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German Village Commission backs most zoning variances for 890–900 S. Third St., holds screening requirement
Summary
The German Village Commission voted Jan. 2 to recommend most zoning variances for a proposal at 890–900 South Third Street but kept the required screening and adjusted a parking-setback allowance to match existing conditions.
The German Village Commission on Jan. 2 recommended a package of zoning variances for 890–900 South Third Street, while keeping the commission's screening requirement and setting the parking setback to match the existing condition.
The applicant submitted nine variances that would allow five dwelling units in the building, reduce the rear-yard requirement, cut required parking from eight spaces to five, reduce multiple setbacks to zero feet in some places and shorten the maneuvering area from 20 feet to 13 feet. Jack Reynolds, representing the applicant, told the commission the conversion began with a first-floor office that the market no longer supports and that the owner, Sue Faubber, seeks to convert that space to an apartment unit to make the property conform to current use.
HPO (Historic Preservation Office) staff recommended the commission endorse the variances as submitted but asked the applicant to confirm whether the increase in required parking resulted from the change in use or whether the site already lacked required spaces as an existing condition. Staff also asked the applicant to confirm that no new construction beyond bringing existing conditions into compliance was proposed.
Commissioners and the applicant discussed several existing conditions on the site: a patio with piers near the corner that affects the site-triangle measurement, a reduced maneuvering space (13 feet rather than the 20 feet required), and a green strip that currently screens part of the parking. The applicant agreed to maintain that green strip and to retain screening at the south side while amending the requested parking-setback variance from a proposed reduction to 0 feet down to 8 feet (or to match the existing condition where the existing setback is between 8 and 10 feet).
Commissioner Sherman moved to recommend the zoning variances as submitted with the exception of CCC 3312.27 (the parking lot setback), which the motion left in place to require the existing condition (10 feet or match the existing measurement). The motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.
Why it matters: The recommendation now goes to the city’s zoning review/approving body; the commission’s action documents support for bringing a longtime office/residential building into compliance with current zoning rules while attempting to preserve screening and minimize impacts on the street edge.
Details of the variances read into the record included: allowing five dwelling units (3332.03 or similar zoning section), reducing rear-yard requirement from 1,530 sq ft to 1,162 sq ft (18.5%), reducing required parking from eight to five (3312.49), waiving some screening requirements, and multiple setbacks reductions including garage and building setbacks and side-triangle reductions. HPO staff cited the German Village guidelines and city code as the basis for their recommendation.
