Members of the Greater Bustleton Civic League last week voted to support zoning variances for two properties on the same block of Geiger Road.
OK’d was a variance for car sales at 200 Geiger. Auto sales are not permitted at that address under city code. Cars will be sold on the Internet and stored inside the property. Members agreed to the variance as long as there is a restriction on the property’s deed that no cars will be displayed outside, said league president Jack O’Hara.
The ZBA hearing on the variance application for 200 Geiger will be at 5 p.m. on Nov. 12.
In remarks before presentations for 200 and 242–46 Geiger Road at the league’s Oct. 22 session, City Councilman Brian O’Neill (R-10th dist.) advised members to “be as tough as possible” on variance applicants and suggested they seek deed restrictions to guarantee that property owners who ask for their backing do what they say they will do. The restrictions stay with the deed no matter who owns a property.
O’Neill suggested such restrictions should include financial penalties for violations. O’Hara said Oct. 24 that the deed restrictions agreed to on Oct. 22 did not include financial penalties.
Members agreed to support variances for medical, daycare, dental and health businesses that would operate in 242–246 Geiger Road. O’Hara said the league’s support was tied to a deed restriction that prohibits drug or alcohol treatments on the property. The ZBA hearing will be at 5 p.m. on Nov. 5.
In other business:
• O’Neill said he and other members are “still finding things in the [new] zoning code that were not apparent.” He cited regulations concerning the size of sheds as an example. The old code, which he said worked well for 70 years, allowed sheds to be 120 square feet and 15 feet high. Under the new code, those sheds can be 200 square feet or could be equal to 25 percent of the square footage of the house on a property. “We should go back to the old definition,” he said. ••
