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Mahlke Variance Request - 1834 Ranger Circle - Expand a driveway wider than 36 feet within the front yard setback.
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Summary:
The applicant is seeking a variance to expand a driveway to a total width of 47 feet within the front yard setback. The ordinance allows a maximum width of a driveway to be 36 feet within the front yard setback.
Background:
The property is located in a R-1B zoning district which has a 30 foot front yard setback. Ranger Circle is a cul-de-sac and the applicant's location is south of the bulb portion of the cul-de-sac. Cul-de-sacs create on-street parking issues as there is not adequate distance between driveways to park vehicles and thus on-street parking extends to the throat of the cul-de-sac.
Variance Criteria:
1. Due to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of this ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship, and the variance shall not violate the spirit of the ordinance and substantial justice may be achieved as a result of the variance.
Property owners are allowed to have driveways leading to their side or rear yard. In this particular case, there is not adequate room to extend the existing driveway beyond the front yard setback to gain access to the side yard.
2. Unique circumstances apply to the property which do not apply to other properties in the same vicinity or district.
Cul-de-sacs have minimal street frontage available for on-street parking and often results in vehicles parking on the throat of the cul-de-sac.
3. The variance is necessary for the preservation of a property right that is substantially the same as that possessed by other owners of other property in the same district.
Properties in the immediate vicinity of the applicant's have three stall garages, however, there are no parking pads on this cul-de-sac.
4. The variance requested is the minimum variance which would alleviate the hardship.
The variance request appears to be the minimum amount necessary to alleviate...
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