A Clertoma Drive homeowner who wants to build a carport and Target Corporation seeking a larger wall sign will both ask Milford's Board of Zoning Appeals for permission to bend city zoning rules at a public hearing Aug. 27.

The five-member volunteer board will meet at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at 745 Center St., Suite 200, according to the BZA agenda published Aug. 12.

Carport would encroach on side yard

Douglas Michaels of 16 Clertoma Drive is asking for a side yard setback variance to attach a carport to his home. Milford's zoning code requires at least 6 feet of clearance from each side lot line in residential districts. Michaels' proposed structure would sit 2 feet 8 inches inside that buffer, leaving 3 feet 4 inches between the carport and his property line.

The board will weigh whether enforcing the 6-foot rule would create a "practical difficulty" that unreasonably deprives Michaels of a permitted use of his property. That is the legal standard for all area variances under Milford's zoning code.

Target wants bigger replacement sign

Carolyn Hoerth, representing Target at 100 Rivers Edge Drive, is requesting a variance to install replacement wall signage. The agenda states the new sign would exceed the city's maximum permitted sign area by 102.29 square feet. Milford's sign ordinance caps wall signs in commercial zones at 100 square feet, meaning the proposed replacement would total roughly 202 square feet based on that math.

The request is for a replacement, not a new sign location.

How to weigh in

The Aug. 27 hearing is the BZA's first meeting since June 25. City Planner Jay Stewart staffs BZA hearings and presents staff analysis to the board.

Residents who want to comment on either request can attend in person at Council Chambers, 745 Center St. The city's Planning and Zoning department can be reached at 513-831-4192 for questions ahead of the hearing. The board's decisions on variance applications may be appealed to the Clermont County Court of Common Pleas.