Planning Commission Agenda and Packet 2018 05 10

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NUMBER OF PARCELS 00 00 oo RE ZONED PARCELS LOT COVERAGE PERCENTAGES M 00 00 I O 00 N 0-20% 20.01% TO 25% 25.01% TO 30% LOT COVERAGE PERCENTAGE Planning Commission Staff Report May 10, 2018 00 O 1 30.01% AND UP Lot coverages per Boulder County Assessor Main Floor and Garage square footage data, and does not include decks, patios, porches, etc. Staff assumes actual lot coverage percentages may be higher when including these areas. In 1996, the City amended Sec. 17.28.020 of the LMC to require that yard and bulk standards apply, unless specifically waived or modified in the PUD process. However, staff only began to apply this code provision in 2012. This resulted in a large increase in applications for variances to the RE lot coverage standard. In 2014, the City amended LMC to allow administrative variances for lot coverages up to 30% for properties zoned RE, with a PUD and a lot size of 8,000 square feet or less. Staff has processed 44 RE lot coverage variance applications since 2012. Twenty two of these were administrative applications for lots 8,000 square feet or less, and twenty two were considered by the Board of Adjustment. All but one have been approved. The approved lot coverage variances range from 21% to 34%. Some feel that this process is unnecessarily burdensome and costly to residents. A table detailing each request is included as an attachment. The Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2013 recommended the development of neighborhood plans, which could have addressed this mismatch in zoning standards vs actual lot size and coverages. However, as the City has not moved forward with this initiative, staff proposes to amend the code to address this particular issue. DISCUSSION Staff analyzed two possible means of addressing the RE lot size and lot coverage mismatch. One is to determine the most appropriate zone district based on existing conditions and rezone the properties to another zone district. The other is to amend the RE zone district lot coverage standard. Staff evaluated the option to rezone the properties to a different zone district in preparation for this discussion, and determined that a number of challenges are present: 3