Brecksville, Ohio
Need a variance? Start here.
Every yes and no the Board of Zoning Appeals has given since November 10, 2025. Find the ones like yours. Then apply.
28 asks. 24 got a yes.
- Find your kind of project below. See what they asked, what they said, and the vote.
- Apply through the city. The rules are at the bottom of this page.
- Want it done for you? The form, the sketch, your case, and a one-pager for the meeting. $199, in 2 days.
Fences and gates7 of 10 got a yes
August 10, 2026 · 8700 Riverview Rd
6' fence and a front-yard gate. Code says 4', back yard only.
Said security; drivers using the driveway as a through street.
Tapered design kept the center of the gate at 4'.
approved6–0July 13, 2026 · 9555 Reserve Run
6' fence on part of the yard. Code says 4'.
Said a large German Shepherd; the vet said 4' would not hold him.
Second try, narrower ask, with photos and documentation the board called thorough. Denied a month earlier.
approved4–2July 13, 2026 · 6741 Wallings Rd
6' driveway gate out front, cut to 5' in the room.
Said delivery trucks driving to the back of the house; near misses by the residence.
The board asked for 4'; the applicants agreed to 5' on the spot.
approved4–2, 6–0July 13, 2026 · 10905 Greenhaven Pkwy
6' solid vinyl fence. Code says 4', and no solid vinyl.
Said pets; privacy.
A neighbor objected in writing.
denied1–5June 8, 2026 · 9555 Reserve Run
6' fence, 480 feet of it. Code says 4'.
Said the dog; wildlife.
The fence company presented. The homeowner came back himself in July.
denied2–3June 8, 2026 · 6590 Summer Wind Dr
6' aluminum fence, 295 feet. Code says 4'.
Said privacy; the neighboring property's use.
Two members were absent; three ayes was not enough. It is back on the September agenda.
denied3–2April 13, 2026 · 3340 Royalton Rd
6' solid vinyl fence, 190 feet. Code says 4', no vinyl.
Said pets; privacy.
Height passed unanimously; the vinyl passed 5-2.
approved7–0, 5–2April 13, 2026 · 7548 Winding Way
6' wood fence, 100 feet. Code says 4'.
Said privacy; the lay of the lot.
A neighbor supported it.
approved7–0April 13, 2026 · Winding Way, adjacent lot
6' fence between two yards, 30 feet. Code says 4'.
Said safety; similar terrain on both lots.
approved7–0March 9, 2026 · 8443 Riverview Rd
5' iron fence. Code says 4'.
Said family safety; dogs.
Approved with conditions. A neighbor spoke against it.
approved6–0
Sheds, garages, generators, pool houses7 of 7 got a yes
August 10, 2026 · 8410 Sunnydale Dr
Generator on the side of the house. Code says back.
Said the installation manual and electrical code set clearances the rear yard could not meet.
The electrician presented alongside the homeowner.
approved6–0July 13, 2026 · 6811 Farview Rd
Garage of 936 sq ft. Code says 660.
Said storing collector vehicles and a tractor now kept off-site; the site where a storm took down a tree.
Letters of support from neighbors were put in the record.
approved6–0April 13, 2026 · 8436 Riverview Rd
Garage in the front yard, a bit over the size limit.
Said two-thirds of the lot is a ravine; the brick attached garage can't be expanded.
Letters of support from seven neighbors.
approved6–1April 13, 2026 · 10320 Barr Rd
Two trailers and an RV, not in the back yard.
Said the rear of the lot slopes and drains badly; the house sits 200' back from the road, next to a highway.
Applicant agreed during the hearing to move everything to the side yard with screening. A neighbor spoke in support.
approved7–0March 9, 2026 · 6946 Crystal Creek Dr
Generator on the side of the house, behind bushes.
Said gas and electric service are on that side; screening from view.
Neighbors sent a letter saying the location was fine. Approved with a condition.
approved6–0March 9, 2026 · 10404 Parkside Dr
Pool house and pavilion, over the size limit.
Said keeping small children in sight while using the pool.
Neighbor letters and HOA approval submitted; the board asked about the one neighbor not contacted.
approved5–0March 9, 2026 · 3340 Royalton Rd
Bigger shed with a greenhouse, over the size limit.
Said the existing shed is rotting; yard and sports equipment storage.
approved6–0
Decks and additions past the setback4 of 4 got a yes
August 10, 2026 · 8500 Wiese Rd
Deck on a house that already sits too close to the road.
Said the house already sits inside the setback.
The board called this situation a common occurrence.
approved6–0July 13, 2026 · 10305 Chippewa Rd
Deck on a house that already sits too close to the road.
Said the house already sits inside the setback.
The deck company filed; nobody was present when the case was first called.
approved6–0July 13, 2026 · 5901 Oakes Rd
Garage on the front of the house, 30' from the road. Code says 125'.
Said a severe slope behind the house; photos of a neighbor's garage that sits closer to the road.
Neighbor letters in support; one adjacent owner raised the visual impact and asked for landscaping.
approved6–0November 10, 2025 · 7909 Oakhurst Dr
Small laundry-room addition on a house too close to the road.
Said stairs are hard for medical reasons; the addition stays within the house's footprint line.
The neighbor was unopposed.
approved5–0
House height and roof2 of 2 got a yes
August 10, 2026 · 6727 Victoria Ln
New house, 3' taller than the code allows.
Said the lot's grade.
approved6–0August 10, 2026 · 6721 Victoria Ln
New house with a roof taller than the code allows.
Said a walkout basement on a sloped lot.
approved6–0
Driveways and parking2 of 3 got a yes
July 13, 2026 · 10126 Echo Hill Dr
Turn part of a tennis court into driveway.
Said a smaller plan revised after the board's comments a month earlier; accessibility improvements for staying in the home.
Second try. The first motion tied 3-3; a revised motion then carried.
approved3–3, 6–0, 6–0June 8, 2026 · 8322 Settlers Passage
Driveway steeper than the code allows.
Said a steep hillside lot; a geotechnical engineer's review.
approved5–0June 8, 2026 · 10126 Echo Hill Dr
Turn a whole tennis court into driveway.
Said an ADA bathroom, first-floor laundry and garage space for aging in place; trees, slope and a stormwater pond limiting other sites.
Two members absent; three ayes was not enough. Came back smaller in July and passed.
denied3–2
Sidewalk requirements2 of 2 got a yes
July 13, 2026 · 9224 Highland Dr
Skip building a sidewalk until the city asks.
Said no sidewalks exist nearby; this one would be an isolated section.
Approved with a condition.
approved5–0June 8, 2026 · 9935 Fitzwater Rd
Skip building a sidewalk until the city asks.
Said a sidewalk across one lot would be a disconnected segment.
approved5–0, 5–0
The rules
- File on Citizenserve, plus one hard copy of your proposal.
- Site drawing to scale. Anything bigger than 11×17 goes in as a PDF.
- $50 for the first variance on a parcel, $15 for each extra.
- The board meets at 7:30 PM, the first Monday after the first Tuesday of each month, in Council Chambers.
- City Council votes on the board’s recommendation the following Tuesday.
Source: the city’s BZA page. Building Department, 440-526-2630.
Or let us build it
The form filled in, a sketch on an overhead of your lot, your case citing the decisions above, and a one-pager for the night.
Get your packet, $199