City Hall  
City of La Crosse, Wisconsin  
400 La Crosse Street  
La Crosse, WI 54601  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Board of Zoning Appeals  
Monday, November 17, 2025  
4:00 PM  
Council Chambers  
City Hall, First Floor  
Call to Order  
Chair Cherf called the meeting to order and explained the meeting procedures.  
Roll Call  
5 -  
Present:  
Anastasia Gentry, Ben Stepanek, Douglas Farmer, James Cherf,James  
Szymalak  
Variance Appeals:  
An appeal regarding the requirement that an accessory structure be setback  
two (2) feet to the projecting roof overhang at property known as 225 15th  
Street South, La Crosse, Wisconsin.  
2697  
Meeting went into recess at 4:07 p.m. to allow time for owner of 221 15th St S to arrive  
and reconvened at 4:17 p.m.  
The Board decided to hear both appeals together.  
Andy Berzinski, representing the Building & Inspections Department, was sworn in to  
speak. Berzinski reviewed the three requirements to grant a variance: unnecessary  
hardship, hardship due to unique property limitations, and no harm to public interest.  
He stated that the applicants applied for a permit to construct a new detached garage  
that does not meet the required minimum side yard setback. Per Municipal Code Sec.  
115-390(2)(C), detached accessory buildings in the rear yard shall maintain minimum  
rear yard and side yard setbacks of two feet including roof line. A variance of two feet  
would need to be granted to each property for this project to proceed as proposed.  
Berzinski showed an aerial view of the properties and current shared garage. Farmer  
asked if the current two-car garage is split between the two properties and the  
proposed plan will be bigger. Berzinski confirmed. Berzinski showed the proposed  
plans including a firewall and foundation protecting each side individually. He showed  
site plans including the two-foot rear setback, and street-view images of the properties  
and current shared garage. Berzinski stated that there is no unnecessary hardship  
because both properties can continue to be used as single-family dwellings and having  
to remove a fence and obtain easements is not a hardship. He added that there are no  
unique property limitations because both lots are similar in size to most lots in the City  
and there is enough room to build separate garages on each property. He stated that  
there is harm to public interest because it sets a precedent to grant similar variances  
in the future.  
Cherf asked about the width of the shared driveway. Berzinski stated he did not have  
the specific measurement. Stepanek asked if shared garages are common in the City.  
Berzinski stated that there are some but it is not common.  
Todd Mandel, 225 15th St S, was sworn in to speak. Mandel, answering Cherf's earlier  
question, stated that the driveway is about one car width at the street and two car  
widths at the garage entrance. He stated that they currently have the shared garage  
and driveway that is divided evenly at the middle by the property line. He stated that the  
garage is in poor shape and needs to be replaced. He added that the current shared  
driveway is due to the lack of rear alley access because of a multi-family parcel on the  
block. He stated that building two garages would create issues like dead space and,  
more significantly, would require the current driveway to be redone. He added that the  
current garage is built on the back line of the lots with the property line going through  
the middle and the proposed plan is to take it two feet off the back line and keep the  
midline through the middle of the garage. He stated that the current garage has no wall  
separating the two sides.  
The applicant for 221 15th St S was present and did not wish to speak.  
A motion was made by Szymalak, seconded by Farmer, to grant a variance of  
the 2 feet to the required side yard setback (motion covers both properties at  
225 15th St S and 221 15th St S). The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 - Gentry, Stepanek, Farmer, Cherf,Szymalak  
Yes:  
An appeal regarding the requirement that an accessory structure be set back  
two (2) feet to the projecting roof overhang at property known as 221 15th  
Street South, La Crosse, Wisconsin.  
2698  
The Board decided to hear both appeals together.  
Andy Berzinski, representing the Building & Inspections Department, was sworn in to  
speak. Berzinski reviewed the three requirements to grant a variance: unnecessary  
hardship, hardship due to unique property limitations, and no harm to public interests.  
He stated that the applicants applied for a permit to construct a new detached garage  
that does not meet the required minimum side yard setback. Per Municipal Code Sec.  
115-390(2)(C), detached accessory buildings in the rear yard shall maintain minimum  
rear yard and side yard setbacks of two feet including roof line. A variance of two feet  
would need to be granted to each property for this project to proceed as proposed.  
Berzinski showed an aerial view of the properties and current shared garage. Farmer  
asked if the current two-car garage is split between the two properties and the  
proposed plan will be bigger. Berzinski confirmed. Berzinski showed the proposed  
plans including a firewall and foundation protecting each side individually. He showed  
site plans including the two-foot rear setback, and street-view images of the properties  
and current shared garage. Berzinski stated that there is no unnecessary hardship  
because both properties can continue to be used as single-family dwellings and having  
to remove a fence and obtain easements is not a hardship. He added that there are no  
unique property limitations because both lots are similar in size to most lots in the City  
and there is enough room to build separate garages on each property. He stated that  
there is harm to public interest because it sets a precedent to grant similar variances  
in the future.  
Cherf asked about the width of the shared driveway. Berzinski stated he did not have  
the specific measurement. Stepanek asked how common shared garages are in the  
City. Berzinski stated that there are some but it is not common.  
Todd Mandel, 225 15th St S, was sworn in to speak. Mandel, answering Cherf's earlier  
question, stated that the driveway is about one car width at the street and two car  
widths at the garage entrance. He stated that they currently have the shared garage  
and driveway that is divided evenly at the middle by the property line. He stated that the  
garage is in poor shape and needs to be replaced. He added that the current shared  
driveway is due to the lack of rear alley access because of a multi-family parcel on the  
block. He stated that building two garages would create issues like dead space and,  
more significantly, would require the current driveway system to be redone. He added  
that the current garage is built on the back line of the lots with the property line going  
through the middle and the proposed plan is to take it two feet off the back line and  
keep the midline through the middle of the garage. He stated that the current garage  
has no wall separating the two sides.  
The applicant for 221 15th St S was present and did not wish to speak.  
A motion was made by Szymalak, seconded by Farmer, to grant a variance of  
the 2 feet to the required side yard setback (motion covers both properties at  
225 15th St S and 221 15th St S). The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 - Gentry, Stepanek, Farmer, Cherf,Szymalak  
Yes:  
Adjournment  
Meeting adjourned at 4:34 p.m.