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Variance Board Meeting Minutes – Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Page 2 Applicant Kirk Lewis, 3180 W Owasso Boulevard 46 Mr. Lewis addressed staff’s comments and elaborated on his request for this size 47 garage. Mr. Lewis opined that current city code and regulations were written in 48 1956 for two-car garages, and further opined that that code was outdated for 49 today’s standards and vehicle sizes. 50 Mr. Lewis reviewed the lot size at 75’ wide by 300’ deep, making it an irregular lot 51 with a hill with a 35% grade, dropping 55’ from the street level to the lake. Mr. 52 Lewis opined that the challenge with current code was not with an attached 53 garage as long as not moving beyond the maximum impervious coverage 54 allowed; but in his case, the practical challenge in his being unable to build an 55 attached garage without adding additional impervious coverage. Mr. Lewis stated 56 that was his rationale in requesting the additional 200 square feet. If city code 57 allows 1,000 square feet for a detached garage in addition to two additional 58 auxiliary buildings, Mr. Lewis opined that it didn’t make sense to not allow 59 flexibility for a design allowing the area to be improved. 60 Mr. Lewis stated his request was to give consideration to life on the lake, and a 61 typical family, including his, having 3 vehicles and a boat needing storage. Mr. 62 Lewis further advised that the current garage is old, unsuitable for rehabilitation, 63 and leaks at the foundation. Mr. Lewis stated he would prefer them enclosed 64 rather than parking on the street, especially since his pick-up truck got damaged 65 from snow thrown by the plows last winter. 66 Mr. Lewis reviewed each of the sections analyzed by staff in their specific findings 67 for a variance request and prerequisite for approval (staff report, lines 34 – 66), 68 disputing their findings based on his perspective. 69 Finding A – Mr. Lewis opined that he counted the existing garages on W Owasso 70 Blvd., and of those forty plus homes, there were 17 with larger than three-stalls, 71 14 situated directly on the street, and three with recreational vehicles on the lots. 72 Regarding his proposal not being pedestrian friendly, Mr. Lewis noted those other 73 garages had been there forever, and pedestrians saw them all day. Mr. Lewis 74 opined that his garage would serve to improve the aesthetics of his lot and the 75 neighborhood; noting that neighbors were supportive of his request. 76 Finding B – Mr. Lewis stated that his request for an additional garage bay was 77 similar in size to allowing a shed of 120 square feet as an auxiliary use on the 78 property. Mr. Lewis stated he wanted to have room to store a lawn mower and 79 equipment, as well as three vehicles. 80 Finding C – Mr. Lewis disputed that a “reasonable” garage by today’s standards 81 exceeded storage of two vehicles, opining vehicles in 1956 when city code was 82 written were not as large as today’s vehicles, and therefore inadequate by today’s 83 standards. 84 Finding E – Mr. Lewis reiterated that the variance request for the proposed garage 85 design would be in harmony with the community and serve to make the area 86 better, opining that it would not alter the character of the neighborhood. 87 Mr. Lewis stated the practical challenge for him was with the street design done a 88 long time ago, and water running through his property from his neighbors’ home at 89 3188 W Owasso, since the street was higher than the property, and instead of 90 property accepting water into the storm gutter, it moved onto his parcel and 91 eroded it. Mr. Lewis advised that the proposed garage design would incorporate 92 retaining walls to address that water erosion from the street and form the 93 neighbor’s concrete garage on the north. Mr. Lewis stated this would alleviate a 94 practical challenge for his lot and the water running from the neighbor’s large 95 gutters running onto his lot. With the neighbor’s driveway being lower than his 96 driveway and the street running north to south, Mr. Lewis noted the water ran 97 across his property, in addition to the neighbor property to the south of his parcel. 98