CCP 02-27-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. . -- ,. B. Rebuttal of Planning Commission's reasons for recommending denial Among the reasons given by the Planning Commission for recommending denial of the variance was that the variance would create a non-conforming use of the property. This would not have been true. The variance would have created a non-conforming building, not a non-conforming use. The reality is that there are a number of buildings in the area and in particular on Skiles Lane that would be considered non-conforming because they do not meet all of the setback or minimum lot width zoning ordinance requirements. A nurnber ofthe houses would likely not meet the 10/25' sideyard setback requirements of the R-l zone. The Planning Commission recommended denial of the Minor Subdivision request because they said the new lots would be incompatible and not in conformance with the existing development patterns in the neighborhood. The summary below of the existing neighborhood patterns indicates that this is not accurate. Five issues were discussed at the hearing related to development pattems and the character of the existing neighborhood - they were lot size, lot width, building spacing, building massing and landscaping/trees. I. Lot Size - As noted in the planning staff report, the average lot size in the subdivision is .43 acres. There are 75 lots with houses on them in the neighborhood (not including the smaller lots along Cnty Rd. E or along the NW corner of Old Snelling). A summary of the lots in the subdivision shows that 39 (52%) of the lots are smaller than.41 acres and 36 (48%) ofthe lots are larger than .41 acres. Minimurn lot size per the R-l zoning classification is approximately .33 acres. After the minor subdivision, the average size of our lot will be .41 acres. This is .03 acres less than the average for the neighborhood but is larger than at least 52% of the lots in the subdivision. (See attached drawing I, taken from the Ramsey county property records.) 2. Lot Width - Minimurn lot width requirement in the R-l zone is 95'. After the minor subdivision, one lot will be 95' wide and the second lot will be 100' wide. The average lot width in the neighborhood is a little less than 90'. In the neighborhood, 44 (59%) ofthe lots are less than 95' wide and 31 (41 %) of the lots are greater than 95' wide. On Skiles Lane, 5 ofthe lots are less than 95' wide and 5 of the lots are greater than 95' wide. (See attached drawing I) On the south side of Skiles, there are two 80' lots, one 95' lot (approx. as it is on a curve) and two 120' lots. On the north side of Skiles there is one 75' wide lot, one 85' wide lot, one 107' wide lot (actual width is closer to 100' as it is on a curve) and two 120' wide lots. 3. Building Spacing - The development pattern as it relates to building spacing after the minor subdivision will be very similar to the pattern on the rest of the block and in the rest of the neighborhood. In fact, the houses on the two new lots will be further apart from each other and from the hOllses to their east and west than most of the other houses on the block. The existing house will remain about 68' (combined sideyards of the two houses) away from the existing house to the Page 3 of 6 -1401 Skiles Lane