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Board grants setback variance for house at Buena Vista Avenue and Pewaukee Road (tax key WAKC1000071)
Summary
The Waukesha City Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a variance on Feb. 16, 2026, permitting a single-family home to be built 10 feet from Buena Vista Avenue at the triangular lot (tax key WAKC1000071); the board found the standard variance criteria satisfied and recorded a 4–0 vote.
The Waukesha City Board of Zoning Appeals on Feb. 16 granted a dimensional variance permitting construction of a single-family house on a triangular, substandard lot at the intersection of Buena Vista Avenue and Pewaukee Road (tax key WAKC1000071). The requested street-yard setback is 10 feet from Buena Vista Avenue, where the RS-3 zoning district ordinarily requires 25 feet.
City planning staff described the lot as triangular, about 6,700 square feet, and noted the steep grade on Pewaukee Road that would require a home partially built into the hill with a garage opening toward Pewaukee. Staff said the applicants provided conceptual plans for a roughly 1,000-square-foot first floor with an attached one-car garage built into the front of the house.
Matt Sobotek, a family friend authorized to speak for Michael and Charlene Marquardt, told the board the applicants live in Minnesota and purchased the city-owned lot within the last year. “They got family down here, so they kinda wanted to build something,” he said, and confirmed that the applicants intend to use the property as a future primary residence after retirement.
Board members asked why the driveway would face Pewaukee Road rather than Buena Vista (a safety concern for one member); staff replied that other homes on Pewaukee have driveways facing the road and that lot angle and garage placement likely drove the choice. The board also confirmed that sidewalk construction is the responsibility of the property owner.
Staff read the required findings under the zoning code for a dimensional variance and the board recorded affirmations on each finding. Chair Christy D'Angelo moved to grant the appeal; the motion was seconded and the board approved the variance by unanimous voice vote. The board told the applicants they may proceed with more detailed plans and permitting.
The approval allows the applicants to design and pursue building permits consistent with the granted setback; the board did not attach additional special conditions beyond the requirement to obtain planning and building approvals. The board members recorded voting in favor as Christy D'Angelo, Tim Reddick, Kevin Riley and Eric Dunst.
The board noted one member'9s suggestion to shift one side setback closer to the code minimum (9 feet) to better align with typical standards, but the motion to approve the requested 10-foot street-yard setback carried unanimously.
