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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC, <br />4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422 <br />Telephone: 763.231 .2555 Facsimile: 763. 231 .2561 plannersQ?nacplanning.com <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />DATE: <br />Little Canada Planning Commission <br />Stephen Grittman <br />September 7, 2012 <br />RE: Little Canada — Amendment to Zoning Ordinance — Parking and Storage <br />in Side Yards <br />FILE NO: 758.10 —12.06 <br />Background and Analysis <br />The current zoning ordinance provides a mix of activities in residential side yards, and a variety <br />of setbacks for those activities. Under the current code, a property owner may pave an area in <br />the side yard as close as to within 3 feet of the side property line. Because the code also allows <br />driveway access to the side yard, the code permits parking of passenger vehicles in this space <br />at the same setback of 3 feet. <br />The complication comes in that other storage, including the "parking" of recreational vehicles in <br />this space, must be held to a 10 foot setback along with other accessory uses and buildings. <br />This creates an issue where areas are paved, but not uses for parking — the temptation is great <br />for property owners to use these paved areas for outdoor storage — often of recreational <br />vehicles or equipment, but also for other items. <br />The diagram below illust ates the current code requirement: <br />19 foot required <br />side yard setback <br />3 foot minimum <br />pavement setback <br />passenger <br />vehicle parking <br />OK <br />other accessory <br />uses OK, Including <br />RV /Boat storage <br />street <br />2 <br />