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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6. Variance request justification v2Application for three-year Administrative Variance Renton Highland Manor 3612 NE 4th Street, Renton, WA 98056 APN: 0923059176 Variance Request Justification Request #1: Allow an exception to the requirement that minimum distance between mobile homes shall be 15 feet in cases where the rear end walls of two mobile homes abut each other back to back Explanation of request: o 24 of the community’s 49 homes are located on lots which abut other lots, back to back o Specifically, these 24 homes are the 24 homes that are located closest to the eastern boundary of the property. o The back of each of these lots is separated from the abutting lot by a 2’6” common area sidewalk o In almost all cases, the existing home on the lot uses essentially the entire depth of the lot. The rear end wall of the home is typically located approximately 12” from the rear lot line. There is then a 2’6” separation (due to the common area sidewalk). There is then approximately 12” to the rear end wall of the abutting home. o Thus, in practice, the total distance between the rear end walls of the two homes is typically 4’6” (12” setback + 2’6” sidewalk + 12” setback) o In practice, when bringing in new homes, it would be impossible to expand this existing 4’6” distance to the 15’ distance required per RMC 4-2-HOE. o The reason it is impossible to comply with the 15’ distance requirement is because of the small size of the existing lots, and the comparatively large size of the smallest manufactured homes that are commercially available. o The depth of these lots ranges from 53’ to 56’. o A typical scenario would be one where a resident wishes to bring in a new home, but their existing rear-abutting neighbor is not prepared to simultaneously upgrade their home, so the existing rear-abutting home remains in place. o In such a case, we would position the new home as far “forward” on the lot as possible, in order to maximize the distance between the new home and its rear-abutting neighbor. o But even then, the distance to the rear-abutting home range from 1’ (on a 53’ lot) to 4’ (on a 56’) lot, plus the 2’6” for the existing sidewalk, plus 12” from the sidewalk to the existing rear end wall of the neighboring home. In total, the distance would be 4’6” to 7’6”. o This does not meet the 15’ minimum distance standard, which is why a variance is being sought. North “Allow an exception to the requirement that minimum distance between mobile homes shall be 15 feet in cases where the rear end walls of two mobile homes abut each other back to back” North Requested alternative: 1) The minimum back-to-back distance between a new mobile home and an existing mobile home shall be 5 feet. 2) The minimum back-to-back distance between two new mobile homes shall be 10 feet. Required showings: 1) The applicant suffers practical difficulties and unnecessary hardship and the variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to subject property, including size, shape, topography, and location or surroundings of the subject property, and the strict application of the Zoning Code is found to deprive subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification. o The applicant suffers practical difficulties: In practical terms, if this variance is not granted, then for 26 of the mobile home park’s 49 lots, it will be impossible to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes, and those obsolete homes will remain in place permanently. This constitutes a practical difficulty. North o The applicant suffers a hardship: The applicant is one of the very few mobile home park owners who wants to upgrade their mobile home park in order to provide high-quality, attractive, and safe affordable housing. Obsolete aluminum 1960s mobile homes present a heightened health and safety risk to residents, and aesthetically detract from the neighborhood. To be permanently saddled with these obsolete homes creates a hardship for the applicant, as well as the applicant’s residents and neighbors. The specific hardships can be described as heightened fire risk, aesthetic blight, and economic hardship due to impact on rental revenue. o This hardship is unnecessary: This hardship can be readily avoided by granting a waiver to the 15’ minimum distance requirement for those specific lots where a 15’ minimum distance is physically impossible to achieve. o The variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, namely:  1. The small size of the mobile home lots at Renton Highland Manor. These lots were designed and built in the 1950s, prior to current zoning and building codes. And they were designed for homes which were smaller than today’s manufactured homes.  2. The peculiar lay-out of the mobile home lots at Renton Highland Manor, including back-to-back lot configurations which reduce the physical distance between units o The strict application of the Zoning Code deprives the subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification:  The ability to upgrade the mobile homes in a mobile home park is a fundamental, routine, and ongoing component of operating a mobile home park.  Mobile homes built in the 1960s are past their useful life. They are obsolete, energy-inefficient, out of compliance with current health and safety code, and need to be replaced.  Other mobile home park owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification have the right to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes.  Indeed, the City’s regulatory process for mobile homes (including guidelines on how mobile home park owners are allowed to install new homes) takes for granted a basic proposition: that mobile home park owners have the right and the privilege to remove obsolete homes from their parks and replace those homes with new homes. 2) The granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated. o The granting of the variance will allow obsolete, non-code- compliant, eyesore mobile homes to be replaced by safe, attractive, contemporary manufactured homes. o This will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated. o If anything, this will be beneficial to the public welfare and to the property and improvements in the vicinity, because it will reduce the risk of fire, beautify the community, and raise property values. 3) The approval does not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the limitation upon uses of other properties in the vicinity and zone in which the subject property is situated.  The approval does not constitute a special privilege for Renton Highland Manor vis-à-vis other properties in the vicinity and zone, because there is no change in density or change in use.  The existing use and existing density remains in effect – but will be safer and more attractive.  This actually benefits the other properties in the vicinity and zone. 4) The approval is the minimum variance that will accomplish the desired purpose. o Due to the small size of the lots at Renton Highland Manor, five feet is the minimum back-to-back clearance that will allow us to install a new home on a lot that backs up to an obsolete home. Request #2: Allow an exception to the requirement that minimum distance between mobile homes shall be 15 feet in cases where side-to-side clearances do not permit 15 foot clearances Explanation of request: o Typical lots at Renton Highland Manor are 30’ to 32’ wide o These lots must accommodate the width of a manufactured home, as well as the width of a parked car o The typical width of a manufactured home that is viable on these lots is 22’ 10” (e.g. Skyline Westridge model E920CT) or 23’ 4” (e.g., Fleetwood Weston Super Value model 24382V). Such homes accommodate three bedrooms in orde to meet the needs of the existing residents at the property, which primarily consist of families with four to six family members per household. o It is possible to obtain new manufactured homes that are 14’ or 15’ wide, but such homes would be single-wide homes, park model RVs, or tiny homes, with one or possibly two bedrooms, which does not meet the need of the multi-generational family demographic at Renton Highland Manor. o Homes that are 22’ 10” wide or 23’ 4” meet the demographic needs of our resident population. o In our experience managing 19 mobile home parks in 4 states, 8’ is the minimum viable width for parking on a mobile home lot. Eight feet of width will accommodate most vehicles o After the 8’ of width for a driveway, the neighboring lot may have an existing home on it which is essentially all the way up to the lot line. In such a case, there would be a total of 8’ of distance between the two manufactured homes. North “Allow an exception to the requirement that minimum distance between mobile homes shall be 15 feet in cases where side-to-side clearances do not permit 15 foot clearances” Requested alternative:  The minimum side-to-side distance between all mobile homes (new and/or existing) shall be 8 feet for compliance with parking requirements, unless the applicant provides a parking analysis that demonstrates compliance with a minimum of two parking spaces per unit and provides a proposal for North North where the tenants will park if 8 feet is not provided on either side of the residence. If compliance with parking regulations can be adequately demonstrated, 5 feet (between new and existing units) will be taken into consideration until abutting units are replaced. Required showings: 1) The applicant suffers practical difficulties and unnecessary hardship and the variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to subject property, including size, shape, topography, and location or surroundings of the subject property, and the strict application of the Zoning Code is found to deprive subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification.  The applicant suffers practical difficulties: In practical terms, new manufactured homes less than 22’10” wide are not viable on this site. Thus, if this variance is not granted, then it will be impossible to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes, and the obsolete homes will remain in place permanently. This constitutes a practical difficulty.  The applicant suffers a hardship: The applicant is one of the very few mobile home park owners who wants to upgrade their mobile home park in order to provide high-quality, attractive, and safe affordable housing. Obsolete aluminum 1960s mobile homes present a heightened health and safety risk to residents, and aesthetically detract from the neighborhood. To be permanently saddled with these obsolete homes creates a hardship for the applicant, as well as the applicant’s residents and neighbors. The specific hardships can be described as heightened fire risk, aesthetic blight, and economic hardship due to impact on rental revenue.  This hardship is unnecessary: This hardship can be readily avoided by granting a waiver to the 15’ minimum distance requirement for those specific lots where a 15’ minimum distance is physically impossible to achieve.  The variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, namely, the small size of the mobile home lots at Renton Highland Manor. These lots were designed and built in the 1950s, prior to current zoning and building codes. And they were designed for homes which were smaller than today’s manufactured homes.  The strict application of the Zoning Code deprives the subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification:  The ability to upgrade the mobile homes in a mobile home park is a fundamental, routine, and ongoing component of operating a mobile home park.  Mobile homes built in the 1960s are past their useful life. They are obsolete, energy-inefficient, out of compliance with current health and safety code, and need to be replaced.  Other mobile home park owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification have the right to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes.  Indeed, the City’s regulatory process for mobile homes (including guidelines on how mobile home park owners are allowed to install new homes) takes for granted a basic proposition: that mobile home park owners have the right and the privilege to remove obsolete homes from their parks and replace those homes with new homes. 2) The granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated.  The granting of the variance will allow obsolete, non-code- compliant, eyesore mobile homes to be replaced by safe, attractive, contemporary manufactured homes.  This will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated.  If anything, this will be beneficial to the public welfare and to the property and improvements in the vicinity, because it will reduce the risk of fire, beautify the community, and raise property values. 3) The approval does not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the limitation upon uses of other properties in the vicinity and zone in which the subject property is situated. a. The approval does not constitute a special privilege for Renton Highland Manor vis-à-vis other properties in the vicinity and zone, because there is no change in density or change in use. b. The existing use and existing density remains in effect – but will be safer and more attractive. c. This actually benefits the other properties in the vicinity and zone. 4) The approval is the minimum variance that will accomplish the desired purpose. o As described above, the smallest viable home that we can place on these lots is 22’10” in width. This is the minimum home size that will accomplish the desired purpose. Given the configuration of the existing lots, this will result in a minimum side-to-side clearance between homes of 8’. Request #3: Allow an exception to the requirement that the minimum distance between a mobile home and a site-built service building shall be 15 feet Explanation of request: o Under RMC 4-2-HOE, there is 15’ of required distance between a mobile home and a site-built service building o At Renton Highland Manor, there is one site-built service building. It is a cinderblock building, approximately 600 square feet, used for laundry and storage. o There are approximately 6 mobile home lots abutting the service building o In the existing condition, as built, the homes on those lots do not uniformly maintain 15’ of distance to the service building o These lots were built before RMC 4-2-HOE was implemented, and the homes were installed before RMC 4-2-HOE was implemented o Maintaining 15’ of distance between new homes installed on these lots and the service building would make it impossible to install new homes on these lots North “Allow an exception to the requirement that the minimum distance between a mobile home and a site-built service building shall be 15 feet” Requested alternative:  The units shall maintain a distance of at least 5 feet of separation on all sides, for all units.  Therefore, the variance shall allow a distance of at least 5 feet between a mobile home and the site-built service building Required showings: 1) The applicant suffers practical difficulties and unnecessary hardship and the variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to subject property, including size, shape, topography, and location or surroundings of the subject property, and the strict application of the Zoning Code is found to deprive subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification.  The applicant suffers practical difficulties: The existing mobile home lots at Renton Highland Manor surrounding the service building, which were built before RMC 4-2-HOE was implemented, are configured in such a way that any new home installed on those lots will violate RMC 4-2-HOE, because there is not 15’ of clearance physically available. In practical terms, maintaining a 15 foot minimum distance between a mobile home North Pre-code lots are configured so that manufactured homes are sited less than 15’ from the site-built service building and the service building will make it impossible to install new homes on those lots. Thus, if this variance is not granted, then it will be impossible to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes, and the obsolete homes will remain in place permanently. This constitutes a practical difficulty.  The applicant suffers a hardship: The applicant is one of the very few mobile home park owners who wants to upgrade their mobile home park in order to provide high-quality, attractive, and safe affordable housing. Obsolete aluminum 1960s mobile homes present a heightened health and safety risk to residents, and aesthetically detract from the neighborhood. To be permanently saddled with these obsolete homes creates a hardship for the applicant, as well as the applicant’s residents and neighbors. The specific hardships can be described as heightened fire risk, aesthetic blight, and economic hardship due to impact on rental revenue.  This hardship is unnecessary: This hardship can be readily avoided by granting a waiver to the 15’ minimum distance requirement for those lots abutting the service building where a 15’ minimum distance is physically impossible to achieve.  The variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, namely: 1) The small size of the mobile home lots at Renton Highland Manor. These lots were designed and built in the 1950s, prior to current zoning and building codes. And they were designed for homes which were smaller than today’s manufactured homes. 2) The presence of a site-built service building at Renton Highland Manor 3) Existing lots abutting the service building, which are configured such that homes installed on those lots will be less than 15’ from the service building  The strict application of the Zoning Code deprives the subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification:  The ability to upgrade the mobile homes in a mobile home park is a fundamental, routine, and ongoing component of operating a mobile home park.  Mobile homes built in the 1960s are past their useful life. They are obsolete, energy-inefficient, out of compliance with current health and safety code, and need to be replaced.  Other mobile home park owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification have the right to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes.  Indeed, the City’s regulatory process for mobile homes (including guidelines on how mobile home park owners are allowed to install new homes) takes for granted a basic proposition: that mobile home park owners have the right and the privilege to remove obsolete homes from their parks and replace those homes with new homes. 2) The granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated.  The granting of the variance will allow obsolete, non-code- compliant, eyesore mobile homes to be replaced by safe, attractive, contemporary manufactured homes.  This will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated.  If anything, this will be beneficial to the public welfare and to the property and improvements in the vicinity, because it will reduce the risk of fire, beautify the community, and raise property values. 3) The approval does not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the limitation upon uses of other properties in the vicinity and zone in which the subject property is situated. a. The approval does not constitute a special privilege for Renton Highland Manor vis-à-vis other properties in the vicinity and zone, because there is no change in density or change in use. b. The existing use and existing density remains in effect – but will be safer and more attractive. c. This actually benefits the other properties in the vicinity and zone. 4) The approval is the minimum variance that will accomplish the desired purpose. o As described above, the existing condition includes homes that are less than 15’ from the service building. A five foot distance is the minimum variance that will allow new homes to be installed on these sites while still maintaining adequate fire safety standards. Request #4: Allow an exception to the requirement that minimum distance between a mobile home and a public street shall be 20 ft. Explanation of request: o Under RMC 4-2-HOE, there is 20 feet of required distance between a mobile home and any public street. o At Renton Highland Manor, 16 of the 49 existing mobile home lots at Renton Highland Manor abut a public street. Four homes abut NE 4th Street, and 12 homes abut Queen Avenue NE. o None of these 16 mobile homes have 20 feet of clearance to the public street. In fact, many of them have zero feet of clearance to the public street. o In order to replace these obsolete homes with new homes, it will be necessary to maintain the same positioning on the lot, which will require a distance of less than 20 feet between the home and property line. Requested alternative:  New units will not be placed within the 30 foot City of Renton utility easement on Queen Avenue.  No setback from the utility easement will be required.  Therefore, any new units abutting Queen Street may extend eastward as far as the utility easement, but shall extend no further eastward than the utility easement.  For other street frontages (i.e. NE 4th Street), the minimum street frontage setback shall be 10 feet. 1) The applicant suffers practical difficulties and unnecessary hardship and the variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to subject property, including size, shape, topography, and location or surroundings of the subject property, and the strict application of the Zoning Code is found to deprive subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification.  The applicant suffers practical difficulties: Sixteen of the 49 existing mobile home lots at Renton Highland Manor abut a public street. These mobile home lots, which were built before RMC 4- 2-HOE was implemented, are configured in such a way that any new home installed on those lots will violate RMC 4-2-HOE, because there is not 20’ of clearance physically available between these homes and the public street. In practical terms, maintaining a 20 foot minimum distance between a mobile home and the public street will make it impossible to install new homes on those lots. Thus, if this variance is not granted, then it will be impossible to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes, and the obsolete homes will remain in place permanently. This constitutes a practical difficulty.  The applicant suffers a hardship: The applicant is one of the very few mobile home park owners who wants to upgrade their mobile home park in order to provide high-quality, attractive, and safe affordable housing. Obsolete aluminum 1960s mobile homes present a heightened health and safety risk to residents, and aesthetically detract from the neighborhood. To be permanently saddled with these obsolete homes creates a hardship for the applicant, as well as the applicant’s residents and neighbors. The specific hardships can be described as heightened fire risk, aesthetic blight, and economic hardship due to impact on rental revenue.  This hardship is unnecessary: This hardship can be readily avoided by granting a waiver to the 20’ minimum distance requirement for those lots abutting the public street, when a 20’ minimum distance is physically impossible to achieve.  The variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, namely: 1) The location of the existing lots at Renton Highland Manor in relation to public streets. These lots were designed to abut Queen Avenue (with zero feet of clearance), and to be separated from NE 4th Street by the width of the sidewalk, which is approximately 5’.  The strict application of the Zoning Code deprives the subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification:  The ability to upgrade the mobile homes in a mobile home park is a fundamental, routine, and ongoing component of operating a mobile home park.  Mobile homes built in the 1960s are past their useful life. They are obsolete, energy-inefficient, out of compliance with current health and safety code, and need to be replaced.  Other mobile home park owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification have the right to replace obsolete mobile homes with new homes.  Indeed, the City’s regulatory process for mobile homes (including guidelines on how mobile home park owners are allowed to install new homes) takes for granted a basic proposition: that mobile home park owners have the right and the privilege to remove obsolete homes from their parks and replace those homes with new homes. 2) The granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated.  The granting of the variance will allow obsolete, non-code- compliant, eyesore mobile homes to be replaced by safe, attractive, contemporary manufactured homes.  This will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated.  If anything, this will be beneficial to the public welfare and to the property and improvements in the vicinity, because it will reduce the risk of fire, beautify the community, and raise property values.  Indeed, from a neighborhood aesthetics perspective, the obsolete mobile homes that abut the exterior property line are exactly the homes that need to be replaced. These are the most visible homes, and the neighborhood would benefit from having them replaced. 3) The approval does not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the limitation upon uses of other properties in the vicinity and zone in which the subject property is situated. a. The approval does not constitute a special privilege for Renton Highland Manor vis-à-vis other properties in the vicinity and zone, because there is no change in density or change in use. b. The existing use and existing density remains in effect – but will be safer and more attractive. c. This actually benefits the other properties in the vicinity and zone. 4) The approval is the minimum variance that will accomplish the desired purpose. o As described above, the community was designed such that many of the mobile homes literally abut Queen Avenue. Our desired purpose is to replace obsolete homes with new, safe, code-compliant homes. Given the dimensions of the lots, the location of the lots in relation to Queen Ave and NE 4th Street, and the dimensions of commercially available manufactured homes, the minimum variance that will accomplish the desired purpose is the requested variance.