Overview

The Board of Adjustment is a board with five (5) members and three (3) alternate members who serve for a five (5) year term. The five members and the three alternates, all of whom must be residents of the City of Clayton, are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Aldermen. The Board elects its own Chair and Vice-Chair who serve for one year. Meetings are held at the call of the Chair, and are held at 5:00 PM in Clayton City Hall, Second Floor Council Chambers.

For more information on the variance process, click here.

•  2024 Meeting and Submission Deadline Schedule

The Board of Adjustment was established under the Clayton Land Use Code, Article VI Section 405.570. The powers and duties of the Board include:

• To hear and decide all matters referred to it and upon which it is required to decide under the zoning code.
• To permit the extension of a district where the boundary line of a district divides a lot held in a single ownership on the date of the adoption of the Zoning Code.
• To interpret the provisions of the Zoning Code in such a way as to carry out its intent and purpose.
• To permit the erection and use of a building or the use of premises for public purpose.
• To permit a variance in the yard requirement of any district where there are severe practical difficulties or extreme hardship in the carrying out of the provisions due to an irregular shape or size of the lot or site conditions.
• To authorize variances upon appeal, in accordance with the provisions of the Zoning Code.
• To hear appeals in a manner prescribed in Section 405.670 of the Zoning Regulations, where it is alleged there is an error in any order, requirement, decision, or determination made in the enforcement or interpretation of the Zoning Code.
• To grant variances from parking, loading and loading regulations of the Zoning Regulations, where the character or use of the building or premises make unnecessary the full provision of parking or loading or unloading facilities or when such regulations would impose an unreasonable hardship upon the use of the lot or tract of land, as contrasted with merely granting an advantage or convenience.
• To vary the parking regulations in the Zoning Ordinance whenever the character or use of a building is such as to make unnecessary the full provision of parking facilities or where such regulations would impose an unreasonable hardship upon the use of the lot, as contrasted with merely granting an advantage or a convenience.

The City's Planner serves as staff liaison. The Department of Planning & Development Services maintains the Board's files and performs clerical duties.

Meeting Information

In light of the current public health crisis and the Federal, State, and County Emergency Declarations, and in accord with the provisions of Sec. 610.020, RSMo., the Board of Adjustment recognizes that it would be dangerous and impractical, if not impossible, for its meeting to be physically accessible to the public.  The Board also recognizes the need for the public’s business to be attended to in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.  In order to balance both the need for continuity of government and protection of the health and safety of our residents, business persons, and employees, meetings of the Board of Adjustment may be attended in-person or virtually via Zoom. Instructions and links for attending a meeting virtually are included with the published agenda for each meeting.

Pending Applications

Pending applications that have been filed with the Planning Department for review by the Board of Adjustment may also be viewed by the public. Application materials are available online at the Pending Applications page. For questions regarding pending application, contact the Planning Department at 314-290-8450.

Board Information

Members
5 members, 3 alternates

Source of Authority
Code of Ordinances, Chapter 405, Article VI

Meeting Information
Meets on the 1st Thursday of the month, if necessary. Meetings are held at 5:00 p.m. in Clayton City Hall, Second Floor Council Chambers of located at 10 North Bemiston Avenue.

Call 314-290-8450 for information.

Refer also to Clayton's Meeting Guidelines.

Members

• Rick Bliss, Chairman, Ward 3
• Liza Streett, Ward 1
• Bryce Woollen, Ward 3
• Abby Goldstein, Ward 1
• Lee Hanson, Ward 3

Alternate Members

• Jason Lehtman, Ward 1
• Richard Lintz, Ward 1
• Anna Etzkorn, Ward 2