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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-26-1997 Planning Commission minutes~ANNING COMMISSION MINUT~ FEBRUARY 26, 1997 City Council Chambers, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue Regular Meeting Chairwoman Kaplan called the meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. Roll Call Present: Abshire, Bernald, Kaplan, Patrick, Siegfried Late: None Absent: Murakami, Pierce Staff: Community Development Director Curds, Planner Walgren and City Attorney Riback. Minu e - 2/ 12/97 COMMISSIONERS PATRICK/BERNALD MOVED TO APPROVE THE FEBRUARY 12, 1997 WITH THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS: - Page 2, paragraph 5, line 5 amended to read: "...approximately 700 feet of overhead lines in the future ... " - Page 7, first paragraph amended to read: "Irwin ~.u Haas, - Page 10, paragraph 6, line 3 amended to read: "...EXTERIOR LIGHTING ~FT~E ....:....:......:. ~I IS TO BE INSTALLED WITHOUT REVIEW ... " - Page 14, first paragraph, line 2 amended to replace £~4E~-en#efenEe-Room with ~s~ ................ THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0 WITH COMMISSIONERS MURAKAMI AND PIERCE ABSENT. Oral Communications No comments were offered. Report of Posting Agenda Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on February 21, 1997. Technical Corrections to Packet Planner Walgren informed the Planning Commission of two corrections: 1) Item 1, page 3, a corrected setback table was distributed to the Commission and 2) Item 4, page 3, the rear building setback has been transposed (should read proposed: 140 ft.; Code requirement: 60 ft.). PLANNING COMMISS~ MINUTES • FEBRUARY 26, 1997 PAGE - 2 - CONSENT CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARING CONSENT CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. DR-97-005 - CARRIGAN; 19311 MONTE VISTA DR.; Request for Design Review approval to demolish an existing single story residence and build a new 5,802 sq. ft., 21 ft. tall, one-story home in its place. The property is located in an R-1-40,000 zoning district. Planner Walgren presented the staff report. Chairwoman Kaplan asked if the horseshoe drive was to be eliminated as it pushes the lot coverage close to the maximum allowed? Planner Walgren responded that the horseshoe driveway is to remain as guest parking and access driveway to the entrance of the residence. Chairwoman Kaplan opened the public hearing at 7:40 p.m. Jim Carrigan, applicant, informed the Commission that he has spoken with his neighbors to explain the proposal. He requested Planning Commission approval of the request. Chris Spaulding, project architect, informed the Commission that he was careful to protect the views and privacy of neighbors. He requested Commission support and approval of the request. Commissioner Patrick expressed concern with the significant amount of lot coverage. She recommended that the horseshoe driveway be eliminated or that it be reduced. Mr. Spaulding felt that elimination of the circular driveway would take away from the design of the house. He informed the Commission that the applicant would prefer to retain the horseshoe driveway. He said that the lot coverage is not being increased significantly as the circular driveway and the terrace already exist. The only significant lot coverage being added was the short driveway. COMMISSIONERS PATRICK/BERNALD MOVED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:45 P.M. Commissioner Siegfried said that he did not have a problem with the design and that he understood the concern of lot coverage. However, he noted that most of the lot coverage already exists. He felt that the circular driveway not only provides parking but that it was a feature of the house. COMMISSIONERS BERNALD/SIEGFRIED MOVED TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. DR- 97-005. THE MOTION CARRIED 4-1 WITH COMMISSIONER PATRICK VOTING NO AND COMMISSIONERS MURAKAMI AND PIERCE ABSENT. • • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES FEBRUARY 26, 1997 PAGE - 3 - 2. V-96-019 -USHER, 13636 VAQUERO COURT; Request for a Variance to allow an addition totaling 1,171 square feet to an existing 3, 899 square foot two-story residence, a portion of which encroaches 6 feet into the 50-foot rear yard setback. The property is 43,734 square feet, and is located in a Hillside Residential zoning district. Planner Walgren presented the staff report. Chairwoman Kaplan asked if there was a difference between the setback table (page 3) and the drawings (page 10)? Planner Walgren said that a discrepancy in setback does not exist. Chairwoman Kaplan opened the public hearing at 7:50 p. m. Andrew Young, project architect, said that the 35 foot required setback is located on the side facing the access roadway and that the 50-foot setback is at the rear, the area necessitating a variance. COMMISSIONERS PATRICK/BERNALD MOVED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:51 P.M. Commissioners Abshire and Siegfried stated their support of the request and that they could make the findings to approve the variance request. COMMISSIONERS SIEGFRIED/PATRICK MOVED TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. V- 96-019. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0 (COMMISSIONERS MURAKAMI AND PIERCE ABSENT). 3. DR-96-048 - WU, 12558 SPRING BLOSSOM COURT; Request for Design Review approval to construct a 3,740 square foot one-story residence on a vacant 14,312 square foot lot. The property is located in an R-1-12,500 zoning district. Planner Walgren presented the staff report. Chairwoman Kaplan opened the public hearing at 7:54 p. m. Davit Britt, project designer, stated his concurrence with staff's recommendation. COMMISSIONERS PATRICK/SIEGFRIED MOVED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:55 P.M. COMMISSIONERS PATRICK/ABSHIRE MOVED TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NO. DR-96- 048 AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0 (COMMISSIONERS MURAKAMI AND PATRICK ABSENT). • • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES FEBRUARY 26, 1997 PAGE - 4 - 4. DR-96-068 - MOROYAN, 14961 VIA DE MARCOS; Request for Design Review approval to construct a 6,161 square foot two-story structure on a vacant 40,776 square foot lot. The subject parcel is lot 25 of the San Marcos Heights subdivision and is located in an R-1-40,000 zoning district. Planner Wa:gren presented the staff report. He recommended that this item be continued to allow the applicant to redesign the project to attempt to meet the one story height restriction. He said that staff could not make the design review fmdings based on the design of the home, the height of the home, and grading of the proposed terraced pad. Should the applicant not be willing to make design changes, staff recommended denial of the project with resolutions of denial returning to the Commission on March 12. Chairwoman Kaplan opened the public hearing at 7:58 p.m. Marty Oakley, project architect/designer, provided the Commission with exhibits to help explain the proposal (i.e., comparative mass study of the existing four lots, comparative land use of a single story design versus atwo-story design; predominance of two story homes, and exterior colors). He said that it was difficult to design a tri-level home on this lot and yet retain a low profile. He did not believe that stepping down the pad would result in a low profile building. The design would provide usable side and rear yards and not to cover the entire building pad with a structure. He felt that the area contained predominance (60%) of two story homes. He referred to page 9 of the Saratoga City Guidelines that addresses linear and vertical mass. He said that the exterior colors selected are comparable to the existing homes. He said that he would agree to darken the colors if requested. He addressed the riparian corridor and the sensitivity of the lot mentioned in the original subdivision review. He said that he did not understand the relation of paragraph 43 (page 5 of the staff report) with regards to the construction of a single story or two story home. Harry Moroyan, applicant, stated that he selected Mr. Oakley to design the home because of his knowledge of Saratoga and the fact that he would be sensitive to the neighbors. He said that much thought has been given to the design so that it blends in with the rest of the homes in the area. It was his belief that the home would be a showcase in the area. COMMISSIONERS PATRICK/BERNALD MOVED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 8:10 P.M. Commissioner Patrick said that colors, height and size were of concern to her. She felt that the colors were too light for a visually impacted site and recommended that darker colors be used. She felt that the height of the home was too high. She said that lower heights were recommended as part of the original subdivision because of the existing riparian corridor. She felt that there were alternatives to make a two story home fit in the area (i.e., reduce the size of the home). She said that she would deny the request as presented or that she would agree to a continuance to allow for a redesign of the home. • • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES FEBRUARY 26, 1997 PAGE - 5 - Commissioner Bernald agreed with the comments expressed by Commissioner Patrick. She felt that the design of the home was beautiful but that she did not believe that it was suited to the lot. She felt that the subdivision was approved with specific requirements and felt that it was necessary to adhere to them. She does not see the home blending into the lot, especially the vertical feel. She said that she could not support the request. Commissioner Abshire supported the restrictions imposed as part of the subdivision approval. He said that he would like to support the applicant, but that he could not support the design. Commissioner Siegfried concurred with the comments as expressed by his fellow Commissioners. He said that he was troubled with the fact that this is a two-story home. He understood that a two-story home is proposed so that the building is not spread out on the lot. Chairwoman Kaplan felt that it was important for the applicant to know that the Commission reviewed this lot and that it a sensitive corner entrance to the subdivision. She thanked Mr. Oakley for providing the renderings as they were helpful. She said that the Commission walked and drove around the subdivision. She felt that the home above this site was massive and that it should not have been approved. She said that she agreed with the comments expressed by the other Commissioners. Commissioners Patrick/Siegfried moved to reopen the public hearing at 8:17 p.m. to inquire if the applicant would request a continuance. Mr. Moroyan said that he would agree to a continuance. COMMISSIONERS SIEGFRIED/BERNALD MOVED TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO MARCH 26, 1997. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0 WITH COMMISSIONERS MURAKAMI AND PIERCE ABSENT. 5. SD-96-005, UP-96-004 & V-97-003 - EITZEN, END OF OLD OAK WAY OFF PIERCE RD.; Request for Tentative Parcel Map approval to subdivide a 31.1 acre hillside parcel into four individual lots of 5.6, 2.6, 2.4 and 2.2 net acres. Approximately 17 acres would be dedicated as open space. Use Permit approval is requested to allow the four lots to be clustered together, thus allowing the open space dedication. Variance approval is also requested to allow a potential future Lot 3 structure to be located on a City identified Major Ridgeline -more restrictive building height limits are applied to ridgeline lots. The property is located within a Hillside Residential (HR) zoning district. Planner Walgren presented the staff report. He informed the Commission that he has been notified by the applicant's representative that they may be requesting a continuance as a result of conversations with homeowners in Mount Eden Estates. He recommended that the Commission open the public hearing to hear if there is a mutual agreement for continuance by the project proponent and the concerned neighbors. • • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES FEBRUARY 26, 1997 PAGE - 6 - Chairwoman Kaplan opened the public hearing at 8:25 p.m. Norm Matteoni, representing the applicant, felt that it would be a mutual interest to continue this item to allow further discussion with the adjacent homeowners to address their concerns. Ken Riding, 21836 Villa Oaks Lane, representing the homeowners in the Mt. Eden Estates, felt that continued discussions would assist in helping resolve issues of concern. Chairwoman Kaplan said that there was a basis concept of whether or not there is to be a subdivision. She asked the City Attorney what the City was legally required to do with the property. Mr. Riback clarified that Chairwoman Kaplan was asking "What right does the property owner have to subdivide the property?" He said that the property owner has the right to make some economically viable use of the property. This does not necessarily mean subdivision of the property. Chairwoman Kaplan and Commissioner Siegfried said that they previously spoke with Mr. Matteoni. Commissioner Siegfried further stated that a continuance would allow the Commission to review the letter submitted by Ms. Jensen and allow further dialogue between the applicant and the homeowners. Commissioner Abshire said that he met with the Eitzens earlier this week at their request. Commissioner Bernald said that she also spoke with Ms. Eitzen who wanted to confirm her attendance at the site visit. Commissioner Patrick stated her support of a continuance as it would serve everyone's interest. Planner Walgren said that a continuance would require a $300 continuance fee. Mr. Riding did not believe that it would be fair to charge the applicant a continuance fee as the general public is requesting the continuance. Community Development Director Curtis recommended that a fee not be charged as a continuance would not result in substantial staff time. COMMISSIONERS SIEGFRIED/BERNALD MOVED TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO MARCH 12, 1997. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0 WITH COMMISSIONERS MURAKAMI AND PIERCE ABSENT. Cheriel Jensen, 13737 Quito Road, said that she was not made aware of this request until yesterday marring. She said that the County Assessors evaluates the property at $1,024 as it is an unbuildable site. She said that she does not see a slope evaluation study of the substandard access road. She felt that emergency access is an issue. • • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES FEBRUARY 26, 1997 PAGE - 7 - Community Development Director Curds said that the property is no longer under a Williams Act Contract and that he does not believe that it has not been reassessed as a residential project from agricultural land. Commissioner Siegfried said that he did not know where it would leave the city if lot 4 was to be eliminated because of the access road. He excused himself from the remainder of the meeting. DIRECTOR ITEMS 1. Notice of Grading/Tree Removal Permit Planner Walgren informed the Commission that a proposal to do a one time mass site grading and selective tree removal of the 15-lot NAVICO subdivision. Staff supports the one time mass site grading versus the potential of several individual property owners requesting grading of pad elevations. Should the Commission concur with staff's recommendation, anotice would be sent to the residents within 500 feet of the subdivision to inform them that the work has been reviewed by the City, that proper permits have been issued, and the time frame of the work. He said that replacement trees would be required as the homes are built. BY CONSENSUS, THE COMMISSION CONCURRED WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. Community Development Direct Curtis informed the Commission of the following: - The City Council has appointed Planner Walgren as Interim Community Development Director. - A March 26 work session has been scheduled with the Saratoga Sign Committee to review the Sign Ordinance. George White will have a representative from the Air Quality Management to make a presentation. - Both Chairwoman Kaplan and Commissioner Patrick are registered for the Planning Commissioners Institute Thursday session COMMISSION ITEMS COMMUNICATIONS ~tten 1. City Council Minutes dated 2/3; 2/5/97 2. Planning Commission notices for 3/ 12/97 -~ .PLANNING COMMISSI•MINUTES FEBRUARY 26, 1997 PAGE - 8 - City Council ADJOURNMENT -There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:48 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 12, 1997, EOC Conference Room, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA Respectfully Submitted, Irma Torrez Minutes Clerk tr~pco22~~.snx