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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9619 - 1701 N Taylor - BOA Staff RptOCTOBER 21, 2021 ITEM NO. 7 Z-9619 1 File No.: Z-9619 Owners: Hudson Shermer Enterprises LLC Attn: Susana Shermer Applicant: Christi Wilson Address: 1701 N Taylor Legal Description: Lot 6, Block 20, of Mountain Park, an Addition to the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County Arkansas 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. A variance is requested from the area provisions of Section 36-156 to permit more than 30% coverage of the rear yard for an accessory building and to permit an accessory structure to be closer than fifteen (15) feet from a street side line. Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the attached letter dated August 23, 2021. STAFF REPORT A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering Comments: No Comments. B. Buffering and Landscape Comments: In October 2020 the City adopted the “Heights Landscape Design Overlay District,” requiring installation of one tree per 40 linear feet of street frontage within the Heights District Boundary, applicable to [among other types] residential construction in excess of 600 square feet. C. Building Codes Comments: No Comments. OCTOBER 21, 2021 ITEM NO. 7 Z-9619 2 D. Staff Analysis: The property at 1701 N Taylor St is in a predominantly R-2 zoned neighborhood, within the Heights Landscape Design Overlay District. This overlay district generally has no bearing on the subject variance requests. The subject property is located on the northeast corner of N Taylor and P Streets. Built in 1935 the existing 1-story frame home occupying the property has undergone minimal improvements or additions that are often typical of this neighborhood. The immediate neighboring properties are also populated with single family homes. The applicant is proposing additional renovations to the home including an expansion to the back of the house to the east, a second story addition to the existing detached garage, and a renovated south façade adding a front porch. The house was originally constructed in what is currently the front yard setback and the proposed porch will further encroach upon this area. The east expansion will not cross into the rear yard setback. The existing garage is not in compliance with the rear yard coverage or side yard setback requirements. As indicated on the survey the front wall of the house has been built approximately 22-feet from the property line and the existing front porch is indicated to be 4-feet in width. The porch expansion will be maintained within the established 4-feet but will increase in length to the east and west corners of the existing front façade. The existing and new construction will encroach into the front yard setback 7-feet. The existing detached garage was built to the side yard property line but will not expand its footprint with the upper-level addition. Any new construction must follow the current code requirements. While previously being allowed to exist in its non- conforming state the second story addition will initiate rear yard coverage and side yard setback variance requirements. The area provisions for accessory structures do not allow for the coverage of more than 30% of the rear yard. The rear yard is shown to comprise approximately 1260 square feet. The garage occupies approximately 490 square feet of the rear yard exceeding the maximum coverage requirements by 9%. In addition, the garage has been built to the south property line, current code requires accessory structures be located no closer to the street side line than the 15-feet. Section 36-254(d)(1) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance requires a minimum front setback of twenty-five (25) feet. Therefore, the applicant requests a variance to allow the existing homes front facade and porch addition to encroach into the front yard setback 7-feet, reducing the front yard setback to 18-feet. Sec. 36-156(a)(2)(c) states, “Accessory buildings or structures in the R-1 through R-4A districts shall not be located closer than sixty (60) feet to the front property line, fifteen (15) feet from a street side line and may not occupy more than thirty OCTOBER 21, 2021 ITEM NO. 7 Z-9619 3 (30) percent of the required rear yard area...” Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to allow the existing accessory structure with a newly constructed second story to exceed the coverage requirements to a maximum 39%. The applicant is also requesting the entirety of the accessory structure be allowed to occupy the existing footprint reducing the street side line setback to zero. Staff finds the requests 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 18-feet. Staff recommends approval of the requested rear yard coverage to a maximum of 39%. Staff recommends approval of the requested south side yard setback from 15-feet to 0-feet where the existing garage is constructed to the property line. Additionally, the variances are recommended for approval as per the submitted survey / site plan sketch and are subject to the following conditions: 1. A building permit being obtained for all construction. 2. Install trees, if deemed applicable at the time of building permitting, in accordance with Heights Landscape Design Overlay District requirements.