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111J7 REQUEST FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION Agenda Section: Item 3 708 STAFF REPORT Report Number: 91-2A lb AGENDA SESSION DATE . Aori 1 15, 1991 Report Date: 4-11-91 A DISPOSITION Item Description: Report Regarding Garages and Accessory Buildings Administrator's Review/Recommendation: - No comments to supplement this report - Comments attached. Explanation/Summary (attach supplement sheets as necessary.) SUMMARY: Pursuant to your request at the April 8, 1991, City Council meeting, I have capsuled the regulations governing garages and accessory building in an R-1, Single Family Zoning District in the following paragraphs. Hopefully, this will eliminate any confusion that exists. A private garage is defined by the Municipal Code as"a detached accessory building or portion of the principal building, including a carport, which is used for storing vehicles." Accessory building or use is defined as "a subordinate building or use which is located on the same lot which the main building or use is situated on and which is reasonably necessary and incidental to the conduct of the primary use of such building or main use." SVithinthe R-1 District, each dwelling unit is permitted one (1) private garage. Limitations on the garage tructures are height (15 feet), and setback (5 feet from all lot lines). Additionally, no garage shall exceed 864 ) square feet nor shall it occupy more than 25 percent of the rear yard. One (1) accessory building other than a garage is also allowed in any "R" District. Limitations on the accessory building are height (15 feet maximum), setback (5 feet from all lot lines), and size (216 square feet). Also, as with a garage, no accessory building shall occupy more than 25 percent of the rear yard. The aforementioned requirements can be found in Chapter 40.10, Subdivision C(1) and (2). The Municipal Code allows for increased accessory building square footage by conditional use permit. Chapter 40.10, Subdivision D(6) allows for up to 400 square feet with the acquisition of a conditional use permit. At the April 8th meeting the issue of compatibility, as it relates to the principal structures and accessory structures,was raised. Presently, the Code states that the accessory building shall be, "...designed and maintained to provide a uniform appearance with the dwelling unit." Although this may appear to be a somewhat vague description, it does provide enough latitude to allow certain types of pre-engineered buildings such as those available at Knox and Menards to be acceptable. Conversely, this definition, when interpreted literally, could have the potential of requiring residents to use similar materials on the exterior walls of the accessory building as those used on the dwelling unit. For example, would a home with a brick exterior be required to have a brick exterior on any accessory structures? Council may choose to make revisions and/or corrections to the section of the Municipal Code regulating garages and accessory buildings. Any potential actions taken to amend the Municipal Code will need to first go to Planning Commission and then to City Council. • � RECOMMENDATION; '•• 1 Ha '.gton_Pla 1 '. Technician Staff recommends that the language used to define terms within this section of the Code be examined and any items which need to be better defined in order to eliminate any contradictory or inconsistent wording be reviewed.