Title
PLN20-0541 - 910 Centennial Avenue - Administrative Variance and Design Review - Applicant: Amornrit Pudkeepamrongrit. Public hearing to consider a Call for Review of the Zoning Administrator’s approval of an Administrative Variance and Design Review to allow the construction of a new 1,907 square foot two-story single-family home. Due to the narrow 22-foot lot width, a variance is necessary to allow a 3-foot side yard setback on the east side and a 1-foot setback on the west side where 5-foot setbacks are required, and to allow the new home to be constructed with the same 14-foot 6-inch front yard setback as the existing detached garage that exists onsite where a 20-foot setback is required. General Plan: Medium-Density Residential. Zoning: R-2, Two-Family Residence District. CEQA Determination: Exempt per CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 - New Construction of Small Structures and 15305 - Minor Alterations in Land Use Limitations. None of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply
Body
To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
From: Deirdre McCartney, Planning Technician
BACKGROUND
On April 19, 2021, the Zoning Administrator held a public hearing and approved with conditions an Administrative Variance and Design Review for the construction of a new two-story, 1,907-square-foot single family home at 910 Centennial Avenue. The Zoning Administrator approval and project plans are provided as Exhibits 1 and 2.
On April 26, 2021, Planning Board Member Rona Rothenberg called for review the Zoning Administrator’s decision based on concerns that the reduced setbacks would impact fire and life safety (Exhibit 3).
A call for review requires that the Planning Board hold a noticed public hearing to review the Zoning Administrator’s decision to approve the project. Upon consideration of the materials, drawings, and public testimony, the Planning Board may vote to: 1) uphold the Zoning Administrator’s decision to approve the application; 2) amend the Zoning Administrator’s approval of the project, or 3) reverse the Zoning Administrator’s decision, and deny the application.
DISCUSSION
Existing Conditions: The property at 910 Centennial Avenue is a 22’ x 135’ lot in the R-2, Two Family Residence Zoning District. A two-car garage exists at the front of the property and is the only structure on the lot. The garage is currently used by the occupants at neighboring 912/914 Centennial for parking (the subject property owner owns both lots at 910 and 912/914 Centennial), but the garage is not considered required parking under the Zoning Ordinance since it is on a separate lot from 912/914 Centennial.
Lots in the vicinity along Centennial Avenue and 9th Street are typified by 25-foot wide lots that are over 100 feet deep with side yard setbacks that are less than 5 feet. Exhibit 4 identifies 16 lots in the immediate vicinity with lots that are less than 30 feet in width. An additional 10 lots in the neighborhood are also less than 50 feet wide. The majority of the lots in the neighborhood were already developed prior to the adoption of the current five-foot side yard setback requirements in 1958 and many of these lots have less than five-foot side yard setbacks.
Proposed Single-Family Home and Setback Variances: The proposed single family home is a by-right, permitted use in the R-2 district. The applicant proposes construction of a new single family house which requires Design Review approval by staff, but due to the property’s substandard 22-foot lot width, the project also requires an administrative variance to allow for side yard setbacks of 1 foot and 3 feet where 5-foot side yard setbacks are currently required pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) Section 30-4.2.d.6. The proposed single family home would utilize the same front yard setback as the existing garage but with side entry for the house. The proposed single family home also requires a variance for a 14-foot 6-inch front yard setback instead of the required 20-foot front yard setback (AMC Section 30-4.2.d.5). The proposed setbacks are similar to the existing setbacks for other homes in the neighborhood.
Variance Findings: The necessary findings to approve the project as stated in AMC Section 30-21.1.b are:
1. There are exceptional or extraordinary circumstances applying to the property involved or to the proposed use of the property.
2. Because of such exceptional or extraordinary circumstances, the literal enforcement of specified provisions of this section would result in practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship such as to deprive the applicant of substantial property right possessed by other owners of property in the same class of district.
3. The granting of the variance will not, under the circumstances of the particular case, be detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to persons or property in the vicinity.
The Zoning Administrator found that the project meets all of the required Variance findings. The subject property is 22 feet wide, which is substantially narrower than the 50-foot standard lot width prescribed in the Zoning Ordinance. The substandard lot presents an extraordinary physical constraint for the construction of a new single-family home, which is a permitted use in the R-2 district. The variance for the setbacks would allow the applicant to provide a practical and compatible design for a new home that is appropriate for the site and compatible with neighboring buildings; without the side yard variances, the house would only be 12-feet wide. The proposed 14.5-foot front yard setback retains the existing front setback and is consistent with that of the adjacent home at 912/914 Centennial Avenue as well as other frontages on Centennial Avenue that have existing front yard setbacks of less than 20-feet. The project, as conditioned, would not result in any harm to public welfare or injury to persons or property in the vicinity.
The proposed design will meet the requirements of the 2019 California Residential Code Section R302 for fire and life safety features with automatic residential fire sprinkler protection and minimum fire resistance ratings for exterior walls and openings. Because the side yard set backs are less than 5 feet, the exterior walls will be one hour rated construction and in addition, no building projections such as eaves are allowed less than two feet from the property line and no openings or penetrations are allowed less than three feet from the property line. These building design features are necessary to meet required building codes and to ensure that the building is built to fire and life safety standards. Therefore, the granting of the variance will not be detrimental to the public welfare or result in injury to persons or property in the vicinity.
Design Review: The proposed design features a front-loading garage with a side entrance and a two-story design that is recessed from the street. The applicant’s decision to step back the second story on the front elevation will provide relief to the neighboring house at 908 Centennial Avenue, which is built with a nonconforming setback of less than three feet from the property line and before variances were required. The step back is deemed necessary to provide physical separation between the two houses. Along the side of the house, the proposed design incorporates stepped back vertical planes to reduce the horizontal mass of the long side walls. The house also features hipped, gabled and flat roof types borrowed from other houses in the neighborhood, and these roof forms also serve to reduce the overall scale of the building. Other details such as the use of horizontal siding, trim and stucco exterior materials adds visual patterns at the larger walls. Overall, the proposed design for the single family home with its reduced side and front yard setbacks is consistent with the existing homes in this neighborhood, and the building size, bulk, and use of materials are compatible in scale and character with the neighborhood.
Design Review Findings: Pursuant to AMC 30-37, Design Review approval is required for the construction of a new residential building. The required findings to grant the Design Review approval as stated in AMC Section 30-37.5 are:
1. The proposed design is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and the City of Alameda Design Review Manual.
2. The proposed design is appropriate for the site, is compatible with adjacent or neighboring buildings or surroundings, and promotes harmonious transitions in scale and character in areas between different designated land uses.
3. The proposed design of the structure(s) and exterior materials and landscaping are visually compatible with the surrounding development, and design elements have been incorporated to ensure the compatibility of the structure with the character and uses of adjacent development.
The Zoning Administrator found that the proposed two-story single family home meets all of the required Design Review findings. The project is consistent with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and the Citywide Design Review Manual and the new construction is compatible in design and use of materials with the existing neighboring buildings and the surrounding neighborhood. The overall size of the home is under 2,000 square feet, which is consistent with the sizes of other homes in the neighborhood. The design of the proposed home, while in a contemporary style, reflects similar building forms in the neighborhood. Other than the setback variances described earlier, the proposed house complies with the R-2 development standards. Due to the long narrow configuration of the lot, the house is long and narrow, but the building design incorporates varying articulation to reduce wall massing and to provide visual relief to neighbors. For example, stepping back the second story from the front addresses neighbor concerns at 908 Centennial Avenue while keeping the street view similar to existing conditions with the garage at the front of the lot. To mitigate the impact of the house’s proximity to neighboring properties, the design includes varied roof heights and roof types such as hipped, gable and flat roofs, and uses exterior wall material variations and offsets to break the vertical plane, reduce bulkiness and add visual interest. Lastly, the driveway is designed with two tire tracks integrated into the landscaping with ground cover to soften the appearance of the driveway. A front planter has been added with a small tree and shrubs. Staff also explored the potential for planting of a street tree as suggested by public comment, but the City Arborist had determined that the location was not suitable for a new tree planting.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS:
Property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project’s boundaries were notified of both the Zoning Administrator and Planning Board public hearings and given the opportunity to review and comment on the proposal. During the public notice periods, the City received fifteen comment letters mostly raising concerns about neighborhood parking, density, and proximity of the house to its abutting neighbors (Exhibit 5). The following summarizes changes and conditions imposed on the project by the Zoning Administrator to address public comment:
1. Window Privacy: The three windows shown on the west elevation on Sheet A3.4 have been revised to transom/clerestory windows to provide privacy for the properties located at 1218 and 1216 9th Street.
2. Screen Trees: The applicant is coordinating with the property owner and tenant of 1218 9th Street to provide landscape screening along the west side yard and to replace an existing shared avocado tree located along the property line. The applicant will also plant trees along the rear property line as privacy screening for the rear abutting properties on San Antonio Avenue. Condition of Approval No. 4.d. requires the applicant to submit a final landscaping plan with said landscape improvements for final review and approval by the Planning Director prior to the issuance of building permits for the new house.
3. Architectural Detailing: To reduce the prominence of the front facing garage, the concrete driveway at the front of the property will be replaced with paved tire tracks, and the garage door will have a wood-like appearance, including a mix of solid panels and divided lights similar to older garage doors in the neighborhood. Final plans for the building permit will specify the type of siding and trim and other relevant details for the proposed Hardie Board siding. The applicant will also add architectural detailing on the plans for corner trim and window and door casings that are consistent with those found in the neighborhood. Some of these details are reflected on the revised plans submitted with this staff report.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the proposed project meets all the findings for the variance and design review approval. The applicant has incorporated design features shown on the plans to address concerns expressed by the neighbors. The design, size and materials of the home are also compatible and consistent with similar features found on buildings in the neighborhood. Therefore, staff recommends the Planning Board uphold the Zoning Administrator’s decision to approve the Administrative Variance and Design Review application at 910 Centennial Avenue.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The project is categorically exempt per CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 - New Construction of Small Structures, which includes an exemption for the construction of a new single family house and Section 15305 - Minor Alterations in Land Use Limitations, including minor yard setback variances. None of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing and uphold the Zoning Administrator’s approval of the administrative variance and design review based on the findings in the draft resolution (Exhibit 6).
Respectfully submitted, Deirdre McCartney
Reviewed By,
Allen Tai, City Planner
Exhibits:
1. Zoning Administrator Approval
2. Project Plans and Photographs
3. Planning Board Member Call for Review
4. Neighborhood Lot Width Analysis
5. Public Correspondence
6. Draft Resolution