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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2STAFF REPORT Development Services Department DATE: January 8, 2013 TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commission FROM: Jim Kasama, Community Development Administrator By: Thomas Li, Associate Planner SUBJECT: HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION APPEAL NO. HOA 12 -03 TO RECONSIDER THE RANCHO SANTA ANITA RESIDENTS' (LOWER RANCHO) ASSOCIATION'S ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD CHAIRMAN'S DENIAL OF A PROPOSAL TO USE COMPOSITION ROOFING MATERIAL TO REROOF THE EXISTING 2,726 SQUARE - FOOT RESIDENCE AT 530 ALTURA ROAD Recommended Action: Denial of Appeal SUMMARY This is an appeal by the property owners of 530 N. Altura Road, Mr. Phillip K. Chung and Mrs. Aileen Chung, to request that the Planning Commission overturn the Rancho Santa Anita Residents' Association's Architectural Review Board Chairman's denial of a proposal to use composition roofing material to reroof the existing 2,726 square -foot residence at the subject location. The proposed roofing material is compatible with the architectural style and design of the house, but the Architectural Review Board of the Rancho Santa Anita Residents' Association has determined that composition roofing materials are not compatible and harmonious for their area, and that it would be inconsistent with the roofs of other homes in their association area. It is recommended that the Planning Commission deny Appeal No. HOA 12 -03. GENERAL INFORMATION APPELLANTS: Mr. Phillip K. Chung and Mrs. Aileen Chung (Property Owners) LOCATION: 530 N. Altura Road REQUEST: An appeal to reconsider the Rancho Santa Anita Resident Association's Architectural Review Board Chairman's decision to deny a proposal to use composition roofing material to reroof an existing 2,726 square -foot residence SITE AREA: 14,507 square -feet (0.33 acre) FRONTAGES: 89.84 feet along Altura Road 162.57 feet along Catalpa Road EXISTING LAND USE & ZONING: The subject property is improved with a 2,726 square -foot, one -story, single - family residence that was constructed in 1953. There is also a detached storage shed, and a swimming pool. The site and area are zoned R -0 &D, First One - Family with an Architectural Design Overlay. BACKGROUND The subject property is a 14,507 square -foot lot zoned R -0 &D. Attached are an aerial photo of the area (Exhibit A) and photos of the subject residence (Exhibit B). The property is improved with a 2,726 square -foot, one -story residence, a detached storage shed, and a swimming pool. The homeowners submitted an application and letter dated November 20, 2012, to Mr. Ernie Boehr, the Chairman of the Architectural Review Board (ARB) of the Rancho Santa Anita Residents' Association (Lower Rancho HOA) to reroof their home at 530 N. Altura Road with "Charcoal Black," CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL (Triple Laminate) Luxury Shingle, composition roofing material. On November 30, 2012, Mr. Boehr denied the application because the proposed material is not an approved product for the Lower Rancho HOA area. Attached as Exhibit C is Mr. Boehr's denial letter dated November 30, 2012 with copies of the Short Review Procedure application form and the application letter dated November 20, 2012. On December 6, 2012, Mr. Phillip K. Chung and Mrs. Aileen Chung filed an appeal of the ARB Chairman's decision. The homeowners' appeal letters are attached as Exhibit D. DISCUSSION The homeowners are requesting that the Planning Commission overturn Mr. Boehr's decision to deny their application to use a composition roofing material on their home at 530 N. Altura Road. Mr. Boehr denied the application because composition roofing materials are not an approved product for the Lower Rancho HOA area. In his letter of denial to the homeowners, Mr. Boehr states that a significant amount of time went into the review of roofing materials for inclusion as approved products for the Lower Rancho HOA area. The attached list (Exhibit E) dated June 29, 2000, lists a variety of wood, and shake -type, tile roofing materials that are considered compatible and harmonious, and approved for the Lower Rancho HOA area. Composition shingles are specifically not approved. As stated in the appeal letters, the subject residence is in need of reroofing. The existing Cal -Shake covered roof is leaking and the home has been damaged. The homeowners are reluctant to replace it with a new wood shake roof because it is difficult to get insurance for homes with wood shake roofs. The homeowners also looked into various types of tile roofing, but were advised that their structure would not support the weight of many types of tiles, and that tile roofing would not perform well on the low- Appeal No. HOA 12 -03 530 N. Altura Road January 8, 2013 — Page 2 of 5 pitched areas of their roof; the front porch and a portion of a front bedroom. Therefore, the homeowners selected a high - quality, dimensional, composition - shingle, roofing material; CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL (Triple Laminate) Luxury Shingles in "Charcoal Black." Copies from the brochure of this material are attached as Exhibit F. This product has a highly aesthetic appearance, and the appellant states that 11 neighbors in the immediate area of their residence supported their proposal. The appellants also provided the attached photographs of three homes with dimensional, composition - shingle roofs — see Exhibit G. These three homes are on Loma Lisa Lane, which is off of Foothill Boulevard in a non -HOA area. Staff is in agreement with the homeowners that the proposed roofing material is of high aesthetic quality, and that its enhanced dimensional design provides a substantive appearance. Staff also finds this material to be appropriate for Ranch -style homes, which is the style of the subject residence. However, there are many types of light- weight tiles, and metal roofing materials that the existing house can support, and which have been approved for the Lower Rancho HOA areas, even though they are not on the list of approved materials. Also, tiles can be used on the low- pitched areas provided the underlayment is of the proper waterproofing quality. For a reroofing project, the City's Single - Family Residential Design Guidelines provide the following two guidelines: • Roof plans and materials should be compatible with the architectural style and design of the structure. It should enhance the effect of the house's plan articulation by reflecting it in three dimensions (ridges, valleys, etc.) • Discouraged roof types include: built up and torch down roofs, rock roofing applied over an approved built up roof, corrugated metal and fiberglass roofing panels, standing seam and similar metal roofing panels, and gravel roofs. City Council Resolution No. 6770, which establishes regulations and design guidelines for the five, City- designated, Homeowners' Associations (HOAs) provides the following guidelines: • EXTERIOR BUILDING MATERIALS — Materials used on the exterior of any structure, including without limitation, roofing, and walls or fences greater than 2 feet above the lowest adjacent grade, shall be compatible with the materials of other structures on the same lot and with the other structures in the neighborhood. • EXTERIOR BUILDING APPEARANCE — The appearance of any structure, including roofs, walls or fences shall be compatible with existing structures, roofing, walls or fences in the neighborhood, inclusive of landscape and hardscape. The Architectural Review Boards (ARBs) of the City - designated HOAs are directed to protect and preserve the character and quality of its neighborhoods by requiring harmonious design, and implementation of the City's Single - Family Residential Design Appeal No. HOA 12 -03 530 N. Altura Road January 8, 2013 — Page 3 of 5 Guidelines. The ARBs and any body hearing an appeal of an ARB decision are to be guided by the following principles: 1. Control of architectural appearance and use of materials shall not be so exercised that individual initiative is stifled in creating the appearance of external features of any particular structure, building, fence, wall or roof, except to the extent necessary to establish contemporary accepted standards of harmony and compatibility acceptable to the ARB or the body hearing an appeal in order to avoid that which is excessive, garish, and substantially unrelated to the neighborhood. 2. Good architectural character is based upon the principles of harmony and proportion in the elements of the structure as well as the relationship of such principles to adjacent structures and other structures in the neighborhood. 3. A poorly designed external appearance of a structure, wall, fence, or roof, can be detrimental to the use and enjoyment and value of adjacent property and neighborhood. Based on the aforementioned guidelines and principles, the proposed composition roofing material is not appropriate for the Lower Rancho HOA area. While the proposed material may be architecturally appropriate for the subject residence, the long- standing determination by the Lower Rancho ARB to preclude the use of composition shingles is an appropriate exercise of its powers to protect and preserve the character and quality of the Lower Rancho areas. PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION Public hearing notices of this appeal were mailed to the owners of those properties within the required notification area (see Exhibit H) and to the Lower Rancho HOA President, Mr. Kevin Tomkins, and the ARB Chairman, Mr. Ernie Boehr. Pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) a re- roofing project is Categorically Exempt under Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines — maintenance of an existing structure; and therefore, the public hearing notice was not published in a local newspaper. RECOMMENDATION The Development Services Department recommends that the Planning Commission deny Appeal No. HOA 12 -03 and uphold the decision of the ARB Chairman. If the Planning Commission decides to approve the appeal and approve the homeowners' request to use "Charcoal Black," CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL (Triple Laminate) Luxury Shingle composition roofing material, the reroofing work must be done in compliance with all applicable building codes. Appeal No. HOA 12 -03 530 N. Altura Road January 8, 2013 — Page 4 of 5 PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION Approval If the Planning Commission intends to approve the appeal, the Commission should move to approve Appeal No. HOA 12 -03; and state that the proposal is consistent with the City's design guidelines and City Council Resolution No. 6770, such that the material is harmonious and compatible with the neighborhood, is of good architectural character, and will not be detrimental to the use and enjoyment and value of adjacent properties and the neighborhood. Denial If the Planning Commission intends to deny the appeal, the Commission should move to deny Appeal No. HOA 12 -03; and state that the proposal is not consistent with the City's design guidelines, and /or not consistent with City Council Resolution No. 6770, such that the proposal does not meet accepted standards of harmony and compatibility with the neighborhood, is not of good architectural character, or will be detrimental to the use, enjoyment or value of adjacent properties or the neighborhood. If any Planning Commissioner or other interested party has any questions or comments regarding this matter prior to the January 8, 2013 public hearing, please contact Associate Planner, Thomas Li at (626) 574 -5447 or tlic ci.arcadia.ca.us. Approved by: Jim %ama Community Development Administrator Attachments: Exhibit A Exhibit B Exhibit C Exhibit D Exhibit E Exhibit F Exhibit G Exhibit H Aerial Photo of Subject Property and Area Photos of the Subject Property ARB Chairman's Denial Letter with Application Form and Letter Appeal Letters List of Approved Roofing Materials Copies from Brochure of Proposed Roofing Material Photos of Homes with Composition - Shingles on Loma Lisa Lane Notification Area Map Appeal No. HOA 12 -03 530 N. Altura Road January 8, 2013 — Page 5 of 5 R -O R -O R -O ti / / Subject ji property R -O R -O R -O 530 N. Altura Road HOA 12 -02 Exhibit A Exhibit B 16 g as cc3 Nu o E 0 0 U° I 1 o v. . acu :o o 0 in Z Exhibit B Exhibit B November 30, 2012 Aileen Chung Phillip Chung 530 N. Altura Rd. Arcadia, Ca. 91007 Dear Aileen and Phillip Thank you for submitting your application for a re -roof of your home at 530 N. Altura Rd., using CertainTeed Presidential Shake luxury asphalt shingles. As this is not an approved product in the Rancho Santa Anita Homeowners Association neighborhood, I, or any other member of the board, am unable to approve your application for the use of this product. I would refer you to the list of approved roofing products that has been posted with the City. A significant amount of time went into the review of roofing materials for their inclusion in the approved list of products. Attached is your application with the denial noted. I will mail a copy of this notice as well. I understand your disappointment and appreciate your understanding in this regard. Should you wish to pursue this roof material for your home, your next step would be to appeal with the city planning department. air Architectural Review Board EB: encl. Exhibit C FILE NO. DATE FILED APPLICATION FOR HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN REVIEW (SHORT REVIEW PROCEDURE) PROJECT ADDRESS: PROPERTY OWNER'S NAM1E:. ADDRESS (IF DIFFERENT): ) -8z r — o b'i3 TELEPHONE NO:LC) 6 a( — 8-1 $- - tell E -MAIL ADDRESS: APPLICANT NAME. OF DIFFERENT): ADDRESS: TELEPHONE NO.: E -MAIL ADDRESS: DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT (Check applicable): • Single -story remodel andlor addition(s) ❑ Detached accessory structure(s) — new additions to, and/or remodels ❑ Fences and /or walls in and/or facing (i.e, visible from) front and street side yards ❑ Hardscape, landscaping and structural elements in front and street side yards, including without limitation, swimming pools, spas, fountains and other water features ❑ Fences, lights, and other features related to tennis courts, sports courts or other significant paved features ❑ Mechanical equipment 'd Roofing Letter size envelope(s) with proper postage, addressed to the property owner and applicant (if different) and to the. City of Arcadia Planning Services at 240 W. Huntington Drive, P.O. Box 60021, Arcadia, CA 91066 -6021. The envelopes are to notify the owner and applicant, and the City of the Architectural Review Board's decision. VP4c,„A,KAL.,°' vu-t' ?GIL c,,k<<(sit Nov. 20, 2012 Mr. Ernie Boehr, Chairman, Architectural Design Review Board of Rancho Santa Anita Homeowners' Association 957 Paloma Dr. Arcadia, CA 91007 Subject: Application to re -roof with CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL Triple Laminate Luxury Shingles 530 N. Altura Rd. Arcadia, CA 91007 Dear Mr. Ernie Boehr: Our family moved into 530 N. Altura Rd. in 1994 and have fallen in love with this neighborhood ever since. We plan to stay in this lovely neighborhood for the foreseeable future. Our Cal Shake roof has only been problematic with its leaks and constant repairs. We now need to re -roof our house and have found a more suitable roofing material for our home. Though our ranch style house was originally built with a wood shake roof, we have decided not to use wood shake anymore. Our main concern is that wood shake is not a environmentally friendly product. It is prone to termites and subject to numerous restrictions from the insurance industry in recent years. The following are some of my findings: • Safeco, which we have used for more than 20 years, will issue a policy subject to inspection only. • AAA will still provide coverage but at higher premiums. Plus, home owners have to treat their roofs with fire retardants every 5 years. Fire retardants are harmful to the environment. • State Farm requests that all wood shake roofs older than 20 years be replaced. New policies will only be issued to houses with wood shake roofs that are less than 5 years old. Policy is subject to cancellation unless new owners replace with a new roof within 60 days of the new policy. • Allstate simply will not insure any houses with wood shake roofs. Based on our own research and many experienced roofers' recommendations, we believe our best choice is composite shingles. Not only are composite shingles sustainable, but they have been in use for more than 100 years and are a proven product. Unlike wood shake, they weather well and do not separate or warp over time. They are durable enough to walk upon and are naturally fire retardant. We have decided to choose CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL Tripp Laminate Luxury Shingles for the following reasons: • They are the original shingle to replicate real wood shakes with their distinctive, sculpted, rustic looks. • They have a UL class A fire resistance rating and a 10 -year, 130 mph wind - resistance warranty. • They come with a 50 -year limited transferable warranty against manufacturing defects. The common misconception that all composite shingles are cheap is unfounded. In fact, Presidential Shake is more expensive than many tiles. They are widely used in our neighboring cities: San Marino, South Pasadena, and Pasadena's Rose Bowl area. Their distinctive designs have graced the roofs of many million - dollar homes. We are confident that these shingles will complement the character of our home and will be a good investment into our property. Thank you for your time in reviewing our application. Best Regards, /r?C`-it'`Z.1 Pi Ph llip K. Chung & Aileen Chung 530 N. Altura Rd. Arcadia, CA 91007 Phillip K. Chung Aileen Chung 530 N. Altura Rd. Arcadia, CA 91007 December 6, 2012 City of Arcadia Planning Services 240 West Huntington Dr. P. O. Box 60021 Arcadia, CA 91066 -6021 RE: Application to Appeal of Denial of Re -roof Application by the Rancho Santa Anita Homeowners' Association's Architectural Design Review Board for 530 N. Altura Road. Dear Planning Commission: We submitted our application, with some neighbors' signatures, to our HOA for re- roofing our home at 530 N. Altura Rd. using CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL Triple Laminate Luxury Shingles. Our application was denied by the Architectural Review Board. The reason being CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL Triple Laminate Luxury Shingles is not an approved material in the Rancho Santa Anita Homeowners Association neighborhood. We were referred to the list of approved roofing materials posted with the city. The list was given to us by another ARB member before we submitted our application. The list is dated June 2000, more than 12 years ago. Since building materials have been improved dramatically over this period, we decided to do our own research to find the most suitable roofmg materials for our home. Details of our findings were presented in the letter to Mr. Ernie Boehr, Chairman of our ARB, together with the application. (Please see attached) We have a flat roof over our front porch and part of the front bedroom. We also have a storage shed with composite shingles roof on the northeast corner of our house. Both of these areas are too flat to use tile. For better quality, and to keep a consistent and more pleasing appearance of the whole house, we believe we have made the right choice for our roofing materials. (Please see attached photos of our house) Please review our application and approve our appeal. Sincerely yours, c_zr Phillip K. Chun & Aileen aung RECEIVED DEC 06 2012 Planning Services City of Arcadia Exhibit D Aileen Chung 530 N. Altura Rd. Arcadia, CA 91007 December 6, 2012 City of Arcadia Planning Services 240 West Huntington Drive P. O. Box 60021 Arcadia, CA 91066 -6021 RE: Reason to Appeal Our Homeowners' Association's Denial of Our Re -roof Application Dear Planning Commission: Thank you for accepting our application to appeal for the denial of our application of re- roofmg materials by the Rancho Santa Anita Homeowners' Association Architecture Review Board. We have spent a great deal amount of time in researching and consulting with many roofing experts before making our decision. Our choice is based on quality over price or perception. Our family has been living in this home for more than 18 years now. We love our neighborhood and our home despite the leaky Cal Shake roof over our head. We need to replace our roof in order to prevent further structure damage to our property. Last October, we were given an approved list of roofing materials in our Association which is dated June 29, 2000. A visit to the Planning Department confirmed that the same version was posted with the City by our Homeowners' Association. I was troubled by the limited selections of approved materials and the list is more than a decade old. Building materials have improved dramatically in recent years and I wanted to explore these options. Our main concern over wood shake is not only it is not an environmentally friendly product, but is also prone to termites; in fact, the majority of insurance companies make it prohibitively expensive to insure. Or, they simply do not insure it at all. The following are my finding on wood shake after calling some of the largest insurance companies: • Safeco, which we have used for almost 30 years, will issue a policy subject to inspection only. • AAA will still provide coverage but at a higher premium. Plus, homeowners have to treat their roofs with fire retardants every 5 years. • State Farm requests that all wood shake roofs older than 20 years be replaced. New policies will only be issued to houses with wood shake roofs that are less than 5 years old. Policy is subject to cancellation unless new owners replace with a new roof within 60 days of the new policy. • All state simply will not insure any houses with wood shake roofs. Exhibit D There are at least two class action law suits still pending over Fire -Free Roofing, manufacture for one of the lightweight tiles on the list, Firefree Plus Fmfc. (Please refer to http://www.usinspect.com/resources- for- you/advisory- report- archives /2001 - archives /class- action- suits - pending- over - fire -free -r A visit to a roofing supply company confirmed that two more tiles, Pioneer and Pro -Tex were no longer available. I spoke to one of the employees, who is an experienced roofer, he described all kinds of tiles and told me that the standard weight tile would be too heavy for the structure of our home. He then recommended the designer composite shingles. Its 3 -D design is aesthetically pleasing and a big improvement in quality and durability over one dimension design shingles. They are made to mimic the look of wood shake. They are lighter and more durable and walkable than other lightweight tiles. CertainTeed Presidential shake TL Triple Laminate Luxury Shingles is one of the best and most expensive composite shingles on the market. He then, like many other roofers I had talked to before, said that he would only use composite shingles on his own home. In fact, CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL Triple Laminate Luxury Shingles are more expensive than some of the tiles on the list. They complement houses of different ages and styles and are widely used in various neighborhoods in City of Arcadia. Based on our research and with the consent of 11 of our neighbors, we submitted a formal application to our Architecture Review Board. To our disappointment and many of our neighbors', it was denied by the Architecture Review Board. Architecture and neighborhoods evolve. Our home is precious to us. The choice we made is based on quality, not perception. We are not trying to spend a fortune to bring down the value of our home. We are simply trying to maintain it. How are we able to make the right selection from a 12 -year old list? How did each one of them make their entries to the list? Why are those discontinued and being sued never taken out? What is not approved on the list is: composition shingles (tar paper). Our choice of material is definitely not tar paper. Please approve our appeal. Sincerely yours, Aile n Chung 530 N. Altura Road, Arcadia, CA 91007 Home (626)821 -0813 Cell (626)818 -7893 E -mail: amchung2 @gmail.com 2 ltANC.1IO SANTA ANITA RESIDENTS' As'SOCCA.'i'TC)N • ROOFING STANDARDS .TUNE 29, 2000 The Architectural Review Board has established the following roofing materials as compatible and harmonious, and approved for dwellings in the Lower Rancho/College areas. a. NOT AI'PROVEfl : composition shingles (tar paper) or fiberglass shingles h. NOT APPROVED: multi- stacked ridge end kicks; must maintain horizontal ridgeline c, APPROVED: Class A and 'Class B (see following charts) WOC7D -C DAR SL-IA KES ANE) STA EIGHT SHAKES :. COMPANY. TYPE TYPE COLOR or COLOR NUMBER erious • • WOOD -CEDAR SHAKES Heavy or Medium . . Class A or B treated CEDARLITE • ' MONIER LIFETILE SHAKE ISR 1130, 3958, 3934, 5932, 3453 MONIER 2000 - Vignette Shake 1430, 3016, 3156, 5225, 5746 WESTILE SHAKE ISR ' RUSTIC SHAKE Cedar, Creekstone, Palomino, Granite, Capistrano Blend, San Juan Blend AUBURN TILE I■C. Regular Weight SHAKE BRUSHED PONDEROSA 330, 33,125, 101, 600, 300 201, 202, •204, 807, 809, 810, 602 PIONEER WEATHERED SHAKE SHAKE BRUSHED LIGHTWEIGHT 445, 456 , 5.48, 453, 409, 516, 544, 452 EVERWEST SHAKE PIONEER 581, 558, 559, 562 EAGLE • . PONDEROSA SHAKE EVERWEST SHAKE • 5678, 5687, 5689, 5699, 5087, 5501, 5502, 5504, 5511, 5529, 6552 LIGHTWEIGHT SHAKES: COMPANY TYPE COLOR or COLOR NUMBER MONIER LIFETILE CEDARLITE • 3783, 3774, 5872, 5780, 5773, 3830 Premier DURALITE 2000 -Shake 1130, 3958, 3934, 5932, 3453 MONIER 2000 - Vignette Shake • 7973, 7933, 6938, 393.4, 3940, 3960, 0939 - FIREFREE PLUS FMFC RUSTIC SHAKE • Light Brown, Dark Brown, Gray EAGLELITE PONDEROSA . 301, 302, 303, 304, 311, 387, 399 AUBURN TILE . SHAKE BRUSHED LIGHTWEIGHT No blended colors 501, 502, 503, 505, 506, 607, 541,542 543, 544, 527, 520, 530, 531 PIONEER WEATHERED SHAKE LITEWEIGHT WS -409L; WS -445L, WS-453L, WS -407L EVERWEST SHAKE WES -557L, WES -558L, WES -544L, WES -5601., WES -561L, WES -552L PRO -TEX ,SHAKE • PRO Brown, PRO Gray Exhibit E CerteinTeed PRESIDENTIAL SHAKF, TL Luxury Shingles . op .�: L. ... p SINCE 1954 MONTE (DEL STANTON (714) 828 -9203 E (8M DEG SAN BERNARDINO (909) 799 -9188 www.fordwholesaleroofing.com CerLain1.ed El Ottratii rrrr,lr rrrltrin 5ntf (i,r turn 'Oa; Unit rrl. Exhibit F Example 1 of Loma Lisa Lane Exhibit G 1032 Loma Lisa Lane, Arcadia, CA 91006, a ranch style house with designer composite shingles. Example 2 of Loma Lisa Lane. Photo 2 of 3 for Loma Lisa Exhibit G 1050 Loma Lisa Lane, Arcadia, CA 91006, a ranch style house with designer composite shingles. Example 3 of Loma Lisa Lane. Photo 3 of 3 for Loma Lisa Exhibit G co`o�po BLVD W COLORADO BLVD W W COLORADO BLVD Notification Area Map Exhibit H