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ARDEN HILLS PLANNING COMMISSION – December 4, 2019 4 Associate Planner Hartmann stated staff recommend approval of Planning Case 19-015 for a Variance at 3244 Sandeen Road, based on the findings of fact and the submitted plans, as amended by the conditions below: 1. A Building Permit shall be issued prior to commencement of construction. 2. The proposed building shall conform to all other standards and regulations in the City Code. Associate Planner Hartmann reviewed the options available to the Planning Commission on this matter: 1. Recommend Approval with Conditions 2. Recommend Approval as Submitted. 3. Recommend Denial 4. Table Vice Chair Jones opened the floor to Commissioner comments. Commissioner Lambeth reported this property was zoned R-2 which required a front yard setback of 40 feet. He commented a standard lot was to have 11,000 square feet and the sum of all floors within a structure shall be no more than 30% of the total square footage of the lot (FAR). He indicated at last month’s meeting the Planning Commission tabled action on this item due to the concerns that were raised by the architect with respect to the definition of habitable space. He stated it was his understanding the applicant was no longer working with this architect. He explained he was concerned with the fact the applicant was using an 11,000 square foot lot in its FAR calculation with the lot was less than 9,400 square feet. He feared the applicant was not properly addressing the City’s FAR requirements and asked what was happening with the house redesign. He questioned why the Commission should consider granting a variance when the City had no understanding of what would be built on the property. Andrew Peterson, Architect with Design Filter, stated he was trying to address the initial 10- foot encroachment into the front yard setback. He believed the FAR was a separate issue from the variance. He explained the variance was being requested at this time to allow him to know what he had to work with on the property before designing the home. Commissioner Lambeth asked if the architect would be working to meet the City’s FAR requirements. Mr. Peterson reported this was the case. Commissioner Lambeth inquired if a variance request would be coming back before the City for FAR. Richard Priore, applicant, stated he could not say at this time. He explained the new architect would like to better understand how much land was available to work with before designing a home for the lot.