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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-06-04 MinutesBoard of Adjustment Meeting June 4, 2012 Page 1 of 6 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT A meeting of the Board of Adjustment was held on June 4, 2012 at 3:45 p.m. in Room 111 of the City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain, Fayetteville, Arkansas. ACTION TAKEN MINUTES: May 7, 2012 Approved Page 2 New Business: BOA 12-4131 (397 E. Dogwood Ave./Lewis, 485): Page 3 Approved ADM 12-4133: Administrative Item (BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT BYLAWS): Page 6 Approved Robert Kohler Jeff Hagers Matthew Hoffman Tim Stein Evan Niehues STAFF PRESENT Andrew Garner Quin Thompson Jason Kelley MEMBERS ABSENT Kristin Knight Board of Adjustment Chair Bob Kohler called the meeting to order at 3:45 PM. Board of Adjustment Meeting June 4, 2012 Page 2 of 6 Approval of the minutes from the May 7, 2012 Board of Adjustment meeting. Motion• Board Member Stein made a motion to approve the May 7, 2012 Meeting Minutes. Board Member Hagers seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed with a vote of 4-0-0. Board of Adjustment Meeting June 4, 2012 Page 3 of 6 BOA 12-4131 (397 E. Dogwood Ave./Lewis, 485): Submitted by STACEY PARK for property located at 397 EAST DOGWOOD AVENUE. The property is zoned RSF-4, RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY, 4 UNITS PER ACRE and contains approximately 0.24 acre. The request is for a variance from setback requirements to allow for the construction of a new garage. Staff comments were read by Quin Thompson, expressing staff finding that there is no hardship imposed by zoning on this lot; that the desire to build a garage addition inside setback is not in itself a hardship. Board member Kohler commented that the applicant is requesting a 9' variance to the setback in order to build the submitted project. Board member Hoffman asked if the [proposed] design would conform with nearby properties in the neighborhood. Thompson answered that garage or covered parking a typical in the neighborhood, and that lack of a garage or covered parking in this zone is considered a hardship, and that in staff opinion there is adequate area within the setback to allow a garage to be built. Brett Park summarized the nature of the request, noting that his clients hoped to make additions to the existing home without re -tooling the entire floor plan. Due to site constraints, it is necessary to encroach into the setback on the East in order to accommodate the proposed addition. Mr. Park said that it is important to him to request reasonable variances when he comes before the Board of [Adjustment]. Alan Reid provided a survey showing a 30' Right -of -Way (R.O.W.) , the City GIS map showed a 30' R.O.W. which seems reasonable for Dogwood Ave. Mr. Kohler asked the current with of the street. Mr. Park replied that the street width is 18'. And continuing said that he had two conversations with city staff in which a larger R.O.W. was never mentioned. The larger R.O.W. was first mentioned in a phone call from Quin [Thompson] and Andrew [Garner] last Thursday (May 31). He stated that in his opinion the hardship is that there is an unnecessarily large R.O.W. on Dogwood Ave. Mr. Kohler agreed that the R.O.W. seemed large given the nature of the street, asking staff what type of street a 43' R.O.W. would typically be applied to. Mr. Garner noted that building setbacks are always measured from the Master Street Plan R.O.W., adding that the street is classified as a residential street, which has the narrowest cross-section and R.O.W. requirement of 43'. Mr. Kohler said that the cross-section and R.O.W. seemed unduly large for this particular street, which was causing the applicant to request a 9' variance to the building setback. Board of Adjustment Meeting June 4, 2012 Page 4 of 6 Mr. Hoffman asked for clarification of the site plan, which indicated a 3' variance was needed to build the proposed project. Mr. Park responded that until Thursday (May 31) he expected to ask for a 3' variance, and that he was surprised to find that the R.O.W. was larger than his research suggested. Board member Hagers asked for a description of the existing non -conformity shown on the site plan. Mr. Park responded that it was an existing attached carport that would be removed with the proposed project and confirmed that the non -conforming condition would be eliminated. Mr. Hagers asked for a description of the space between the existing house and proposed garage. Mr. Park described it as expanded kitchen, stairs, laundry room, and living room area. Mr. Hagers asked if there was a concern that the proposed addition might reduce a view from adjacent properties given the steep angle of the street, given the height of the proposed second story addition. Mr. Park said he thought that there would not be a problem with obstruction of views. Mr. Kohler asked staff if it was the case that the City [of Fayetteville] website had not been updated to reflect the increased R.O.W. requirement imposed by the Master Street Plan. Mr. Kelley responded that the site is up to date, that the Master Street Plan R.O.W. is a reference line which is intended to keep development out of the way of future expansion. Board member Niehues asked for clarification that the submitted site plan was showing existing R.O.W. rather than required Master Street Plan R.O.W. Mr. Park replied that it was. Mr. Niehues asked Mr. Park if there was room between required setback and the existing house to construct a garage. He noted that not being able to have a garage in which to park cars due to setback requirements is considered a hardship, but that the desire to have a laundry room is not necessarily a hardship. Mr. Park agreed that no person has a natural right to a laundry room, but countered that the project was intended to increase the size of the home such that the owner's growing family of 5 could live in a house that would accommodate their needs, and be able to park 2 cars, adding that the proposal was not unreasonable, but that the setback was Board of Adjustment Meeting June 4, 2012 Page 5 of 6 excessively large and preventing the applicant from a reasonable use of their property. Mr. Hoffman asked Mr. Park if the issue was that the Master Street Plan R.O.W. requirement was different than he understood it to be. Mr. Park answered that the issue was in fact that an unreasonably wide R.O.W. requirement was preventing the home owner from executing the project design goals and using their property in a way that would accommodate their needs. Mr. Hoffman asked if it was appropriate for the Board [of Adjustments] to grant variances to the Master Street Plan. Mr. Kelley responded that the Master Street Plan is outside the jurisdiction of the Board. Mr. Hagers asked whether or not it is common knowledge that the Master Street Plan is used for permitting. Mr. Garner said that it is common knowledge with developers, and that staff checks for conformance with the Master Street Plan with every permit application. Mr. Thompson noted that the request was for a variance to the setback, rather than an adjustment to the Master Street Plan, which is within the power of the Board to grant. Mr. Kelley commented that issues relating to the R.O.W. can be considered when deciding whether to grant a variance to the setback. Mr. Kohler stated that having visited the site, in his opinion, the R.O.W. is excessive given the conditions at Dogwood Ave, and that the Garage would still be well out of the R.O.W. and that the proposal is not out of character with structures in the area. He added that for those reasons he would support granting the request. Mr. Hagers commented that he also visited the site, and that he felt that Dogwood Ave would not ever be made wider nor would sidewalks be constructed due to topography and site conditions. He added that he would support the variance. Motion: Board Member Hagers made a motion to approve with all staff recommended conditions. Board Member Stein seconded the motion. Upon roll call, the motion passed with a vote of 5-0-0. Board of Adjustment Meeting June 4, 2012 Page 6 of 6 ADM 12-4133: Administrative Item (BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT BYLAWS): Submitted by CITY PLANNING STAFF to amend the bylaws of the Board of Adjustment to reduce the number of required members from seven to five. Andrew Garner, Senior Planner, gave the staff report. Board Member Hagers asked about quorum in the interim until there were only five members. Jason Kelly, Assistant City Attorney, discussed that the board might want to consider adopting some rules in the interim. Whatever the bylaws currently state is the requirement. The bylaws will now say three members is a quorum. Motion: Board Member Kohler made a motion to approve. Board Member Stein seconded the motion. Upon roll call, the motion passed with a vote of 5-0-0. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:45 PM.