Board grants relief to property owner after condemned garage and code change at 1330 Krook Street

The Zoning and Planning Board of Appeals approved relief for the property owner at 1330 Krook Street after staff said a pre-existing garage had been condemned and a code change on Dec. 2, 2025 created a new enclosed-parking requirement for three- and four-unit dwellings.

City staff explained the code change requires enclosed garage space (or dedicated storage) for three- and four-unit buildings in R1/R2 districts and that the existing garage had been condemned as unsafe on Nov. 4, 2025. Staff noted the property could have met parking requirements if the condemned structure had remained, but once torn down the new code would have required replacement with at least two enclosed stalls or approved storage options.

Applicant (recorded in the hearing as "Delton Rouge") told the board the garage had not been used because maneuvering and site geometry made the space impractical; the owner said repair would effectively have required rebuilding the structure and that removal was chosen after assessing costs and operational realities.

Board members said the timing — condemnation in November followed closely by the December code change — created an exceptional circumstance. They voted to grant the requested relief and asked the owner to work with city staff on the technical conditions required to document the variance.

Staff will follow up on technical details (site plan, required storage space, and any recorded conditions) and will notify the applicant of required administrative steps to implement the board's decision.