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• • Planning Case No.458-96: 7090 Knollwood Drive September 18, 1996 Page 3 • back door. The steps are directed toward the garage rather than away from the garage, and provide easier access than if the flight of steps were reversed. The distance from the corner or the rear entrance to the corner of the garage is 3 feet 4 inches. The two buildings do not actually overlap. The garage is 7 feet 8 inches from the back wall of the house (see attached diagram). The Building Code requires that if the entrance remains, either the wall of the entrance or the wall of the garage must be fire rated. Adding 5/8" sheetrock to the walls of the garage is sufficient to meet the requirement. There are three options available to address this situation. Option 1: Grant the variance based on the following, with a contingency that the walls of the garage be upgraded to meet the requirements of the Building Code for fire rating prior to final inspection of the building addition: • hardship created by the existing location of the back door • the logical travel path from the house to the garage which exists and which dictates • • the direction of the steps the climate and the desire to protect the door from severe weather • the fact that the garage and the building entrance do not overlap, and the 3 foot 4 inch dimension is only corner to corner • the distance between the garage and the house is 7 feet 8 inches which exceeds the six foot requirement Option 2: The corner of the garage closest to the rear entrance consists of a small room which has an outside entrance but is walled off from the remainder of the garage. The floor inside the room islower than the walkway between the house and the garage. If this room were removed, the distance between the two buildings would exceed the six foot requirement. Instead of covering two walls with sheetrock, as would be necessary under Option 1, the applicant would have to cover two walls with siding. Option 2 would also require raising the ground level and pouring a walkway, rerouting a vent, and altering the roof of the garage. Option 3: The third option involves removing or redesigning the back entrance so it is at least six feet from the garage. Staff Recommendation: Approve the request for a variance in the building setback between an accessory building and any other building or structure on the lot from the • required six feet to 3 feet 4 inches to allow an enclosed rear entrance to be constructed at the rear door of the residence. Include a contingency requiring the walls of the garage be upgraded to meet the requirements of the Building Code for fire rating prior to final inspection of the building addition.