2025-05-06 P & Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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733 Marquette Avenue, Suite 1000, Minneapolis, MN 55402 Planning Report DATE: May 6, 2025 TO: Centerville Planning & Zoning Commission FROM: Phil Carlson, AICP, Stantec APPLICANTS: Jim and Mary Heron OWNER: Thomas (Jim) and Mary Heron REQUEST: Variance Ï Accessory Structure Setback ADDRESS: 1421 Mound Trail PID: 15-31-22-43-0017 INTRODUCTION Jim and Mary Heron own the single-family lot at 1421 Mound Trail, a lakeshore lot on Centerville Lake in the R-2 zoning district. They want to build a new accessory structure in front of the house and are requesting a variance to the front setback for the structure. There was informal discussion of this request at a previous Planning and Zoning Commission meeting with analysis of ÑyardsÒ, setbacks, and definitions of setbacks on lakeshore lots. Those questions are handled in a separate memorandum for this P&Z meeting. For this request, we will rely on the CityÔs precedent in dealing with accessory structure setbacks in 156.107(A)(4): Ñ no accessory structure shall be erected or located within any required yard other than the rear yardÒ. This standard has been interpreted over the years to mean that no such structures are allowed in the front of the lot without a variance and can only be allowed in the rear yard. One of the questions that came up with this request is, where is the rear yard? There was discussion of the common law provision that lakeshore lots consider the front yard to face the water. The City Attorney has clarified that the City of Centerville has authority within its zoning regulations to define and regulate placement of structures, including where the front and rear yards are. City zoning regulations would supersede the common law provision. The Centerville Zoning Code defines the front yard as having frontage on the street and the rear yard is opposite the front. For lakeshore lots like 1421 Mounds Trail which front on a street with the lake behind, the street side is the front, and the lake side is the rear, although there are different, more restrictive setbacks from the lake (75 ft) that would supersede the standard rear yard setback of 25 ft. 34