pf_03221 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

2.6 The eight-foot tall fence is being proposed to provide greater screening and noise reduction to the adjacent property owners. 3.0 STAFF COMMENT & FINDINGS 3.1 The nursing home is a permitted use; the excavation activity is a permitted use and has been approved by the Council. 3.2 Most of the area to be re-graded for new off-street parking is heavily wooded. Without mitigation, the elimination of this wooded vegetation will reduce the natural buffer and provide additional noise and light into adjacent resident yards. 3.3 The topography of the land slopes down to the parking lot approximately 17 feet on the west side and approximately 22 feet on the north side. The first floors of adjacent houses are higher than the grade at the property line, thus making the screening of line-of-sight from the house to the parking lot difficult. 3.4 The proposed eight foot tall fence will provide additional screening and sound control from the parking lot. A 6.5 foot fence is not high enough to block the line-of-sight from the houses surrounding the parking. An 8 foot fence is acceptable to the adjoining property owners. 3.5 Coniferous vegetation would take years to grow into a fully opaque screen and would still provide less sound abatement (at 8 feet in height) than a fence. 3.6 Additional new and transplanted coniferous and deciduous materials will augment the 8-foot screen fence by the nursing home. 3.7 The proposed fence height variance is in harmony with the general purpose and intent of the City's Comprehensive Plan and Title 10 (zoning) of the City Code. 3.8 The fence height variance will not adversely affect the public health, safety, or general welfare. 4.0 STAFF RECOMMENDATION Based on the findings outlined in Section 3 of this report, staff recommends approval ofthe request for a variance from Section 1005.011 of the City Code, to allow an increase in the fence height from 6-1/2 feet to 8 feet for Lake Ridge Nursing Home. 5.0 PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION The Planning Commission, after holding the required variance hearing, recommended approval (denial) of the Lake Ridge Nursing Home request for a 1-1/2 foot fence height variance for property located at 2727 Victoria Street based on the findings located in Section 3 ofthe project report. (See attached draft minutes from meeting) PF3221 - RCA (072400) Page 2 of 3