Commission approves addition at 1007 South Agnu Avenue, recommends parking and landscaping variances

The Urban Design Commission approved an application for an addition to an existing building at 1007 South Agnu Avenue on Feb. 25, voting to forward two variance requests to the Board of Adjustment.

Staff told the commission the site could not meet code-required parking (33 spaces) because of its size and layout and recommended supporting the applicant's request to reduce required spaces to 19 based on the business's observed demand. The staff report also noted the public-works department has plans to realign the existing driveway curb cut, which reduces an awkward entry angle and mitigates a related access concern.

Applicant representative Dakota Desai said the design team and staff negotiated tradeoffs between parking and landscaping to preserve site functionality, warning that enlarging landscaping areas would create maneuverability and safety problems for service vehicles. "We've gone back and forth with Mr. Philick to attempt to come as close as we possibly could to the landscaping requirements and to the parking requirements without sacrificing site functionality," Desai said.

Commissioners agreed the project met the applicable overlay district guidelines with conditions and moved to approve the application on that basis. The commission's motion required the applicant to obtain variances from the Board of Adjustment for both the off-street parking standard and the city's landscaping ordinance; the commission then voted to recommend approval of both variance requests to the Board of Adjustment.

The commission did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the presiding chair announced the motion as approved. The Board of Adjustment will make the final determinations on the variances.

Next steps: the applicant must petition the Board of Adjustment for the two variances specified by the commission.