Agenda - Planning Commission - 08/22/2024

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Regular Planning Commission Meeting Date: 08/22/2024 Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Title: Driveway Discussion 7. 1. Create a positive image for residential neighborhoods, business districts and key corridors. Information Purpose/Background: At its meeting on July 23, the City Council discussed the side yard setback requirements of residential driveways and the process for applying for a variance should a property owner request one. The City Council requested the Planning Commission review the regulations and determine if a variance process could be simplified. Notification: None at this time. Should the Planning Commission determine that a Code Amendment is desired, staff will prepare a public hearing notice for a future meeting. Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: The requested discussion stemmed from two pending variance cases where parking spaces were constructed as extensions of existing driveways on the sides of the garages closer than the required 5 feet. The current regulations for driveways are: Sec. 106-463. - Residential driveways. (a) When required. (1) A driveway shall be required for all attached accessory buildings with a doorway opening meeting or exceeding eight feet wide by seven feet tall. (2) If a detached accessory building serves as the primary garage, a driveway shall be installed. (b) Surface materials. (1) Urbanized districts. Driveway materials shall consist of concrete, bituminous, or driveway -rated pavers for a continuous hard surface. (2) Rural residential orMUSA reserve districts. Driveway materials shall consist of concrete, bituminous, driveway -rated pavers, or a minimum two-inch Class-V gravel. (c) Driveways shall be setback at least five feet from interior side or rear property lines. (d) Driveway widths shall not exceed 30 feet at the street, through the public right-of-way, and the first five feet of the adjacent yard to the right-of-way where the driveway is accessing. (e) No more than 50 percent of front yard may be covered by a driveway. The 5-foot side yard setback rule has been in place since the 1990s. This 5-foot rule is common in many suburban communities, though narrower setbacks can be found, especially in older established communities and the central cities. There are generally three practical reasons for requiring some setback distance between driveways and property lines: 1. Drainage. Commonly found in residential subdivisions going back to the 1980s, platted side -yard drainage and utility easements are present to protect swales where water can run off a property's impervious surfaces and be channeled between homes to the street or a storm basin.