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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report 05-27-25 10 of 13 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS REGULAR MEETING DEPARTMENT REPORT TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2025 (V) Cooke Residence Variances. The applicant seeks the following variance approvals for a new 2-story single-family dwelling: 3. Docket No. PZ-2025-00073 V UDO Section 3.64(C)(1)(b) Maximum 55-ft house width allowed; 81-ft requested. 4. Docket No. PZ-2024-00074 V UDO Section 3.64(C)(9)(a) Minimum 8:12 roof pitch required, 6:12 roof pitch requested. 5. Docket No. PZ-2024-00075 V UDO Section 3.64(C)(11)(c) Buildings shall not exceed the height of the tallest dimension of the nearest two Character Buildings by more than 7-ft, 25’6” Building Height requested (34’4”to roof peak). The 0.50-acre site is located at 670 1st Ave NE. It is zoned R2/Residence and Old Town Overlay District, Character Sub-Area. Filed by Jim Shinaver & Jon Dobosiewicz, Nelson & Frankenberger, LLC., on behalf of Jeffrey & Molly Cooke, owners. General Info: • Petitioner seeks approval to construct a new house with attached garage and detached garage. • Variance approvals are requested for house width, roof pitch/slope, and height. • The site is not located in any subdivision, just in the Old Town Overlay Zone – Character Subarea. • Surrounding this site are single family residential dwellings. • Please see the Petitioner’s info packet for more details on the variance requests. Variances Requested: House Width - • The UDO states a maximum 55-ft house width is allowed (on lots that are greater than 80-ft in width), and a 81-ft house width is requested. This is a variance of 26 feet, or a 47% change. • Prior house width variance was granted in 2021 (Docket No. PZ-2021-00055 V), but that approval expired. • The wide house façade will be broken up with architecture elements, such as a screened-in porch, a masonry chimney, two front porches, and a recessed enclosed breezeway element. • The house floor plan layout will be constructed with two wings and a narrow connecting corridor. This will allow for potential in the future to split the one house into two houses (which will also require Primary Plat approval from the Plan Commission with a public hearing, as well as Secondary Plat approval). • The design will complement the scale and massing of the surrounding homes in the neighborhood, to add to the character of the Old Town neighborhood. The colors, material, and design of the home, as well as the site plan layout, will also be reviewed again, administratively, as part of Site Plan & Design review (SDR) requirement (within the residential building permit review process), to make sure it meets the Old Town Overlay District development standards. • The colors and materials are appropriate for Old Town. Most of the exterior materials will be Hardie Shake and Hardie Lap siding. The proposed blue and dark red colors are not set in stone. The final colors will be proposed with the residential building permit review. • The landscaping will include a red oak tree in the front yard. • Planning Staff is supportive the house width proposed, since it will have several design features that will break up the front façade. Roof Pitch - • The UDO states that a minimum 8:12 roof pitch is required, and a 6:12 roof pitch is requested. • The house design is a nod to historic American foursquare architecture. • The roof material will be architectural shingles. 11 of 13 • The roof slope, also known as roof pitch, refers to the incline or angle of a roof's surface above a horizontal plane. It's typically expressed as a ratio of "rise" (vertical change) to "run" (horizontal distance), often in inches of rise per foot of run (e.g., 4 in 12). This ratio dictates the steepness of the roof, influencing factors like water runoff, roofing material suitability, and attic space. • The house design is a nod to historic American foursquare architecture, and so this roof slope is still appropriate. • Planning Staff is supportive of the slightly reduced roof slope, as it will still be appropriate for the architectural style. House Height - • The UDO’s definition of Building Height is the vertical distance from the lot ground level to the highest point of the roof for a flat roof, to the deck line of a mansard roof and to the mean height between eaves and ridges for gable, hip and gambrel roofs. • The UDO states that a buildings shall not exceed the tallest dimension of the nearest two Character Buildings by more than 7-ft. Again, a 25’6” building height is requested (34’4” to roof peak). • UDO excerpt is below: • A 25’6” building height is requested (34’4” to roof peak) for this new proposed home. It will be a 2-story tall home, including a 1-story tall area along the north end of the floor plan. • Regarding the nearest two Character Buildings, the 710 1st Ave NE home is 20' tall (to the roof peak), and the 711 1st Ave NE house is 19.6 feet tall (to the roof peak). Both are 1-story tall homes. • Planning Staff is supportive of this variance request, since the house will have ample setbacks from the property lines, and it will also have a 1- story tall portion of the home that will help with transitions to the nearest two Character Buildings. Remaining Review Comments: • The Petitioner addressed all planning/zoning review comments. Final Comments: • The Planning Dept. supports the variance requests. The house’s front facade design is broken up to show variation in scale, massing, and setbacks. And, the proposed roof slope and building height are still respectful of the neighborhood context. • The proposed landscaping will also help the house blend in with the neighborhood context. Findings of Fact: • Please refer to the Petitioner’s Findings of Facts included in their BZA Info Packet. Recommendation: • The Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends positive consideration of the variance requests, and with the adoption of the Findings of Facts submitted by the Petitioner.