Board denies Pritt request to legalize 36-foot driveway; member move fails for lack of a second

The Green Board of Zoning Appeals on May 21 declined to approve a variance that would have allowed a 36-foot driveway at 6267 Caribou Drive, ruling the request did not receive the necessary support.

Homeowner Jeffrey Pritt and his attorney, Alex Quay of Buckingham, Duluth and Burrows, told the board the driveway was installed with flared side pads and that they would remove the extra pads at their own expense to make the driveway appear consistent with neighboring properties. “We have our contractor ready to remove those at our expense upon approval,” Pritt said.

Quay described the project as an effort to “bring the property more in line with some of the properties we saw in the neighborhood” and said the current plan removes the previously denied outer pads and retains a 36-foot primary driveway.

Planning staff noted the house predates a 2009 code change that now caps driveway width near the right of way at 24 feet, and said they would not object if the applicant removed the flared side pads and brought the curbline width into conformity. “If they are willing to remove those 10 inches from the sides, Planning doesn’t have any problem with that,” a planning representative said.

A board member moved to approve the variance to permit a 36-foot driveway within 10 feet of the road right-of-way, but no member seconded the motion and the chair declared the variance not passed. Roll call as recorded by the clerk was: Schultz — yes; Awadallah — no; Spate — no.

After the vote the chair advised the applicant to revise the plan and work with the city to meet the exact dimensions required, noting that removal of the flared pads could address code concerns.

The board moved on to its next agenda item without approving the driveway variance. The applicant was told to consult with the board and planning staff and may return with a revised plan.