A variance request for Keith Curr to place a house 30 feet from the edge of Oak Ridge Way and 35 feet from the centerline of the same road in the Hemptown Heights subdivision was approved by the Fannin County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, February 11, after being tabled to allow time for the Hemptown Heights Homeowners Association and Curr to “work out some differences.”
When Chairman Stan Helton asked if the association had been able to communicate, association member Gary Gelderman said, “No. We were basically told that the decision had already been made and we have nothing to say about it.”
Association member Bob Morris stressed that the variance could cause a safety issue and a lack of parking.
Post One Commissioner Earl Johnson said, “The 15 feet of difference, or whatever that difference is footing wise, it’s not going to help or hurt your concern in my belief. If your concern is truly people parking in the road, that’s not a concern for the Board of Commissioners.”
Morris said, “All we’re saying is where do we finally draw the line? Where does it stop? The code is the code and we’re just asking to maintain what the code says.”
Not allowing variances would affect the building industry, Helton said. “If we don’t allow variances in this county we’ll bring the building industry, which employees a lot of good, local people, ... to a screeching halt and I’m not going to.”