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Home My WebLink About02-25-1998 Planning Commission minutes CITY OF SARATOGA PLANNING COITITISSION ~'[INUTES DATE: «'ednesda~~, February- 25,1998 - 7:30 p.m. PLACE: Civic Theater, 13777 Fruih•ale Avenue, Saratoga, CA TI'PE: Regular Meeting Roll Call Present: Chair Patrick. Commissioners ~lartlaae. blurakatni. Pierce Absent: Commissioners Bernald, Kaplan. Siegfried Staff: ~T~~al~~ren. Crowley Pledge of Allegiance Itiinutes - February 1 l . 1998 APPROVED 4/0. Oral Communications Report of Posting Agenda Pursuant to Government Code ~=194.2, the agenda for this meetin~~ «•as properl~~ posted on February 20. 1998. Technical Corrections to Packet CO\SENT CALEND:~R 1. DR-96-054 & V-96-018; ADA1~iS, 14701 Ambric Knolls Road; Request for Design Review approval to construct a ~1.7~3 sq. ft. two-story residence on a vacant 1.~8 acre parcel located at the corner of Con~re:;s Springs Road and Ambric Knolls Road and adjacent to the Sarato~=a Creek. Variance approval is necessa~ti~ to allo«- the structure to encroach into required setbacks and to be built on a slope of greater than 30 percent. "l~he propem~ is located in an R-1-40.000 zoning district. CONTINL;ED FROM 2/11/98 TO PREPARE A\D AllOPT DE\IAL RESOLUTIONS. A'IUR_AKANII/PATRICK 1~'[OVED TO AllOPT llE1=IAL RESOLLiTiO\S DR-96-0~4 & V-96- O18; DENIAL RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ~/0. PUBLIC HEART\GS 2. DR-97-021 & \%-97-005 (.aP\ 503-15-042) - 1'[ARCINCO`VSKI/BREGANTE; 21143 Chadwick Court:. Request for Design Review approval to constrict a ne~z- x,0=16 sq. it. t«-o-story residence and Variance approval to construct the residence on a slope of ~==realer than 30 percent pursuant to Chaptf:r 1 ~ of the Cite Code. The parcel is 2.~ acres in size, located in an HR zoning district. COISTINL;ED FROM 1/l=1/98 FOR RE-DESIGN. Planning Commission Action Minut~ Februan~ 2~, 1998 • Page 2 ~~%algren presented the staff memorandum recommending appro~~al of the project. The public hearing was opened at 7:=10 p.m. Lou Basile, builder. hiahlivhted extensive changes made to the plan. Chair Patrick and Commissioners ~lurakami and fierce each stated the~• had met ~~°ith it~lr. Basile regarding the re-design. y y Luanne Nieman. 13217 Padero Court. expressed concern regarding drainage problems on the propem•. The public hearing vas closed at 7:4~ p.m. Commissioner ~lurakanii was satisfied with the modifications made and believed the issue of drainage had been addressed previously. Commissioner Pierce felt the design chances made as a result of the several hearings held on the project «-ere an improvement and was pleased the building has been further reduced in size and footprint. Commissioner 1\~lartlage concurred and appreciated the effort to redesign. Chair Patrick also concurred and felt the drainage system improvements required as part of the project approval «-i 11 alleviate the concenis regarding water runoff. PIERCE/VIUR.~1{AMI 1iOVED TO APPROVE DR-97-0-21 & V-97-OOS; APPROVEll 4/0. 3. SD-97-0t2 (AP\ 397-24-010, 038, 073, 074 & 07~) - PIN\ BROTHERS CO~iSTRUCT`IO\, 2032 La Paloma Avenue & 1431 Douglass Lane; Request for V esting Tentative i\~lap approval to subdivide an approximately 19 acre site into liiteen individual lots ranging in net size from 21.780 sq. ft. to 3.08 acres. The site is adjacent to ~~'ildcat Greek and is cutrently developed ~yith two primar- single family homes and two independent "cottages". One of the residences is the original "Hayfield House" designed by Julia Morgan in 1919 and is listed on the Citv~s heritage Resource Inventory -this structure ~i~ould be retained while the other tluee structures are proposed to be removed. The subdivision ~;could be accessed via t~i-o cul-de-sacs «~ith seven of the new lots gaining access from Douglass Lane and eight from La Paloma Avenue. The property is located ~yithin an R-1-20,000 zoning district. An Environmental Initial Study has been prepared for this project pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. The public comment period for the Em-ironmental Initial Study and the Draft l~egati~~e Declaration began on February l 1, 1998. and «•ill expire March l7. 1998. \o final action may be taken on the project until the public revie~r process has been completed and an environmental determination has been made. Commissioner Yiartlage excused herself from any discussion as she is a neighbor of the site`project. Planning Commission Action Minut~ • Page 3 February 2~. 1998 v Based on lack of a quorum. the public hearing could not be opened and the Planning Commission could not deliberate on the application in its entirety. 7~he item was continued to March 11. the next available public hearing. The public «as invited to speak on the Environmental Initial Siudv. \eighbors spoke in support of the project and said they have worked ~y-ith the developer in an effort to come to agreement on important issues including design. tree preservation and general traffic concerns. The}° requested the agreed-upon issues be incorporated into the Tentative Y1ap and conditions of approval. There vas a break from 8:30 to 8:~0 at the request of Chair Patrick. 4. DR-96-030 (.aP\ 397-03-082) -HONG, 1=1=127 Emerald Hill Court; Request for Design Revie«- approval to construct a x.220 sq. ft. two-story home on a currently vacant parcel. The lot is 40,219 net sq. ft. and is located in an R-1-40,000 ~onin~= district. ~Valgren presented the staff report. The public hearing ~~°as opened at 8:4~ p.m. Darrell Fazekas, applicant's architect. agreed ~y-ith staff recommendations. Nciahbors supported the project, but expressed concern about placement of the house on the site. and privacy. grading and drainage on the property. The public hearing «°as closed at 8:~3 p.m. Commissioner i\iartlage wondered if the house could be turned. ~~'alaren stated that in order to turn the house, the plans «ould need to be re-designed, not just shifted. and may result in increased ~~radin~~ quantities. Commissioner Murakami said the home thatches the nei~=hborhood, that the nei~hbors~ concerns can be worked out with staff, and that drainave issues will be addressed. Conunissioner Pierce was not convinced the house could be turned and felt that modification of the second floor windows and proper planting ~•ould address the privac~~ issue. He liked the design and could support the project. Chair Patrick concurred that moving the house ~~~ould cause more grading problems. She could approve the project based on receipt of final gradin~~ and drainane plans by the appropriate end=ineer. itIUR~KaItII/PIERCE MOVED TO APPROVE DR-96-030 WITH CO\DITIO\S REGARDI\G LANDSCAPI\G AND «'I\DO«~ PLACEit1ENT, A\ll A CERTIFIED ENGI\EER'S REPORT Plannin, Commission Action Minut~ . Pave 4 February 2~. 1998 TO BE PROVIDED; APPROVED 4/0. 5. DR-97-058 (APti 397-18-065) -CARTER, 14810 Farwell Avenue; Request for Design Revieyv approval to construct a ne~y sinUle story house. ~,~ 17 square feet in size, 23 feet in height, on a 1.002 acre lot in the R-1-40,000 zoning district. currently- occupied by a sin~_>le story 3.26 square foot house, 17 feet in height and a X62 square foot west house;"carport. 10 feet in height. `Valgren presented the staff report. The public hearing ~;~as opened at 9:01 p.m. `I•here y~°ere no comments from the applicant or the public on the application. The public hearing ~;•as closed at 9:02 p.m. Commissioner Pierce liked the size of the home and Felt it yy°as not oy-erwhelmin~. Commissioner ~~htrakami lilted the design. Commissioner ~9artlage felt it yy-ould be better if the column at the rear of the house ~y-ere straight. not curved, and she did not like the fact that the ~ara~~e faces the street. y Chair Patrick did not like the design and felt there ryas too much lot covera~~e. PIERCC/1~ZURAKAYII 1~IOVED TO APPROVE DR-97-058; APPROVED 3/l (PATRICK OPPOSED). 6. llR-97-053 and V-97-011 (.aPl\T 503-»-53) - PERSSOIV, 21194 Ha~-meadow Drive; Request for Building Site approval. Design Review approval, and Variance approval to construct a neyv 4,047 square foot house, 2~ Feetyin height, on a vacant 1.002 acre lot in the R-1-40.000 zoning district. Applicant requests Variance approval in order to adhere to that zoning districts standard front yard setback, rather than the percentage based setbacks prescribed for all vacant lots. applicant also requests Design Rcvieyv exception to permit construction of ~~arage with 7 toot. 6 inch underfloor clearance. in exceedance of city limitation of ~ feet, and Floor Area exception to yy-aive required floor area reduction for houses in excess of 18 feet in hei~~ht. ~Val~ren presented the staff report and addressed additional information documented by staff folloyy-ins a site visit. The public hearing .vas opened at 9:10 p.m. Russ Dotter. applicants architect, explained their efforts to maintain existin~~ oak trees and to yi-ork yy-ith the site. Richard «'eiser, 21216 Haymeado«- Drive, commented that this is a difficult site on which to build. and Planning Commission Action Minut~ . page ~ Februan• 2~. 1998 y w°as concerned with the project's conformance with City codes, the fact that his view ~~~ould be obscured. the large number of ~~~indo«-s in the home. tree presei-~-ation and di~-ertint7 «atcr off the propert~•. Philip Liu. 21197 Haymeado«~ Drive. said the roof line appears to be over the neighbor s property-, and ~~~as concerned about traffic problems. as the cul-de-sac is shared b~• five neighbors and no additional parking spaces are available. The public hearing ~~•as closed at 9:3~ p.m. Commissioner ~~urakami requested that staff comment on ;t1r. ~~`eiscrs concerns about the code. He visited the site as «°ell as the ~'~'eiser home, and felt the desi~~n is good and the home is stepped doge nicely. He would be able to support the application. Commissioner Pierce agreed that parking would be limited and suggested the contractor bring people up to the site in a ~,_*roup if it becomes a problem. He also visited the site and the ~~~ciser home and understands the neighbors concerns, as the~• «-i11 lose their yie«~. Pierce likes the desi~~n and can support the applicatiotl. v Commissioner ~~artlage «°as troubled by the exception to the floor area and felt the home is too large. She cannot support the application. Chair Patrick felt the step-do«n design of the home adapts ~-e11 to the hillside and that the home is a good addition to the neighborhood: she «-ould be able to approve the application. "Ihe loss of the neighbors' vie~y is rc~rettable but unavoidable. PIERCE/YIUItAKAN1I MO~'Ell TO APPROVE llR-97-0~3 AND V-97-011 ~'iTH A COi\STRAIi\`T ON CO\STRUCTION HOURS ANll THAT CO\STRLTCTION VEHICLES AT THE SITE BE 11ININIIZEll TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE; Al'PROVEll 3/1 (PATRICK OPPOSED). DIRECTOR I7'ENIS ~'l'algren stated that he had distributed to each Commissioner for their information, a process manual for Code Enforcement. COi`IiVIISSIO\ ITEMS COYI~IUNICATIO\ S «'ritten Cit}' Council 1~~inutes dated Februar~• =1 and February 10. 1998 \Totices for Planning Commission 1`Ieetina of March 11. 1998 ADJOUR\TNIENT - 10:00 p.m. to ~~'ednesday. i\larch 11, 1998. Civic Theater 13777 Fruityale Avenue. Saratoga. CA