PPD Practice Exam Q - Case Study

I'm needing an explanation on the answer to the placement and orientation of the proposed Auto Showroom expansion.

1) will we ever have to use the rotate function on any of these drag & place questions? I feel like every correct answer I've ever seen for these types of q's has the object in its original orientation.

2) there's no indication on the size of this expansion in the scenario, provided materials, or in the question, so how are we meant to know what the side setbacks are going to end up being if we place the expansion on the North or West side like the answer mentions? The zoning ordinance only provides these minimum setbacks:

Minimum front yard: Thirty(30)feet

Minimum side yard: Twenty(20)feet

Minimum rear yard: Twenty(20)feet

My Answer (incorrect)

I chose this orientation because placing the long wall along the building would mean less material used versus the short wall. I went back and forth whether the east or west side would be more appropriate, but I decided on the west because there's a doorway on the existing building west wall so it would mean you wouldn't have to add a door, or even knock down the existing wall in order to access the expansion. Of course the setback question above was still a mystery because we have no idea how large this expansion is, and even if you try to use some common reasoning on how big it might be, the minimum setbacks look like they might still be feasible here.

CORRECT RESPONSE

East of the Existing Building

The Expansion Footprint needs to be to the east of the Existing Building because the Scenario indicates that the Automobile Showroom is planned for the northern half of the building where the High Bays are currently, according to the Existing Building Drawings, and the expansion should be contiguous with the Showroom. Locating the Expansion Footprint to the west or north of the future Showroom will violate the setback requirements stipulated in the Zoning Ordinance resource.

I find this placement and orientation to be very inefficient from a parking & traffic, and material usage perspective. Also just picturing what the internal layout of what this showroom might look like, it doesn't seem like it provides the owner with a very optimized and efficient layout.