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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – May 7, 2014 2 City Planner Streff reported that the applicants in this case own the property located at 1850 Venus Avenue. The property is Zoned R-1 Single Family Residential and is generally positioned north of County Road E2 West, south of Venus Avenue, east of Interstate 35W and west of Snelling Avenue North. The subject property is considered by the Zoning Code to be a corner lot, as it is situated at the corner of Venus Avenue and Rolling Hills Road. However, Rolling Hills Road is an unimproved City right-of-way that terminates approximately 200 feet south of Venus Avenue and is used solely for trail purposes. This area was platted in 1956 as Shorewood Hills Addition No. 6 and Rolling Hills Road was stubbed in for a future connection to County Road E2 West. The connection to County Road E2 West was never completed and is unlikely to be developed as the land to the south is within Tony Schmidt Regional Park and the need for an additional access to this subdivision is unwarranted at this time. Staff explained that the applicants are proposing to construct a twenty-four (24) foot by thirty- eight (38) foot or 912 square foot attached garage to the east side of the single family dwelling. The garage would be constructed between the existing dwelling and the east property line. As proposed, the new addition would encroach thirty (30) feet into the forty (40) foot secondary front yard setback along the platted right-of-way for Rolling Hills Road. The required forty (40) foot setback along Venus Avenue would be maintained along with the remaining rear and side yard setbacks. A variance to encroach thirty (30) feet into the secondary front yard setback is being requested, which would leave a setback of ten (10) feet from the east property line. City Planner Streff indicated that grading would be conducted along the north and east sides of the home in order to prepare the new garage pad and driveway, and to reclaim the existing driveway area back to a natural vegetative state. The site plan indicates that some amount of grading would occur in the City’s right-of-way along Rolling Hills Road. Any grading to be completed in the right-of-way would require approval by the City in conjunction with Grading and Erosion Control Permit. City Planner Streff stated that the applicants have indicated that the façade and roofing materials to be used on the new garage addition would match the materials on the existing home. Following the construction of the new addition the existing tuck-under garage would be converted to functioning living space, the existing driveway and stairway up to the front door would be removed and new landscaping would be installed. In order to create a finished look the façade area on the former garage would be designed to match the existing home so that a consistent exterior façade is maintained. Once removed the old concrete driveway area would be graded to match the existing grade along the front of the home. Two new trees would be planted to fulfill the Tree Preservation Ordinance and tree mitigation standards. Site Data Land Use Plan: Low Density Residential Existing Land Use: Single Family Detached Residential Zoning: R-1: Single Family Residential Current Lot Sizes: .3574 Acres (15,569 Square Feet) Topography: The east side of the has a fair amount of grade change in the location of the proposed garage