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Debate over front-entry garage rule intensifies; commissioners urge slower rollout and more engagement
Summary
The Planning Commission reviewed proposed amendments to Webster Groves' zoning code on front-entry garages—proposals include removing the 40% rule and changing ARB and variance provisions; commissioners raised concerns about historic-protection gaps, stormwater/runoff impacts, demolition pressure and the speed of the ordinance's schedule.
The Webster Groves Planning Commission spent the bulk of its meeting discussing proposed changes to the zoning code that would alter how front-entry garages are regulated. Commissioners described three main elements of the proposal: eliminate the “40% rule” that currently restricts front-entry garages when a street block has fewer than a threshold of front-entry garages; require the sidewall between a garage and the rest of the house to carry the same architectural detailing as the front facade; and remove an option that lets the Architectural Review Board (ARB) approve garages that exceed existing width limits.
Commissioners and attendees raised multiple concerns. Several said the 40% rule has been inconsistently enforced and that many of the variance applications the Board of Adjustment has granted suggest the city is already permitting exceptions: staff reported…
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