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<br />In considering a variance request, the Commission shall determine a finding of fact that the proposed <br />action will not: <br />a. Impair an adequate supply of light and air to adjacent property. <br />b. Unreasonably increase the congestion in the public street. <br />c. Increase the danger of fire or endanger the public safety. <br />d. Unreasonably diminish or impair established property values within the neighborhood, <br />or in any way be contrary to the intent of this Ordinance. <br />e. Violate the intent and purpose of the City Comprehensive Plan. <br /> <br />Additionally, that a variance from the terms of this Ordinance shall not be granted unless it can be <br />demonstrated that: <br />a. Special conditions and circumstances exist which are peculiar to the land, structure, or <br />building involved. <br />(1) Special conditions may include exceptional topographic or water conditions or, in <br />the case of an existing lot or parcel of record, narrowness, shallowness, insufficient area <br />or shape of the property. <br />(2) Special conditions and circumstances may not be primarily economic in nature. <br />b. Literal interpretation of the provisions of this Ordinance would deprive the applicant of <br />rights commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same district under the terms of this <br />Ordinance. <br />c. The special conditions and circumstances do not result from the actions of the applicant. <br />d. Granting the variance requested will not confer on the applicant any special privilege <br />that is denied by this Ordinance to other lands, structures, or buildings in the same <br />district. <br />e. Practical difficulties exist in complying with the literal terms of this Ordinance. <br /> <br />City staff supports the request for a driveway turnaround on this property and understands there is a <br />reasonable need for such a space. However, city staff believes the turnaround size could be reduced <br />and still allow for a vehicle to exit the garage without impeding onto the 2946 Edgerton Street portion <br />of the driveway. The City Engineer has reviewed the turning radius of a vehicle exiting this garage <br />and it is his determination that a 19 foot wide space would be sufficient to maneuver a vehicle entirely <br />on the 2954 Edgerton Street property (see attached diagram prepared by City Engineer). Another <br />reason for reducing the size of the turnaround variance is that staff believes by allowing the width of <br />the turnaround to be larger than what is actually needed for turning purposes there is the potential for <br />this area to be used for parking in the future. Additionally, the City Engineer found that the 15’ depth <br />allowed by code was sufficient. <br /> <br />By reducing the size of the turnaround to 19 feet wide, the distance of the turnaround to the street <br />surface will also be increased. The site plan submitted by the applicant shows the property line being <br />10’ off of the street edge. However, off of the Ramsey County GIS mapping it appears there may be <br />more like 15’ of distance to the property line from the street surface. Between these two factors, the <br />turnaround distance from the street edge would be setback approximately 23 feet. This brings the <br />turnaround distance into compliance with code requirements and would not warrant the variance <br />portion of the request. <br /> <br />With regards to the orientation of the turnaround in front of the principal structure (directed north), city <br />staff feels this meets the threshold for granting a variance based on the finding that the circumstances <br />with proximity to the neighbor and shared driveway prohibit the placement in a manner that could