[Zoning Board of Adjustments on November 5, 2025.]
[00:00:11]
IT'S 3:29 P.M. WELCOME TO THE GALVESTON ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEETING OF NOVEMBER 5TH, 2025. THIS MEETING IS RECORDED AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE WEB ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.PLEASE SPEAK CLEARLY AND DIRECTLY INTO THE MICROPHONES.
THE ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN TAKEN ON THE SIGN IN SHEET, AND WE HAVE JAMES ABSENT TODAY.
WE STILL HAVE QUORUM. ANY IS THERE ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR THE ONE CASE WE HAVE TODAY? OKAY NONE. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES. WE HAVE TWO APPROVALS FOR TODAY.
THAT'S MEETING MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 3RD AND FOR OCTOBER 8TH.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MEETINGS? TO THE MEETING MINUTES? I SEE NONE. THE MEETING MINUTES WILL BE ADOPTED AS PRESENTED FOR BOTH SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON AGENDA ITEMS WITHOUT PUBLIC HEARINGS OR NON-AGENDA ITEMS? I SEE NONE. WE'LL MOVE TO NEW BUSINESS. CASE 25Z-018. STAFF REPORT, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT 25Z-018 ADDRESSED 4226 MAISON ROUGE. VARIANCE REQUEST FRONT SETBACK.
23 PUBLIC NOTICES WERE SENT OUT, THREE RETURNED, THREE WERE IN FAVOR.
NO OBJECTIONS FROM CITY DEPARTMENT AND PRIVATE UTILITIES.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM THE GALVESTON LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.
THE REGULATION HAS A 20-FOOT 20FT SETBACK, BUT THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE A FRONT SETBACK FROM 15FT TO IMPOSING A 5-FOOT REDUCTION. PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE APPLICANT'S JUSTIFICATION. THEN WE HAVE THE EXHIBITS FROM THE APPLICANT.
THIS IS THE PROPERTY AS IT STANDS TODAY. THIS IS THE SURVEY AND THE SITE PLAN OF THE DECK THAT WILL BE BUILT. AND THIS IS THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH, SOUTH AND EAST.
AND THAT CONCLUDES STAFF'S REPORT. THANK YOU.
DOES THE COMMISSION HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? I JUST HAVE A CLARIFICATION. BECAUSE THIS IS A VARIANCE REQUEST.
THIS HASN'T HAPPENED YET. THIS HASN'T BEEN BUILT.
THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR AN EXCEPTION. THIS IS A VARIANCE, RIGHT? YES. OKAY THANK YOU. ONE QUESTION THIS 20 FOOT REGULATION SETBACK THAT'S. WHEN WAS THAT ENACTED INTO CODE FOR THE CITY? DO YOU KNOW? I BELIEVE THE OKAY. SO TEN YEARS AGO? YEAH IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS PUBLIC HEARING FOR CASE 25Z-0018 IS OPEN AND THE STAFF REPORT IS MADE A PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THE APPLICANT PRESENT? PLEASE SIGN YOUR NAME AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR RECORD.
GO AHEAD YOU CAN TELL US MORE ABOUT AND BASICALLY, HE'S JUST TRYING TO GAIN. I DON'T KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT PICTURE, BUT HE'S JUST TRYING TO GAIN
[00:05:04]
ACCESS TO THE FRONT PART OF HIS HOUSE BECAUSE HE'S IN A MOBILITY SCOOTER.AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE SUPPORTING PILLARS FROM THE WALL TO THE SUPPORTING PILLARS IS NOT EVEN 4 FT.
SO BASICALLY THAT'S ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS JUST EXTEND THAT WHERE HE CAN GET HIS SCOOTER AROUND. WE'VE TRIED THE OPTIONS OF REMOVING THE POST, BUT THEY'RE STRUCTURAL. SO IT GETS INTO A WHOLE THING.
I HAVE A QUESTION HE HAS AN ELEVATOR CURRENTLY. OH, WHERE IS THE ELEVATOR? YOU CAN SEE THE UPRIGHTS TO THE LEFT THERE. UPRIGHTS TO THE LEFT 20. IT'S THAT SAME NARROW PATH. SO HE CANNOT GET PAST THAT FURTHEST PILLAR IN THE BACK AROUND THE CORNER.
BUT THE BUILD LINE ON THIS LEFT CORNER IS WHAT'S HOLDING US UP.
AND SO WE HAVE TO ENCROACH THAT A LITTLE BIT SO THAT HE CAN GET OVER.
SO WILL THERE BE AN ELEVATOR ON THE FRONT? NO THE CURRENT.
HE DOESN'T NEED IT. NO. IS THAT IS THAT A WRAP AROUND PATIO? YES. YES. YOU CAN ONLY ACCESS THE BACK AND THE SIDE.
THAT'S FOR THE EXTENSION OKAY. CORRECT. WOULD YOU BE ADDING ANY PYLONS TO THAT FRONT? THE IT WILL JUST BE ANOTHER CANTILEVER DESIGN.
AND THE FRONT THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO ADD IS THE ONE IN THE CORNER THAT IT MEETS.
WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH COASTAL RESOURCES.
THERE YOU GO. OKAY. DO WE HAVE. I'M SORRY, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE, BUT I THINK.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EXPAND ALL OF HIS BALCONY OR HIS DECK? THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED. BUT THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE OF THE 20 FOOT SETBACK, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT INFRINGING ON THE SIDE? NO, NO, JUST THE FRONT SETBACK.
OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW THANK YOU. GO AHEAD.
QUESTION WHICH GOES IN FRONT OF THE 20 FOOT SETBACK IN THE PACKAGE.
AND YOU SAID THIS IS FOR THE PURPOSES OF ACCESS WITH A MOBILITY SCOOTER.
CORRECT. SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS IS THAT THAT RAMP HAS TO EXTEND NOT JUST FROM THE SOUTH FACE, BUT ALSO TO THE WEST FACE WHERE YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE VARIANCE. IS THAT RIGHT? NO, IT WOULDN'T THAT'S HIS REAR DOOR. SO HE CAN COME THROUGH THE HOUSE AND OUT AND WOULD TAKE A RIGHT AROUND TO THAT.
THE CORNER THAT THERE IS NO DECK WOULD STILL REMAIN NOTHING.
OKAY CAN I SEE THAT? YEAH SO I UNDERSTAND HE'S GOING TO BE ON A SCOOTER AND HE NEEDS TO GET FROM THE SCOOTER FROM THE STREET TO THE HOUSE UPSTAIRS.
NO, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. HE CAN GET HE CAN GET TO THE LIVING QUARTERS UPSTAIRS.
HE HAS THE ELEVATOR. THE DECK GOES INTO THE FRONT DOOR.
HE HAS ACCESS INSIDE THE HOUSE. HE CAN COME OUTSIDE UNDER THE WEST SIDE WHERE IT SAYS 46.2.
THERE'S A DOOR THERE AND HE CAN ACCESS ALL THAT CURRENT DECK. BUT WHERE IT SAYS COVERED DECK, COVERED DECK, HE CANNOT GET TO BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT SUPPORTING COLUMNS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE. YOU'RE JUST WANTING TO GIVE HIM A DECK THAT HE CAN GO OUT ONTO ON WITH HIS MOBILITY SCOOTER? CORRECT. TO THE TO THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE. OKAY.
GOT IT. YES, MA'AM. SO ON THIS PHOTO CAN YOU JUST KIND OF SHOW ME? JUST POINT OUT YEAH IT'S SO WHERE IT SAYS 42.26 OR 4226 IS THE ADDRESS POSTERS.
[00:10:08]
THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT. IT'S JUST MAINLY THE HE CAN STILL GET IN THROUGH HIS ELEVATOR THROUGH THERE HE CANNOT GET PAST THAT FURTHEST POST TO THE RIGHT.YEAH, YEAH SO, SIR, I'M SORRY FOR THE RECORDING. YOU HAVE TO BE AT THE MICROPHONE WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING.
AND THEN IF I'LL REMIND THE COMMISSION NOT TO HAVE SIDEBAR CONVERSATIONS. SORRY HE CANNOT PHYSICALLY GET PAST. SO IT'S JUST THE A DECK EXTENDING? CORRECT. THIS IS NOT AN ENCLOSED LIVING SPACE.
IT'S JUST A DECK THAT'S DRIVEWAY BASICALLY? CORRECT. OKAY THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU, YOU CAN BE SEATED. IS THERE ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WISHES TO SPEAK? WE HAVE NOBODY ELSE. PUBLIC HEARING FOR CASE 25Z-018 IS CLOSED AND THE CASE IS RETURNED TO THE COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL DUE TO THE SPECIAL CONDITION THAT EXISTS ON THE PROPERTY.
AND THIS VARIANCE IS NOT CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND THAT IT'S NOT SELF-IMPOSED.
I SEE OTHER HOUSES ON THAT SAME STREET WITH LARGE FRONT OVERHANGING DECKS AS WELL.
AND I THINK THE DEGREE OF VARIANCE ALLOWED FROM THESE REGULATIONS IS THE LEAST THAT IS NECESSARY TO GRANT RELIEF FROM THIS UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP. THESE ARE RELATIVELY NEW CODES IN OLD NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND HE'S ALSO NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH THE GROUND STRUCTURE, JUST THE ACTUAL SECOND STORY.
SO IT'S WHY I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND. SECOND LET BECKY. OKAY. I'LL SECOND DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED? OKAY. MOTION PASSES.
THANK YOU. AND THE STAFF WILL PROVIDE FORMAL NOTIFICATION OF THE COMMISSION'S ACTION WITHIN 10 DAYS.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? DO WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM WHICH IS JUST THE 2026 COMMISSION SCHEDULE.
THERE ARE NEXT YEAR, THREE DAYS IN WHICH WE GET OFF THAT SCHEDULE.
SINCE WE'RE COMMISSION STAFF TO THESE THREE COMMISSIONS, WE LIKE TO KEEP THEM ALL IN THE SAME WEEK.
SO IN APRIL, JULY AND DECEMBER, YOU'RE BUMPED DOWN A WEEK.
AND AND NOTHING ELSE OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR THE COMMISSION, SINCE YOU ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH.
YOU DON'T TAKE THE THE BREAKS OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS.
SO THAT'S YOUR 26 SCHEDULE. SO I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, AND I REALIZED I DON'T BECAUSE [LAUGHTER] I WAS LOOKING AT NO MEETINGS UNDER LANDMARK AND PLANNING. SO ARE WE HAVING ALL THE MEETINGS THAT ARE ON THERE? YES. OKAY. THE COMMISSION YEAH ZBA IS ALWAYS SCHEDULED TO HAVE ALL OF THEIR MEETINGS BECAUSE YOU ONLY MEET ONCE A MONTH.
SO WE WOULDN'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO HAVE TO WAIT TWO MONTHS TO GET TO A MEETING DATE.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CASES, WE CANCEL THE MEETING.
CAN I TAKE A BATH OKAY. WELL, I THINK THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR TODAY.
AND 3:44 AND WE'RE DONE. GOOD JOB EVERYBODY 15 MINUTES AND WE'RE OUT OF HERE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.