Commission approves garage and driveway variation at 716 E. Custer Street

The commission approved a variance to allow a new two-stall detached garage and an adjacent parking pad at a property on East Custer Street to continue using an existing driveway that provides access from Custer Street rather than from the rear alley as required in the R4A zoning district.

Planning staff said the property currently has a single-car detached garage that would be removed and replaced by a 30-by-20-foot garage with a 16-foot-wide overhead door facing Custer Street. The proposed structure would increase lot coverage by about 2 percent but would remain under the district maximum of 65 percent. Staff reviewed variation standards and concluded the requested relief would not alter the essential character of the block because several nearby properties already feature street-facing garage access and the existing driveway would remain in place.

Neighbors who spoke at the hearing, including property owners across Custer, expressed support for the application, noting the driveway already exists and the replacement garage would not reduce existing functionality. The applicant said the larger garage and storage space would replace an older structure and retain the drive configuration.

With no substantive opposition, the commission closed the public hearing and approved the requested variations. The minutes reflect that commissioners voted in favor of the motion.