Waukesha Board of Zoning Appeals Grants Dimensional Variance for 1730 Hunter Road Shed on October 12, 2026

The City of Waukesha Board of Zoning Appeals met on Monday, October 12, 2026, in Council Chambers at Waukesha City Hall, 201 Delafield Street, Waukesha, WI 53188. The agenda listed the meeting for 4:00 PM. Board members present were Tim Nickage, Christy D'Angelo, Eric Dunst, and Kevin Riley. The board approved prior minutes, heard one appeal, and unanimously granted Christopher Strike a dimensional variance to construct a shed at 1730 Hunter Road. The agenda attachment for the zoning denial letter is labeled 1720 Hunter Road, a discrepancy with the 1730 Hunter Road address used in the appeal, staff presentation, and applicant's testimony.

Consent Calendar

• ID#26-04349: The board approved the August 10, 2026 meeting minutes. Tim Nickage moved approval, Eric Dunst seconded, and the motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

Discussion Items

• No public comment was made from anyone not related to the pending appeal.
• City staff presented the sole new business item, ID#26-04348. The property is a corner lot near Minooka Park. The applicable code, Section 22.03(6)(A)(4), requires a street side accessory building's minimum setback to be aligned with the street side elevation of the principal building. Staff showed that the rear yard and interior side yard have steep grade changes; the interior side yard also contains a large mature tree. The requested street side yard location is flatter and would be screened from Hunter Road and Guthrie Road by an approximately 28-foot-wide terraced landscaping easement held by a neighborhood/homeowners association. Staff stated the street side setback was the only code requirement at issue.
• Christopher Strike, the applicant and owner of 1730 Hunter Road, testified that he currently has no shed, his garage is full, and he had been in discussion with the homeowners association but needed city approval before returning to the HOA. He said the proposed location is at a similar grade to the house and that he could pour a concrete slab if needed. He also stated he understood that, as the property owner, he is responsible for maintaining the terrace area.
• Board members discussed consistency with an earlier similar case. Some members initially said the applicant had other permissible locations and expressed concern about setting precedent. Others found this case distinguishable because of the steep grades, the mature tree, the HOA landscaping berm acting as a buffer, and the value of HOA review. Members also noted that placing the shed in other allowed spots would be more difficult and expensive due to grade changes. The board concluded that the corner-lot conditions were unusual and that the requested location was reasonable.

Key Outcomes

• The board unanimously affirmed all four required findings for a dimensional variance:
  1. Exceptional or extraordinary circumstances apply to the property that do not apply generally to other properties in the same zoning district.
  2. The variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of substantial property rights possessed by other properties in the same zoning district and vicinity.
  3. The variance is not requested solely for economic gain or loss, and self-imposed hardship was not considered a ground for granting it.
  4. The variance will not substantially harm adjacent property and will not materially impair the purpose and intent of the zoning code or the public interest.
• After the findings, a board member moved to grant the appeal and variance for 1730 Hunter Road; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously by voice vote.
• The applicant was told he could take the decision to his homeowners association for the next step. City staff said a confirmation letter would be sent in the coming days.
• A motion to adjourn was made, seconded by Eric Dunst, and the meeting ended.