Garrett Park Setback Advisory Committee

The Setback Advisory Committee was established by action of the Garrett Park Town Council on May 13, 1996. The Town Councilmember responsible for this Committee is Beth Irons.

The primary responsibilities of the Setback Advisory Committee (SAC) are to objectively review building permit, demolition, and variance applications for compliance with the Garrett Park ordinances and to make a recommendation to the Town Council regarding the appropriate action to take in each case. When an application involves a property that is in the GP historic district, the SAC coordinates its review with that of the Historic Preservation Committee to provide the Town Council with a comprehensive recommendation.

A second role of the SAC is to recommend clarifications or modifications to the ordinances when the pattern of reviews indicates that this would be in the best interests of the Town. An example of this is the ordinance modification that the Council made to permit minor extensions of a front porch addition into the front yard setback.

A third role of the SAC is to assist property owners by informally reviewing potential modifications prior to submission of a permit application. While these reviews are non-binding, they are helpful to people who are not familiar with our ordinances. For example, on several occasions we have provided this service to people who are considering the purchase of a house and want to understand what renovations might be possible.

Members:
Harry Gordon, Chairman
Donn Mader
Ed Shawaker

May 12, 2006/HTG