HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9556 Staff ReportMARCH 18, 2021
ITEM NO. 5 Z-9556
1
File No.: Z-9556
Owners: Michael Wolfe
Applicant: Michael Wolfe
Address: 10633 Rivercrest Drive
Legal Description: Lot 76, Block 3, Walton Heights
Zoned: R-2
Present Use: Single-family Residence
Proposed Use: Single-family Residence
Variance(s) Requested: A variance is requested from the area provisions of Section
36-254 to allow a reduced front yard setback in the R-2
district.
Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the attached
letter dated December 14, 2020.
STAFF REPORT
A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments:
No Comments.
B. Buffering and Landscape Comments:
No Comments.
C. Building Codes Comments:
No Comments.
D. Staff Analysis:
The R-2 zoned property located at 10633 Rivercrest Drive lies within a
predominantly R-2 zoned neighborhood. Rivercrest Drive is characterized by a
single row of homes on both the north and south sides of the street that back up to
undeveloped wooded areas. The back yard of subject property on the south side of
the street lies adjacent to a city owned PR (Parks and Recreation District) parcel
while the homes on the north side of the road back up to a mostly unbuildable slope,
railroad easement, and then southern bank of the Arkansas River.
The site is currently occupied by a single-family home originally constructed in the
1960’s.The surrounding single family homes appear to have been developed in the
MARCH 18, 2021
ITEM NO. 5 Z-9556
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same time period and have been maintained and renovated through the years to
establish a well-kept desirable neighborhood.
The applicant stated that the front porch of their home is no longer structurally sound,
doesn’t function well as a porch, and does not blend well with similar front facades
of the surrounding homes. As indicated on the survey the front wall of the house has
been built to the twenty-five (25) foot front yard setback. The existing porch structure
extends 5.5 feet from the front wall of the house into the setback and is 13.3 feet in
width. The proposed porch will extend approximately seven (7) feet from the face of
the house to the outside edge of the existing sidewalk. The width of the new structure
will be sixteen (16) feet. The proposed porch will occupy slightly more area than the
existing porch structure and only partially encroach into the front yard setback
Section 36-254(d)(1) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum front
setback of twenty-five (25) feet. The applicant requests a variance to allow the
extension of the structure 13.3 feet into the front yard setback.
The width of the property is 100 feet. This small addition will not encroach into the
side yards and only minimally impact the overall permeable area of the front yard. In
addition, this will have little or no effect on the surrounding residences.
Staff finds the request to generally be in conformance with the development pattern
in this area, and based on the above assessment and analysis, finds the requested
variance to be reasonable.
E. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the requested front yard setback reduction from
twenty-five (25) feet to a minimum of seventeen (17) feet as per the attached site
plan and proposed porch renovation and construction.