4.1. BASR 08-28-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• call in a landscape designer to help us with this process. We want to blend in with the natural areas. We also request permission to build a walkout basement for the following reasons: We request this variance because we need, not just want a walkout basement. In 1992, Shirley was diagnosed with crippling arthritis. We presently live in Eden Prairie in a multilevel home. It has become increasingly impossible for Shirley to take stairs of any kind. So,we decided to build a retirement home on our Elk River property (a one level home). A home with little or no stairs. This also includes stairs into and out of the home. We know the main flight of stairs inside the home between the house and basement is unavoidable. But, a chair lift can be installed to overcome this problem. The house has been planned with declining health and age in mind. it is an open concept plan with wide doors that are wheelchair friendly. Attention has been paid to other details such as the lever door handles which are easier to grasp than traditional door handles. We are Senior Citizens without children to rely on. We are on our own and so we have planned this house to fit our health needs. A place to grow old or should we say older in. We feel we need the walkout basement for personal safety. A place we can walkout on grade rather than use stairs. A place we can drive a motorized cart or a riding lawn mower to—to load and unload, to bring items in and out of the basement. This basement will be more than a basement. It will have a room for our computer and an exercise room (important for maintaining joint flexibility and lessening stiffness for 111 Shirley), a woodworking shop (Henry's hobby) and a family room (to house our toys— we have a jukebox, a pinball machine, a popcorn machine and an old player piano which Shirley plays on occasionally to keep her fingers limber). This big old piano could only be moved in from the outside—it would never go down a staircase. Eighteen years ago, Henry was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration. He has lost the center vision of the left eye and is slowly losing the center vision of the right eye. Twelve years ago, Shirley was diagnosed with Glaucoma. We both require a lot of light—as much light as possible with these eye diseases. We need to have lots of big windows to bring lots of light in from outdoors. This is especially true in the basement. A walkout with large patio doors and windows would give us much needed light. Shirley is also concerned about her safety and feels only a walkout would meet her physical needs. She worries about being in the basement for one reason or another (exercising, playing the piano, on the computer) and having a medical emergency or god forbid, a house fire of some type. She feels she may be trapped if she needed to exit the building quickly. The chair lift would be too slow. Walking out on a level grade still works for her and would be the safest way out. We do not want your pity or sympathy, but we do hope you will appreciate the efforts we have made to make this home fit our health needs. As we age, we wish to be self-reliant and independent and not a burden to society. We feel this walkout basement is not just a wish on a wish list but something we truly need for our safety and well being. •