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Leawood board approves two variances to allow Meadow Lane garage addition
Summary
The Leawood Board of Zoning Appeals approved two variances for a garage addition at 8415 Meadow Lane, concluding the proposed build requires a 7‑foot front setback variance and an 8‑foot side setback variance; the board found all five variance criteria satisfied in both votes.
The Leawood Board of Zoning Appeals approved two variances May 27 that clear the way for a garage addition at 8415 Meadow Lane.
The applicant sought a 7‑foot variance to the front setback and an 8‑foot variance to the side setback so a proposed garage addition could be built approximately 61 feet from the front property line (the front build line is about 68 feet) and 7 feet from the side property line (the side build line is about 15 feet). Staff told the board the existing home is legal nonconforming under current setback rules and that parts of the existing structure project farther toward the right‑of‑way than the proposed addition.
Jim Andrews of New Haven Homes, who presented the case for owner Darren McDonald, said the existing garage interior is too narrow and too short to accommodate modern trucks and that the addition is the least intrusive way to add usable garage space. "It's the least intrusive way to do it because it doesn't even pass the beginning of the house," Andrews said. Owner Darren McDonald added that he has "never parked a car in the garage" in 12 years because of tight dimensions.
Board members questioned structural constraints (including an interior column) and whether alternatives such as tearing down and rebuilding were feasible. Staff and the applicant said the house footprint and second‑floor layout prevent a rear expansion and make a forward addition the only practical option without full demolition.
After discussion the board took the five required variance votes (uniqueness, rights of adjacent owners, hardship, public safety/general welfare, and spirit and intent) and recorded affirmative responses on each criterion. A motion to approve the front‑setback variance passed; the subsequent motion to approve the side‑setback variance also passed unanimously. The board chair said the applicants will be notified in writing.
The approvals permit the owner to proceed with the garage addition subject to the city’s permitting and inspection requirements, including any conditions the planning staff may impose.
