Zoning Board of Adjustments — Mansfield

The applicant constructed a carport addition to their home without obtaining the required permits. Following a complaint, the Department of Regulatory Compliance investigated and issued a notice of violation to the applicant on January 14, 2026. The applicant is now seeking a variance from the side yard setback requirement in order to retain the attached carport in its current location. Due to the carport's encroachment into the side property line, a building permit cannot be issued unless a variance is approved by the Board. The carport is attached to the house, with an area of approximately 979 square feet and a height of 11.33 feet. The property is zoned SF-7.5/18, which requires a minimum side yard setback of 7.5 feet for a two-story house under Section 155.055(B)(1) (footnote 7) of the Code of Ordinances. According to the applicant, the carport is located approximately 3.5 feet from the side property line, resulting in a 4-foot encroachment. The purpose of a variance is to relieve hardship, not to confer benefits that are not enjoyed by neighboring properties. According to Section 155.113 of the Code of Ordinances, the Board may grant a variance if the following conditions are met: That the granting of the variance will not be contrary to the public interest; and That literal enforcement of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship because of exceptional narrowness, shallowness, shape, topography or other extraordinary or exceptional physical situation or physical condition unique to the specific piece of property in question. "Unnecessary hardship" shall mean physical hardship relating to the property itself as distinguished from a hardship relating to convenience, financial considerations or caprice, and the hardship must not result from the applicant or property owner's own actions; and That by granting th

Minutes - Approval of the Ma​rch 4, 2026, Zoning Board of Adjustments Meeting Minutes

The applicant is requesting a variance to permit the installation of outdoor mechanical equipment within the required setback adjacent to residentially zoned property. The subject site is zoned I-1 (Light Industrial), and the proposed use is a dog food manufacturing facility. The operation requires mechanical units to support freezer and cooler functions integral to the manufacturing process. Section 155.095(C)(1)(a), Residential Proximity Standards, requires a minimum 40-foot setback between structures in an I-1 zoning district and any adjacent residential zoning district. The applicant is proposing to locate mechanical equipment approximately 26 feet from the residential property line, resulting in an encroachment of approximately 14 feet into the required setback. The purpose of a variance is to relieve hardship, not to confer benefits that are not enjoyed by neighboring properties. According to Section 155.113 of the Code of Ordinances, the Board may grant a variance if the following conditions are met: a. That the granting of the variance will not be contrary to the public interest; and b. That literal enforcement of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship because of exceptional narrowness, shallowness, shape, topography or other extraordinary or exceptional physical situation or physical condition unique to the specific piece of property in question. "Unnecessary hardship" shall mean physical hardship relating to the property itself as distinguished from a hardship relating to convenience, financial considerations or caprice, and the hardship must not result from the applicant or property owner's own actions; and c. That by granting the variance, the spirit of the Zoning Ordinance will be observed and substantial justice will be done. Options for the Board Approve the request. This would allow the mechanical equipment to be approximately 14 feet into the required 40-foot setback from a residenti