Board of Adjustment Agenda and Packet 2020 06 17

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Board of Adjustment Meeting Minutes May 20, 2020 Page 4 of 9 Barsch ends with saying that the applicants want their design to be a collaborative effort with the neighbors and then he discusses different ways in the design that could accommodate the neighbors. Board Questions of Applicant: Mihaly asks if they are filling in part of the basement to pour the parking pad for the garage. Barsch says that was part of the original proposal. Once the city engineer said they could not approach the garage from Pine Street and could only do it through the alley way, they decided to tear down that part of the structure and rebuild it so they could use the drive way. Mihaly asks what is happening to the existing basement underneath the deck that is being removed. Is that portion being filled in? Barsch says yes, that portion will be filled in. Cooper asks why their design is to move the back wall of the garage and possibly block the neighbors light. Barsch says there is not enough room to make that turning radius from the alley. Normally there is a five foot setback that would give enough turning radius to get into a door. If doors are put right on the alley, there is no way to turn a vehicle in this narrow of an alley. Cooper states that the issue the neighbors is that there is more building on the side of neighbor's house and it is encroaching on the neighbor's property. Ritchie shows a photo of the existing condition and discusses a new design proposal of the rooflines that would not lower it and could help the impact on neighbors. The code says that if you have access directly from an alley into a garage, you need 20 ft of width. Because the alley is only 15 ft wide, the applicant would have to pull the rear building wall in an additional 5 ft in order to provide the turning radius into the garage directly from the alley. Cooper says if the city did not approve an access right off the street right into the garage, is there a way to go back to the city based on the neighbors concerned. Ritchie explains staffs rational behind the decision. This is very close to a school access point, it is heavily used by pedestrians, and it is a bus route. Staff is trying to prioritize pedestrians and bicyclists impact to safety with curb cuts and adding additional access points along Pine Street. Pine Street has been designated as a heavy pedestrian accessed road into downtown and the additional access point will bring more safety to this street.