Board Of Zoning Appeals Meeting 10/03/2022 – Will Vote On Variance Requests For 6 Different Properties

The Board of Zoning Appeals is meeting 10/03/2022 at 7PM. They have a full slate of variance requests to review.

1. Pathways Church is wanting to install lighting that is not full cutoff design but the Zoning Ordinance requires full cutoff design for exterior lighting. [My understanding is that, in layman’s terms, full cutoff light fixtures direct light only below the light and not upward.] The church is claiming that other properties are sufficiently far away that they would not be impacted by another type of lighting and it would be a financial hardship to install full cutoff lighting. [It sounds like they have a tough case to make.]

2. A property on Fourth Street is wanting to construct an accessory building that would be in the front yard. No supporting documentation for the variance request was included in the agenda packet; however, I grew up in this neighborhood and can say the lot is uncommonly small.

3. Chick-fil-A is opening a location in the parking lot of the Northland Mall. They would like to orient their drive-thru in a way that maximizes the number of available parking spaces and decreases the safety risk to pedestrians; however, that orientation is at odds with city code.

4. A property on Haddonstone Drive is wanting to install a poll that would increase the lot coverage to 55% even though city code limits lot coverage to a maximum of 40% in R1A Zoning Districts. No supporting documents were included with the agenda packet.

5. A property on Heidemann Drive is wanting to erect an 8’ tall fence in the rear yard, but city code only allows a maximum fence height of 6’. Again, no supporting documentation was included in the agenda packet.

6. A property on E. Florida Drive is wanting to erect a 6’ tall fence on their front property line that is also on the vision corner. City code allows fences of no more than 3’ high in each of those situations. This one looks like it may be of particular interest because the property owner is claiming that Inspections Supervisor Kurt Craanen himself signed off on the permit for the fence and then several weeks later informed the property owners that their fence was not in compliance with city code. This lot is also a corner lot and, as seems to be a common phenomenon, the property owners are confused as to why they are considered to have two front yards.

View full meeting details here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=999379&GUID=FF8090EF-1757-461C-9CDA-09E2CF1CABE7