Minutes - Planning Commission - 09/01/2016

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Motion Carried. Voting Yes: Vice Chairperson Bauer, Commissioners VanScoy, and Andrusko. Voting No: None. Abstain: Commissioner Brauer. Absent: Commissioners Levine, and Nosan. 5. PUBLIC HEARINGS/COMMISSION BUSINESS 5.01: Public Hearing: Consider Conditional Use Permit and Variance for Detached Accessory Structure at 8855 176th Avenue NW; Case of Jason Norquist Public Hearing Vice Chairperson Bauer called the public hearing to order at 7:01 p.m. Presentation Community Development Intern Meyers presented the staff report stating Jason and Susan Norquist ('Applicants'), owners of the property located at 8855 176th Avenue NW (hereto referred to as the 'Subject Property'), have applied for a Conditional Use Permit and a Variance to allow for construction of an oversized accessory structure. The Applicants are proposing to construct a detached accessory structure with a building footprint of 2,400 square feet, 40' x 60' and a mean gable height of eighteen (18) square feet. The Applicants originally submitted a proposal for a 4,000 square foot, 50' x 80' detached accessory building. Please note that the site plan shows the original proposal and not the updated proposal. The updated proposal anchors the building on the south west corner of the original location. The Subject Property is located in the northwest quadrant of the city and is zoned R-1 Residential, Rural Developing (see Image 2. Zoning Map). Countryside Estates, platted in 1972, features lots ranging from 1.12 to 2.15 acres. The Subject Property (see Image 1. Aerial of Subject Property (2014)) is a 1.45-acre corner lot, with 176th Avenue bordering the south and Vicuna Street to the east. The northern border is shared with a trail corridor. Existing structures on the Subject Property include a single family home with attached garage (1,710 sf building footprint, 20 ft. in height), and a detached accessory structure (624 sf, height unknown). Community Development Intern Meyers explained staff had a number of concerns with the original CUP request and worked with the Applicant to address them and arrive at a compromise that would meet the needs of the applicant while balancing the concerns of the city. The primary concern being that the scale was incompatible with the existing development pattern and residential character of the area. There is also the perennial concern about the potential to introduce commercial activity into a residential area. While staff supports allowing a reasonable overage in building size, the original request did not demonstrate a clear justification of need. Staff recommends approval of the Applicant's reduced building size of 2,400 square feet, and not the full 4,000 square feet as proposed. This equates to an overage of 824 square feet when including the existing accessory structure. Staff recommends approval of the variance request to allow for a peak height of twenty-two (22) feet and a mean gable height of eighteen (18) feet to accommodate storage of the motor home. Additionally, staff recommends that the building be serviced by a second driveway, with access off of Vicuna Street. Citizen Input Planning Commission/September 1, 2016 Page 2 of 10