Littleton commission approves two variances for 5770 South Bemis Street, including partially flat roof

The Littleton Appeals and Adjustment Commission on July 16 unanimously approved two variances allowing a single-family home to replace a commercial building at 5770 South Bemis Street: one to apply single-family narrow-lot (SLR narrow) standards because a mapped floodplain reduces the property—s buildable area, and a second to allow a partially flat roof in deviation from the Unified Land Use Code—s contextual roof-pitch standard.

City staff presented both requests and recommended approval of the lot-standards variance and denial of the roof-form variance. Planner I Rachel Vigil told the commission that the lot is approximately 10,000 square feet, about 4,000 square feet of which lie in the regulated floodplain, reducing the usable area to about 6,000 square feet. "We believe they do meet all six review criteria" for the narrow-lot variance, Vigil said, because the floodplain creates a physical hardship not caused by the applicant and the requested change is the minimum necessary to permit a typical single-family house on the site.

Why it matters: Applying narrow-lot standards changes minimum lot-area and setback requirements that affect where a house can be built on the parcel. Without the narrow-lot variance, the applicant—s buildable envelope would be further constrained by larger setbacks that apply to standard single-family detached lots.

The applicant, Amy Clark, and her husband, Casey Clark, told the commission they plan…