Zoning board to consider carport set-back request

McCOOK, Neb. — The City of McCook Board of Zoning Adjustment is meeting at noon on Thursday to take up a variance request from a homeowner who wants to build a carport.

Mike Stevens has submitted a variance request application for his residential property at 806 E. Fifth. Stevens is requesting the granting of a side yard variance for an accessory structure, a carport. A section in the city’s zoning ordinance book states that an accessory building has to have a minimum setback of six feet on an interior lot. Stevens is requesting a three-foot setback instead.

According to the application, currently, his property has a stand-alone garage in the backyard and Stevens would like to build a carport attached to the garage. The carport would extend south of the garage to three feet from the southern side yard property line. There is a sidewalk on his property that extends from the house to the proposed endpoint of the carport. Stevens intends to keep the sidewalk as-is.

City staff has reviewed the property and noted that east of the garage, there’s an elevation change that would require substantial dirt work if Stevens were to build a carport in another location in the backyard.

It was also noted that the proposed carport would be constructed of noncombustible material and the property owner to the south does not object to variance grant.

Members of the city’s zoning board are Tammie Hilker, chairperson, Ryan Moore, Greg Larson, Jerry Reitz, Rick Haney and Dennis Chipman, alternate.