TRIPLEX PROJECT GIVEN OK BY BRENHAM BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
The Brenham Board of Adjustment on Monday approved a majority of the requests attached to a proposal to redevelop a property and turn it into a multifamily residence.
be redeveloped into a three-unit multifamily
structure. The Brenham Board of Adjustment on
Monday approved two of the three requests in
connection to the redevelopment project.
(courtesy City of Brenham)
After tabling the matter at their previous meeting, and after the applicant adjusted his redevelopment plans to go from four proposed living units to three, board members permitted the triplex project to proceed by voting in favor of two of the three requests for the property, sitting on 0.14 acres at 601 South Park Street.
The structure that sits on the property was formerly a florist shop, but has sat in disrepair for years. The applicant, Jaime Lazcano, is looking to tear down the southern, one-story section of the building and renovate the inside of the larger, two-story side into three dwelling units.
The specific requests brought forward were to extend the height of the structure from 25 feet to 30 feet and 4 inches, keep the existing 6.35-foot side yard setback and have no buffer where 20 feet is normally needed between single-family and multifamily uses, and allow on-site parking to back into street right-of-way.
The board found that the existing structure is legally non-conforming, meaning that the bufferyard could not be reasonably met without enlarging further into the setback or buffer. It also stated that allowing parking to back into street right-of-way instead of requiring additional paving will reduce the amount of impervious coverage on the property and will positively impact drainage in the area. However, regarding the height request, the board determined that allowing a non-conforming building to expand in height could impact the surrounding properties due to the close proximity of the building to the front property line.
The bufferyard variance was approved 4-1, with Dax Flisowski voting against. The parking special exception was also approved 4-1, with Darren Huckert voting no. The board voted unanimously to deny the height special exception.
A separate item was unanimously approved, that being a variance request from Walt Edmunds and Jake Edmunds regarding 0.22 acres at 1605 South Day Street. The applicants seek to build an 895-square-foot accessory dwelling unit and needed an 8-foot north and south side yard setback, a reduction from the 10 feet required.
Click here to view the agenda packet for Monday's meeting.