Detached garage variances, appeal to zoning violations, and setback changes.
- Beacon Hill
- Manheim Park
- Southmoreland
- Terrace Lake Gardens HOA
- River Market
- Heighland Acres – Lakeside Heights HOA
Board of Zoning Adjustments
Wednesday, November 13th at 9am
The Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) was attended this week by Chairperson Mark Ebbitts, Emerson “Jaz” Hays, Myeisha Wright, Randi Mixdorf, Micheal Myers, and Tom Gorenc.
CD-SUP-2024-00052 requested a Special Use Permit (SUP) to allow a nightclub at 2999 Troost Ave, within the Beacon Hill neighborhood. The SUP will expire after three years, at which point the owners could apply for renewal. This site is also subject to the Troost Corridor Overlay District’s development requirements.
Last week, the property owners presented this SUP request to the City Planning Commission, who recommended approval of the permit. All Special Use Permits (SUP) must be approved by both the City Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Adjustments, and the City Council.
City planner Genevieve Kohn Smith presented this case to the board with applicants Alan Neyland and Charles Peach. Peach informed the board that the Liquor Licence he would need to operate the rooftop bar was currently being approved by the Regulated Industries department. According to Peach, this building used to be a Wonder Bread factory. Today, it houses the Combine, “a neighborhood restaurant”, and apartments. The board approved the Special Use Permit.
CD-BZA-2025-00029 was a variance request which would permit two parking pads in the front yard of 4515 Forest Avenue, which lies in the Manheim Park neighborhood. Normal residential standards do not permit parking pads in the front yard of homes within the R-1.5 (Residential) zoning district, hence the request for this variance.
City planner Stephanie Saldari presented this case to the board with applicant Sarah Ladd, who is the project architect for this house. According to Saldari, the variance is necessary because Ladd wants to build a duplex, with a driveway for each unit.
Ladd’s goal is to infill vacant lots, bringing more density and affordable housing to the city. Ladd also opted for a “ribbon stripped” driveway, with concrete ribbons for the car to sit on, and grass between. Ladd believed this would make the homes “more aesthetic”. The board approved this case.
CD-BZA-2025-00017 was a variance request to allow a deviation to the maximum allowable height of a detached garage at 11200 Grandview Road, near the Terrace Lake Gardens HOA in South Kansas City. City planner Connor Tomlin presented this case with the home owners, Clay and Allison Leslie.
According to Clay Leslie, no neighbors would be opposed to the garage because “this area had become a dumping ground”. The Leslies also plan to further develop the area, bringing more tax revenue to the city. While some board members had concerns with placing a detached garage so close to the street, Board Member Mixdorf made a motion to approve the case, “given the more rural nature of the site”. The board approved this case.
CD-BZA-2025-00028 was a variance request to allow a smaller side setback within an R-2.5 (Residential) zoning district. This request was for 4028 McGee Street, within the Southmoreland neighborhood.
City planner Stephanie Saldari presented this case with applicants Matthew Verschelden. According to Saldari, this variance is necessary because the home was constructed just 1.75 feet away from the side property line. Kansas City’s infill lot standards require a 5 foot setback between a home and the property line.
According to the applicant, this violation was triggered when he had a contractor build an addition to the house around five years ago. That addition put the home too close to the side yard, hence why they needed a variance. The board unanimously approved the case.
CD-BZA-2025-00030 was a request to approve a variance to the required distance between structures on one lot. This variance would permit a deck to be less than 10 feet away from an existing detached garage, at 528 Grand Avenue and within the River Market neighborhood.
City planner Stephanie Saldari presented this case with applicant Christina Erickson. According to Erickson, her surrounding neighbors have all stated their approval of the project. The board unanimously approved the case.
CD-BZA-2025-00031 was a variance request to allow a deviation to the maximum allowable height of a detached garage at 1106 NE 115th Terrace, within the Highland Acres-Lakeside Heights HOA. City planner Connor Tomlin presented this case with applicant Jessup Bowman. This variance would allow Bowman to construct a garage six inches higher than what is allowed by the zoning code.
According to Bowman, this garage will primarily be for maintenance on his vehicles and storage. During public testimony, Joe DeSalvo, one of Bowman’s neighbors, testified in opposition to this project due to the square footage of the garage. According to DeSalvo, the garage will be larger, by square footage, than the existing home. Despite this, Bowman is only requesting a variance for the height, not the size of the garage.
Rachel Lawler, another neighbor, also testified in opposition to the project due to the size of the garage. Lawler’s home is directly behind Bowman’s. According to Lawler, the proposed garage is larger than her home. A third neighbor, Robert Conord, echoed similar comments.
Despite the neighborhood opposition to the size of the structure, the BZA was only reviewing a variance for the height. The board unanimously approved the case.
CD-BZA-2025-00024 was a request to approve a variance to the city’s Residential Infill Design standards. City planner Alec Gustafson presented this case with applicant James T. Hamilton. This variance applies to 4801 Holly St, within the West Plaza neighborhood.
According to Gustafson, this project was heard by the BZA exactly one year before Wednesday’s meeting. Hamilton wishes to split the lot which currently contains his home. To do this, he needs approval from the Board and Zoning Adjustments, and the Building Codes Department. In 2024, Hamilton received approval from the BZA, but not the Codes Department.
On Wednesday, Hamilton requested a similar variance from the board as in 2024, hoping that this time, the Building Codes Department would approve his request. The BZA heard Hamilton’s case, but were concerned with the size of the lot each home would sit upon after the split. The Board of Zoning Adjustments denied this case.
Grayson Johnston is the author of This Week at City Hall and an Urban Planning and Design Student at UMKC. He moved to Kansas City two years ago and has loved it ever since. Grayson became interested in community and neighborhoods while still in high school, when he discovered the field of Urban Planning. As he learned about the theory of walkability, transit, and strong communities, Grayson became committed to going to planning school and starting a career growing his community.
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