East Troy planning commission approves oversized attached-garage exception at 2931 Mallard Way

The East Troy Plan Commission approved an exception to the village’s attached-garage size limit for the property at 2931 Mallard Way, the owner and applicant told the commission at a meeting at Village Hall.

Planning staff said the exception request invokes section 5-10-58.1 of the village zoning code, enacted as part of Ordinance 2023-04, which set a maximum attached-garage area equal to 70% of the dwelling’s floor area and created an exception process the commission can use if four criteria are met. Staff described the proposed work as an approximately 900-square-foot addition that would produce about 1,300 square feet of attached garage overall — roughly 455.8 square feet larger than the 70% maximum without an exception. Staff recommended that the grant be conditioned on an equivalent reduction in allowable detached accessory building area and suggested using a deed restriction for consistency with similar code provisions.

Applicant Rick Meady told commissioners the addition would "make the house look better" than a detached structure and said he plans to use the space for vehicle storage and light automotive work. "It's just for a garage to work on cars and everything," Meady said; he said he would not use loud industrial equipment that might disturb neighbors and that he would work with adjacent property owners on landscaping or fence issues.

Commissioners reviewed the four statutory criteria in section 5-10-58.1, including that the proposed garage would not create more than three side-by-side vehicle bays facing the street, that the architecture is compatible with the dwelling, that the addition would not be adverse to public health or safety, and that it would not conflict with the spirit of the zoning chapter. Commissioners agreed the criteria were met. Staff noted the addition would increase building coverage on the lot from about 10.64% to about 16.6%, which remains under the SR-4 district's maximum building coverage (30%).

A planning commissioner moved to approve the exception as described; another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion carried. The approval is subject to conditions in the staff review, including recording a deed restriction with the Walworth County Register of Deeds limiting any future detached accessory structure on the lot to 28.2 square feet unless the oversized attached garage is removed or modified to comply with the floor-area standard. Planning staff said the applicant already has building-permit applications with the village and hopes to build this year; staff said no additional Village Board action is required for the exception and that the deed restriction will be recorded as part of finalizing the approval.