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Mounds View Planning Commission December 7, 2011 <br />Regular Meeting Page 2 <br />________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />4. Citizens Requests and Comments on Items Not on the Agenda <br /> <br />None. <br />______________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />5. Planning Cases <br /> <br />A. VR2011-008 Consideration of a Variance to Allow a Detached Accessory <br />Building to Exceed the Maximum Height Limit at 8027 Woodlawn Drive for <br />Tim Downing <br /> <br />Planning Associate Heller explained the Commission was to consider a variance request to allow <br />a detached accessory building (garage) to exceed the maximum height limit at 8027 Woodlawn <br />Drive. This was an after the fact variance as the garage has been constructed. <br /> <br />Associate Heller explained in 2007, the applicant applied for a building permit for a single story <br />garage. City staff approved the plans and the permit was issued in October 2007. However, the <br />garage was not built right away and several time extensions were given for the building permit. <br />In November 2009, the zoning code was changed to limit the height of accessory buildings to 18 <br />feet. Work on the garage finally started in August 2010 and it was mostly completed by mid- <br />2011. Other than a footing inspection on August 31, 2010, no other building inspections had <br />been requested by the applicant. City Staff was not aware the garage had been built until it was <br />almost done. The garage that was built is two-stories tall and does not meet the previously <br />approved plans or the current zoning code. <br /> <br />Associate Heller stated the garage was being used for storage and the size of the garage is not <br />necessarily out of place on the larger lot. She presented the Commission with several <br />photographs of the garage and discussed City zoning code regulations. The current City Code <br />states that garages were not to exceed 18 feet and the garage was 22 feet 10 inches tall. The <br />Commission would need to review the variance request through the City’s new variance <br />language and discuss if there is a practical difficulty. She reviewed several conditions if the <br />Commission were to approve the variance. <br /> <br />Chair Stevenson opened the public hearing at 7:18 p.m. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cramblit asked why windows were placed on three sides of the garage, if it was <br />only being used for storage. <br /> <br />Tim Downing, 8027 Woodlawn Drive, indicated he is a contractor, and had several leftover <br />windows and decided to use them on the building. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cramblit questioned the need for the second story garage door. <br /> <br />Mr. Downing stated this made it easier to bring items in to the second floor for storage. <br />