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Homeowners granted variance for narrow basement stair at 1205 Ellis Street
Summary
The Waukesha City Board of Building Appeals approved a variance allowing the basement stairway at 1205 Ellis Street to be 2½ inches narrower than the 36-inch minimum after staff verification and brief discussion; the board also approved prior meeting minutes and then adjourned.
The Waukesha City Board of Building Appeals voted to grant a variance that allows the basement stairway at 1205 Ellis Street to measure 33.5 inches instead of the 36-inch minimum required by the Uniform Dwelling Code and the City of Waukesha Municipal Code.
At the hearing, an agency official summarized the appeal filed by Zachary and Nora (surname variably recorded) and cited the applicable code provisions, noting photographs and a contractor verification showing the stairway width. “As we could see here, they measure 33 and a half inches,” the agency official said. The official also said an earlier filing’s headroom calculation had included carpet height but that, after recalculation, headroom clearance met the minimum and was no longer at issue.
Homeowner Zach Vic told the board he and his wife, Nora, bought the 1949 home in April and plan to expand the basement into “one solid open rec room” to create additional living space for their family. A board member confirmed the only outstanding item was the stairway width, which staff and a contractor measured as 33.5 inches. A committee member said, “No, I’m totally fine with this, we’ve crossed this before here,” indicating informal acceptance among members.
A committee member made a motion to approve the 2½-inch variance and another member seconded. The Chair called for the ayes and the motion passed. The board had earlier approved the minutes from its August 2024 meeting and adjourned after the variance decision.
The decision grants the variance for the property at 1205 Ellis Street; the hearing record does not specify any conditions or an effective date for the variance beyond the board’s vote.
