10/13/2021 P&Z Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Planning & Zoning Board October 13, 2021 Page 10 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Wipperfurth commented he does not have a railing on his porch, but if he did its current size would not be preferable. Mr. Evenson and Vice-Chair Root liked the idea of differentiating porch size based on whether a railing is added or not. Mr. Vojtech said if someone desired a larger porch, he would support the 8 ft. wide porch requirement. Mr. Wipperfurth stated porch sizes are a buyer beware issue. He said if a homeowner wants a big porch, they will have to pay for it. He commented he does not have a preference if the City mandates garage setbacks to 4 feet or 2 feet. Vice-Chair Root said he was fine with the proposed 2 foot garage setback. He noted the developments who requested 6 ft. wide porches were PUDs which were negotiated developments. He commented if a large porch is a buyer’s top priority, a buyer will simply seek out homes with large porches when house shopping. Ms. Lindahl reiterated the Board’s recommendations. She stated the Board is fine with the garage setback of 2 feet in R-2, a 6 ft. wide porch is acceptable if it is at grade and unenclosed, and if a porch has a railing it needs to have an 8 ft. width. Mr. Laden said the definitions need to be reduced and some are not applicable anymore. He suggested simplifying the entire footprint requirement section and changing the footprint requirement to 980 sq. ft. for ramblers, split entries, and 2 story homes. Mr. Evenson agreed with Mr. Laden. Mr. Wipperfurth stated he is not a fan of having minimum sizes, but he understands having minimum sizes increases property values. He commented the City would probably not want a tiny house on a quarter-acre lot, but he said he would not be opposed to it. Mr. Laden agreed with Mr. Wipperfurth. He said most developments have their own covenants which dictate minimum size anyway. He asked Ms. Lindahl what is wrong with a tiny house if it is on a rural lot, not visible, and 100 ft. from each of the property lines. He commented the Board should find a way to allow something unique that is beyond the norm of a house on an average lot in a standard size development. Ms. Lindahl said most cities have a minimum floor area requirement, but Lino Lakes has a footprint requirement. She noted she does not see most cities specify square footage. She commented minimum size was implemented by cities to stop individuals from placing single wide trailer homes on lots within city limits. Cities did not want those on lots because they were concerned property values would decrease and they believed the homes functioned more like temporary dwellings.