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The owner of a residence on Plateau Street that is bringing the historic home back to life after damage from a lightning strike, was approved last week by Taylors Falls City Council to position a new “carriage house” style garage on an adjacent vacant lot, which he also owns.  

Council heard the Heritage Preservation Commission and planning commission  support awarding the variance from  current city code needed to make this garage a reality. Plus, no member of the public had anything negative to add.  

Zoning Administrator Elizabeth Haas observed that the applicant Seth Matters, went “above and beyond” the usual effort in submitting a standout garage design and information packet.

Taylors Falls Mayor Brandon Weiberg was absent for the Tuesday meeting (rescheduled because of a Monday holiday) but the other council members all saw this as a commendable project, albeit on an oddly configured site.  The variance from usual rules is to end up with a 30 foot driveway versus one that would be over 100 feet long if Matters were to to comply with code.

Another awarded variance affects a residence on River Street. Haas explained this district adjacent to the river is held to slightly stricter impervious surface standards than other parts of town.  The building permit request to replace a deteriorated deck put the lot impervious coverage at 24 percent and in this zoning district, council was told, impervious surface should be no more  than 20 percent of the lot.

Council members expressed that they would have thought decks could be considered permeable.  Any solid surfaces, including walkways, are classified as part of the calculation of impervious, Haas advised.

Because the deck will not impact the river visually and because the size is comparable to the existing aging deck— which apparently was code non-compliant all along—council approved this project 4-0.

Administrator Haas cautioned council that with the small lots that make up this restrictive run-off district in the city, there could be additional variance applications like this,  as aging properties need to be maintained.

In other action council appointed Khrissie Linrooth to a vacancy on the city planning commission.

A purchase of six security cameras was approved, for $3,200, to better surveille the area around city hall property.

Miscellaneous concrete work and a sidewalk repair at 661 Bench Street were given to Mid State masonry, the only company able to tackle this so late in the season.

Council also authorized Haas to sign an agreement starting the wheels in motion with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources which is footing up to $25,000 of the costs for replacing the Lions Park southern boat ramp.  The work may not happen until 2027 so that access to the site off the river can be timed with hydroelectric facility work,  when the dam flow is greatly curtailed.  

The boat ramp is subject to damage by river ice, acting Mayor Lee Samuelson remarked, and he and everybody thanked Haas for her extensive efforts coordinating with the state on this agreement.

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