Agenda - Council - 10/08/2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7. COMMISSION BUSINESS 7.01: Driveway Discussion Presentation Planning Manager Larson presented the Staff Report stating that at the July 23rd City Council meeting, the 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 that the Commission review the regulations and determine if a variance process could be simplified. He stated that staff recommends leaving the existing driveway rules and variance procedures in place. Commission Business Chairperson Gengler asked if the Commission is being asked to consider the five-foot side yard setback, the variance process, or both. Planning Manager Larson replied that would be both. He explained that the Council was interested in making the variance process easier for applicants,but that must be done through a public hearing process, therefore the option then would be to change the regulation if that were desired. Chairperson Gengler referenced the side yard setbacks for other communities and received confirmation that those were all for single-family homes. She referenced the communities where the setback is a range and states depending and asked for clarification. Planning Manager Larson replied that Blaine has a few different single-family zoning districts and Columbia Heights it depends on the year the lot was platted. Chairperson Gengler referenced cities that have a zero setback and asked if both structures could be built to the property line. Planning Manager Larson clarified that these setbacks are just for driveways, not for structures. Commissioner Bauer recognized the concerns within the staff report about reduced setbacks to be legitimate. He referenced a comment of a Councilmember that perhaps neighbors just work it out together and noted that while that would seem to be an ideal situation, that is not always possible. He stated that one neighbor may agree to the situation,but the next neighbor/owner may not agree to that situation. He also commented that snow removal is an issue without a setback. He stated that he would prefer to leave the setback as is and the variance process can be used for those desiring a lesser setback. Commissioner Peters stated that perhaps the initial construction of the driveway would be five feet but if adjustments need to be made, it could be reduced to three feet. Planning Commission/August 22, 2024 Page 7 of 9