Garage addition approved then unapproved—home owner in limbo with partially completed project

Christian Rusteberg owns two multi-unit brick apartment buildings on Greenwood Boulevard, and has lived in one of the units for more than 20 years. Eventually he needed more storage. So he planned to do what several other Maplewood home owners have done — add a second floor to his garage.

“I’ve got 20 years worth of stuff. I haven’t parked in my garage for seven years, and so now I need to go someplace, and up is a good place to go.” He also mentioned the possibility of losing street parking when the Great Rivers Greenway route is built down Greenwood.

He listed a handful of neighbors within blocks who have done the same with their garages. “It’s a trend in Maplewood to build up,” he said.

He planned to add a gambrel roof going the length of the four-car garage. He got approval from the city in January 2024 and began doing what he could before hiring a contractor. A  steel frame going the height of the new roof went up.

But work came to a halt around Christmas 2024 as a result of a neighbor’s complaint and a resulting Board of Adjustment meeting, where Rusteberg was told to cease work.

Following the meeting the city came back to Rusteberg with a proposed revision, changing the design from a gambrel to a gable roof, while reducing the height significantly. Rusteberg called the city’s proposal “a disingenuous offer to help.”

Including the contractor, engineer and architect, and the steel and other materials he said he’s already spent $30 thousand, and revising the design to the city’s suggestion would be another six to eight thousand, to end up with a design that won’t work for him.

He said the neighbors aren’t communicating with him about it. “What do you do when the neighbors flat out refuse to talk to you?” He’s hired an attorney and seems to be at a stalemate with the city. The city has said it can’t comment.

“I thought I had done everything right,” he said. For now Rusteberg said he’s trying to “keep a positive attitude, work the steps, do what the professionals tell you to do.”