Troy man granted setback variance to build house

By Randy Pierce • Passing through the three steps of the process with unanimous support, Timothy Provo of rural Troy has received approval for a variance enabling him to move forward with plans to construct a single-family home at the northeast corner of the intersection of Troy-O’Fallon Road and Old Lebanon-Troy Road in Jarvis Township.

A resolution approving Provo’s request which was approved by the Madison County Board at its most recent meeting had also been similarly passed through its building and zoning committee and the zoning board of appeals (ZBA).

County regulations specify that on property like Provo’s, a home like he wishes to build has to be 40 feet from the front line of the tract in the district zoned R-2, single-family residential. The variance, however, changes that distance to 20 feet.

Provo, who could not get a building permit without the variance, explained in a communication submitted to the county zoning department there is a slope which factored into his request. In order to construct the home’s basement, which will have 12-foot-high walls, so it would fit better into that hill, Provo said moving the front of the structure to the distance of 20 feet from the property line will be more cost-effective concerning his plans.

Positioning of the home is also based on the existence of electrical lines on Old Lebanon-Troy Road and a water manhole at the corner of Evergreen Lane and Old Lebanon-Troy Road, Provo said.

The home will still be 35 feet back from the road it fronts on, Provo also noted, because the front property line of the lot is positioned 15 feet from the road.

In a report from the zoning department accompanying Provo’s request, it was explained the county had received more than 70 variance requests in the past 15 years with only nine of them being denied. 

During the public hearing conducted by the ZBA about Provo’s variance, no one was present to object to it.