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Commission approves staff-recommended variance to allow 8‑foot setback for garage at 1112 McKinley Avenue
Summary
After a public hearing, the commission approved a staff-recommended variance allowing an 8-foot setback from the alley (instead of the required 20 feet) for a garage at 1112 McKinley Avenue; a resident raised concerns about utility boxes and drainage, and the approval will be forwarded to the Community Development Committee and city council for final action.
The commission voted to approve a variance that would allow an 8-foot setback from the alley for a proposed garage at 1112 McKinley Avenue, rather than the standard 20-foot alley setback.
City staff presented the request and recommended approval, saying the variance meets the zoning ordinance’s intent and is consistent with the comprehensive plan because the proposal is a residential use similar to neighboring structures. Staff noted the property currently lacks a garage and that access to the new garage would be from McKinley Avenue, not the alley. Staff listed findings supporting the variance, including that the proposal would put the property to reasonable use and would maintain the neighborhood’s character.
In public comment, a resident who identified herself as Deborah said she received the notice and had driven by the property. She raised several concerns: that the proposed garage attachment location may place a slab over utility meters and service lines and that changing the yard elevation could alter drainage flow and risk flooding basements on adjacent properties. “If you slab that over those lines … and if you move that incline, if you do anything to it, it’s going to change the flow … and it’ll flood into the housing area,” Deborah said, urging commissioners to consider utility locations and elevation changes.
Staff (Larry) responded that utilities can be moved and that elevations can be altered for projects, and that the commission could require a survey or conditions in the motion if it wanted to ensure the garage is located as proposed. Commissioners asked whether a survey should be required; staff said a survey is only required if the commission includes it as a condition and that, in this case, there was no impervious-surface issue prompting a survey requirement. Staff also emphasized that property alterations must not create drainage problems that damage neighboring properties and that any alterations should address current and future drainage issues.
Following discussion, a motion to approve the variance "as requested based on the considerations and findings stated in the staff report" was made and seconded; the motion carried. The commission’s approval will be forwarded to the Community Development Committee at 5:00 p.m. Monday the 13th and then to the city council at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday the 14th for final action, and members of the public were invited to attend.
The commission’s action was administrative: it approved the variance recommendation to the next review bodies and did not itself alter permit conditions beyond the findings recited in the staff report.
