07-18-95 BZA Minutes
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Minutes of a Special Meeting of the
Golden Valley Board of Zoning Appeals
July 18, 1995
The special meeting of the Golden Valley Board of Zoning Appeals was held Tuesday,
July 18, 1995, Council Conference Room, City Hall, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden
Valley, Minnesota. Chair Swedberg called the meeting to order at 7 PM.
Those members present were: Chair Mahlon Swedberg, Members Mike Sell, Paula
Pentel, Linda McCracken-Hunt and Herb Polachek. Also present was Mark Grimes, Staff
Liaison.
Minutes of the Petitions:
123 Ottawa (95-7-23)
Breck School
Request:
Waiver of Section 11.46, Subd. 8. Yard Requirements --13 feet
off the required 50 feet building setback to a distance of 37 feet
from the north property line; and
20 feet off the required 25 feet of landscaped area required to a
distance of 5 feet from the north property line.
Purpose:
To allow construction of a 12 foot by 50 foot addition to the
elementary school cafeteria.
The petition was in order and all adjoining property owners were notified of the variance
request. Steve Lawrence, superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for Breck, and Craig
Hinrichs, the architect for Breck, were present to answer any questions. Staff Liaison
Mark Grimes gave a brief report describing the needed setback variances. The proposed
addition to the elementary school cafeteria will extend into the required sideyard setback
by approximately 13 feet. (The required setback is 50 feet.) Also, there will not be the
required landscaped setback area between the new addition and the property line. Breck
has said that the addition is needed because of the crowded conditions in the cafeteria
during lunch hours. The proposed addition to the north side of the building is in a location
that is not visible from any of the adjoining property owners because of the railroad tracks,
vegetation, and elevation change.
Staff Liaison Grimes had indicated in the hearing notice that went out to the adjoining
property owners that there would also be a parking variance necessary. After further
research it was staff's opinion that a parking variance was not needed because there is
adequate parking on site to meet the City's parking code.
Craig Hinrichs, architect, described the addition. He said it is relatively small but would
help to relieve the crowded conditions during the lunch hour. The driveway behind the
addition will remain because it is the ring road around the school needed for fire protection
and circulation of vehicles. There is also some parking on the ring road. Because the
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Minutes of the Board of Zoning Appeals
July 18, 1995
Page Two
road will come close to the new addttion, some type of bollards or posts will be put in place I
to prevent vehicles from hitting the building.
Member Swedberg asked it Breck had considered any alternatives. The Breck
representatives said that they have decided not the combine the upper and lower school
cafeterias. It is best to keep the lower and upper school students separated and not
require the lower school students to walk the entire length of the building to get to the
upper school cafeteria. At the present time, Breck School is at capacity (1150 students)
and they cannot handle additional students without more classroom space. The school
has grown from 300 students in 1980 to 1150 in 1995.
Member Sell asked why a special meeting was necessary. Mr. Lawrence said that the
Board of Directors for Breck meet several times a year and they just authorized the
construction in June. They would like to begin construction in July so that it can be done
by the time school starts in late August.
Member Pental said that the setback encroachments along the north side of the building
did not bother her because it is adjacent to the railroad tracks and because of the
elevation change. Member McCracken-Hunt said that there are numerous constraints on
the Breck site which makes any additions to the site difficult. There are few options
available for additional building on the site due to poor soil conditions and existing wetland I
areas.
MOVED by Polachek, seconded by Sell and motion carried unanimously to approve the
petitions for waiver of Section 11.46, Subd. 8. Yard Requirements. The waiver allows for
the construction of an addition to the lower school cafeteria within the required side/rear
yard setback area. The variances are for 13 feet off the required 50 foot building setback
to a distance of 37 feet from the north property line and 20 feet off the required 25 feet of
landscaped area required to a distance of 5 feet from the north property line. It was noted
that the intrusion into the setback would not be seen from the adjoining properties due to
an elevation change from north to south, vegetation, fencing and the distance from the
nearest house.
The Board then discussed the parking situation on the site. The consensus of the Board
was that there is adequate parking on the site. The amount of parking that is required for
the school should be based on the seating capacity in the classrooms and not by the
seating capacity of the classrooms, gym, auditorium and chapel combined. Only those
students at Breck use these other facilities on the campus and they are rarely, if ever,
rented out. Also, it is noted that there is adequate space on the school grounds for
additional parking should it become necessary. Superintendent Lawrence agreed that
parking space could be created out of ball fields or tennis courts if a need should required
rt. /
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Mark W. Grimes, Staff Liaison
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Mahlon Swedberg, hair