4.7. SR 06-18-2001Item # 4.7.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Stephen Rohlf, Building & Zoning Administrator
DATE: June 18, 2001
SUBJECT: Driveway Widths
In a previous packet, staff provided a memo that reviewed nine residential driveway widths
that were reported as being in excess of the thirty feet maximum. The Council requested a
further explanation on several of the issues involved with these driveways, which staff will
attempt to do in this memo:
Of the driveways that were reported as being too wide, several were built prior to the
city establishing a maximum width and, therefore, they are grandfathered-in.
The two driveways that would have constituted the largest violations were missed
measured. These two driveways are actually thirty feet wide, measured perpendicular
to their run. Both of these driveways happened to access onto cul-de-sacs. Their
widths were wrongly measured along the diagonal of their intercept with the cul-de-
sacs.
Only three of the driveway widths reported are in violation of the city's ordinance.
Two of these were 31.5 and 32.5 feet wide. Both of the builders of the dwellings
associated with these driveways were informed of the maximum width, neither of the
houses have received a final inspection, and both will be required to reduce their
driveway widths.
The last driveway that exceeded the city's maximum width was thirty feet and four
inches wide. As a policy, staff does not require corrections for less than one foot.
This policy was set some years ago by a previous Council and holds true for even
setbacks for a structure. It would be a waste of everyone's time to hear a variance
for a couple of inches and it would serve no worthwhile purpose.
If the Council wishes to discuss this issue further, staff will be at Monday night's meeting.