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Planning Case VR2016-04 September 7, 2016 Page 3 f. The variance requested is the minimum variance which would alleviate the practical difficulties. Economic conditions alone do not constitute practical difficulties. g. The Board of Adjustment and Appeals may impose such conditions upon the premises benefited by a variance as may be necessary to comply with the standards established by this Title or to reduce or minimize the effect of such variance upon other properties in the neighborhood and to better carry out the intent of the variance. The condition must be directly related to and must bear a rough proportionality to the impact created by the variance. Staff's analysis of the seven criteria is listed in Resolution 1055-16. In summary, the practical difficulty (criteria c & d) is that the private 30' wide drainage easement significantly reduces the buildable area of the lot. The private easement was created by an agreement between the adjacent Silver Lake Commons Apartments owner (MSP Real Estate) and the previous owner of the subject property (Mary Larson) in 1997 in response to the City's approval of a Site Plan Review for the expansion of the apartments. If the Variance is approved, the front yard setback would be reduced from 54' to 30'. The proposed home would have a front yard depth about half that of other homes on the same side of the street (criteria e), but would still comply with the minimum 30' front yard setback found elsewhere in the R-1 District (criteria f). Other options are for the owner to choose an alternative floor plan that would fit within the lot's buildable area. The buildable area as -is measures approximately 64' wide X 58' deep, and is triangularly shaped. After the developer (Kayak Properties) of the 2016 subdivision conducted the Title Search revealing the easement, the developer contacted the owners of Silver Lake Commons Apartments (Mounds View Family Housing), requesting that they vacate the private easement, which they chose not to do. Public Comments A Public Hearing Notice was published in the New Brighton / Mounds View Sun Focus on August 19, 2016, and mailed to property owners within 350' of the subject property. Staff received an email from a resident opposed to the Variance because the proposed home with a reduced setback would look out of place, and because the existing wooded front yard blocks noise and lights from properties along Mounds View Blvd (Co Rd 10).