8A, Planning Case #12-013 - Variance at 1185 Benton Way

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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION—August 8, 2012 2 setback below the required 15 feet, reduce the lot landscaped area below the minimum of 65 percent and increase the structural lot coverage area above the maximum of 25 percent. Background Community Development Intern Matt Horton reviewed the applicant is the owner of the home. The property is located in the R-3 District and was constructed within the Hunter's Park PUD development. He provided aerial photographs of the property, ground level photographs and a site plan. The applicant has submitted a proposal to construct a 574 square foot addition to his home. This proposal is substantially similar to a variance request that was made by the property owner, and approved by the City, in 2007, but which was never built. The addition would be located between the existing home and detached garage. A portion of the addition would be constructed over an existing deck. Three variances are needed to complete the proposed project. The minimum side yard setback for this property is 5 feet with a combined minimum of 15 feet on both sides. The proposed addition would maintain the minimum 5 foot setback, but would reduce the combined total of both side yard setbacks to 10 feet. Secondly, the structural lot coverage is required by Code to not exceed 25 percent; however, the proposed addition would result in 27 percent lot coverage by structure. Thirdly, the landscaped area is required to be a minimum of 65 percent where the proposed addition would leave only 61 percent. The applicant has submitted a letter addressing the variance criteria (Attachment A), an aerial of the property with the addition drawn in, and elevations of the proposed addition (Attachment Q. Hunters Park Homeowners Association Community Development Intern Matt Horton provided a review of the Hunters Park Homeowner's Association. In the early 1970's the City approved a PUD to create the Hunters Park neighborhood and homeowner's association. The single family portion of Hunters Park is built on approximately 29 acres of which seven acres are shared green space, almost three acres are used for shared driveways, and the remaining 19 acres are divided into 84 single-family residential homes. The Hunters Park PUD used the flexibility permitted in the PUD process, and the neighborhood was designed with varying lot sizes, structure setbacks, and lot coverage. In flexible PUD developments like the Hunters Park neighborhood, it is not uncommon for the PUD to include an alternative set of regulations that supersede the underlying zoning regulations. In the case of the Hunters Park, alternative lot layout standards were not created, which means that the underlying R-3 regulations were left in place. Since most of the structures and lots do not meet the R-3 Zoning regulations, virtually any change to the structures in Hunters Park required a variance and a PUD amendment. Furthermore, it can be difficult to apply the R-3 regulations to lot sizes that do not meet the minimum R-3 lot size. The City Council considered approving an alternative set of regulations for the Hunters Park neighborhood in 1985. However, it was determined that an alternative set of regulations for Hunters Park should not be created because the lots and structure layouts