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March 19, 2019 Page 4 variance is supportable, even though there are alternative designs that would accommodate building expansion. As noted above, staff recommends approval of the variance for the front yard encroachment for the proposed porch and living space as shown in the applicants’ application. B. Side Yard Setback Variance – 34th Avenue NE. The applicants propose to add living space and an attached garage to the south of the existing home, removing an existing detached garage to the rear of the property. For corner lots such as this one, the side yard setback requirement facing a street is increased from the common 5 feet to 30 feet, equal to the front setback. The applicants propose to construct living space and the attached garage within the side yard facing 34th Avenue on the south side of the house. The current setback is approximately 38 feet from the property line. The proposed expansion adds living space to a setback of 23.4 feet, and further extends the garage an additional eight feet, resulting in a 15.4 foot setback. While detached garages are afforded greater flexibility in setback restriction, attached garages are treated as a portion of the principal building. Therefore, the setback standard of 30 feet applies to the 34th Avenue frontage. The applicants support their request by noting that an extended line from the easterly neighboring property to the property across Harding Street to the west establishes a “line of sight” setback distance of 15.4 feet – the forward‐most proposed setback for the garage. As with the discussion of the addition on the front, staff would agree that the living space addition is appropriate in this location. The addition maintains a 30 foot distance from Harding Street, and is supported by the same rationale for the encroachment toward 34th Avenue – reasonable use, neighborhood character, and practical difficulties. In this case, the corner lot setback requirements and the common setback conditions along 34th Avenue (particularly the north side of the street) support some level of encroachment. Staff is concerned, however, with the placement of the proposed garage. At 15.4 feet, a vehicle parked in the driveway would extend into the public right of way, a problematic condition during snow plowing operations. Moreover, the plan shows a proposed 12.9% grade for the new driveway. While the City does not establish a specific maximum grade for driveways, this slope is only marginally functional. Many communities limit driveway grades to 10% or even less. Moreover, parking and exiting a vehicle on a slope such as this can be difficult for some to negotiate. For the garage portion of the project, staff would recommend that any setback variance limit encroachment into the side yard to a point no less than 25 feet from