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Waukesha board approves 2.5-inch stairway-width variance at 1205 Ellis Street
Summary
The Waukesha City Board of Building Appeals on Jan. 21 granted a variance allowing a basement stairway at 1205 Ellis Street to be 33.5 inches wide, 2.5 inches less than the 36-inch width required under the Uniform Dwelling Code.
The Waukesha City Board of Building Appeals on Jan. 21, 2025 approved a variance allowing the basement stairway at 1205 Ellis Street to be 33.5 inches wide — 2.5 inches narrower than the 36-inch minimum in the Uniform Dwelling Code.
The variance will let homeowners Zachary Norovic and his wife, Nora Norovic, proceed with a plan to convert the basement into a single, open recreation room and add living space. Jonathan Castro, presenting to the board, said the home was built in 1949 and that the appeal was filed under the city's municipal code provisions that allow appeals of Uniform Dwelling Code requirements.
Castro summarized the cited code, saying: "Except for spiral staircases under subchapter 2, stairway shall measure at least 36 inches in width." He presented photographs and on-site verification showing the existing stairway measured "33 and a half inches," a measurement he said the contractor confirmed.
During discussion, board members clarified that the only remaining item under appeal was the stairway width. Castro noted a prior submittal had included ceiling height as a concern, but that "once the calculation was properly done, they're at the minimum threshold in terms of headroom clearance for those stairways," meaning ceiling height was no longer an item for variance.
Homeowner Zachary Norovic told the board the family purchased the property in April and wants to "expand our basement into one solid open rec room" to create additional living space. No members of the public spoke against the request.
Board member Brian Trautman moved to approve the requested variance of 2.5 inches; an unnamed board member seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote; the chair announced the motion passed. The board had no other items and adjourned.
The approval permits the stairway to remain at 33.5 inches instead of meeting the 36-inch minimum specified by the Uniform Dwelling Code; the record does not show any additional conditions on the variance.
