A fence around a swimming pool sent the Coweta County Board of Commissioners diving into the troubled waters of variances again Tuesday night.

County planner Robert Tolleson told the board that the Keith O' Donnell family on Fischer Road had purchased an above-ground pool for their property. As it was being installed late last summer, the contractor informed the family that it was not necessary to get a building permit from the county, so the family happily went about having the pool installed.

But soon, a county building inspector happened upon the site and cited the couple for having the pool too close to the house and requiring them to have a fence with a locked gate around the pool.

“I want the name of that contractor and I also want the county to see if he has a license to do business in this county,” said an angry commission Chairman Lawrence Nelms.

Commissioner Vernon “Mutt” Hunter pointed out the county has had an ordinance for at least 10 years requiring building permits for pools and requiring fencing as a safety measure.

The O' Donnells were seeking a variance from the city's requirement that calls for all outbuildings to be at least 10 feet from another structure. The pool was placed six and a half feet from the home.

For the last few months, the commissioners have been inundated with variance requests after a structure had already been significantly completed and was in violation of the county's ordinances.

Hunter said he hoped that recent actions taken by the commission would put an end to these types of variances.

“We have the procedures in place to eliminate most of these,” said county administrator Theron Gay.

The commission voted to grant the variance unanimously and let the pool stand where it was placed.

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