AgdaPkt 2003-06-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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q. A -3 REPORT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manager June 23, 2003 Subject Appeal of the Zoning Administrator's denial of a variance at 454 Barkentine Lane to allow for a fifteen (15) foot rear yard setback where twenty (20) is required. Recommendation Uphold the decision of the Zoning Administrator to deny the variance. Background On May 1, 2003, the Zoning Administrator denied a variance request to allow a fifteen foot (15') setback from the rear property line where a twenty (20) foot setback is required. The project, as proposed, would add a first and second -story addition to an existing one -story single - family dwelling located at 454 Barkentine Lane (please refer to the Notice of Official Action and project plans, Attachments #1 and #2 respectively). The subject property is a flat, rectangular, 6,500 square foot parcel in the R -1, Single- _ Family Residential Zoning District. The proposed project includes expanding the existing first floor by approximately 413 square feet and constructing a new second floor of approximately 893 square feet for a total addition of about 1,300 square feet. The remodeled home would be a two -story, single - family dwelling of approximately 3,227 square feet. As proposed, the addition would result in a rear yard setback of fifteen (15) feet to both the first and second -story. The proposed addition conforms to all other requirements of the Zoning Ordinance, including side yard setbacks, height, and lot coverage. Variances The variance is a well established tool that allows flexibility in property development for unusual parcels, where otherwise, the strict application of the zoning regulations would significantly interfere with the use of the property. Generally, the justification for a variance is that the property owner would suffer undue hardship related to property development because of unique characteristics of the subject property, such as those related to size, shape, and topography. Financial hardship does not justify variances. Zoning Ordinances establish the criteria, or "findings," that warrant the granting of a variance.' The Redwood City Zoning Ordinance determines variance findings for specific property conditions that result in hardship for site development. Article 43 of the Zoning Ordinance 'Variance discussion based on a number of common land use planning texts including the following: Merritt and Danforth, Understandina Development Regulations, 1994, Solano Press; Moskowitz and Lindbloom, The New Illustrated Book of Develooment Definitions, 1993, Center for Urban Policy Research; multiple authors, The Practice of Local Government Plannina: Second Edition, 1988, International City Management Association.