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Planning commission approves variance to allow lean-to at 1605 Lear Road
Summary
The Seward Planning and Zoning Commission approved Resolution 2026-008, granting a variance to reduce a 10-foot rear-yard setback to 0 feet so the owner can build a lean-to on a warehouse at 1605 Lear Road to store golf carts. Staff placed conditions tying the variance to an Alaska Railroad lease and requiring removal if the lease or building ends.
The Seward Planning and Zoning Commission on July 7 approved Resolution 2026-008, granting a variance to allow construction of a lean-to against a warehouse at 1605 Lear Road in an industrial zoning district.
Staff described the request as a variance from Seward City Code setback requirements to allow the covered storage up to the property line. Administration told the commission the property’s triangular shape and a large overhead garage door on the north side limit buildable area, and that adjacent Alaska Railroad property the applicant leases cannot legally be counted to satisfy setbacks. Staff also said the variance would be void if the Alaska Railroad lease expires or the warehouse is removed.
Applicant Rodney Remick, who identified himself on the record, said the lean-to would provide covered storage for golf carts used by an existing commercial tenant and make his operation “look nicer and work better.” A nearby resident, Carol Griswold, urged denial, telling the commission she observed additional vehicles and a permanent connex and arguing that a temporary, removable canopy would avoid permanently affecting required setbacks.
In deliberations commissioners asked whether a nonconforming property may be expanded; staff replied that a variance is an exception when the application meets the local review criteria. The commission voted to approve Resolution 2026-008; commissioners present recorded affirmative votes and the resolution passed.
The variance includes specific conditions: the lean-to may remain only while the Alaska Railroad lease is in effect; if the lease terminates or the warehouse is removed, the lean-to must be removed or a new variance must be obtained. The commission’s action does not waive other permitting requirements or building-code reviews.
The commission moved on to other public hearings after the vote.
