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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 1 - 2236 Hollis LaneDATE: August 11, 2015 TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commission FROM: Jim Kasama, Community Development Administrator By: Tim Schwehr, Management Analyst SUBJECT: CONTINUANCE OF MODIFICATION APPLICATION NO. MP 14-14 AND SINGLE-FAMILY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN REVIEW NO. SFADR 14- 95 WITH A CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) FOR A NEW 2,525 SQUARE- FOOT, TWO-STORY, CRAFTSMAN-STYLE RESIDENCE WITH REDUCED FRONT AND REAR SETBACKS AT 2236 HOLLIS LANE – THIS ITEM WAS CONTINUED FROM THE JULY 14, 2015, MEETING Recommendation: Continue the public hearing to the September 8, 2015, Planning Commission meeting At its regular July 14, 2015, meeting, a public hearing was held for Modification Application No. MP 14-14 and Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 14-95 for a new 2,525 square-foot, two-story, Craftsman-style residence with requests for reduced front and rear setbacks – the staff report for the July 14, 2015, meeting is attached. After hearing public testimony, which included opposition by several neighbors, the Planning Commission voted 3-1 to continue the item to the August 11, 2015, meeting to allow time for the applicant and neighbors to meet to discuss the proposed project, and see if an agreement could be reached among the parties. On Wednesday, August 5, 2015, the applicant submitted the attached letter to request a further continuance. The letter states that the applicant met with the neighbors to discuss the project, and that additional time is needed to allow the applicant and owner to consider what changes will be made to the proposal. A continuance of the public hearing is subject to approval by the Planning Commission. It is recommended that the Planning Commission grant a further continuance to the September 8, 2015, meeting. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION The Planning Commission should reopen the public hearing, receive any public testimony, and approve a motion to continue the hearing to the September 8, 2015, meeting. Attachments DATE: July 14, 2015 TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commission FROM: Jim Kasama, Community Development Administrator By: Tim Schwehr, Associate Planner SUBJECT: MODIFICATION APPLICATION NO. MP 14-14 AND SINGLE-FAMILY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN REVIEW NO. SFADR 14-95 WITH A CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) FOR A NEW 2,525 SQUARE- FOOT, TWO-STORY RESIDENCE WITH REDUCED FRONT AND REAR SETBACKS AT 2236 HOLLIS LANE Recommendation: Conditional Approval SUMMARY The applicant, Mr. Marvin Fong, Project Designer, is requesting approval of the architectural design review, and front and rear setback Modifications for a new 2,525 square-foot, two-story, single-family residence at 2236 Hollis Lane. Construction of one, single-family residence and the Modifications are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). It is recommended that the Planning Commission approve the proposed project, subject to the conditions listed in this staff report. BACKGROUND The subject property is a 7,569 square- foot lot, zoned R-1-7,500, and currently improved with a one-story, 624 square- foot residence. The property is one of seven lots on Hollis Lane, which is a 20- foot wide private road off of Longden Avenue, and is a one-sided cul-de-sac – see Attachment No. 1 for an aerial photo and zoning information. Hollis Lane is an easement across the westerly 20 feet of these properties. Six of the properties, including the subject lot, are developed with small, single-story residences. The property at 2224 Hollis Lane is a two-story, 926 square-foot residence. All seven of the houses on this private street have substandard (i.e., less than the current 25-foot requirement) rear yard setbacks ranging from 5’-0” to 15’-0”. MP 14-14 & SFADR 14-95 2236 Hollis Lane July 14, 2015 Page 2 of 7 In 2012, the adjacent property to the north at 2230 Hollis Lane constructed a 674 square-foot, one-story addition, and a 400 square-foot, attached, two-car garage to the existing 814 square-foot residence (SFADR 11-47). This addition included an Administrative Modification to align the new garage and addition with the existing substandard 10’-0” rear yard setback and the substandard 5’-0” southerly side yard setback (MA 11-30). No other recent additions or alterations have been made to the other homes on this private street. The owner of the subject property, Mr. Johnny Zhang, also owns the adjacent property to the south at 2240 Hollis Lane, and has stated that he would like to redevelop that property with a new two-story residence in the near future. A Certificate of Demolition was approved on February 23, 2015, for the existing 624 square-foot residence. The evaluation by an Architectural Historian found that the existing residence has no historical significance because it is common in type and style. The Historian’s report is included as Attachment No. 3. PROPOSAL The applicant is proposing a new 2,525 square-foot, two-story, Craftsman-style single- family residence, with an attached 441 square-foot, two-car garage, a 173 square-foot, front porch, and a 148 square-foot, attached rear yard trellis. A rendering of the front of the proposed house is shown below, and the architectural plans are included as Attachment No. 2. The applicant is requesting approval of the following three Zoning Modifications for this project: A. A 10’-4” rear yard setback for an attached trellis, and a 15’-0” rear yard setback for the first-floor living area in lieu of 25’-0” required; MP 14-14 & SFADR 14-95 2236 Hollis Lane July 14, 2015 Page 3 of 7 B. A 30’-6” second-story rear yard setback in lieu of 35’-0” required; and C. A 39’-2” front yard setback for a covered porch in lieu of 47’-11” required, based on the average front yard setback of the two immediate neighbors on this street. ANALYSIS The proposed residence includes four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a family room, a living room/dining room, a kitchen, a laundry room, and an attached two-car garage. The 2,525 square-feet of livable area is relatively small for a 7,569 square-foot lot compared to current development trends. However, because 1,500 square feet of the lot is the 20-foot wide private street, the net usable lot area is 6,069 square feet. The front yard setback requirement for the subject property is 47’-11” from the west property line (i.e., 27’-11” from the private street) based on the average front yard setbacks of the two adjacent neighbors on this street. All seven of the properties have front yard setbacks that exceed the 25-foot minimum when measured from the actual property line as shown on sheet A-02 of the attached architectural plans. The small lot size and large front yard setback requirement results in a small buildable area for this lot. Therefore, the applicant is requesting the three Modifications to allow portions of the residence, front porch, and rear trellis to encroach into the first-story front setback, and first and second-story rear yard setbacks. Modification Request A  A 10’-4” rear yard setback for an attached trellis, and a 15’-0” rear yard setback for the first-floor living area in lieu of 25’-0” required. This Modification request is consistent with the substandard, first-floor, rear yard setbacks of the other residences on this private street, which range from 5’-0” to 15’-0”. Approval of this Modification provides a reasonable building area while allowing the ground floor livable area to comply with the front yard setback requirement and side yard setback requirements. Approval of this Modification will secure an appropriate improvement of the lot, prevent an unreasonable hardship, and promote uniformity of development. Modification Request B  A 30’-6” second-story rear yard setback in lieu of 35’-0” required. This Modification request will allow the residence to have three upstairs bedrooms consistent with contemporary standards, and also helps to provide adequate articulation and modulation of the building mass. The required second-floor setbacks of 47’-11” at the front, 35’-0” to the rear, and 15’-0” on the sides, results in a narrow 45’ by 17’ second floor buildable area. Allowing the second-story to encroach into the rear yard setback enables the residence to comply with the front and side yard setback requirements. Privacy impacts to the adjacent residence to the rear will be minimal due to the existence of a large 30-foot tall Carrotwood Tree at the northeast corner of the MP 14-14 & SFADR 14-95 2236 Hollis Lane July 14, 2015 Page 4 of 7 subject property, and a 10-foot tall hedge on the adjacent property to the rear. As an additional mitigation measure, the applicant will plant a 20-foot tall California Oak Tree at the southeast corner of the lot. This tree will provide additional privacy screening and softening of the second-story mass. Approval of this Modification will secure an appropriate improvement of this lot, and prevent an unreasonable hardship. Modification Request C  A 39’-2” front yard setback for a covered porch in lieu of 47’-11” required, based on the average front yard setback of the two immediate neighbors on this street. The livable area of the residence will comply with the front setback requirements. This Modification is to allow an authentic-looking, Craftsman-style porch to be built at the front of the residence. The proposed porch will have a 19’-2” setback from the 20’-0” wide private street at its closest point, with the majority of the porch setback 22’-0” from the private street. As such, the house will have an adequate front yard area. The applicant will also plant a new 16-foot tall California Oak Tree at the northwest corner of the front yard that will provide a substantive landscape feature between the porch and the private street. A reduced front yard setback is appropriate because Hollis Lane is a cul-de-sac, and a tapering of the front setbacks towards the end of a cul-de-sac is an acceptable development pattern. Approval of this Modification will secure an appropriate improvement of this lot. Architectural Design Review Single-Family Architectural Design Review approval is also required for the subject proposal to ensure that the design is consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines. These applications are being reviewed by the Planning Commission under Arcadia Municipal Code Section 9252.2.11, which requires that Zoning Modifications for a new dwelling be subject to the approval of the Planning Commission, or the City Council upon appeal. The proposal is Craftsman in style based on the architectural features and materials that include shingle and batten siding on the exterior walls, an asphalt shingle roof, open rafter eaves, shallow gabled roofs, dark, warm colors, a large front porch with tapered columns, stone and wood accent materials, and brown, semi-divided window panes – see Attachment No. 2 for the Architectural Plans. The proposed floor plan is properly modulated and articulated to break up the building mass. The proposed design is consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines and compatible with the homes in the neighborhood – see Attachment No. 4 for photos of the surrounding properties. FINDINGS Section 9292.1.4 of the Arcadia Municipal Code states that the purpose of the Modification procedures is for the following: MP 14-14 & SFADR 14-95 2236 Hollis Lane July 14, 2015 Page 5 of 7 1. Secure an appropriate improvement of a lot; 2. Prevent an unreasonable hardship; or 3. Promote uniformity of development. As detailed in the analysis section of this report, each of the Modification requests will secure an appropriate improvement of a lot, prevent an unreasonable hardship, and/or promote uniformity of development. The architectural design of the building is consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines and with the surrounding neighborhood. It is recommended that the Planning Commission approve Modification No. MP 14-14, and Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 14-95, subject to the conditions listed in this report. All City requirements regarding disabled access and facilities, occupancy limits, building safety, health code compliance, emergency equipment, environmental regulation compliance, and parking and site design shall be complied with by the property owner/applicant to the satisfaction of the Building Official, City Engineer, Community Development Administrator, Fire Marshal, and Public Works Services Director, or their respective designees. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT This project involves new construction of one, single-family residence with minor alterations to land use limitations, and qualifies for a Categorical Exemption per the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15305 of the CEQA Guidelines. Refer to Attachment No. 5 for the Preliminary Exemption Assessment. PUBLIC NOTICE Public hearing notices for this item were mailed to the owners of those properties that are located within 100 feet of the subject property on July 2, 2015. As of July 8, 2015, no comments were received in response to the public hearing notices. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Planning Commission approve Modification No. MP 14-14 and Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 14-95, with an exemption MP 14-14 & SFADR 14-95 2236 Hollis Lane July 14, 2015 Page 6 of 7 from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), subject to the following conditions of approval: 1. All City requirements regarding disabled access and facilities, occupancy limits, building safety, health code compliance, emergency equipment, environmental regulation compliance, and parking and site design shall be complied with by the property owner/applicant to the satisfaction of the Building Official, City Engineer, Community Development Administrator, Fire Marshal, and Public Works Services Director, or their respective designees. 2. The applicant shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City of Arcadia and its officials, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claim, action, or proceeding against the City of Arcadia, its officials, officers, employees or agents to attack, set aside, void, or annul any approval or conditional approval of the City of Arcadia concerning this project and/or land use decision, including but not limited to any approval or conditional approval of the City Council, Planning Commission, or City Staff, which action is brought within the time period provided for in Government Code Section 66499.37 or other provision of law applicable to this project or decision. The City shall promptly notify the applicant of any claim, action, or proceeding concerning the project and/or land use decision and the City shall cooperate fully in the defense of the matter. The City reserves the right, at its own option, to choose its own attorney to represent the City, its officials, officers, employees, and agents in the defense of the matter. 3. Approval of MP 14-14 and SFADR 14-95 shall not be of effect unless on or before 30 calendar days after Planning Commission approval of the applications, the property owner and applicant have executed and filed with the Community Development Administrator or designee an Acceptance Form available from the Development Services Department to indicate awareness and acceptance of these conditions of approval. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION Approval If the Planning Commission intends to approve the project, the Commission should approve a motion to approve Modification No. MP 14-14 and Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 14-95 and determine that the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), subject to the conditions set forth above, or as modified by the Commission, based on the findings that the Modifications will secure an appropriate improvement of a lot, will prevent an unreasonable hardship, or will promote uniformity of development, and that the proposed design is consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines. MP 14-14 & SFADR 14-95 2236 Hollis Lane July 14, 2015 Page 7 of 7 Denial If the Planning Commission intends to deny this project, the Commission should approve a motion to deny Modification Application No. MP 14-14 and Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 14-95, based on the evidence presented, and state the reasons why the project does not meet any of the purposes for Modifications, and/or is not consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines. If any Planning Commissioner, or other interested party has any questions or comments regarding this matter prior to the July 14, 2015 hearing, please contact Associate Planner, Tim Schwehr at (626) 574-5422, or TSchwehr@ArcadiaCA.gov. Approved: Attachment No. 1: Aerial Photo with Zoning Information Attachment No. 2: Architectural Plans Attachment No. 3: Architectural Historian’s Report Attachment No. 4: Photos of the Subject Property and Surrounding Properties Attachment No. 5: Preliminary Exemption Assessment Attachment No. 1 Attachment No.1 Aerial Photo with Zoning Information Overlays Selected parcel highlighted Parcel location within City of Arcadian/a n/a n/a n/a Property Owner(s): Architectural Design Overlay: Downtown Overlay: Special Height Overlay: Parking Overlay: Lot Area (sq ft): Year Built: Main Structure / Unit (sq. ft.): General Plan: R-1 (7,500) Number of Units: LDR Zoning: Property Characteristics 1949 624 0 2236 HOLLIS LN Johnny Zhang Site Address: This map is a user generated static output from an Internet mapping site and is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this map may or may not be accurate, current, or otherwise reliable. Report generated07-Jul-2015 Page 1 of 1 7,569 Attachment No. 2 Attachment No.2 Architectural Plans Attachment No. 3 Attachment No.3 Architectural Historian’s Report Attachment No. 4 Attachment No.4 Photos of Subject Property & Surrounding Properties SUBJECT PROPERTY ADJACENT PROPERTY TO THE NORTH ADJACENT PROPERTY TO THE SOUTH ADJACENT PROPERTY TO THE WEST LOOKING NORTH FROM SUBJECT PROPERTY ALONG HOLLIS LANE EXISTING MATURE CARROTWOOD TREE AT REAR OF SUBJECT PROPERTY TO BE PRESERVED Attachment No. 5 Attachment No.5 Preliminary Exemption Assessment Preliminary Exemption Assessment\2010 FORM “A” CITY OF ARCADIA 240 W. HUNTINGTON DRIVE ARCADIA, CA 91007 PRELIMINARY EXEMPTION ASSESSMENT (Certificate of Determination When Attached to Notice of Exemption) 1. Name or description of project: MP 14-14 & SFADR 14-95 2. Project Location – Identify street address and cross streets or attach a map showing project site (preferably a USGS 15’ or 7 1/2’ topographical map identified by quadrangle name): 2236 Hollis Lane, between Longden Ave & Rodell Place 3. Entity or person undertaking project: A. B. Other (Private) (1) Name Marvin Fong (2) Address 1111 ½ Highland Oaks Dr. Arcadia, CA 91006 4. Staff Determination: The Lead Agency’s Staff, having undertaken and completed a preliminary review of this project in accordance with the Lead Agency's "Local Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)" has concluded that this project does not require further environmental assessment because: a. The proposed action does not constitute a project under CEQA. b. The project is a Ministerial Project. c. The project is an Emergency Project. d. The project constitutes a feasibility or planning study. e. The project is categorically exempt. Applicable Exemption Class: 5 – Minor Alteration in Land Use Limitation f. The project is statutorily exempt. Applicable Exemption: g. The project is otherwise exempt on the following basis: h. The project involves another public agency which constitutes the Lead Agency. Name of Lead Agency: Date: 6/20/15 Staff: Tim Schwehr, Associate Planner 1111 1/2 HIGHLAND OAKS DRIVE, ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA 91006 ♦ P 626.574.7430 F 626.574.7436 Page 1 of 1 August 5, 2015 Tim Schwehr, City of Arcadia Development Services Department Re: 2236 Hollis Lane Tim, We are requesting a continuance for the upcoming Planning Commission Meeting in August 11th. We just had a neighborhood meeting on Monday August 4th. The owner and I are still in the process of considering the neighbors concerns and comments and deciding on what additional modifications to the project we are going to propose in the next round. Thank you. Regards, Marvin Fong Marvin Fong and Associates Inc.