City Variance #1207-1905 Poly Drive:  The applicant is requesting a variance from 27-308 requiring a minimum setback of 70 feet from the centerline of a minor arterial street to allow a minimum setback of 50 feet from the centerline of Poly Drive for the construction of a new two-car detached garage on Parcel 1B1 of amended C/S 375, a 14,321 square foot parcel of land. Tax ID: D04845, Ken and Sandra Kunkel owner. 

Staff is recommending Conditional Approval of the variance.

OWNER: Ken and Sandra Kunkel
AGENT: Jeff Robertson, Homesite Design
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: C/S 375, Parcel 1B1, 3rd Amended
ADDRESS: 1905 Poly Drive
CURRENT ZONING: Residential 9600
EXISTING LAND USE: Residential
PROPOSED USE: Residential
SIZE OF PARCEL: 14,321

None

There have been 3 variances in the surrounding neighborhood that were granted for reduced setbacks and fence heights.

NORTH:	Zoning: R-96 Land Use: Residential
SOUTH:	Zoning: R-96 Land Use: Residential
EAST:	Zoning: R-96 Land Use: Residential
WEST:	Zoning: R-96 Land Use: Residential

REASONS
The applicant is requesting a variance from Section 27-308 requiring a minimum setback of 70 feet from the centerline of a minor arterial street to allow a minimum setback of 50 feet from the centerline of Poly Drive for the construction of a new two-car detached garage at 1905 Poly Drive. The existing lot area is 14,321 square feet. The property data from the state show the original single-family dwelling on this site was built in 1932.
 
The applicant is before the Board of Adjustments asking for a variance from arterial setback requirements.  In zoning, residential properties that are next to an arterial street are required to place buildings back 70 feet from the centerline of the road.  The purpose of the arterial setback is to keep all buildings far enough away from the road that should there be a need in the future to widen the road that there won’t be any buildings in the way to have to purchase for the expanded road.  Staff spoke with engineering about the future of Poly Drive in this area.  There are no plans in the 20 year plan for Poly Drive in this location.  Poly Drive is considered a local traffic road and not a road that is intended to handle the traffic of Grand, Broadwater or Central.  The work done in the recent past to install sidewalk, curb and gutter is the extent of the work on Poly Drive.
 
Staff, while reviewing the proposed variance, checked along Poly Drive from the applicants’ lot going west to 22^nd Street West to see how many houses are set back the required 70 feet from the center of the road.  Of the 28 houses, 10 were less than 70, the distance ranged from 66 feet to 52 feet.  The years of construction ranged from 1949 to 2006, six of the ten were built after 1973.
 
Planning staff has reviewed this variance and is forwarding a recommendation of conditional approval of the request to reduce the setback from an arterial street from 70 feet to 50 feet based on the criteria for variances as presented within this report.  Staff finds that the proposed variance request in is harmony with the surrounding neighborhood and does not place the building too close to Poly Drive.  The lot is a large lot and the addition of the garage will only put the lot coverage at 21.4%.  Staff did find several other properties along Poly Drive, as described previously in the staff report, that do not meet the required 70 foot setback but staff could not find any variances for these properties.   
 
At the time of the writing of this staff report, one neighbor had contacted staff stating they were in full support of the variance.
 
  

Staff recommends Conditional Approval of the variance request to reduce the setback from an arterial street from 70 feet to 50 feet.