Council upholds denial of variance to convert barn at 7 Lark Creek Lane; merger or ADU option suggested

Lafayette City Council upheld the planning commission’s denial of a variance request to convert an existing barn at 7 Lark Creek Lane into habitable space, concluding the required findings for a variance were not met.

Project planner Nicole Zittle presented the record and noted that the barn sits roughly 1 foot 4 inches from the side property line, encroaching into the required 15‑foot side yard. Staff told the council the property could support a conforming single‑family residence consistent with the 1997 subdivision map and therefore the strict variance findings could not be made.

The property owner and appellant spoke to the council and framed the conversion as a practical family solution; the owner said the barn conversion would not change square footage but would improve fireproofing and siding and allow a family member to live nearby. When council members asked about alternatives, staff explained that dissolving the lot line or merging the two parcels would permit conversion options — including conversion as a class‑B ADU, which has different size rules than other ADUs.

Several council members said precedent concerns and the narrowness of the encroachment led them to deny the variance. "We are limited by the findings required for a variance, and in this case the planning commission and staff were unable to make those findings," the City Attorney explained during the discussion.

The council moved to adopt the staff resolution denying the appeal and the motion carried; staff advised the owners they could pursue a lot‑line merger, ADU options or other regularization measures as separate applications.