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcel H12Z698, being zoned Suburban Residential (S-R), requests a parcel size reduction variance from 1 acre to 0.62 acres for the installation of a covered area to serve an adjacent church. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Steve Kelley was present to speak in favor. There was no one present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Williamson made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Lambert. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington S Von Lambert Y Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts M Terry Williamson Y Jarrod Johnson BOA23-09-01, for the property at 79 Southern Grace Place, Rome, GA 30161, Floyd County Tax Parcel L14W209, being zoned Agricultural Residential (A-R), requests to reduce the rear setback from 25 feet to 12 feet. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Todd Fox was present to speak in favor. There was no one present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Johnson. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert M Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts Y Terry Williamson S Jarrod Johnson 3 BOA23-09-02, for the property at 11 Ridge Haven Dr., Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcel G12Z248, being zoned Suburban Residential (S-R), requests to reduce the eastern side setback from 7 feet to 5 feet. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Bobby Ferguson was present to speak in favor of the application on behalf of Debbie Kines. There was no one present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Lambert. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington S Von Lambert M Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts Y Terry Williamson Y Jarrod Johnson BOA23-09-03, for the property at 812 Oakland Ave., Rome, GA 30165, Floyd County Tax Parcel I13N165, being zoned High Density Traditional Residential (H-T-R), requests a 6 foot tall fence that is closer to the public right-of-way than the principal structure and an accessory structure that is closer to the public right-of-way. Director Wood presented the application, staff report, and staff recommendation. Chair Abney opened the public hearing. Luther Johnson was present to speak in favor. There was no one present to speak in opposition. Chair Abney closed the public hearing and opened the floor for discussion amongst the voting members. Burkhalter made a motion to approve as submitted by the applicant, which was seconded by Johnson. The motion passed 6-0. MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER M - Motion S – Second AB – Abstained Y Cameron Abney Will Byington Y Von Lambert M Phil Burkhalter Y David Clonts Y Terry Williamson S Jarrod Johnson ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 3:39 pm by common consent. STAFF REPORTS: https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2682/BOA23-08-01 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2683/BOA23-08-02 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2684/BOA23-08-03 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2685/BOA23-08-04 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2686/BOA23-08-05 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2687/BOA23-08-06 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2688/BOA23-08-07 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2689/BOA23-09-01 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2690/BOA23-09-02 https://www.romega.us/DocumentCenter/View/2691/BOA23-09-03 4