The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of Milton convened yesterday to ponder a multi-part variance request regarding a property located off Cogburn Road. The meeting, which took place at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, was the sole agenda item scheduled for yesterday, as reported by the City of Milton. Interested citizens were given the option to either attend the meeting in-person or to watch the proceedings unfold through a live stream at the provided YouTube link.
The subject of the meeting, a flag lot at 14507 COGBURN ROAD, encompasses 1.47 acres and is nestled south of Hopewell Road, adjacent to the Lyndon Creek subdivision. To better accommodate the requirements of free-range goats and chickens housed on the property, the applicant submitted a request to heavily revise the city's zoning restrictions. Specifically, they sought to both reduce and alter yard size requirements for accessory structures and also, to possibly increase the lot's flag stem area percentage.
In detail, the applicant sought permission to reduce several zoning requirements for their property. Specifically, they requested to diminish the 60-foot front yard minimum to 56 feet for an existing accessory structure. They also proposed to trim down the minimum side yard from 25 feet to 22.7 feet along the north property line, and to reduce the side yard on the south property line from 25 feet to 14.63 feet. Additionally, the applicant sought to reduce the minimum flag lot size from 1.5 acres to 1.472 acres and to increase the maximum allowable flag stem area from 10 percent to 13.41 percent of the total lot size. Finally, they requested permission for accessory structures to be constructed independently of a principal structure, rather than in conjunction with or after it, as detailed by the City of Milton.
This is not merely an issue of yard measurements and legal parameters; the variances, if passed, set a precedent for future zoning decisions within the town. Members of the BZA, seven individuals appointed by the Mayor and Councilmembers of Milton, meticulously assessed each variance request. According to the Milton zoning appeals board, the BZA is a quasi-judicial committee responsible for hearing "requests for variances from City Code as well as appeals to City decisions related to zoning ordinances, stream buffers, and sign permits," as noted by the city's website.
After thorough discussions, the full implications of the proposed changes will not be seen until a decision is publicly announced. The BZA is set to convene again on June 17.
