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ZoningBoardofAdjustment <br />March27,2014 <br />Page2of3 <br />Exceptasotherwiseprohibited,theBoardisempoweredtoauthorizea <br />variancefromarequirementwhentheBoardfindsthatallofthefollowing <br />conditionshavebeenmet: <br />Thatthegrantingofthevariancewillnotbecontrarytothebestpublic <br />interest. <br />Thatliteralenforcementofthechapterwillresultinunnecessary <br />hardshipbecauseofexceptionalnarrowness,shallowness,shape, <br />topographyorotherextraordinaryorexceptionalphysicalsituation <br />uniquetothespecificpieceofpropertyinquestion.“Unnecessary <br />hardship”shallmeanphysicalhardshiprelatingtothepropertyitselfas <br />distinguishedfromahardshiprelatingtoconvenience,financial <br />considerationsorcaprice,andthehardshipmustnotresultfromthe <br />applicantorpropertyowner’sownactions;and <br />Thatbygrantingthevariance,thespiritofthechapterwillbeobserved. <br />Analysis <br />:Staffanalyzedthesurroundingareaandbaseduponsiteinspections,the <br />followingconsiderationsarenoted: <br />Thesubdivisioninquestionwasconstructedmanyyearspriorto <br />annexationintotheCityofLaPortein1989.BecauseHarrisCounty <br />didnotrequirefrontyardfencesetbacks,severalhomesinthe <br />subdivisionareconstructedwithfencesonoraboutthefront <br />propertylines. <br />TheCityisnotawareofanyrestrictivecovenantsapplicabletothe <br />subdivisionthatwouldotherwiserequirefencesetbacks. <br />Thedepartmenthasverifiedtheclaimoftheapplicantthatnumerous <br />homeswithinthesubdivisionhaveexistingfencesforwardofthe <br />frontyardsetbacklines,includingadjacentunits.Itappearstobea <br />commonformofdevelopmentcircumstancewithinthesubdivision. <br />Indeterminingifgrantingtheapplicant’srequestwouldbecontrarytothe <br />publicinterest,Staffrecognizesthefamilyhasissuesrelatedtoprevious <br />criminalactivityoccurringinthevicinityoftheproperty.Itisalso <br />acknowledgedthatsuchactivitywhenanalyzedinconnectionwithaspecial <br />needsindividual,resultsinauniqueneedforadditionalsecurity. <br />Inviewingthespecificgroundsforgrantingavariance,however,staffpoints <br />outthatthecondition,asitexists,“…istheresultoftheapplicantorproperty <br />owner’sownactions…”contrarytotheprovisionsofSection106-192. <br />However,stafffindsnogroundstojustify“…unnecessaryhardshipbecause <br />ofexceptionalnarrowness,shallowness,shapetopography,orother <br />extraordinaryorexceptionalphysicalsituationuniquetothepropertyin <br /> <br />