By Joey Chenoweth | Coolidge Examiner
A Coolidge property owner was spared from having to tear down a structure he has spent more than $1,000 to build, and for that he may very well have to thank his neighbors.
Before their June 24 meeting, the Coolidge City Council took on a special role as the Board of Adjustments, a seldom-used provision that allows anyone who has been found to violate city code to appeal to council to gain an exception. In this case, Manuel Gonzales of 1049 S. 3rd St. was requesting a variance of 6.5 feet to the city’s zoning policy concerning setbacks.
More than a year ago, Gonzales finished constructing a carport addition to his home, a permanent structure he says cost him about $1,200. While responding to a different matter, code enforcers saw the structure, and learned that Gonzales had not obtained a building permit for the carport. In addition, the carport violated the setback code, which states that such a structure must not be any closer than 20 feet to the road. This carport is 13.5 feet from the road, meaning Gonzales was violating the code by 6.5 feet.
“I just didn’t think about it,” Gonzales said. “I worked so hard. There’s concrete from the ground to the top. So I don’t know how I’m going to get it down.”
