Size of accessory structures considered

Proposed zoning amendment draws opposition by residents

Fairport Harbor Village government leaders are taking more time to consider establishing a maximum size for new accessory structures being built on residentially zoned properties.

That was the decision reached by Mayor Timothy Manross and Village Council members after a recent public hearing on a list of proposed amendments to the community’s zoning code.

The July 20 hearing was conducted to give residents an opportunity to comment on a variety of suggested zoning-code changes submitted to council by village Assistant Zoning Inspector David Radachy.

Those recommendations ranged from revising on-site parking regulations to adding a new permitted use in the marine recreation district. However, the proposal that elicited the most reaction from audience members at the hearing dealt with limiting the maximum area of all accessory structures on a residential lot.

Accessory structures include garages or any other types of edifices that are secondary to the

principal building on the same lot.

Fairport Harbor’s zoning code currently does not limit the maximum size of accessory structures in residential areas. However, Radachy said this is a matter worth regulating.

“We are currently getting a lot of requests for accessory structures that are larger than the homes in Fairport Harbor,” he said. “So staff is recommending that the maximum area of all accessory structures on the lot be 25 percent of the maximum of the existing principal building.”

Radachy then offered residents and village government leaders a specific example of how the proposed rule would be applied.

“This will allow for a 250-square-foot accessory structure for a 1,000-square-foot home,” he said.

“Or, you could have two accessory structures: one that’s 100 square feet and one that’s 150 square feet.”

Audience members at the hearing didn’t hesitate to express their opposition to the recommendation.

Council President Verne Horton pointed out that most residential lots in Fairport Harbor are 40

feet by 100 feet, and provide space for two-story homes that are 24 feet by 30 feet in size. Based on the dimension of those homes, the largest garage that a homeowner could build under Radachy’s proposal would be 360 square feet, which is not large enough to fit two cars, Horton said.

“Most families have two cars,” the council president said. “I agree that we need to limit the size (of accessory structures), but I think 25 percent, given that scenario, is unrealistic.”

When Manross invited residents at the hearing to comment, most of the people didn’t give their names before speaking.

One woman recommended that a maximum size for accessory structures be calculated as a percentage of the overall size of the residential lot, and not the house. She said prospective homebuyers could look in communities just about anywhere outside of Fairport Harbor and find homes that have two-car garages.

“Building a two-car garage is pretty standard, I would say,” she said.

Another woman said she believed it was wrong to establish a uniform maximum size for accessory buildings in Fairport Harbor.

“Nothing about this village is cookie-cutter, and that’s what makes it unique,” she said.

She also reminded council that the village has a Zoning Appeals Board to hear cases in which property owners are seeking variances from the zoning code or looking to overturn decisions made by the Zoning Department.

“We don’t have thousands of people trying to build accessory structures,” the woman said. “There’s going to be a handful that ( the Zoning Appeals Board) needs to take a look at and see if it makes sense for the property.”

After listening to all residents who wanted to speak during the hearing, Manross said it appeared that people favored a zoning-code regulation that would allow larger maximum sizes for accessory structures on residential properties.

For that reason, he said council and the administration would discuss revising that section of the proposed zoning amendments presented by Radachy.

“I can tell you, it’s not going to stay as written,” the mayor said.

“I’m not sure what it’s going to look like, but based on this feedback, I’m pretty sure it’s changing. We’ll come up with what that looks like.”

Fairport Harbor Village Council’s next regular meeting is slated for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17.