Orleans board grants three variances to Reeder to rebuild lakeshore house

The Orleans Zoning Board of Adjustment on July 15 unanimously approved three variances to allow Brent and Kara Reeder to remove a nonconforming house and rebuild at 24666 140th Street.

The board approved a variance reducing required left and right yard setbacks to 3 inches from the minimum five feet, a minimum lot-area variance from 7,500 square feet to approximately 1,808 square feet, and a lot-width variance from 50 feet to 16 feet (the lot measures 16 feet wide and 113 feet deep). Member Schmidt moved to approve the setback variance, Member Hanby seconded; the vote was 5-0. Subsequent motions to approve the lot-area and lot-width variances carried by the same 5-0 roll-call margins.

At the public hearing neighbors provided support in writing (Rex and Jan Ramsey; Roger and Jo Obbink) and three people spoke in favor: Peggi Olson, Steve (Steven) Reeder and Sarah Haver. The board applied the four statutory variance factors to each request and recorded that the first factor was met and the remaining three were not met; despite that finding the board approved the three variances by unanimous votes.

The application seeks to replace an existing nonconforming lakeshore house with a proposed structure measuring about 54 feet 6 inches by 15 feet 6 inches. The minutes record no conditions attached to the approvals. The meeting adjourned at 5:26 p.m.

The staff reading earlier in the meeting referenced recent changes to Iowa Code sections 335.14 and 414.12 that apply a new standard to numerical variance requests; the local zoning ordinance is being amended to incorporate that language.