HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Zoning Board of Adjustment Minutes 09/08/2021
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF
THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
AMES, IOWA SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
The Ames Zoning Board of Adjustment met, pursuant to law, in Regular Session at 6:00 p.m. on
September 8, 2021, in the Council Chambers of City Hall with the following members present:
Ronald Schappaugh, Rob Bowers, and Leila Ammar. Amelia Schoeneman arrived at 6:17. Chad
Schneider was absent. Also present were Assistant City Attorney Victoria Feilmeyer and City
Planner Julie Gould.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Moved by Bowers, seconded by Schappaugh, to approve the
Minutes of the meeting of August 11, 2021.
Vote on Motion: 3-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
Vice Chair Ammar recessed the meeting at 6:05 p.m. to wait until Chair Schoeneman arrived,
reconvened at 6:17 p.m.
CASE NO. 21-12
A request for a Variance to allow a rear-yard setback and front-yard setback
encroachment at 1227 Carroll Avenue for the construction of a detached garage.
City Planner Julie Gould stated the applicant is requesting a Variance to allow construction of a
detached accessory structure within the front yard with a reduction of the minimum required
setback from 20 feet to approximately three feet and a reduction of the minimum front yard
setback from 25 feet to 23 feet. The applicant is wanting to construct a 24 x 36 (864 square feet)
detached two-car garage with additional space. The property is zoned “UCRM” (Urban Core
Residential Medium Density) and has a small single-family home (approximately 550 square
feet) on the property at this time. A one-car garage formerly existed on the site and was recently
demolished. The driveway would match the width of the two-car garage door width per the
Zoning Ordinance driveway standards.
The current home appears to be built at a time when E 13th was considered a front yard and
Carroll Avenue was a street side yard. Under that circumstance, the north property line along E
13th would have a 25-foot setback; Carroll Avenue would have a 15-foot setback; the west
property line would have a 6-foot setback; and the south property line would be the rear with a
20-foot setback. Previous front-yard zoning ordinance definitions allowed a property owner to
choose the front. The existing residence and previously existing garage met setback requirement
if 13th Street were considered as the front of the property.
Accessory buildings have specific provisions (29.408(7)) that address overall size and location,
including reduced setbacks in some situations. The applicant proposes a rear-yard setback of
three feet and a front-yard setback of 23 feet. The Zoning Ordinance does allow a rear-yard or a
side-yard setback to be reduced to three feet when an accessory structure is located wholly out of
the front yard on a corner lot [Section 29.407(7)(i)(b)] or when wholly within the rear yard when
not on a corner [Section 29.407(7)(i)(c)]. The applicant based his request of this exception
language, although they do not directly apply to this circumstance. While it is not possible to
locate an accessory structure wholly within the rear yard at this property, the three-foot setback is
not inconsistent with what may exist on other properties throughout the City.
The proposed front-yard setback of 23 feet is two feet fewer than what is required in the UCRM
district. If the two-foot encroachment is allowed, the structure would not extend beyond the
primary front façade of the house where the front door is located. However, it would be located
in the front yard due to the configuration of the home with a recessed façade element at the south
side of the house. The applicant contends that with the 23-foot setback, based upon the setback
of the primary, façade the garage is compatible with the surroundings.
City Planner Gould stated residents are required by Code to have two parking spaces for single-
family homes, but it does not require that it be covered parking. This site cannot accommodate
that requirement. Regardless of the size of the garage, the applicant needs a variance for one-car
parking as well.
2
Staff did find they meet all the requirements for the variance. The applicant is not asking for
anything that is not allowed by Code except that they have to have a variance of a setback
somewhere, so they are asking for those two variances.
City Planner Gould stated the applicant was unable to attend the meeting, but he asked that the
Board proceed with the public hearing.
Board Chair Schoeneman asked if there were any questions for staff. No questions were asked.
Board Chair Schoeneman opened the public hearing.
Sam Shonkwiler, 1217 Carroll Avenue, Ames, was sworn in and testified under oath. Mr.
Shonkwiler stated Mr. Runner has done many improvements to the property. He is completely in
favor the request and stated it would be an improvement to the neighborhood.
Motion by Bowers, seconded by Ammar, to approve Alternative 1: The Zoning Board of
Adjustment may approve this request for a variance for 1227 Carroll Avenue to allow a
reduction of the minimum required rear-yard setback from 20 feet to approximately three feet
and reduction of the minimum required front-yard setback from 25 feet to approximately 23 feet
for the construction of up to an 864 square foot detached two car garage-door garage.
Roll Call Vote: 4-0. Motion declared approved unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Ammar, seconded by Bowers, to adjourn the meeting at 6:27
p.m.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Renee Hall, Recording Secretary Amelia Schoeneman, Chair