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Page 4 of 6 3. Variance Requirements – Section 1355.04, Subd. 4 The Applicant requests a variance to construct a third stall addition to the side of their existing attached garage that would impede on the required total side yard setback in the R-1 Residential District. The Planning Commission will need to make a determination utilizing the following variance findings and criteria on whether there are practical difficulties with complying with the zoning regulations. If the Applicant does not meet all the factors of the statutory test, then a variance should not be granted. Variances are only permitted when they are in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the ordinance. 1. Purpose and Intent. The variance request shall comply with the purpose and intent of the provisions of the City’s Zoning Regulations and with the policies of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The variance request for 1475 Dawn Circle is for a proposed garage addition. The Subject Property is zoned R-1, Single Family Residential District and is guided as Low Density Residential on the Land Use Plan. 2. Practical Difficulties. The Applicant for a variance shall establish that there are practical difficulties in complying with the provisions of the Arden Hills Zoning Regulations. The term “Practical Difficulties” as used in the granting of a variance means: a. Reasonable Use. The property owner proposes to use the property in a reasonable manner not permitted by the Zoning Ordinance. According to the Applicant, a third car garage stall for a single family home is a reasonable use of the Subject Property in the R-1 Zoning District because the design of the existing two car garage does not accommodate the Applicant’s needs to store two cars simultaneously. b. Unique Circumstances. The plight of the property owner is due to circumstances unique to the property not created by the landowner. According to the Applicant, the Subject Property’s irregular shape creates a practical difficulty due to the curvature of the parcel’s front property line. The Subject Property was platted in 1982 and the dwelling was constructed in 1983. The Applicant purchased the Subject Property in 2022 so they did not create the circumstances unique to the property. c. Character of Neighborhood. The variance, if granted, will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood. According to the Applicant, the variance requested is in keeping with the character of the city. The existing neighborhood has homes with a variety of different garages and housing styles, and the proposed variance would not alter the character of the neighborhood. 3. Economic Consideration. Economic consideration alone does not constitute a practical difficulty.