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19 To: St. Anthony City Council From: St. Anthony Planning.Commission Re: Recommendation to change lot coverage ordinance. Background In the fall of 1999, the Planning Commission heard two very similar variance requests in consecutive months. They were both requests for variances of the lot coverage maximum. Both were undersized lots in area-and width: 'Both had garages located in the back yard with the driveway running from the street in front (i.e., no alley). ..Both were above the maximum 35% lot coverage limit with 20-25% of the coverage made up of the driveway and garage. Both listed the non conforming lot size and width as the hardship in their variance request. There.are 439 lots under the current 9000 square foot minimum, about 25% of the city. We suspect that most, if not all, of these lots are already above the 35% limit and many will be seeking variances as people seek to enlarge theirRarages or improve their homes. Rather than looking at the requests on a case by case basis,.the Planning Commission wants to set criteria that can'be applied consistently, allowing. improvement of the homes in St. Anthony withputadver5-ely affecting_the-storm.water -control efforts. The go,�j of tl q ordinance change is to reduce the number of yariance requests to only thoskthat_rpresent extraordinary circumstances. Recommendation We recommend that-the Ipt coverage ordinance be charged as follows: 1. Change Section 16Q5,;,ubd. 44(a) Lot Cov�ge to clarify the definition-of "impervious surface" W ex e d -as long as the surface below the dark is ..not fmpeMous. Lot Coverage. The area of a lot covered by impervious surface. An impervious surface is any material that substantially reduces or prevents the infiltration of storm_ water.into- previously.undeveloped land. Impervious surface'shali laclude all.b0.1dings, driveways (paved or.gravel),'sidewalksand-parkiir�as. A surface*that.has . _ been compacted or covered with a iayer of.material so that it.is highly resistant to.infiltration by water will be*considered impervious. Impervious surface shall not include decks as-_long as the surface beneath the deck is'not impervious. Note: The-definifion d.a deck-should a1so:_4e:changed to ensure that the deck itself is-notimpervious. 2. Change Section 1615.05, Subd. 8 to create a two tier system for lot coverage limits. Lots with area 9000 square feet or over would retain the 35% limit. Lots with area less than 9000 square feet would have an increased limit of 40%. 3. Add a storm water retention plan to the building permit application. The