Zoning Board splits on 2821 Brookwood Terrace: side‑yard variance denied, steep‑slope exception approved

The Minneapolis Zoning Board of Adjustment on Oct. 16 denied a requested reduction of the minimum interior side yard at 2821 Brookwood Terrace but approved a variance allowing development within 40 feet of a steep slope in the Shoreland Overlay District.

The action came after a public hearing in which the applicant’s architect and the homeowners described a plan to expand and modernize a rear garage and associated living space, while neighbors raised concerns about tree removal, loss of light, and proximity to a planned hiking trail along Minnehaha Creek.

City planning staff told the board the property is zoned UN1 (Urban Neighborhood 1) and in the BFI1 (Built Form Interior 1) overlay and noted the site also lies within the Shoreland Overlay District for Minnehaha Creek. Staff’s report recommended denial of the interior side‑yard variance (reducing the required 5‑foot setback to 3.1 feet) but concluded that, with conditions, the proposal could meet standards for the shoreland/steep‑slope finding.

Architect Mike Eckert of Arcos Architecture and Design, presenting for the applicants, said the project would enlarge the existing 18‑by‑22‑foot garage to roughly 28 by 23 feet and add enclosed living area above. Eckert said the larger garage is intended to accommodate modern vehicles and storage and that, if the side‑yard variance were denied, the design could be adjusted. “We could work with staff on that,” he told the board.

Homeowner Amy Anderson, who lives at 2821 Brookwood Terrace, said the family parks vehicles on a rear pad now and wants to move parking into a garage and reuse the yard as outdoor family space. “Our main objective with this project is to be able to park our vehicles in the garage,” Anderson said.

Neighbor Petra Hagenson of 2825 Brookwood Terrace opposed the variances and submitted photographs and a packet into the record. Hagenson told the board she is concerned the addition would require removal of mature vegetation on the slope, reduce light to adjacent yards and dominate the creekside view. She also told the board she believes the Park and Recreation Board’s trail project adjacent to the creek makes the application more consequential for neighbors.

A city senior staff member clarified that the Park Board is an adjacent property owner that received notice of the hearing but that the Park Board does not review standard residential building permits even when a property borders parkland. City staff also told the board an erosion control plan would be required with the building permit and reviewed by construction code services.

Board member Hutchins moved to adopt the staff findings; board member Ingram seconded. After a roll call, the board approved the staff findings. As reflected in the staff findings, the board denied the interior side‑yard variance (5 ft → 3.1 ft) and approved the variance to allow development within 40 feet of the top of the steep slope, subject to the conditions in the staff report.

During the hearing, staff noted a separate procedural question raised by a neighbor about mailed notice: the city’s land‑use guide gives a generalized 21‑day timeline, but the ordinance requires notices to affected property owners at least 15 days before a hearing; staff said the mailer for this case was sent 17 days before the meeting and therefore recommended against a continuance.

Board members and staff also discussed tree impacts. Eckert said one large ash tree previously shown in older photos had been removed years earlier because it was diseased; he said the project team hopes to preserve a mature tree near the driveway and that only a narrow strip of evergreen vegetation on the applicants’ property would likely be removed. Neighbors maintained concerns about screening and the effect of the addition on the creek edge and the adjacent trail.

The board’s decision resolves the two variance requests for this property: the side‑yard reduction was denied and the steep‑slope/shoreland variance was approved with conditions tied to erosion control and other standard shoreland protections. Board members and staff told neighbors how to follow up with staff and where to find project documents in the city’s legislative information management site (LIMS).

Votes at a glance - Agenda items 4 (64 Orlin Avenue Southeast) and 5 (listed in the staff agenda as 1118 50 Third Street West) were taken on consent and approved by the board during the Oct. 16 meeting (no detailed roll‑call tally recorded in the hearing audio). - Approval of the minutes from the Sept. 18, 2025 Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting was recorded as passed (the clerk recorded three abstentions during the minutes vote). - For the staff‑findings motion on 2821 Brookwood Terrace (item 6) Hutchins moved; Ingram seconded. The clerk called the roll; named board votes recorded in the audio are included in the article provenance. The board adopted staff findings and the motion passed.

What happens next City staff said required conditions — including an erosion control management plan and standard building‑permit reviews — must be satisfied before construction. Neighbors were told they may pursue appeal options if they wish; staff said project materials and the staff report will be available on the city’s LIMS site for further review.