There is nothing in the actual article that states what the hoa decision was/is.
The reality is it is highly unlikely the hoa would even try to tear down the house. And even if the hoa doesn’t grant a variance for a building that already exists, a simple visit to a judge would fix it.
The house has existed for twelve years, it’s basically grandfathered in. And the house can’t be sold until the vote is held.., big deal? A vote like this usually happens pretty fast. It’s probably already taken care of.
The article is basically about a Reddit post. That doesn’t sound like a very reliable news source.
A variance permit for something with a "zone number" referenced like that isn't going to be decided by an HOA its going to come from a local zoning law. So I don't think an HOA has anything to do with this. To me it reads like a property buyer is interested in the place contingent on if they get that zoning law for 35ft wavered to 20ft for either an addition on the place or maybe knock it down and building their own joint.