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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9376-A - 18901 North Monroe - BOA Staff RptDECEMBER 16, 2021 ITEM NO. 5 Z-9376-A 1 File No.: Z-9376-A Owners: Michael Morgan Bailey and Chandler B. Bailey Applicant: Michael Morgan Bailey Jr Address: 1809 N Monroe Legal Description: Lot 74 and North 25’of Lot 75 Shawdowlawn Addition of City of Little Rock, Pulaski County Arkansas Zoned: R-2 Present Use: Single-family Residence Proposed Use: Single-family Residence Variance(s) Requested: Request from the area regulations of Sec. 36-156 to allow an accessory structure to occupy more than 30% coverage of the rear yard and to permit an accessory structure with a reduced side yard setback. Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the attached letter. 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: The required fire separation distance (building to property line) prescribed by the building code terminates at five (5) feet. Buildings are allowed to be closer than five 5) feet if they have properly constructed fire walls which provide the requisite one 1) hour fire resistance rating. When buildings are five (5) feet or more from the property line, the requirement no longer applies to the wall itself, only the projections such as eaves or overhangs. DECEMBER 16, 2021 ITEM NO. 5 Z-9376-A 2 Openings such as doors and windows are limited when the exterior wall is three (3) feet from the property line, and are prohibited when the exterior wall is less than three (3) feet from the line. There is no restriction on openings when the exterior wall is more than three (3) feet from the property line. Contact the City of Little Rock Building Codes at 371-4832 for additional details. D. Staff Analysis: The property at 1809 N Monroe 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 east side of N. Monroe Street, north of Cantrell Road and occupied by a one-story brick and frame single-family residence. A 10- foot-wide driveway is positioned on the northwest corner of the lot that extends along the north side of the residence to a one-story detached frame garage at the northeast corner of the property. The existing garage is located 4-feet from the rear (east) property line and 0.9-feet from the north property line. The existing structure is in conformance with the rear setback but encroaches on the side yard setback to the north. The applicant proposes to make two (2) small additions to the accessory garage structure increasing the depth to allow for vehicle parking inside. The addition to the south of the garage will align with the rear wall and be 4-feet and width. The south addition will conform to the setback standards, The west addition will align with the north side of the existing garage but will extend this nonconforming edge slightly further into the side yard setback. This west addition will be 2-feet wide and be located 1.1- feet from the property line at the northwest corner but no closer than the existing northeast corner at 0.9-feet from the property line. The additions will increase the rear yard coverage. 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 1870 square feet. The proposed expansion of the garage will increase the accessory structure located in the rear yard from 504 square feet to approximately 615 square feet. As proposed the portion of the garage that will be located in the rear yard will increase coverage to approximately 490 square feet exceeding the maximum coverage requirements by 3%. 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 sideline and may not occupy more than thirty (30) percent of the required rear yard area...” Therefore, the applicant is requesting a DECEMBER 16, 2021 ITEM NO. 5 Z-9376-A 3 variance to allow the existing accessory structure with a minimal expansion to exceed the coverage requirements to a maximum 33%. Sec. 36-156(a)(2)f states, “Accessory buildings shall maintain at least a three-foot setback from any side or rear yard property line except where said rear yard abuts on a dedicated alley. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to allow the expansion of a non-conforming accessory structure with a reduced side yard setback from the north side of the property line. Staff is supportive of the requested variances to allow the expansion of a nonconforming structure, a reduced side yard setback for the existing accessory building encroachment and proposed addition, and to allow an accessory structure to occupy more than 30% of the rear yard area. Staff views the request as reasonable. The proposed setback will not be out of character with other accessory structures throughout this neighborhood. The encroachment is comprised of only a 2-foot-wide addition to the west side and 4-foot addition to the south side of the accessory structure. The addition will be located further back from the north side property line than the existing northeast corner of the garage structure. Staff believes the proposed addition to the existing accessory structure with reduced side yard setback and increased area coverage will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. 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 expansion of a non-conforming structure, north side yard setback reduction to 0.9 feet, and rear yard coverage to a maximum of 33% subject to the following. 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.