Richfield BZA approves variances for large addition at 4219 North High Street

The Village of Richfield Board of Zoning Appeals voted April 22 to grant three variances that allow homeowners Ivan and Oksana Mukha to build a 1,430-square-foot addition and a two-car garage at 4219 North High Street.

The board approved a variance to permit rear-façade windows that do not match existing window proportions (Section 1181.29(a)(4) and (a)(11)), a variance to allow an addition placed at an angle less than 90 degrees to the main structure (Section 1181.29(a)(8)), and a variance permitting an addition the board found "not compatible with the principal structure and surrounding context" as defined by (Section 1181.29(a)(5)). Each of the three motions passed on a roll-call vote with all five members recorded as voting yes. The board also directed the Law Director to prepare findings and conclusions of fact; that motion passed 4–0 with Member Joe Rustic recorded as abstaining.

Why it mattered: the property sits inside Richfield’s locally designated Historic District, where the Zoning Code aims to preserve the character and scale of existing homes. Village Architect Scott Wallenhorst told the board his April 19 memorandum and accompanying Exhibit C showed discrepancies between the applicant’s drawings and the submitted renderings and warned the addition’s massing "dwarfs the existing home," risking harm to the district’s character. Wallenhorst asked for clearer, consistent plans and for the visualization firm to certify the methods used to create the three-dimensional renderings.

Applicant’s case: Architect Danylo (Dan) Kulchytsky said the design had been revised to reduce mass where feasible, including reducing the garage from three bays to two, and that the addition’s 1,430 square feet is the minimum needed for the owners to "age in place." Kulchytsky told the board the renderings were produced by Conceptual Studios from the architect’s CAD drawings; Christopher Ponchin of Conceptual Studios supplied a letter describing the SketchUp-based methodology used to derive the visualizations.

Neighbors’ objections: Nearby residents Carol and Stephen Duda of 4207 High Street opposed the variances, presenting comparison images (entered as Exhibit F) and arguing the addition’s footprint and height are out of scale with the original home and the neighborhood. Stephen Duda told the board the Historic District standards and the practical-difficulty test required for a variance had not been satisfied.

Staff concerns: Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning Amy Nauer said administration and the Village Architect had expected an updated submittal and told the board the administration "still does not have a true and accurate representation of the project," citing inconsistencies among drawings, renderings, window placement and finish materials.

The vote and next steps: Motions to grant the three variances passed unanimously; the Law Director will prepare formal findings and conclusions of fact to document the board’s rationale. The board approved the March 25, 2026 minutes and adjourned at 8:02 p.m. The administrative record includes exhibits A–G (applicant and neighbor submittals, architect memos, Conceptual Studios letter and PowerPoint renderings).