Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ohio strike team arrests Medford shooting suspect at gunpoint ... Annual Food for Hope drive kicks off for ACCESS ... I-5 interchange work spurs commercial boost in downtown Phoenix ... Ohio strike team arrests Medford shooting suspect at gunpoint ... Annual Food for Hope drive kicks off for ACCESS ... I-5 interchange work spurs commercial boost in downtown Phoenix ... CITY CODES Cramped for space Some want to convert garages for extra room, but Medford code doesn't allow it — yet Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Nov. 16, 2015 at 5:52 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Nov. 16, 2015 at 5:52 PM » Social News Kathy Herried needed a little more room in her Medford house for her grandchildren, so she began thinking about converting her two-car garage to enlarge her living space. “I just had a new grandbaby last night,” the east Medford resident said Monday. “I just need more living space.” Herried, who uses her garage for storage rather than as a place for vehicles, discovered that Medford code wouldn’t allow converting a garage into living space, so she welcomes a proposal by the Planning Department to change the rules. She said she doesn’t understand the city ordinance that requires residents to have a garage for vehicles, even if they don’t park anything inside it. “If they’re not enforcing parking cars in the garage, what difference does it make?” Herried said. The Medford Planning Commission seems to agree and has recommended allowing conversion of a garage as long as there is enough paved parking on a property for two spaces and no encroachment onto sidewalks by parked vehicles. Under existing code, driveways don’t count for off-street parking. The Planning Commission recommendation could be voted on Thursday by City Council. Medford planner Carla Paladino said that if the new ordinance is passed, residents will need to show they have adequate off-street parking before converting their garages. The driveway distance from the property line to the front of the existing garage will need to be sufficient to handle the length of a vehicle. Other paved areas such as alongside garages might also qualify, she said. Paladino said she has received two requests recently from residents who want to convert garages into living space. Many cities require covered parking areas for vehicles unless the construction of the property predates current building codes. Most cities have many houses without garages or with just a single-car garage. Herried said her current garage is used for storage and not for parking. She cites as an example a relative’s garage in Central Point that was converted into living space. “It was very nicely done,” Herried said. The house, owned by Ann Britt, was built in 1968, and the garage was converted into a play room and bedroom in 1974. More recently, the former play room has become her prayer room, and the bedroom portion of the garage is now once again a single-car garage. Britt said she is sure the garage conversion was done with all the required permits at the time. However, under Central Point’s current building code, the requirement is to have two covered spaces per residence, which would mean either a carport or garage. Tom Humphrey, Central Point community development director, said the state didn’t really have much in the way of building codes until the 1970s and 1980s. Humphrey said some residents in the city who have three-car garages obtain permits to convert a portion into living space and still meet the code requirements of having two covered spaces. He said he’s also had instances where planners have made mistakes and granted permission for people to convert their garages into living space. As to Britt’s 40-year-old remodel of her garage, Humphrey said he wasn’t concerned. “If it was enclosed in the '70s, we’re not going to go after her,” he said. “That’s water under the bridge.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @reporterDM . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Nov. 16, 2015 at 5:52 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501