Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Creve Coeur Board of Adjustment approves variance for garage at 575 Grazer Road
Summary
The Board of Adjustment approved a 30-foot front-yard variance for 575 Grazer Road, allowing a two-car attached garage addition. City staff noted alternatives exist within the buildable area; neighbors spoke both for practical need and concern about neighborhood character.
The Creve Coeur Board of Adjustment voted May 15 to grant a variance allowing a 30-foot encroachment into the 45-foot front-yard setback at 575 Grazer Road so the homeowner can build a two-car attached garage and associated interior space.
The applicant, Lauren Shuster, told the board she and her family need additional enclosed parking and storage for a minivan and service vehicles and argued that site constraints and grade make rear or interior alternatives impractical. "We need a garage for a truck and a minivan, an attached garage," Shuster said, adding the addition would let the family "walk inside, stay out of the ice and snow with our little ones." The proposed addition is approximately 830 square feet; Shuster said the existing house is about 2,150 square feet.
City planner Bethany Moore presented the staff report and explained technical measurements: setbacks are measured from the property line, not the curb or right-of-way, and platted building lines can be stricter than zoning setbacks. "If there is a conflict between the building lines, the plat of building lines, and the setbacks, the stricter of the two shall prevail," Moore said, describing why a 60-foot platted building line affected measurement here. Moore told the board staff found the request represents a substantial encroachment (about 66%) and that the strict application of the zoning code did not clearly create the extreme hardship normally required for a variance because alternatives within the buildable area appear to exist.
Director of Community Development Jason Jaggi noted that corner lots commonly carry two front-yard setbacks and that condition is not unique to this property: "That is a common condition with each corner lot," he said, adding the city applies those setback requirements uniformly.
Two neighbors spoke during the public hearing. William Taylor, a trustee of the nearby Wedgwood Lane Subdivision, asked about precedent and the addition's size; Zoe Lemkovich of 605 Grazer Road testified she supports the project and said the location is the most practical for the owner, noting the existing garage predates city incorporation and expressing limited concern about light trespass.
Board members debated neighborhood character and technical hardship before the chair, Glenn Wylen, moved to approve the variance. The motion—seconded by Mister Gerst—passed by voice vote with the board voting in favor. The board directed staff to prepare findings of fact and conclusions of law and authorized the chair to sign them.
The approval permits the applicant to place the proposed addition 30 feet into the 45-foot front-yard setback, leaving 15 feet between the edge of the addition and the property line. Staff noted the new driveway shown in the plans does not require the variance (driveways may be within setbacks) but suggested Public Works might need to review proximity to the intersection. The board scheduled its next meeting for June 19.
The action recorded in the public hearing will be formalized in written findings prepared by city staff and executed by the board chair.
