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_, _ ��. � _ _..� . . __ Item No: 5 Meeting Date: October 15, 2003 Type of Business: Commission Business City of Mounds I/iew Staff Report To: Mounds View Planning Commission From: James Ericson, Community Development Director Item Title/Subject: Public Hearing and Consideration of a Variance and Conditional Use Permit to Expand a Garage at 7850 Spring Lake Road Planning Case Nos. CU03-004 & VR03-009 Introduction: Property owners Joel and Linda Whitbeck are requesting approval of a variance and a conditional use permit to expand their garage at 7850 Spring Lake Road. The applicants indicate that the existing garage is too small to meet their needs and that they would like to expand upon it by adding a third stall and a workshop off the back. The proposed width of the expanded garage would be 40 feet, five feet in excess of what is allowed by City Code. The subject lot is a larger sized lot--37,462 square feet—with 112 feet of frontage on Spring Lake Road. Part of the lot extends into Spring Lake. The home is a slab-on-grade construction which means there is no basement, furthering the need for an expanded garage. Photographs of the lot and the garage are attached for the Commission's review. Requirements: Section 1106.03, Subd. 1: This part of the Code limits the height of an accessory building, the number of accessory buildings and the backyard coverage ratio of accessory buildings. A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) is required for garages exceeding 952 square feet. Section 1106.04 Subd. 6: This part of the Code enumerates the conditions for garage exceeding 952 square feet, which are that the garage be permanent, be uniform in appearance with the home, not exceed 35 feet in width, and not exceed 1,800 square feet of total accessory building area on the lot. Section 1125.01, Subd. 1: The Planning Commission is required to review the possible adverse effects of the requested conditional use. Section 1125.02, Subd. 2: This part of the Code identifies the criteria that shall be used to establish hardship related to variance requests. Discussion: The request for a Conditional Use Permit to expand the 720 square foot garage by an additional 390 square feet satisfies the requirements as stated in Section 1106.03 and 1106.04, Subdivision 6 of the Mounds View Zoning Code with the exception of the proposed width of the building which, at 40 feet, exceeds the maximum allowed by five feet. The applicants have claimed a hardship and are requesting a variance to permit the 40-foot wide garage.