07-10-90 BZA Minutes MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE �� � � J
GOLDEN VALLEY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
J uly 10, 1990 � � � �
The regular meeting of the Golden Valley Board of Zoning Appeals
was held Tuesday, July 10, 1990, at 7:30 P.M. in the City Council
Chambers, City Hall, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley,
Minnesota.
The following Board members were present:
Chairman, Mike Sell
Joan Russell
Mahlon Swedberg
Art Flannagan
Larry Smith
Absent by prior arrangement, none.
The first order of business was approval of minutes of a regular
meeting held June 12, 1990, copies of which had previously been
distributed to the Board. Larry Smith moved to approve the minutes as
written and presented, second by Mahlon Swedberg and upon vote carried.
90-6-11 (Map 20) Residential � ;,.� ; ��,�:� �� ;,; , �
8 211 Pa tsy La ne �
Vi nce Ki nney �; ;
The Pe tition is for waiver of Section:
11.21 Subd. 7C (1) side setback, for 10.1 feet off the required
15 feet from the east lot line to a distance
of 4.9 feet to the proposed garage addition
and for Section
11.21 Subd. 7(A) front setback for .4 feet off the required
35 feet from Patsy Lane to a distance of
34.6 feet to the proposed garage addition.
The petition was in order and consent obtained from all adjacent properties.
Mr. and Mrs. Kinney were present. Also present was their son, Tim.
Mr. Kinney said they are long time residents of Golden Valley. Their pre-
sent location is very convenient to both he and his wife's workplace. They
had looked a t other areas but Golden Valley is where they want to stay.
This confirmed their intent to improve their home. Mr. Kinney provided the
Board with recent photographs taken of their property. When a survey was
done, it was found the existing home is 34.6 feet from the front lot line.
A waiver of this existing condition is part of their petition. Mr. Kinney
reviewed the structural characteristics of the garage addition. The
existing is a narrow single-car garage.
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July 10, 1990
Adding a second stall would include removal of the present bearing wall and
a new perimeter foundation would be built. A single garage door would be
used for both stalls.
Mahlon Swedberg said this request is straight forward and consistent with
upgrading of the property to today's standards of a two-car garage. The family
room portion a t the rear of the garage becomes progressively farther from
the side lot line because the east lot line is on an angle and the setback
waiver is for the garage a t its closest point. The front lot line curves
slightly and might very well account for the existing 34.6 feet a t the point
where measured from. Art Flannagan concurred with Mahlon Swedberg's
previous comments.
Mahlon Swedbberg moved to approve the waivers as requested on the agenda.
In doing so, Swedberg noted the topography of the lot, the angle of the east
lot line, the overall improvement to the property and its positive effect
on the neighborhood. The motion was seconded by Art Flannagan and upon vote
it was unanimous for approval.
90-7-12 (Map 16) Residential
Warren Larson
1211 Quebec Avenue North
T he Pe tition is for waiver of Section:
11.21 Subd. 7C (2) side setback, for 1.1 feet off the required
13.2 feet from the north lot line to the
house as it now exists at 12.1 feet from
the north lot line a t its closest point.
Purpose of the waiver is to correct an
existing non-conforming status to provide
f or a fully conforming addition a t the
rear.
The petition was in order and consent obtained from all adjacent properties.
Mr. Warren Larson was present. No others were in attendance on this
proposal .
Mr. Larson described his proposed addition a t the rear of his home. This
addition fully conforms. Mr. l.arson said they had lived in this home many
years and had no idea of the slight error in the side setback until they had
a survey done in conjunction with applying for a building permit.
Larry Smith noted the minimal waiver of the side setback to correct the
existing non-conforming status and Smith moved to approve the waiver as
requested. Second by Art Flannagan and upon vote carried unanimously.
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July 10, 1990
90-7-13 (Map 9) Residential
217 Na tchez Avenue South
Stan and Sallie Skinner
The Pe tition is for waiver of Section:
11.2I Subd. 7 (B) rear setback, for 28.6 feet off the
required 59.4 feet to a distance of 30.8
feet from the rear lot line to the house
as it now exists. Purpose of the waiver
is to correct an existing non-conforming
s tatus to allow for a fully conforming
a ddition to be constructed.
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The petition was in order and consent obtained from all adjacent prope►�ties.
Mrs. Skinner was present. No others were in a ttendance. Mrs. �'kinner
described their situation. The lot is very deep with the house set near the
rear of the lot. The home was built in 1937. While the large frqnt.,yard
has the appearance of a large estate, Mrs. Skinner said she has no his�ory"
of why the home was placed where it is. Other adjacent homes are setback
somewhat more than the required 35 feet. Their proposed construction is a
room addition over an existing one-s tory flat roof area. This does not
expand the existing footprint but a variance is required because the home in
its existing non-conforming status cannot be altered, expanded or substan-
tially changed according to the Zoning Code. The Board reviewed the
construction plans and commented in general about the unusual large front
yard and the beautiful appearance it provided.
Art Flannagan said this request is typical of other non-conforming properties,
the Board has addressed and he noted the unusual lot configuration, the
placement of the home a t the rear of the property and the topography of the
lot. Art Flannagan moved to approve the waiver as on the agenda. Larry
Smith seconded the motion and upon vote carried unanimously.
90-7-14 (Map 18) Industrial
675 Rhode Island Avenue South
Harold Lyman - John Eastman
T he Pe tition is for waiver of Section:
11.36 Subd. 6(B) front setback for 75 feet off the required
75 feet of landscape area along the north
lo t line for the width of the existing
building, and for 65 feet off the required
75 feet of landscape area to a landscape
width of 10 feet at its closest point �'1ong'
north lot line in an area beginning a t the
east side of the existing building and
extending to the east lot line. Purpose of
the waiver is to provide for parking on
the site.
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July 10, 1990
The petition was in order. Consent had not been obtained from all properties
as one party was never available though 9 attempts were made to contact them
One other party was undecided.
Mr. Harold Lyman and Mr. John Eastman were present. They are the owners of
the property. With them was Tom Junilla of Thorpe Realty. Jerry and Jean
Baskfield, the proposed new owners, were present with Ms. Kay Harris. Mr.
Baskfield noted their purchase of this property was contingent upon Board
approval of the waivers in some form acceptable to them. Mr. Dennis Gustner
520 Quebec, was present and noted he lives directly across from this property.
Mr. Lyman and Mr. Eastman provided a history of their property. It was
-built in the early 1960's by Volp Construction. The original occupants were
there for many years and required very little parking because of few
employees. Although constructed with residential zoning across the street.
on two sides the impact was minimal. The residential area is now developed,
a change of occupants is occurring and the Zoning Code has changed substan-
tially from requirements at the time the building was built.
The Board reviewed the proposed new parking lot on the east side of the
building. The spaces proposed meet the present requirements for the pro-
perty in its current configuration. If the 75 foot setback is applied, it
would result in loss of over 50 percent of the proposed parking.
Art Flannagan asked if there is any adjacent land available for pu�chase.
Mr. Lyman said he had approached Possis Corporation about that, but they do
not care to sell any excess propert�r because they want options for their own
f uture needs.
Joan Russell asked if landscape screening in front is possible. This would
benefit properties facing this proposal . Mr. Lyman said they would consider
that.
Mr. Dennis Gustner, the neighbor directly across the street, said he has had
discussion with the owners and he is not opposed overall to the proposed
parking lot but would like consideration to berming and landscape screening.
Mr. Gustner also asked if the driveway could be narrowed down from 44 feet
so you don't look down the full expanse of the parking lot. The existing
parking in front of the building along Laurel Avenue is not objectionable to
him as it was there when he came to the area and he is used to it.
The Board began a lengthy exchange of views on the various possibilities and
configurations on site.
Mahlon Swedberg said there are two ways to address this proposal . Tell the
proponent "no" and buy more land or work out some agreement that preserves
and adds additional green area especially along Laurel Avenue. Swedberg
suggested elimination of most or all of the existing parking in front and
establishing landscape. Three or four spaces could be built on the Rhode
Island side which would provide for customers and or employees in the office
area.
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July 10, 1990
Joan Russell suggested leaving six or seven spaces on the Laurel Avenue side,
add some landscape to the remainder and also landscape around the new parking
lot and narrow the driveway.
Larry Smith noted that notice to property owners did not include any spaces
being built on Rhode Island.
Art Flannagan suggested that the existing parking spaces remain and
landscape be provided on the entrance to the new lot.
Mahlon Swedberg said that whatever is done now will have a lasting effect
to this property because no other options will remain. Swedberg noted the
landscape sight-line down Laurel Avenue that exists. Swedberg said now is ;
the opportunity to remove the existing parking in front and establish land-
scape and continuity to the site line. Swedberg said he could not support
the other alternatives.
Discussion among the Board, the property owners, the proposed new owners and
also the adjacent neighbor continued and a consensus developed which consisted
of considera tion of narrowing the width of the new driveway, construction of a
berm and landscape along the front of the proposed parking lot and allow the
existing parking to remain.
Chairman Sell discussed item by item the proposed resolution of parking
spaces and landscape af ter which Joan Russell moved to approve waivers
of setbacks, subject to a parking lot installed on the east side of the
existing building with a driveway entrance not to exceed 24 feet in width.
The parking surface to begin 15 feet back from the north lot line with
landscape established in the 15 feet south of the north lot line, said
landscape to provide screening to an initial height of 7 feet. The motion
was seconded by Art Flannagan.
Chairman Sell called for any discussion on the motion. Mahlon Swedberg said
he will vote against the motion as he does not like giving up the opportunity
for green space along Laurel Avenue and now it could be gone forever. The
lack of landscape just to provide 44 parking spaces, he objects to strenuously:
During further discussion, the question of upgrading the existing parking
surface along Laurel Avenue was raised. The proposed new owner said he had
already considered that and would provide for seal coating and a surface of
rock chips and new striping to make it consistent with the new lot. Joan
Russell amended her motion to include that, Art Flannagan his second. Art
Flannagan called the question and upon vote the motion for approval with all
conditions noted carried, four yeas, one nay (Swedberg).
There being no further business to come before the Board, it was upon
motion, second and vote to adjourn at 9:20 P.M.
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Mike Sell , Chairman oyd G. Becker, Secretary