Variance approved for outdoor furniture display

The Bryan Planning and Zoning Commission agreed to a variance for a local store to display outdoor furniture in its parking lot.

The Bryan Planning and Zoning Commission met this week to consider an outdoor display variance request for the property at 1221 W. High St. The request was made by Bryan Home Center.

“They would like to display outdoor poly furniture in the parking spaces on High Street by their free standing sign,” explained Bryan Zoning Administrator Andrew Waterston.

The store plans to use about 10 of the parking spaces for the display.

The display would include outdoor dining room sets and swivel gliders. The height of the display would be no higher than the backs of the chairs.

Waterston said he has no concerns about the loss of parking spaces for the area, which also includes other businesses, because the lot is big enough.

Bryan Engineer Brian Wieland said the lot already has fewer parking spots than is required by city code, and would have even less with the display. The area is required to have about 96 parking spaces given the area of the complex, and Waterston said he counted 72 spaces.

“If another business changes hands and they need more parking, we need to see where it got shorted,” Wieland said.

Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade pointed out the city recently had a similar situation involving a pizza business and plans for a state liquor store to inhabit a storefront next door.

Wieland said the variance would be needed because city regulations normally would require the display to be in a side or back yard, not the front, but the business does not have a side or back yard; the display should not interfere with traffic circulation or affect the minimum number of parking spaces, which it would do; and regulations also state no outdoor display will be permitted between the front wall of the business and the adjacent street.

“Again, they don’t have a side or rear yard, so their hardship in this particular area I believe is they do not have a side or rear yard for display of the merchandise,” Wieland said.

Schlade pointed out the city has granted a similar variance to another furniture store on High Street because of no side or rear yards either.

Waterston said he was contacted by two people after notices were sent out to adjacent property owners, but they asked what the variance was for and did not attend the meeting to voice any concerns.

The display would be left out overnight and secured with cables and video cameras powered by solar would also be installed.

The variance for the outdoor display was approved unanimously, with the condition the business owners also restripe some parking spaces in the complex.

Not part of the original variance request but brought up during the meeting was the desire to also display a large chair, which is about 12 feet high. It was decided to have the owners bring that issue back for another planning commission meeting because the public had not been informed of that possibility and officials would like to give them a chance to voice any concerns.

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