Board of Adjustment approves lot-line variance for 2280 Riverside Drive despite staff recommendation to deny

On June 23, 2025, the Laramie Planning Commission, sitting as the Laramie Board of Adjustment, approved a lot-line variance requested by Benjamin Hunke for property at 2280 Riverside Drive, despite a staff recommendation to deny the request.

City staff recommended denial, stating the request "did not meet the legal or practical criteria for variance and could set a precedent for non compliant subdivisions." The staff concern centered on the fact that approving the lot-line adjustment would expand the Riverside property while leaving the adjacent parcel landlocked and without legal access via a public right of way.

During the Board of Adjustment review, commissioners engaged in what was described in the meeting summary as a robust discussion of the site-specific circumstances. The transcript indicates the board considered both the staff recommendation and site conditions before voting to approve the variance; no vote tally, mover or seconder was provided in the meeting record.

The approval allows the proposed lot-line shift that enlarges the Riverside property at the expense of creating or leaving an adjacent parcel without legal access. The transcript does not record any mitigation, condition, or requirement attached to the approval, nor does it specify any follow-up actions by staff to address access or subdivision compliance.

This decision was made during the Planning Commission's session as the Board of Adjustment; it is a formal administrative land-use action affecting property rights and subdivision compliance processes. For details about the variance file or to request the meeting minutes, contact the City of Laramie planning division; the transcript listed a planning office phone number but did not provide additional procedural documents during the session.