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97 e <br /> • To: St. Anthony City Council <br /> From: St. Anthony Planning Commission <br /> Re:. Recommendation to change lot coverage ordinance. <br /> Background <br /> In the fall of 1999, the Planning Commission heard two very similar variance requests <br /> in consecutive months. They were both requests for variances of the lot coverage <br /> maximum. Both were undersized lots.in area and width.- Both had garages located in <br /> the backyard with the driveway-running from.the street:in front (i.e.- no alley). Both <br /> were above the maximum 35% lot coverage limit.With 20-25% of the coverage made <br /> up of the driveway and garage. Both listed the non conforming lot size and width as <br /> the hardship in their variance request. <br /> There are 439 lots under the current 9000 square foot minimum, about 25% of the city. <br /> We suspect that most, if not all, of these lots are already above the 35% limit and many <br /> will be seeking variances as people seek to enlarge their garages or improve their <br /> homes. Rather than looking at the requests on a case by case basis,_the Planning <br /> Commission wants to set criteria that can be applied consistently, allowing <br /> • improvement of the homes in St. Anthony with9utaversely affecting_the-storm-water <br /> control efforts. The gogl of thQ ordinance change is to reduce the number of variance <br /> requests to only those,,th"present extraordinary circumstances. <br /> Recommendatl®n <br /> We recommend that-the Ipt coverage ordinance be charged as follows: <br /> 1. Change Section 1605,,9ubd. 44(a) Lot Cove-.age to clarify the definition of <br /> "impervious surface" to ex�ludp rleck�s-as""long as the surface below the deck is . <br /> --not impervious. <br /> Lot Coverage. The area of a lot covered by impervious surface. An <br /> impervious surface is any material that substantially.reduces or <br /> prevents the infiltration of storm water into previously-undeveloped <br /> land. Impervious surface shalf include all buildings,_driveways <br /> (paved or.gravel),',sidewalks_andparking`areas. A,surface'that.has - <br /> been compacted or covered with a layer of material so-that it is <br /> highly; resistant to.infiltration by.water will be.considered impervious. <br /> Impervious surface shall not include decks as-:long as the surface <br /> beneath the deck is riot impervious. <br /> Note: The-definitionof.adeck.should alsojaechanged.to ensure that the deck <br /> _itself is-not-in-Wrvious. <br /> 2. Change Section 1615.05,.Subd. 8 to create a two tier system.for.lot coverage <br /> limits. Lots with area 9000 square feet or over would retain the'35% limit. Lots <br /> with area less than 9000 square feet would have an increased limit of 40%. <br /> 3. Add a storm water retention plan to the building permit application. The <br />