Council approves variances to allow large accessory structure at 22206 Durant St. NE

The East Bethel City Council adopted a resolution Sept. 8 approving two variances requested by Troy and Laurie Slater for property at 22206 Durant Street NE that would allow a fifth accessory structure and a total accessory-structure square footage of 10,652 square feet on a 29.82-acre parcel. City staff said Section 14 of the zoning code limits parcels over 5 acres to four accessory structures and a maximum of 8,760 square feet of accessory building area; the applicant's proposal exceeds that cap by 1,892 square feet. Staff advised that agricultural buildings are exempt from state building code review when used solely for agricultural purposes, and noted the applicant's proposed building meets the city's architectural standards in its frontage details. Staff also provided findings for the practical-difficulty variance test (reasonable request, uniqueness, and no negative neighborhood impact). The planning commission held a public hearing Aug. 26; the applicant attended and no members of the public spoke. The planning commission recommended approval by a 3-1 vote with one abstention citing a conflict of interest; one commissioner opposed for not finding a unique circumstance. The council adopted Resolution 2025-52 as presented; the resolution includes conditions that the building be used only for qualifying agricultural purposes and that any nonagricultural uses would remove agricultural exemptions. The council voted by voice vote to approve the resolution.