##VIDEO ID:juA3ibquLvU## all right call to order the Austin City Planning Commission for Tuesday December 10th 2024 one item on the agenda tonight but first we need to uh the minutes from our last meeting which was November 12th of 2024 you should all got a copy in your packet does anyone have any changes or additions to those minutes as written if not could I please get a motion in a second to approve the minutes from November 12th as written so moved second thank you I have a motion from commissioner Lindberg and a second from uh commissioner Bartley to approve the minutes from November 12th as written all in favor of the motion please say I I I all oppose no motion carries 70 those minutes are approved as written our one item on the agenda is to consider petition from Scott Soderberg 2408 16th AV Southwest for a variance to city code regarding the number of accessory structures on a lot one acre or less M Wallace the floor is yours thank you uh Mr Soderberg is here um the property in question is zoned R1 single family uh residential uh the property is also surrounded by single family residential and then the to the South the city uh County limits uh the petitioner uh well we became aware the zoning department be became aware of the property having uh exceeding the allowed number of detached structures um which then uh necessitated the variance request um so he's requesting a variance from our code which allows a maximum of two detach structures with an aggregate square footage of 1200 sare ft for a parcel under one acre um the property in question is approximately 1 half acre uh the total aggregate square footage of the structures is 892 square feet um the Planning Commission uh will make a recommendation to a city council uh the commission should take into account the following uh requirements that the variance is in harmony with the general purposes and intent of the zoning ordinance that the variance is consistent with the comprehensive plan uh that the proposal puts the property to use in a reasonable manner there are unique circumstances to the property not created by the landowner um and the variance if granted will not alter the essential character of the locality in which the property is situated um I did note to uh and I was just talking to the applicant before the meeting but um the structure to the West let me pull up the aerial view is probably not 5T from the property line I think it's based on this map maybe a foot and a half um we do allow uh accessory structures to be within a foot of the property line if the neighbor signs an agreement um but otherwise uh it does not appear to meet our setback requirement and that's all that I really have unless you have any additional questions it's pretty lengthy list of notified properties on this one did you get any Fe yeah that's true yeah I meant to mention that um thank you for asking no I did not get any phone calls I did not get any other uh Communications uh Lauren's just nodding her I no as well okay so you're saying if we're looking for a motion we need a motion that includes contingency that the neighbors sign off on this too then yep exactly on the setback on the side yard right yes yes okay so we're looking for a motion to recommend a councel to approve or deny if you if you recommend to approve it should be contingent upon the neighbor agreeing to the setb yeah and then what are we approving an exception to the number of structures yes not the square footage or anything like that just the number correct he's under the actual coverage or well the the total square footage very I mean there is a 40% coverage limit for structures too but that's not an is any questions from the Commissioners I guess I I'm curious are they older structures or how long have they been no they're five years they're within five years and how how does something like that I mean how do we get well they weren't permitted so he does need the variant in order to get a permit for those so we can't permit them until the variant any other questions from Commissioners have you ever had any of the neighbors that say anything to people behind why don't you just go up to the Lector and just for record purposes just state your name and address okay thank you Scott Soderberg 248 16th Avenue Southwest Austin no they didn't uh have any concerns and then when this all came about and because this all happened when I put them in when Co was going on and I didn't you know couldn't think unless I was building something that there was a building code or or a permit required but since this all came about and I've talked to all my neighbors and they said they didn't have a problem with it and if they needed to do anything let them know so that's why I assume nobody's here tonight but me so but your neighbor to the west isn't going to have an issue with one foot okay no are these actually all over 200 square F feet are they that big that he needs to permit all of them uh they would fall under our zoning code okay because there anything under 200 square feet anything under 200 square feet would fall under the zoning code okay what does that mean um so it's essentially an exemption from the building code inspection requirement but we still have zoning requirements like the setback right and you know the square footage and the number of accessory structures so so we still require a zoning permit right but it's included with building permits so it's the same form same application but the building permit wouldn't mean like my 5x5 Rubber Maid shed and the uh the building permit kicks in at 200 square F feet oh okay so it be three three structures that are above that okay so why the five structures like is there a need like I know you say equipment is that one like insulated with well one I have because I have two collector V well a collector vehicle and another vehicle that I have in there and the other one has like tools and I got a riding lawn mower and then I've got you know yard stuff that you have your outdoor lawn stuff and I have some other stuff that's stored in there because my house isn't that big so kind of got my own storage facility for some things on the property and again you know got some wood cuz I got a you know outdoor little fire pits I got some split wood into one building and you know so again why the five different in just because that's how it just kind of came to be in the sense I was one of the buildings I was going to buy a piece of property south of town but the county said because there wasn't a structure on it all the things I'd have to go do just to put on a building I wanted it for a lawn more and things to maintain the the site there and I had already ordered the building otherwise it wouldn't have been there would have had the two structures there but since I already had the building order and everything I had to keep the building so that's where it went otherwise I would only had two that I put in and I could use it so I mean you know it's always useful space so were there were three there when you first bought the property two okay well the little ones you know sure that are small just like garden shed you know how many years have have you been there be 25 years this year okay all right and again been improving the property and that's all put cement down so they're not you know sitting on dirt and they're all steel sided steel roof and you know and and I painted the house to match the buildings and I just got my roof on the house re- roofed kind of that it kind of matches the buildings too so trying to make it aesthetically pretty and the neighbors were kind of the one neighbor said well are we going to be able to see the deer cuz the deer come in I said well I all got it on that one side so she says oh that's good you know I have more problem with the deer in the yard than I do neighbors but nobody seemed to have a an issue with it at all that's why I said when this all came about I went around everybody and you know they're all and and they bigger properties out there really I mean when you say half acre but you go out there and look that whole side over there takes me an hour and 45 minutes just to mow the lawn out there you know so it's it's a fairly sizable property but the buildings are all kind of situated in one location so they're not really obtrusive to the neighbors do you have to drive through the current garage to get no no no no that's just I had a patio behind the current garage and I just extended that with all cement so in the winter time I can snow blow and keep it cleaned off nice so if I you're saying the lot is bigger than typical for a lot does that oh well for in town for in town I mean out there the lots are all much bigger than you know in town but because of that are you required to have bigger lawn equipments for like well I that's why I got a riding lawnmower and then again I've got like a roller which is you know fairly sizable and a thatcher and so some of those things are in the buildings because they take up a lot of space and I got a bagger unit for the rider and so it it kind of consumes up a lot of space and the the garage that's attached to the house is small it's not even a standard double it's only like 20 by 20 and and I got a motorcycle and so I don't like climbing over things to get at what I need and it just made it convenient to have things I'm a pretty organized person so I didn't want stuff outside you know in the yard because before I had a motor home and that was in back on a slab and I had since got rid of that because I did don't want to again make an eyesore for the Neighbors you know any more questions Commissioners for the hly or for the all right thank you thank you anybody ready to make a motion I am I'd make a motion to approve um based on the neighbor agreen I guess being the buildings I know there's other structures in that same neighborhood I know they're maybe single structures but I don't I think I don't see any issue with this so i' make a motion to approve okay U with the contingency yes second right thank you we have a motion from commissioner Bartley and a second from commissioner shck to recommend to council to approve the request for the variance on the number of accessory structures contingent on the approval from the next door neighbor to the W T approving the less than 5 foot setback that thorough enough very good any further discussion all in favor of the motion please say I I all oppos no motion carries 70 request is re approved anything else Miss Wallace nope just uh you guys will see our comp plan in about a year we're in the middle of working on it if you see anything we're gonna have a we're gonna have a a workshop January 15th at 4M out at the Nature Center Ruby wner Park your calendars and then this is Brad lindberg's last meeting thank you for your service Brad appreciate it really yeah um and then we do have uh Mark mayor's on our Council agenda to be approved for the filling Brad spot so luckily we got someone right away so we can make sure we get a quorum and and then uh I think this is our last meeting before the holidays so wish you happy holiday thank you too and I've enjoyed working with everybody it's been it's been well it's four years already hard hard to believe four years want buy that fast and I just had a birthday with a zero in it so it it [Laughter] was anything else Commissioners thank you commissioner Lindberg for your service thank you you're very welcome it's been a pleasure all right I will entertain a motion to adjourn so moved second thank you a motion from commissioner burrow and second from commissioner Norman to adjourn any further discussion all in favor of the motion please say I I I oppose no motion carries we are adjourned