Planning Commission - 04/25/2005 APPROVED MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE PLANNING COMMISSION
MONDAY,APRIL 25, 2005 7:00 P.M., CITY CENTER
Council Chambers
8080 Mitchell Road
BOARD MEMBERS: Larry Kacher, John Kirk, Vicki Koenig,
Kathy Nelson, Peter Rocheford, Fred Seymour,
Ray Stoelting, Jon Stoltz,William Sutherland
STAFF MEMBERS: Stu Fox, Manager of Parks and Natural Resources
Al Gray, City Engineer
Mike Franzen, City Planner
Julie Krull, Recording Secretary
I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE—ROLL CALL
Chair Stoelting called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Absent: Kacher and Kirk.
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOTION by Nelson, seconded by Koenig, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0.
III. MINUTES
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON APRIL 11, 2005
Koenig requested two changes to the April 11, 2005, minutes. They are as follows:
1. Page 4,paragraph 6, states "Koenig stated to Franzen that the City is getting a
substantial amount of land with the proposal and asked if it would not be
advantageous for the City to work with the developer in the project." Koenig would
like to change it to say, "advantageous for the City to work with the developer before
sewer and water are put in. Eliminate "in the project".
2. Last page under Members Reports. Koenig would like it changed to say, "5,000
people" and not"5,000 members".
MOTION by Sutherland, seconded by Seymour, to approve the minutes. Motion
carried 5-0. Rocheford and Stoelting abstained.
IV. PUBLIC MEETING
V. INFORMATIONAL MEETING
Planning Commission Minutes
April 25, 2005
Page 2
VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. VARIANCE#2005-04 This is a petition by Matthew Bryan, located at 16213
Valley View Road, Eden Prairie. The variance request involves a lot size
variance request from 22,000 sq. ft., to 18,551 sq. ft., in the R1-22 Zoning
District. The second variance request is a front yard setback variance from 30
feet to 15 feet from the R1-22 Zoning District. The third variance request is the
accessory structure site coverage variance from .075 to .092 in the R1-22 Zoning
District.
Matthew Bryan, of 16213 Valley View Road,presented the proposal. Mr. Bryan
stated that the reasons for the petition are based solely on the fact that the Valley
View Road expansion project decimated his front lot, his driveway and parking,
and privacy and trees. He stated that he did try to get the City to buy him out but
that request was denied. He stated he also tried to get alternate egress,but that
was denied also. He stated that he is trying to add some value to his house and to
create a safer egress situation for the property. What he is proposing is that the
two car unattached garage would be torn down and he would shift the structure
back 25 feet, expanding the overall new structure from 24 ft. by 24 ft.,bringing it
to 1520 sq. ft. That would bring it from a two-car garage to a three-car garage
with a shop. In addition, he requested replacing the dilapidated shed, which is a
10 ft. by 10 ft. structure and rebuilding it to a 12 ft. by 16 ft. structure.
Stoelting asked Franzen to review the staff report. Franzen stated that the
acquisition of road right-of-way caused a physical impact for the property. He
stated that Mr. Bryan lost parking spaces because he lost the distance between the
road and his garage. Franzen stated that looking at the setback and lot size and
additional square footage for the garage and shed, the City feels that this is not an
unreasonable request. Franzen also pointed out that this variance request would
not alter the character of the neighborhood.
Stoelting opened up the meeting for public input. There was no input.
Nelson stated that it clearly makes sense to move the garage back on this
property. She pointed out that the way it is now, it does not look properly placed
on the land because of the road. She also stated that he would need the extra
parking spaces since they were eliminated with the new road. Nelson said that
this request would improve a less than desirable situation for Mr. Bryan.
MOTION by Koenig, seconded by Nelson, to close the public hearing. Motion
carried 7-0.
MOTION by Koenig, seconded by Nelson, to approve the following variances:
Lot size variance from 22,000 square feet to 18,551 square feet in the R1-22
Zoning District; Front yard setback variance from 30 feet to 15 feet in the R1-22
Planning Commission Minutes
April 25, 2005
Page 3
Zoning District; Accessory structure site coverage variance from .075 to .092 in
the R1-22 Zoning District. Motion carried 7-0.
B. VARIANCE#2005-05 Petition from Lance and Dawn Stover, located at 16291
Hilltop Road, Eden Prairie. The variance request is for a side yard setback
variance from 15 feet to 13 feet in the R1-22 zoning district.
Mr. Lance Stover presented the proposal. He stated that he and his wife built the
house in 1993 and are now asking for a variance from the west setback from a 15
foot setback to a 13 foot setback. Mr. Stover said that the reason for this setback
change is so that he can put an addition of two bedrooms above his garage. He
illustrated this proposal by using the overhead projection. He showed the garage
space, stating that the encroaching area would be over the garage. He also
pointed out that the foundation of the garage would not be changed and that the
addition would not affect the character of the house. He stated that when the
house was originally built it was placed on a difficult lot; which includes a deep
ravine. They tried to put the house in the most reasonable corner and that is
where the hardship exists today. Mr. Stover addressed two alternatives that were
previously raised by Staff. The first would be to make due with the smaller room.
The second would be rather than expanding to the west, to expand to the south.
Mr. Stover pointed out two problems with that. The first being if he tries to retain
the same slope of the roof, in order to keep with the character of the house, the
wall height on the south side of the room would have to be shortened and they
would end up with a pitched roof and smaller windows. The other problem would
be that they would end up with something that resembles a shed roof, which
would break up the continuity in the backside of the house. For those reasons,
Mr. Stover felt that it is not unreasonable to ask for the variance for the minimal
request of the 2 foot bump-out that would retain the character of the house. He
also pointed out that he did meet with all of the adjacent neighbors and they did
not have a problem with the proposal. He stated that there is no issue with
privacy for windows to the west because it is 68 feet away from the neighbor's
garage and there are evergreen trees between the two houses.
Stoelting asked Franzen to review the staff report. Franzen stated the variance
request is for a small portion of the total length of the side of the house. The
addition blends with the existing house. The ravine makes it impossible to expand
the house to the east. Fore these reasons the variance request is reasonable.
Stoelting opened the meeting up for public input. There was no input.
Seymour stated that this request seemed reasonable based on the restrictions of
the lot and the bump-out seemed rather small and did still maintain the character
of the house.
MOTION by Stoltz, seconded by Nelson, to close the public hearing.
Motion carried 7-0.
Planning Commission Minutes
April 25, 2005
Page 4
MOTION by Stoltz, seconded by Nelson, to approve the request of a side yard
setback variance from 15 feet to 13 feet in the R1-22 Zoning District.
Motion carried 7-0.
VII. MEMBERS' REPORTS
VIII. CONTINUING BUSINESS
IX. NEW BUSINESS
X. PLANNERS' REPORTS
Franzen stated that there would be three items on the agenda for the May 9, 2005, Planning
Commission meeting. They are as follows:
1. Road right-of way variance for Shurgard Storage at 7921 Eden Prairie Road.
2. Code Amendment to add a"showroom"; as a permitted use in the Industrial Districts.
3. Public Hearing at Eagle Ridge at Hennepin Village.
XI. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION by Nelson, seconded by Sutherland, to adjourn the meeting.
Motion carried 7-0.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.