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Resident tells Bellevue council zoning change blocked his garage plans; staff points to appeals process
Summary
Charles Shanahan told the council he was denied the garage size he wanted after property behind his house was rezoned; city planning staff said the Board of Adjustment (Board of Appeals) is the proper avenue and that the zoning ordinance is scheduled for an overall update this year.
Charles Shanahan, a lifelong Bellevue resident, told the City Council on Feb. 3 that he was told he could not build the larger detached garage he wanted after he combined lots and paid for a survey.
Shanahan, who gave his address as 2520 Olive Street, said he originally sought to build a single 30-by-40 garage but was told the rules would only permit two 24-by-30 garages because the lot did not meet the ordinance’s size threshold. “I was charged $1,350 to get this zone into 1 lot,” Shanahan said, and he asked the council for a waiver for the extra 14 feet he needed.
City planning staff responded that the city’s size limitations have been in place since 2002 and that the City Council is not the appropriate body to grant a waiver. Planning staff said Shanahan could pursue relief from the Board of Adjustment (Board of Appeals) but that board decisions are governed by statute and typically require demonstration of a property-specific hardship. Staff also told the council an overall zoning ordinance update is budgeted for the year and that a consultant will be hired to review the ordinance, but staff did not promise that the specific section at issue will change.
Shanahan described multiple visits with staff, said he was shown paperwork he believed to be incorrect, and said he was unable to obtain the documents he sought. Planning staff described the typical permit-review process: staff point to the ordinance text, provide copies, and approve permits that conform to the current regulations; if a permit application does not meet the regulations, staff cannot sign it.
Council members emphasized the need for consistent application of zoning rules citywide and cautioned that granting a variance without the Board of Appeals could create a precedent. Council members directed Shanahan to the Board of Appeals route and encouraged him to use the city’s formal appeal and permit-review procedures.
The council did not take action on Shanahan’s request during the meeting; staff explained the formal appeal avenues and indicated the zoning code review is forthcoming but not guaranteed to alter the specific rule at issue.
