Appeal Memo City Council
Memorandum
To: City of Chanhassen Mayor and City Council
From: Eric Maass, AICP, EDFP, Community Development Director
Rachel Arsenault, Associate Planner
Date: July 3, 2024
Re: Resident Appeal to Planning Commission Variance Approval at 6251 Teton Lane
On June 18, 2024, the Planning Commission held a public hearing for a variance request to
allow for the construction of a ground mounted residential solar array at property located
at 6251 Teton Lane. The property that applied for the variance is zoned Residential Single
Family (RSF) and is 2.13 acres in size. The City’s zoning code allows for solar panels to be
added to a property by building permit if the solar panels are going to be located on the
roof. If the solar array is not going to be located on the roof and is proposed to be a ground
mounted system then a variance is required.
The staff report presented to the Planning Commission and recommended approval of the
requested variance based upon staff’s opinion that the request met the seven
requirements to justify a variance approval. Following presentation by city staff, the
required public hearing, and discussion amongst the Planning Commission, the Planning
Commission approved the variance as recommend by city staff but with the addition of a
condition that the applicant plant additional evergreen plantings on the southern property
line in response to the adjacent neighbors concern about possible visibility of the array
from their home. The Planning Commission directed staff to determine the location of the
additional screening as well as the height of the plantings at instillation and adopted the
findings of fact with that additional requirement.
On June 21st an appeal of the Planning Commissions approval was filed by Karon and
Gerald Story who reside at 6281 Teton Lane.
Staff conducted a property visit on June 24th and observed the proposed location of the
solar array in the northeast corner of the property. The below images were taken by staff
facing all directions to provide a view of the existing vegetative screening on the property.
View looking south (towards property that filed appeal) View looking east
View looking west View looking north
The view looking south is the view facing towards the property owned by Karon and Gerald
Story at 6281 Teton Lane. Based on the Findings of Fact adopted by the Planning
Commission that directed staff to identify location and size of planting to be added to the
southern property line Staff has indicated that based upon the site visit that an additional
four evergreen trees shall be planted along the southern property line and that those
evergreens should be a minimum of four (4) feet in height at installation. Tree height will be
measured from finished grade following planting to the top of the plant. Those four
evergreens shall be planted based on the following diagram:
Possible City Council Actions:
1. Affirm the Planning Commission variance approval and findings of fact which would
uphold the variance approval and the requirement of the additional plantings.
2. Deny the variance request. The City Council should provide its findings to support a
variance denial.