WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously denied a Brittim Drive homeowner’s request to build a detached garage nearly 40% larger than city code allows, after board members said they did not see a legal hardship to justify the exception.
Roger and Carolyn Garringer, of 512 Brittim Drive, had asked the board for a variance to the city’s 720-square-foot maximum for accessory structures so they could build a 28-foot-by-36-foot garage, a total of 1,008 square feet, along with a driveway extension.
Roger Garringer told the board the garage would let him keep family heirlooms and antiques on his property instead of paying for offsite storage, saying a tight timeline when he moved had kept him from finding a larger home with more storage space.
Neighbor Jeff Wright, who lives at 432 Brittim Drive, told the board he researched surrounding properties and believed a garage that size would be out of character for the smaller lot. He also raised concerns about noise from projects Garringer might undertake inside the building and questioned whether the situation amounted to a true hardship under the city’s zoning rules.
Board member Roger Thompson said he worried about setting a precedent for larger accessory structures on similarly sized lots nearby and asked whether the garage could instead be attached to the home, though City Building Official Rod Bryant noted that option would cost significantly more. Chairwoman Tami Bath said she believed Garringer had presented some hardship but agreed the proposed size was excessive for the lot.
Members Steve Willis, Terry Feick and Thompson joined Bath in voting against the application, resulting in a 4-0 denial.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Washington Court House Board of Zoning Appeals meeting minutes.
