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Rod Rabine 2800 34th Ave NE St. Anthony, MN 55418 612-789-4072 06-28-04 Dear Members of the Planning Commission and City Council, I am applying for a variance affecting the front of our home. The goal of the project is to create a handicap accessible front entry with ramp. This project will have a front stoop/landing extending from the front of our home 5.5 ft. The front stoop/landing will be 35.5 ft from the easement line. The ordinance allows me 33 ft from the easement line, I am asking for a variance of 2.5 ft in order to complete the project. We need the front landing this size to maneuver a 4 ft motorized wheelchair into the front door. The circumstances leading to the project are as follows; My mother and father live in Michigan during the summer. They are 70 plus years old, and my mother is paralyzed from the waist down. She is permanently in a wheel chair and has trouble getting into the front of our home. As of now we do not have a ramp, but wish to put one in creating an accessible entry. My parents live with us several months out of the winter, and visit often during the summer. Our entry currently is from the side of our house, and faces our front closet. The area between the front door and closet is 5 ft. My mother's "Amigo" wheel chair is 4 ft long. The entry gives her 12 inches to maneuver her way into the house. She has to go forward and back several times to get inside. She has hit the closet door many times which gives her a jolt. The new entry will allow her to have a straight approach into the house. The permanent ramp will eliminate the use of a clumsy/heavy portable ramp. My wife and I have a 4 year old son and plan on raising him here in St. Anthony. We have lived here for 2 1/2 years. I have a secure job with the City of Mpls, and appreciate the proximity of my home to my job. We have no intentions of selling our home, on the contrary we plan on staying here until retirement. I say this to show we are not motivated by the increased value of our home, but only the relieve this project will bring. It is important to us to give my mother a home she can live in without the.hardships of a non-accessible home. If for any reason my father were to pass on, I feel obligated and would insist on having a home my mother could live in. This project would give us that home and relieve the hardship. We thank you for your consideration and assistance in this matter.