Agenda - Council - 02/22/1983 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I '1 :1 I I I I I I I I I TO: F ROM: RE: DATE: City Administrator Building Official Dwelling Size Requirements February 14, 1983 Mr. Delano Skeim of Scandinavian Construction has discussed with me, on several occasions, the possibility of some consideration for reducing the floor area requirements for two or more family homes or multiple dwellings. In reviewing this, it wo~ld appear to me that requirements we have established address themselves more in the area of what should be the minimum for apart- ment buildings. The 600 square foot requirement for the first floor would in most cases result in units of 1200 square feet if you consider the basement area. If one were to use our ordinance, requiring three habitable rooms, and the minimum building code requirements for room size, the square footage re- quirement could be as low as 290 square feet. While this is probably not '...~ realistic, the existing requirements are probably excessive and could be re- duced to a certain extent. In my opinion, incorporating a method to allow for square footage reductions when more than one level is involved is probably one' way in which this problem could be solved. The.other method would be to grant Board of Adjustment variances if reasonable rather than change the ordinance. In any event, we do have a request to consider reducing minimum squ~re footage requirements. If the City Council wishes to consider this, a public hearing will be necessary. In conclusion, I would note that Mr. Skeim &lso pointed out a significant flaw in our present ordinance which reads that only 720 square feet is required for a full two-story house. This could be met with 360 square feet per floor or a dwelling 15 x 24. If necessary, a hearing should be scheduled to correct this problem. CRB:pjc