FAIRMONT — The Fairmont Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved two variance requests Tuesday, clearing the way for a business sign and a residential garage expansion.

Vonnie Cone, property owner of 1007 E. 10th Street, requested a variance to install a sign for Buchan Bremer Crop Insurance, a business located on the property.

To comply with updated building codes, a sidewalk needed to be built around a portion of the existing building, resulting in less space for the existing parking lot. Without a variance, the sign would have to be placed where vehicles would drive into the lot.

The request called to vary the sign setback from 10 feet from the southern property line to zero feet, although the proposed location of the sign would be about 13 feet from the curb and gutter of 10th Street.

Board members questioned if the sign would be tall enough to ensure that a motorist’s line of sight would not be impaired. Peter Bode, the city’s planner/code enforcement technician assured them that the vision triangle from the intersecting street will be clear.

The board approved the variance for the sign, contingent on a survey depicting the precise southern property line to allow for the city’s right-of-way access to utilities.

Shane Nagel’s request for a front yard setback for a garage expansion at 799 Shoreacres Drive was postponed at the board’s Sept. 3 meeting to allow city staff to assess solutions to mitigate potential water, snow and ice runoff onto neighboring properties.

On Sept. 5, city staff including Bode; Mike Humpal, city administrator; Troy Nemmers, city engineer; and Terry Tonneson, building inspector, visited the property. Their assessment determined that water, snow and ice runoff from both the north slope and the south slope of the proposed addition could be effectively mitigated using large gutters and gutter drain piping to either the lake shore or the curb.

Staff recommended granting the variance for a 23-foot front yard setback in lieu of 30 feet, on the condition that water, snow and ice runoff onto neighboring properties from the addition be effectively mitigated, and the board approved the request.