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Neighbors oppose large West 34th ‘‘barndominium’’ plan; hearing examiner recommends administrative approval
Summary
Neighbors contested an administrative approval for a large single‑family house at West 34th Street, citing scale and drainage concerns; staff found no open violations and recommended approval; the hearing examiner recommended approval and placed the item on the MDC docket for Dec. 3, 2025.
The Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner on Nov. 13 recommended approval of an administrative petition (2025APP010) for a single‑family dwelling at West 34th Street after a contested public hearing.
Petitioner representatives said the project is a single‑family home and that building permits are ready once administrative approval is granted. "We're just asking and requesting that we receive the approval so that we can get this build going," petitioner representative Brianna Cushman said.
Neighbors, speaking through a prepared slide packet and multiple witnesses, urged denial or modification. Neighbor Will Cassebaum said the proposed building is much larger than surrounding homes and raised drainage and character concerns: "he's proposing a structure that's 9,640 square feet," Cassebaum said, and warned that the plan would add roughly 0.36 acres of new hard surface and produce substantial runoff.
City staff analyst Marlene told the hearing examiner the site plan calls for about 5,340 square feet of living space (roughly 3,100 square feet on the main floor and 2,240 on the second floor) and an attached garage of approximately 4,300 square feet, and that staff found no open violation cases on the property. She said the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services had reviewed drainage materials and had not required a drainage permit at this time. "Staff determined that construction of the single family dwelling would be compatible with the neighborhood," Marlene said.
After listening to petitioner and remonstrator testimony, the hearing examiner said the lot is more than 6 acres and that a house meeting development standards may be built on such a parcel; the examiner then recommended approval of 2025APP010, to be placed on the Metropolitan Development Commission docket on Dec. 3, 2025.
The record shows substantial neighborhood concern about scale, potential non‑residential uses, and stormwater impacts; staff and the examiner emphasized that technical drainage review and building permits remain subject to Department of Business and Neighborhood Services approval. The hearing examiner noted appeals are available and reminded remonstrators to sign the hearing record in case they pursue appeal.
