BZA approves reduced interior setback for 8‑unit project on North Bridal after engineering safety concern

The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance to reduce the required interior side setback for an eight‑unit multifamily proposal at 5531 North Bridal, allowing the building to be sited closer to an adjacent residential zoning district than the CH‑2 standard would normally permit.

Applicant Katie Wozek told the board the project originally placed the building on the north side of the lot with parking to the south, but the city’s engineering staff raised safety concerns about the driveway’s proximity to the median opening on North Broadway. To address egress and ingress safety, the architect flipped the layout; that configuration places the building closer to a place of worship (RM‑1) to the south and a single‑family dwelling to the west, which required the variance from a 35‑foot interior side setback down to about 10.8 feet.

Wozek said the lot is small — about 98 feet wide — and that with required parking aisles and sidewalk dimensions the buildable area is tightly constrained. “With a building setback of 35 feet … that leaves about 8 feet to put a building in, which is, I would say, a hardship,” she said.

Engineering staff noted the layout may require a write‑in / write‑out driveway treatment and that the parking count on the submitted plan appeared sufficient. A board member moved to approve the variance based on the lot’s width and size and the applicant’s effort to respond to engineering safety concerns; the motion passed.

The variance permits the applicant to proceed with the revised layout and will be subject to any conditions required by the city for driveway and median treatments.