Title
PLN17-0484 - 1123 Versailles Avenue Call for Review - Applicant: Shirley Xie. A public hearing to consider Design Review to construct a one-story addition at the rear of an existing split-level single family home. The addition will add approximately 562 square feet to an existing 974-square foot residence. The property is listed on the City of Alameda’s Historic Building Study List with a “B” designation. The project is located within the R-1 (One-Family Residence) Zoning District
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: David Sablan
Planner II
Date: April 23, 2018
Re: PLN17-0484 - 1123 Versailles Avenue Call for Review - Applicant: Shirley Xie. A public hearing to consider Design Review to construct a one-story addition at the rear of an existing split-level single family home. The addition will add approximately 562 square feet to an existing 974-square foot residence. The property is listed on the City of Alameda’s Historic Building Study List with a “B” designation. The project is located within the R-1 (One-Family Residence) Zoning District.
BACKGROUND
On March 19, 2018, the Community Development Department approved a design review application to construct a two-story 1,572-square foot addition to an existing 974-square foot home, resulting in a 2,546-square foot single family home (Exhibit 1). The approved project fully complies with the Zoning Ordinance and Guide to Residential Design.
On March 26, 2018, Planning Board member Sandy Sullivan called the decision for review after hearing public testimony from the project’s neighbors. The neighbors were concerned with the overall size of the addition, the lack of off-street parking on the property, and potential shade and privacy impacts from a two-story addition.
The Call for Review was scheduled to be heard at the April 23, 2018 Planning Board meeting, but the applicant requested a continuance in order to consider the neighbor’s comments and redesign the project. The redesigned project reduces the scope of the addition to a one story addition of approximately 562 square feet (Exhibit 2). The applicant is seeking Design Review approval from the Planning Board for this new design.
DISCUSSION
The applicant has significantly redesigned the addition after considering the feedback from the neighbors. Instead of a two-story addition, the new design is a one-story addition to the existing one-and-a-half-story single-family residence. This rear addition extends back approximately twenty-one feet and six inches (21’6”), which would maintain thirty-four foot and six inch (34’6”) deep rear yard. The height of the addition will match the height of the existing single-story portion of the home, which is approximately ten feet and nine inches (10’9”), measured from the ground to the top of the walls and fifteen feet and four inches (15’4”) to the peak of the roof. The existing water table will extend around the addition and the existing siding materials, wood shingles on the lower portion and stucco on the upper portion, will be used for the addition.
The proposed redesign significantly reduces the size of the project and eliminates the originally proposed second floor. While shade and privacy impacts on neighboring properties are not required findings for approval for projects that meets building setback requirements, these concerns have been mitigated due to the elimination of a second floor. The project is fully compliant with the R-1 development regulations and is consistent with the City’s Guide to Residential Design. The reduced size of the addition is consistent with the size and massing of other residences within the surrounding neighborhood, the original materials will be utilized for the addition, and locating the single story addition at the rear will preserve the residence appearance from the public right of way. Staff recommends approval of the project with conditions per the attached Draft Resolution (Exhibit 3).
PUBLIC NOTICE
Property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project’s boundaries were notified of the public hearing and given the opportunity to review and comment on the proposal.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) - Existing Facilities.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Board approve a Design Review of the redesigned project, along with conditions, to build a one-story addition at 1123 Versailles Avenue as set forth in the Draft Resolution (Exhibit 3).
Respectfully submitted,
David Sablan
Planner II
Exhibits:
1. Original Plans Approved on March 19, 2018
2. May 2018 Revised Design
3. Draft Resolution