JOHN COFFELTEditor

The Manchester Board of Zoning Appeals granted variances at the July 15 meeting on three separate requests.

Marcus Corlew was granted a variance on his Teakwood Drive development to allow him to build with 40 feet of road frontage instead of the 50-feet required by city codes. The BZA reasoned that his request was warranted due to the property sitting at the dead end of Teakwood Drive.

He will be required to create a hammerhead turnaround for emergency vehicles at the end of the road.

The board approved a 10-foot variance for a small lot on McLean Street owned by Scot and Tracy St. John.

The variance request is to allow the new buyer to align a planned building with the neighboring A+ Medical structure. In the C-1 commercial zone the rear setback is 20 feet.

“They want to match the A+ building in the front and the rear,” St. John said.

The third variance was granted for a 15-foot height variance on a sign to be built as part of the Roberts Nissan remodel.

Manchester code limits signs to be 35 feet high unless they are located near Interstate-24. The proposed sign is to be 50-feet.

Owner John Roberts Sr. said the proposed sign is about 10 foot shorter than the existing one at Roberts Toyota.

“It’s pretty short, the Nissan sign is,” Roberts said. “It’s not visible from the top of the interstate. The lot lights we have kind of dim it out and makes it like it’s not even there.”

Roberts said nearby locations like O’Charley’s, Wendy’s and Motel 6 are much taller than the proposed sign. Businesses located on the interchanges of I-24 are allowed signs up to 120 feet high.

All the first two variances were approved unanimously, with BZA Member Ward Johnson absent. Board Member Brad Goodwin abstained from the Roberts Nissan vote.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.