Board approves three-story-equivalent addition at Cleveland Road office building

The Area Board granted a variance allowing a three-story addition on the east side of an existing office building at 16700 Cleveland Road, where the office district’s standard limits buildings to two-and-a-half stories. Staff recommended approval because the addition does not increase the building’s measured height above grade (the structure will remain under the 40-foot maximum) and the addition aligns with the building’s existing roofline and is located away from the single-family properties adjacent to the west.

Sean Klein, Area Plan staff, said the site is built into a hill so the ground-floor level differs around the structure; the proposed east-side addition would be fully above grade at that location and therefore would be counted as a full third story under the ordinance’s story-count rule. Staff’s analysis concluded strict application would cause practical difficulties and that the addition would not be injurious to surrounding properties. The staff report recommended approval with standard conditions.

Property owner Peter Rinks described plans to refresh and convert the building from a residential appearance to a full office look and said the addition would match the existing floor plates and roofline. No public opposition was recorded. Doctor Lauck moved to approve the variance with staff conditions; Donny Ritzma seconded. A roll call vote recorded all members present voting in favor; the board will issue written findings.