Commission approves variance and two conditional‑use permits to allow driveway access at 304 South Country Club

The Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Adjustment approved a variance and two conditional‑use permits affecting 304 South Country Club on Tuesday, allowing limited vehicle access to an existing detached accessory structure while placing restrictions intended to avoid long‑term parking in the rear yard.

Jack Hansen, the property owner who said he purchased the lot in 1999 and built a second garage under an earlier permit, told the commission the garage was designed to match the house and intended for typical residential storage and occasional vehicle use. "Without approval tonight, the garage becomes an incredibly expensive tool shed," Hansen said as he described building‑permit history, neighborhood outreach and a recent replat that combined the two lots back into one.

City staff described the application as "multi‑legged": two conditional‑use permits are needed to allow an additional driveway on the lot’s secondary frontage and to permit parking in the rear yard; a variance was required to allow driving across a portion of rear‑yard setback to reach the existing overhead garage door. Paul, city staff present during the hearing, cautioned that "technically, he would have had to go across a non‑hard surface from the street to get there, and that would be in violation of the off‑street parking" rules unless the permits and variance addressed the gap.

After extended discussion about plan drawings, dimensions and what constitutes an "existing" condition, commissioners framed relief narrowly. The Board of Adjustment granted a variance limited to the existing concrete section in front of the garage — described during the hearing as roughly a 30‑foot by 13‑foot pad — and added a condition that parking on that specific pad not exceed 24 consecutive hours. The board read findings into the record including the existence of a prior city permit (issued in 02/2008, as cited in the hearing) and the practical difficulty of accessing the garage door without the variance. The motion carried by voice vote.

Following reconvening as the Planning and Zoning Commission, members approved the first conditional‑use permit to allow an additional driveway on the lot’s secondary frontage (the Lopez frontage). Commissioners cited a 24‑foot maximum for the curb cut/driveway width consistent with code limits and discussed locating the new hard surface 20 feet from the property line so it would comply with setback rules for the new driveway segment.

The commission then approved the second conditional‑use permit to allow parking in the rear yard (outside the setback) but imposed an explicit limitation intended to prevent the backyard from becoming a permanent parking area: no more than two vehicles may be parked in the rear yard for longer than 24 consecutive hours. Commissioners said the condition is intended to allow short‑term uses (holidays, guest parking) while giving the city a basis to respond to complaints about long‑term vehicle storage.

Commissioners and staff emphasized narrowness and documentation: multiple participants asked that the variance be limited precisely to the existing pad and that the formal motion and conditions be memorialized in the project file. Staff said the written file (plans, findings and the recorded motion) will be the enduring record of the grant and its limitations. The applicant told commissioners he is not immediately planning construction of a full driveway and was seeking assurance that a future buyer or the owner could install the necessary curb cut and apron within the defined limits.

The meeting also addressed unrelated discussion items, including proposed changes to reasonable‑accommodation (ADA) language in the municipal code and ongoing work on zoning definitions; those items were forwarded for further refinement before any city‑council action.

What the approvals mean: property owners at 304 South Country Club may pursue a driveway up to the defined limits and may use the existing pad to access the garage door under the variance conditions; long‑term parking on the pad and in the rear yard is restricted by the time and quantity limits the commission added. Staff will record the final motion language, conditions and findings in the project file.