Planning commission denies three variances for Hanke Road lot split

The St. Helens Planning Commission voted to deny three variances sought by property owner Catherine McCarter for a parcel at 35732 Hanke Road that would have created a property line between an existing house and a detached shop.

Staff planner Jenny said the application sought three exceptions tied to lot standards: reduced side-yard setbacks, a reduced lot size and reduced lot width for a proposed lot containing a 30-by-30 shop with living space above. Jenny said the parcel is about 0.31 acre and that the R-7 zone requires a 7-foot side yard, a minimum 7,000-square-foot lot size and a 60-foot lot width at the building line. She said the applicant’s proposed dimensions would create side yards of roughly 4.1 feet and 3.8 feet, a…