The City of Oklahoma City Board of Adjustments on April 17 approved a rear-yard setback variance and deferred two other residential setback matters to allow additional plan-review or applicant follow-up.

In Case No. 15898, applicants Stephanie and Patrick Richardson requested a variance to the 25-foot rear-yard setback for a property in the RA single-family rural residential district at 8421 SW 109th Terrace. Patrick Richardson told the board the property is inside a private, gated homeowners association and said the HOA previously approved the pool plan; the applicant said he would provide HOA documentation on request. The board voted to approve the variance after finding it met the statutory requirements recorded in the staff recommendation. The motion passed; the transcript records the outcome as "passes." The vote tally was not recorded in the transcript.

Two other cases were continued to the board's May 1 meeting. Case No. 15891 (an R-2 front-yard setback matter at 600 SW 27th Street, filed by Utrecht Construction on behalf of Banking Enterprises) was continued so staff could route the file to plan review and secure recommendations on how to resolve a building-line/utility easement discrepancy. Sarah Welch of the Planning Department advised that plan review should assess whether the encroachment raises building-code or stormwater/lot-coverage concerns and return a recommended remedy to the board. The transcript shows the closing on the house was being delayed until the issue is resolved.

Case No. 15853 (request by Victor Ortega on behalf of Tammy Blake and Jim Calhoun for a variance to accessory building regulations at 9401 NE 140th Street) was also continued at the applicant's request; no applicant was present and the board moved to continue the item to May 1.

Why it matters: the board emphasized consistent procedures for cases where as-built conditions differ from permit assumptions. For the front-yard encroachment (Case 15891) the board specifically directed staff to seek plan-review guidance so the board can consider a variance with technical recommendations from development services.

Next steps: applicants for the continued items were instructed to work with plan review and return with any documentation the department requests. For the approved rear-yard variance, applicants and staff will complete any administrative follow-up required by city permitting.