Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves conversion to three residential units at 324 S. Fifth with landscaping variance
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit to add two apartment units above an existing first-floor commercial space at 324 South Fifth Street and granted a variance from landscaping requirements because the building has zero setbacks and limited room for new plantings.
The Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit to allow two additional residential apartment units on the second floor of 324 South Fifth Street, bringing the building to three residential units above existing commercial space, and granted a variance from the code’s standard shrub/tree planting requirement.
Community Development Director James Krambick said the building meets unit-size requirements in the Town Center district and that the existing exterior materials provide the necessary visual articulation under the design standards. Krambick recommended approval without additional conditions, noting the structure appears well maintained and already uses alternating siding patterns and stucco to meet the city’s visual interest standards.
Krambick explained the landscaping variance stems from practical difficulties: the building has a zero-foot setback on all sides and limited space to install the four shrubs per dwelling-unit the code normally requires. “This building has existed for a number of years… and it has a zero-foot setback on all sides of the building, so it’s not really conducive to landscaping enhancements,” Krambick said.
No members of the public spoke in favor or against at the public hearing. A commissioner moved and seconded to approve the conditional use permit and the landscape variance; the motion carried on voice vote.
