JOHN COFFELTEditor

The Coffee County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), the final authority concerning planning and zoning appeals short of a court ruling, has postponed making a decision concerning a request for a setback variance in on a narrow lot in Lakewood Park.

Property owner Richard Greene, who according to county property records lives in Bradyville, Tenn., requested a variance that would allow him to build on areas of Lakewood Park property prohibited by setback regulations.

Greene said that the county’s setback restrictions make the buildable area of his lot too small for the home he would like to build.

Greene told the board that he needs a width of 48 feet to build on his 80×200-foot lot.

County Zoning regulations require 25 feet setbacks on each side of a structure. Multiply those setbacks for each side and there would only be 30 feet of buildable width on the property.

Greene said that he would not want to build a “shotgun” style two story on the property. He is asking for a variance of 9 feet on each side.

The board, however, was disinclined to vote on the matter until the results of the property’s perc and soil test were finished. The rural area does not have sewer access and would require a state-permitted septic system. The results of perc tests would govern what size or if a residence could be built there.

Greene told the board that he applied for the permit, but the results were not back from the state yet.

Even if the state approves the three bedroom residential load on a septic system, the Coffee County Codes department only recommend that the board grant 5-foot variances on each side instead of the 9-foot that Greene requested.

Codes Director Kirt Gray told the board that there are many options for building on that lot.

“A variance on a lot of record is for reasonable usage on (the) property, not because (the owner) wants to put something larger than something that should be going on a lot,” he said.

“If there is a house you like, you need to find a lot it will fit on, or if there’s a lot you like, then you need to find a house that will fit on it,” Gray said.

“The 30 foot (buildable footprint with 5-foot setbacks) would work because most people build singlewides out there. You could build a shotgun house. There’re shotgun houses all over on small lots,” he said, calling the 5-foot setbacks reasonable even if it’s less profitable.

BZA Secretary Dennis Hunt made the motion to postpone the matter until the results were ready. New BZA member Helen DeBellis seconded and the vote passed unanimously.

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.