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Date Application Received: 03/19/2025 <br />Date Application Considered as Complete: 03/25/2025 <br />60-Day Review Period Expires: 05/24/2025 <br /> <br /> <br />To: Chair Bollis and Planning Commission Members <br /> Adam Edwards, City Administrator <br /> <br />From: Melanie Curtis, Planner mcc <br /> <br />Date: 21 April 2025 <br /> <br />Subject: #LA25-000012, PKA Architecture o/b/o Joseph & Crystal Wald, 1205 Tonkawa Rd, <br />Variances - Public Hearing <br /> <br /> <br />Background <br />A new home is under construction on the property. The applicant requests approvals to reconstruct an <br />existing legal, nonconforming “boathouse” accessory building located approximately 20 feet from the OHWL <br />of Lake Minnetonka and within the 100-year floodplain. A <br />portion of the property is located below the 100-year floodplain <br />elevation of 931.5’. Because the existing building does not <br />conform to the floodplain low floor elevation it cannot be rebuilt <br />in-kind. The applicant proposes to add fill in the floodplain to <br />elevate the building one foot to meet the minimum low floor <br />requirements. <br /> <br />The fill requires a floodplain alteration permit from the <br />Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (Exhibit I) and will result in <br />a one-foot vertical expansion of the building within the ALS and <br />75-foot lake setback. The proposal includes a variance from the <br />requirement to provide a 15-foot-wide “rescue bench” of fill <br />around the elevated building. Due to the building’s proximity to <br />the lake, it cannot be accomplished on the lake side of the <br />building. Additionally, the applicant proposes to install plumbing <br />fixtures in the new building, which is considered to be an <br />expansion of the use of the existing building. <br /> <br />Practical Difficulties Analysis <br />Applicant’s Analysis: The applicant has identified the existing <br />building location, the site’s unique topography, which includes <br />areas of floodplain and bluff as practical difficulties supporting <br />the requested variances. Additionally, they have provided <br />supporting documentation regarding Practical Difficulties, <br />attached as Exhibit C, and should be asked for additional <br />testimony regarding the application. <br /> <br /> <br />Application Summary: The applicant is requesting average lakeshore setback (ALS) and 75-foot lake <br />setback variances for an in-kind replacement of an accessory building, elevated on fill to meet FEMA <br />floodplain regulations; plumbing fixtures, including a sink, toilet, and a shower, are also proposed <br />Staff Recommendation: Planning Department Staff recommends approval. <br />Existing Boathouse <br />Proposed Boathouse <br />82