Got my variance! I filed it on 5/28/2015 and just received the approval yesterday, 7/27/2015. Two months is not bad compared to the horror stories I have read. The letter I received was actually dated 7/13/2015, so it was processed 2 weeks before I received it.
I encourage everyone wanting to do shows to file for their variance. I printed the forms, created sample plan and elevation drawings showing the beam paths, etc. and just provided all the information that was requested. It really wasn’t hard to do. It does take a few hours to complete the paperwork, but compared to tax forms it was a breeze.