The Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association welcomes the opportunity to work with homeowners requesting a variance and their nearby neighbors to ensure that all parties are satisfied with the process and that the resulting project is a beneficial addition to our neighborhood.
Variance reviews are conducted by LYNAS and the City of Minneapolis. When a homeowner files a request for variance on a building project with the City, feedback from LYNAS is taken into advisement and read at the variance hearing, where it may or may not affect the granting of the variance.
The LYNAS variance review is independent of the City’s process and is handled separately. For homeowners, contractors, architects and others requesting a variance in Lynnhurst, the neighborhood variance review process goes like this:
- Following the initial variance request with the City, the homeowner contacts the Lynnhurst Variance Chairperson (see below) to provide a description and location of the proposed project.
- The homeowner is then asked to collect signatures from neighbors with a direct sightline to the proposed project. A sheet can be created saying “I, the undersigned, do not oppose the granting of the variance at [address].” A copy of this sheet, complete with the neighbor signatures, can then be given to the Variance Chairperson.
- A time is set up for the Variance Chairperson to visit the proposed project site and see any available plans in order to describe the project to the LYNAS Board. This visit should take less than 10 minutes.
- Assuming there are no neighbor or Board objections, the Variance Chairperson will draft responses to the City Councilperson and the Zoning Committee saying that the neighborhood does not oppose the granting of the variance. If there are objections or conflicts, the Board may choose to abstain from commenting or oppose the granting of the variance.
Questions related to the Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association’s role in the variance process should be directed to Mike O’Brien, Variance Chairperson. Call 612-827-6768 or email mobrienmpls@gmail.com, Subject: Variance Submission Request.