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~arages, incLudin~ ~ose wic~ workshops, o~ces, hobby ~pace,
<br />dwelling tmir~, and parking s~ac~. Oboie~k7 aot~ ~
<br />~¢ric~'s ~rs~ car owner~, ~¢ w¢~7, ~so bu~c ~¢ first
<br />~ag~, bur wh,n automobile ownership became a re~i~ for
<br />the midge des, g~e construction mulnpiied. Fire concerns
<br />kept ~em de=ached ~d ~ong ~e JleT, bu~ wi~ wi~ ~e
<br />coming of fire-resisz~ walls in ~e 1950s, ~he garde [e~ irs
<br />m~ns~ay ~d w~ =~zached ~o the ho~e. SdH modest m size,
<br />
<br />Recent Tren~
<br />According co che National :~ssociadon o£ Homebuilders
<br />(N,~rffB), the percentage o?' new single-rSmily homes
<br />constructed wit& a cwo-car (or more) =ox=age increased r~rom 65
<br />to 82 percent between ~.987 and 2000 while the percentage of
<br />singled'amily homes constructed without a garage or ca=pore
<br />declined from 18 to l! ?ercent tsee ,a~ww. na.um.om/.ac:s/
<br />~orecasr_/sr. htmll. According to N,~-~B, one in slx new homes is
<br />cons:rue=ed with a ch=es-car garage.
<br /> The PBS prog.m_rn A.~uenza, produced b? KCTS/$earde and
<br />Oregon P,ablic Broadcazdng, analyzed the social ~d environment, al
<br />aspec= o£ materialism and ore=consumption in ~dxnerica (see
<br />www. pbs.or~kc:s/afftuenza/show/ahow, hr. rnl). On the program's
<br />webske it is claimed char a PTpic:d three-car ~e--increasingly
<br />common in nw~ nomes---zon=un~ approximately the same sauare
<br />fbota,~e az a home bu. ilt ~n the L950s. Abo consider the decrease in
<br />dar number ofpe~om per household in che U.S. be=ween 1950
<br />and 2000 ~om 3.37 ~o 2.62, and add co it '&e items placed in
<br />today's g"ar%~es: SUVs, yard-c, zre equipment, ~oob, recreational gear,
<br />and va=iota o~er od& and ends. Lq short: =~ar~es are gemng b. rger
<br />and more versatile. Some ~timates sugg=t chat only about 15
<br />pert=nc of the households wir. h a g'zrage actually use it for packing.
<br />Furmermore, street-facing ar:ached =~arages have come co dominate
<br />the (rop. c of many new homer--an u. nactracr_ive and disdncdy
<br />unfriendly trend~wir_h zoning as the only mir_i~r, mg force behind
<br />r_b. ese srz-uczures.
<br />
<br />Garages az~d other accessory, strucz~es rend :o be defined
<br />similarly across the coun~, wir~q almost universal agreement
<br />char the7 aze incidental and subordinate co the principal
<br />structure. Some commumides even combine ~e definicior~ for
<br />accessory u.se and accessory strut:ute.
<br /> The Lincoln, Nebraska, code states ~at, "Aa accessory
<br />building is a subordinate building or a portion of the main
<br />building, .'.he use of which is incidental ro c,kat of the main
<br />building or ~o the main use o£~e premises. ,¢m accessory ute is
<br />one which is incidental co che main ~e of the premises."
<br /> A~ached g. arages can be a challenge to regulate because most
<br />communities consider ~em part of the principal structure. So
<br />how might a communi~ determine a setback for :b.e ~rage?
<br />Most communities want co appiy the same copula=sons, such as
<br />floor area 15mications, to boch ar=ached and detached accessory.
<br />structures. The Lincoln definiuon was written so chat % portion
<br />of the main building" may be interpreted ro be an accessory
<br />building or structure.
<br /> Some ordinances define garde separateiy from accessory use or
<br />acc=soW scru~-ure. Stamford, Connecticut, sm~e~ ~'Garage -
<br />Private: A de:ached acc=sory building or a po=don ora main
<br />
<br />Oepar~enr.
<br />
<br />building for ~e parking and storage of automobiles belonging to
<br />~e occupants o~' =.he premises. One commercial ve&ide wkic~t does
<br />not exceed r. kree-quarce.~ eons in capacity., and is used solely by the
<br />occ~pa, ncs may be stored in a ?dvate garage." A rdar. ivety small
<br />percentage of codes offer a separate definirson for cz=po=r, a
<br />sheltering srrucmze for vehicles &ar is open on cwo or dzr~ sides.
<br />
<br />Floor Area '
<br />Being subordinate co the principle stmcazre, aoor ar~a
<br />limitations for garages are challenged under modern-day
<br />consumer habits. Lqdeed, four- and five-car garages are a
<br />growing problem for communities ofaJl sizes. Air. hough chis ks
<br />?arzicutarty problematic in developing communities, built-ot~t
<br />cities [il<e Minneapolis -,dso grapple wi=h it.
<br /> The Minneapolis zoning ordLnanc: from the i960s =o 1999
<br />limited d~e size of rcsidennal accessory struc~res to 676 ~clu~ze
<br />
<br />Parr garage and?art ca,orr, this structure include$ roo~op vegetation and
<br />a roof=o? dcc. O.
<br />
<br />feet or 10 pr=tint of =.he [or area, whichever was greater.
<br />limitation applied to the sum of all de=ached accessory
<br />structures (gazebos, storage shed& eec.) and a=ached garag~ and '
<br />carports. Given char most residential I°u in Minneapolis are
<br />bet'ween 5,000 and 6,000 square fe:~, hou~eholcb were limited
<br />to consrzucdng a ~rage of 676 square £e== or less. T'.~ allows
<br />ridder a large cwo-car garage (e.g., 26 r%ec by 26 feet) or a small
<br />ch.=er-car =~a~,- (e.g., 30 feet by 22 feet).
<br /> The ci .w. 's ca=rent zoning code; adopted in 1999, eLLminared
<br />"10 percent of the [or arm" aJlowance for [o= wir~ single- and cwo-
<br />family dwellings. Cky o~cia~ found chat some prope.m/owners
<br />with unusually large lorz (by ci.w smndarcb) were constructing
<br />acc=sor'? s~rucrures chac ne~dvely aJ~e~ed the character of the
<br />city's urban neighborhoodz. The current srandardz remain a =opic of
<br />debate, and requests for variance aze rtoC uncommon.
<br /> Some cities with the l0 percent rule have de:dr with
<br />"megagarages"' by setting a cap on ~e e. xtent to which the rule
<br />may be applied. In Canton, Ohio, all residence are ~lowed a
<br />garage o£ 720 square feet. For ia=ge lots, garage azea may cave=
<br />up co l0 percent of the lot area but mas, not exceed 1,000
<br />square feet. Lake Forest Park, Washington, also uses the
<br />percent c,ale wi~h a 1,000 square-foot timit.
<br />Other communiues express maximum garage size az a
<br />percentage of' the square footage of the principal structure. The
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