Agenda Packets - 2020/06/22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council June 8, 2020 Regular Meeting Page 5 Public Works Director Peterson discussed the reason the bump was installed between the two 1 driveways. 2 3 Mayor Mueller questioned if there was an additional cost that gets passed onto the property owner 4 for having an extra wide driveway. Community Development Director Sevald stated the extra cost 5 was not usually passed onto the property owner. 6 7 Mayor Mueller stated the last property under consideration was at 5453 Quincy Street. 8 9 Community Development Director Sevald explained with this property the driveway has a less 10 than five foot setback and when the City issued a permit for the driveway it was specific for a one 11 foot setback. However, when the driveway was installed the driveway had a two or three foot 12 setback. He indicated the driveway was installed by the previous property owner. He commented 13 the new property owner believed the fence line was the property line which was about five feet 14 from the driveway. However, the fence was not on the property line. He explained staff was 15 proposing to install the driveway with a five foot setback which would shift the driveway by two 16 or three feet. The owners object to this for aesthetic purposes and they would like to have a straight 17 driveway in order to back up their trailer. 18 19 Tanya Battista, 5307 Quincy Street, requested a variance in order to maintain the existing two curb 20 cuts. She explained she would like her elderly parents to be able to have easy access to her front 21 door. She noted her parents would like to maintain their independence and she would like the 22 driveway to remain as is. She indicated her mom recently had knee surgery on both knees and was 23 now complaining of hip pain. She reported she was predisposed to the same condition as her 24 mother. She explained the second curb cut allows her mother to have easy access the front door. 25 She stated if she was allowed to keep both curb cuts she would be replacing both driveways. She 26 understood she had more curb and gutter than other neighbors. She indicated her lot was large 27 enough that she could split the lot to have the house on one and the garage on the other, therefore 28 allowing her to have two driveways. She commented her neighbors supported her driveways 29 remaining as is. She did not understand why the driveways were not grandfathered in. She 30 respectfully requested the City allow her to keep the two curb cuts in place. 31 32 Council Member Bergeron reminded the Council that in the past the Planning Commission and 33 the Council has made accommodations for elderly parents and disabled individuals when it comes 34 to access to homes. He believed this request fell into this category. 35 36 Council Member Meehlhause agreed stating the Council approved a similar request in recent years 37 to allow an elderly parent better access to a home. He questioned if the property owner could 38 subdivide the property and have just a garage on one lot. Community Development Director 39 Sevald explained the lot with the garage would have to have sewer and water hook ups. He noted 40 the property with the garage would be required to have a home built on it within one year of the 41 subdivision. 42 43 Council Member Hull explained he could support this request. 44 45 Council Member Gunn agreed. 46