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Item No: 08A MOUNDS VfE-W Meeting Date: March 26, 2018 Type of Business: CB Administrator Review: City of Mounds View Staff Report , To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Jon Sevald, City Planner/Supervisor Item Title/Subject: Ordinance 941, First Reading and Introduction of an Amendment to the Mounds View City Code, Section 1104.01 related to the Setback of Front Porches. (Special Planning Case SP -212-18) Introduction Within residential zoning districts, the minimum front yard setback is 30' from the property line. On occasion (1-2 times per year), homeowners have inquired if a front porch can be added onto a home. If the home is at the minimum setback, a front porch would not be permitted, unless a variance is granted by the Planning Commission. In order for the Planning Commission to grant a variance, a "Practical Difficulty" or "Hardship" must be proven. In Staff's opinion, this is difficult to provide because a front porch is an amenity, and not an essential part of the home. An ordinance amendment would be more appropriate than a variance. Discussion Within residential districts, the minimum front yard setback is 30'.' Staff recommends that the ordinance be amended, allowing non -enclosed porches (no walls, windows, or screens) to encroach up to 6' into the front yard setback (e.g. 24' set back from the front property line). In the case where the minimum front yard setback is more than 30' (e.g. 40'), the front porch could still be set back 24' from the front property line (16' porch depth). If a new home were built, the home would need to comply with the minimum setback requirements, and a front porch could be set back 24'. The intent of minimum setbacks is to provide a uniform front yard depth (e.g. 30'). In cases where all of the homes on the block exceed that depth (e.g. 40'), It is possible that a homeowner chooses to add a deep porch (e.g. 16'). However, because the front porch cannot be enclosed and is not a livable part of the house, Staff believe that a homeowner is more likely to build a smaller front porch, and a larger rear porch or sunroom. A maximum 6' encroachment is recommended to accommodate a 36" door swing, plus a 36" clear zone beyond the door swing. This 6' encroachment is for the porch structure, and excludes any roof eve or stairs. From 2015 through 2017, the City has issued two permits for covered front porches, one with a 4' depth, and one with a 5' depth. Mounds View Municipal Code, Section 1104.01, Subd 3(a): Where principal buildings in existence on lots within the same block on the some side of the street have front yard setbacks different from those required, the minimum front yard setback for any new principal buildings shall be the minimum front yard setback in existence for any one lot. In no case shall the front yard setback be less than thirty feet (30'). For purposes of this subsection a, a block shall be defined as that group of lots lying along a street between the two closest intersecting streets, except that where the length of the street frontage between the two intersecting streets is greater than fourteen hundred feet (1,400'), the block shall be the lots within six hundred and fifty feet (650') on either side of the lot in question, or to an intersecting street whichever is less.