Repetitive variance patterns and potential zoning code changes
Summary
The board approved a variance because the code's corner front setback rule — matching the neighbor's 86-foot setback on an 86-foot-deep lot — left no room for a house. Chair Halvorsen suggested the code itself might need review.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Aug 31, 2026.
Impact analysis
None now, but future code changes could save homeowners from paying for variances.
Property owners with narrow corner lots gain a path to build on otherwise unbuildable land.
Mentions & discussions (3)
Green Bay Plan Commission - Aug 31, 2026
Finding out where a use is allowed currently means digging through eight code articles and six tables. The approved overhaul consolidates everything into one new article — no rights change, just sanity.
Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals - Aug 17, 2026
Staff mapped two years of variance requests and found clusters — especially along Nicolet-Eastworth Drive — where the same issues keep recurring, suggesting parts of the zoning code may need fixing.
Zoning & Planning Board of Appeals - May 18, 2026
The board approved a variance because the code's corner front setback rule — matching the neighbor's 86-foot setback on an 86-foot-deep lot — left no room for a house. Chair Halvorsen suggested the code itself might need review.
Related development
1437 Baumgart Rd variance (Appeal 26-10)
Clears the way for a new single-family home on a lot that otherwise couldn't be developed, with the house set in line with most others on the block.
Chapter 44 Land Use Table amendments (TA 26-04)
No rights change — just a dramatically easier zoning code for residents and staff.
Appeal 26-18 — front-yard driveway variance
Adds off-street parking on a fast, curbless stretch near Red Smith School and eases a tight shared driveway.
Appeal 26-17 — front porch variance
The porch will sit closer to the sidewalk than code normally allows, but stays in line with the look of the older block.
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