Watertown Board Approves Garage Expansion Variance for 8th Street SE Home
- Steve Jurrens
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown Board of Adjustment on Thursday approved a front yard setback variance allowing a garage expansion at 224 8th Street SE, located in the R‑2A Single Family Attached Residential District.
The request, submitted by Amber J. Jansen and Sam Schroeder, sought permission to match the existing garage’s 15.3‑foot front setback along the south property line. City ordinance requires a 25‑foot front yard setback, meaning the project needed a 9.7‑foot variance.
Project Details
The applicants plan to construct an 18‑by‑24‑foot (432 sq. ft.) addition to the existing attached garage. The current garage is approximately 690 sq. ft., and the combined size remains within the district’s maximum allowable attached‑garage square footage of 1,122 sq. ft.
Schroeder told the board the addition is needed to allow the homeowners to convert part of the existing garage into a main‑floor bathroom, which the home currently lacks. Extending the garage in line with the existing structure preserves the number of garage stalls.
Staff Review and Site Conditions
City staff noted several factors supporting the request:
· The property has double frontage, with both the west and south lot lines classified as front yards.
· The variance applies only to the south frontage, which serves as the primary vehicular access.
· The right‑of‑way along 3rd Avenue South is 80 feet wide, larger than typical 66‑foot rights‑of‑way, providing additional separation from the street.
· There are no sidewalks along the south frontage.
· The addition does not exceed garage size limits and maintains required setbacks on the opposite frontage.
Board members also discussed the lot’s limited size — a typical 50‑by‑100‑foot Old Town lot — and noted that any future detached garage proposal off the alley would still be constrained by setback requirements and reviewed separately.
Public Hearing
Schroeder appeared in person to represent the applicants. He confirmed that existing patio pavers would be removed and replaced with a new foundation for the addition. No opponents spoke during the hearing.
Board member Todd Kays moved to approve the variance, citing the board’s long‑standing practice of allowing inline extensions of existing structures and the unique conditions of the lot, including the wider right‑of‑way.
“The uniqueness of this lot and the large right‑of‑way make this request reasonable,” Kays said. “They’re still maintaining green space, and any future garage request would come back to us.”
The board approved the variance unanimously by roll call.
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