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Page 5 of 10 Driveway Access Section 1325.06, Subd. 1 (B) – Access of the Zoning Code requires “any residential lot, which has frontage on both a local street and a collector street or a major or minor arterial (as defined by the Comprehensive Plan of Arden Hills), [to] gain access only from the local street.” The Applicants are requesting a variance from this provision to construct a future driveway off Snelling Avenue North—a collector street, instead of Ridgewood Road—a local street. As proposed, the driveway off of Snelling Avenue North would have a 10% slope. The Applicants have stated that from the street to the garage there is an elevation change of 20 feet which would make for unsafe conditions to have their driveway access off of Ridgewood Road. Other City Codes - Landscaped Area, Structure Coverage, and Floor Area Ratio At this time, the Applicants have chosen not to include calculations for floor area ratio. Before finalizing their home design, the Applicants are looking to complete the City review of the current variance request. The Applicants will finish the design of a future structure depending on the outcome of the variance request. The certificate of survey identifies the proposed house footprint would equate to 15.4% structure coverage (max allowed 25%) and 23.2% impervious (max allowed 35%). The table below provides the district standards for the R-1 District and the preliminary analysis for the proposed development: Required Proposed Lot Area Minimum 14,000 SF 14,472 SF Lot Width/Depth 95’/130’ 95.96’/97.4’ Front Yard Setback – Ridgewood Road Minimum 40’ 16’ Front Yard Setback – Snelling Avenue North Minimum 40’ 10’ Side Yard Setback 10’ Minimum/ 25’ Combined 14’ (south)/ 69.9’ Combined Driveway Access Local Street – Ridgewood Road Collector Street – Snelling Avenue North Landscaped Area Greater than 65% (Minimum 9,407 SF) 76% Structure Coverage Less than 25% (Maximum 3,618 SF) 15.4% Floor Area Ratio Less than 0.3 (Maximum 4,341 SF) N/A Minimum Dwelling/Structure Width 20’ 46’ 2. Variance Review The role of the Planning Commission is to determine and consider how the facts presented to them compare with the city’s articulated standards. The Commission should base their decision on the facts presented and then apply those facts to the legal standards contained in city ordinances and relevant state law. Neighborhood opinion alone is not a valid basis for granting or denying a variance request. While the Planning Commission may feel their decision should reflect the overall