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BZA approves side‑setback variance for 7714 Mohawk Drive in Prairie Village
Summary
The Prairie Village Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a 2‑foot, 10‑inch side‑setback variance to allow an attached two‑car garage at 7714 Mohawk Drive; the owner said he will invest substantial funds to raise and repair the low‑lying home and submitted neighbor support letters.
The Prairie Village Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to approve a side‑setback variance for 7714 Mohawk Drive, allowing an attached two‑car garage to sit 4 feet, 2 inches from the lot line instead of the city’s 7‑foot requirement.
City staff told the board the lot is a 70‑foot legal nonconforming lot in an R1A district and that the requested variance represents a 2‑foot, 10‑inch reduction from the dimensional setback. Staff said the proposal meets cumulative setback requirements and estimated the building separation to the adjacent home to the north at about 12 feet, while noting the site’s topography and single‑story profile reduce the proposal’s visual impact. Staff also recommended standard conditions including limiting the approval to the plans shown and recording the approval with the register of deeds.
Applicant Devin Coffey, who identified his address as 7714 Mohawk Drive, told the board he wants to preserve the existing home rather than replace it and that the property sits low on the block and has long experienced drainage problems. “I was, very pleased with the staff report,” Coffey said. He added, “We're gonna probably spend north of 300 to $500,000 on fixing this up and raising the house up,” to address flooding and related repairs. Coffey said he submitted four or five letters of neighbor support and that affected neighbors had no concerns.
The chair opened the public hearing; no members of the public spoke. After a motion to approve the variance and a second, the chair called the vote and said the motion appeared unanimous. The board’s approval included the staff conditions that the construction conform to the approved plans and that the approval be recorded with the county. No roll‑call vote tally was given in the meeting record.
The board’s action resolves the immediate permitting question for the proposed garage but does not eliminate other required building permits or inspections; staff noted any future expansion beyond the approved plans would require another variance or compliance with standard setbacks.
