Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/07/2015

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Regular Planning Commission 5. 1. Meeting Date: 05/07/2015 By: Chris Anderson, Community Development Information Title: PUBLIC HEARING: Request for a Variance to Accessory Building Height Restrictions on the Property Located at 9491 Inverness Lane NW; Case of Allen and Alycia Skogquist Purpose/Background: The City has received an application from Allen and Alycia Skogquist (the "Applicants") for a variance to exceed the allowable mean gable height for a detached accessory building (the "Building") on the property located at 9491 Inverness Lane NW (the "Subject Property"). The Subject Property is approximately 1.71 acres in size and is limited to a mean gable height of sixteen (16) feet for detached accessory buildings. The proposed Building would have a mean gable height of twenty (20) feet. Notification: Staff attempted to notify all Property Owners within a 350 foot radius of the Property of the Public Hearing via Standard US Mail. The Public Hearing was also published in the City's official newsletter, the Anoka County Union Herald. Observations/Alternatives: The Applicants desire to construct a 2,204 square foot (38' x 58') Building that would replace an existing, smaller, detached accessory building. The proposed Building has a mean gable height of twenty (20) feet, which exceeds the allowable height based on the size of the Subject Property. The purpose of the Building would be to accommodate indoor storage of items owned by the Applicants, including a larger motorhome and a fish house with a rooftop air conditioning unit. The height of these two (2) items in particular result in the need for an overhead door that is at least twelve (12) feet in height, rather than a more typical eight (8) foot overhead door. The Applicants reside in the Northfork subdivision. The Northfork Homeowners Association (NHA) has restrictive covenants that prohibit the outside storage of motor vehicles and equipment other than for temporary (1 week) timeframes. Additionally, the NHA also has standards for accessory buildings, one of which is to have the roof pitch of an accessory building match that of the home. The home has an 8/12 roof pitch and thus, the proposed Building has an 8/12 roof pitch as well, which increases the mean gable height of the Building. The Subject Property slopes down from the front of the home to rear yard where the proposed Building would be located, with an elevation difference of about six (6) Feet. Thus, the height of the proposed Building, at least from the street and from the properties on the south side of the street, would appear compatible with the home. The parcel north of the Subject Property is over five (5) acres in size and would be eligible for a mean gable height of twenty-two (22) feet, to which the proposed Building would be compliant. The east side of the Subject Property borders the Links at Northfork Golf Course rather another residential lot. The owner of the parcel west of the Subject Property has submitted comments supporting the requested variance. Finally, the location of the proposed Building would be partially screened from view from the public road by the home on the Subject Property, the home on the parcel to the west, as well as from evergreen trees that are installed around the entire perimeter of the Subject Property. The proposed Building would comply with the required setbacks from both the side and rear boundaries of the Subject Property. The proposed Building would have an exterior finish consisting of stone work and siding to match the home, consistent with City Code and the NHA architectural standards.