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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem No. 3 - Appeal of SFADR 15-55 for 2330 Sewanee LaneDATE: July 26, 2016 TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commission FROM: Jim Kasama, Community Development Administrator By: Jordan Chamberlin, Assistant Planner SUBJECT: APPEAL OF THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT DECISION TO APPROVE SINGLE-FAMILY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN REVIEW NO. SFADR 15-55 FOR A PROPOSED 3,309 SQUARE-FOOT, TWO-STORY, SPANISH-STYLE RESIDENCE, WITH AN ATTACHED, 440 SQUARE-FOOT, TWO-CAR GARAGE AT 2330 SEWANEE LANE Recommendation: Deny Appeal and Uphold Approval SUMMARY Mr. David Arvizu is appealing the Development Services Department approval of the architectural design review for a proposed 3,309 square-foot, two-story, Spanish-style, single-family residence with an attached, 440 square-foot, two-car garage at 2330 Sewanee Lane – see Attachment No. 2 for the Architectural Plans. This project qualifies for a Categorical Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for construction of one, single-family residence. It is recommended that the Planning Commission deny the appeal and uphold the approval of SFADR 15-55. BACKGROUND The subject property is an 8,771 square-foot lot, zoned R-1-7,500, and is currently improved with a 1,761 square-foot, one-story residence with an attached, two-car garage constructed in 1950 – see Attachment No. 1 for an Aerial Photo with Zoning Information and Photos of the Subject Property and Vicinity. A Certificate of Demolition was approved on March 14, 2016, for the existing 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 Certificate of Demolition and Historian’s report are included as Attachment No. 6. The properties immediately around the subject property are a combination of one-story, mid-century, Ranch-style homes, and newer two-story Mediterranean-style, and pre- design review homes. The homes to the north, south, and west of the subject property are two story homes. The following table shows the square-footage of living areas and the number of stories for the homes within 100-feet of the subject property: Appeal of SFADR 15-55 Approval 2330 Sewanee Lane July 26, 2016 – Page 2 of 7 The applicant and home designer, Mr. David Lin submitted Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 15-55 on July 13, 2015. The initial plans proposed a 3,848 square-foot, two-story, Spanish/Italian-style residence with an attached 457 square-foot, two-car garage. Planning Services found that this proposal was not consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines (Design Guidelines) and issued an incompletion letter on August 31, 2015. Among the items identified as incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood and inconsistent with the Design Guidelines were the architectural style, massing, and scale of the proposed residence – see Attachment No. 3 for the Incompletion and Approval Letters. Revised designs were submitted on November 19, 2015 and April 19, 2016, in which the architectural style was revised to Spanish and the second floor was reduced 421 square feet; from 1,699 square feet to 1,278 square feet. Other changes in response to the comments from staff included the following:  Vertical features over the entry that emphasized the height of the house were eliminated;  A second-story cantilevered area along the rear of the building was reduced, and a rear balcony was reduced in size from 113 square feet to ten square feet for added privacy;  Front yard fences and gates along Sewanee Lane were removed for neighborhood compatibility;  Architectural details and roof lines were simplified for a more modest appearance; and  The sizes of the windows on the north side of the second floor were reduced. Planning Services found this design to be consistent with the Design Guidelines – see Attachment No. 2 for the Architectural Plans. Figure 1. Table and map showing the square footage of living area, the number of stories, and location of homes within 100-feet of the subject property. Appeal of SFADR 15-55 Approval 2330 Sewanee Lane July 26, 2016 – Page 3 of 7 A Notice of Pending Decision was mailed on May 17, 2016, to the property owners and residents in the design review notification area – see the map on page 5. Five residents submitted comments that were taken into consideration during the decision making process, one comment from a resident was received after the decision was made. The residents expressed concerns regarding the massing and scale of the proposal and the potential for obstruction of existing views. After additional information was provided by the applicant, one neighbor no longer had concerns with the massing and scale of the home – refer to Attachment No. 4 for Comments from Residents. On June 9, 2016, the Development Services Department issued a conditional approval of the project – see Attachment No. 3. The approval is based on a determination that the revised design is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines. On June 16, 2016, Mr. David Arvizu filed an appeal of the Development Services Department decision – see Attachment No. 5 for the Appeal Letter. The Planning Commission may approve the appeal and deny the architectural design review, or deny the appeal and uphold or amend the conditional approval of the design review. The Commission’s decision may be appealed to the City Council. PROPOSAL The revised architectural plans (Attachment No. 2) propose a 3,309 square-foot residence comprised of a 2,031 square-foot first floor and a 1,278 square-foot second floor. The first floor is to have a foyer, office, laundry room, kitchen, wok-kitchen, family room, dining room, living room, one bedroom, and 1½ bathrooms. The second floor consists of three bedrooms, and three bathrooms. There is approximately 178 square- feet of high volume ceiling area located near the foyer and at the staircase. An attached, 440 square-foot, two-car garage is proposed at the front of the residence. Figure 2. Color elevation of the proposed residence Appeal of SFADR 15-55 Approval 2330 Sewanee Lane July 26, 2016 – Page 4 of 7 The architecture of the proposed design is Spanish style, and features colors, materials, and design elements typical of this style of architecture. The proposed home has greater first floor setbacks along the front, rear, and street-side than the existing home. The ground floor meets the 28’-2” front yard setback to align with the adjacent homes and the second floor is set back an additional 4’-6” to 12’-0” from the first floor. The conceptual landscape plan for this project indicates that all, but one of the existing seven mature trees on the property and in the parkway area will be preserved, and new privacy hedges and trees will be planted along the rear and interior side property lines. ANALYSIS The neighborhood is comprised of mid-century, Ranch-style homes, newer two-story Mediterranean-style and pre- design review homes. The subject property is located on the northeast corner of Sewanee Lane and West Palm Drive. Sewanee Lane is a cul-de-sac consisting of 18 homes; five of these homes are two-story homes, including the homes directly to the north and across the street to the west of the subject property. There is a two-story home currently under construction at 2315 Sewanee Lane and a two-story house was recently approved for 2224 Sewanee Lane, which is at the end of the cul-de-sac. The two homes directly to the south of the subject property, at 138 and 146 W. Palm Drive, are also two-story homes. Four out of eight of the nearest homes are two-story homes with comparable massing and size – see Attachment No. 1 for photos of the neighboring homes, and see the table on page 2 for the sizes of the homes in the area. A two-story home is consistent with the development pattern of this area. The appeal letter states that the design of proposed home is inappropriate for the neighborhood based on its mass and scale and obstruction of views of the nearby residents. As noted above, the homes directly to the north, west and south are already two-story with similar mass and scale. There are no view protection regulations in the Arcadia Municipal Code, but there is a statement in the Site Planning section of the Design Guidelines that natural amenities unique to the site, such as views, should be preserved. The subject property is a corner lot on the north side of the street. West Palm Drive is 60-feet wide. It is staff’s opinion that this provides adequate spacing between the residences so that views of the neighbors are not unreasonable obstructed. Although the newly-adopted City Floor Area Ratio (FAR) standards do not apply to this home because the Notice of Pending Decision for this project was issued prior to the effective date of the new rules, staff evaluated how the proposed home relates to the Figure 3. Map of two story homes and comments from residents - Single Story Home no longer opposed to proposal Appeal of SFADR 15-55 Approval 2330 Sewanee Lane July 26, 2016 – Page 5 of 7 Figure 4. Notification Area FAR for the Non-HOA area south of Huntington Drive. The FAR for this area allows for 3,946 square feet. The proposal of 3,487 square feet is 459 square feet (11.6%) under the new FAR limit. The proposed design is appropriately sized for the property. The design was determined to be compatible with the neighborhood because it respects the scale of the neighborhood, and its apparent massing is comparable, if not less than that of other two-story homes in the neighborhood. The proposed architectural features; red S-tile roofing, off-white and earth-toned colors are architectural elements taken from the existing home, and the quality of design surpasses that of the neighboring homes. The second floor has a modest appearance, is well articulated, and has small windows in consideration of the privacy of the neighbors. Privacy is further addressed through the use of hedges that are to be planted along the side and rear property lines, along with new trees in the front and street-side yard setback areas. For these reasons, staff determined that the proposed design is consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines, which can be found at the following link: • https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=1098 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed project qualifies as a Class 3 Categorical Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as construction of one, single-family residence under Section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines. Refer to Attachment No. 7 for the Preliminary Exemption Assessment. PUBLIC COMMENTS The Notice of Pending Decision was issued on May 18, 2016. Five residents submitted comments that were taken into consideration during the decision making process. One comment from a resident was received after the decision had been made. The residents expressed concerns regarding the massing and scale of the proposal and the potential for obstruction of existing views. After additional information was provided by the applicant, one neighbor no longer had concerns with the massing and scale of the home. Public hearing notices for this appeal were mailed on July 15, 2016, to the property owners of those properties within the design review notification area, and to the appellant. As of July 21, 2016, no comments have been received in response to this notice. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Planning Commission deny the appeal, and uphold the decision of the Development Services Department to approve Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 15-55, based on the finding that the project is consistent with the Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines, and is subject to the following conditions of approval: Appeal of SFADR 15-55 Approval 2330 Sewanee Lane July 26, 2016 – Page 6 of 7 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 Single-Family Architectural Design Review Application No. SFADR 15-55 shall not be of effect unless on or before 30 calendar days after approval of this project, the property owner/applicant has 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 of Appeal If the Planning Commission intends to approve the appeal and overturn the Development Services Department decision, and deny the proposed design, the Commission should approve a motion to approve the appeal and deny Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 15-55, and stating specifically how the proposed design is not consistent with the City’s Design Guidelines. Denial of Appeal If the Planning Commission intends to deny the appeal and uphold the Development Services Department decision, the Commission should approve a motion that finds that the project is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), denies the appeal, and upholds the approval of Single-Family Architectural Design Review No. SFADR 15-55, based on the finding that the proposed design is consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines, and is subject to the aforementioned conditions, or as may be added to by the Commission. Appeal of SFADR 15-55 Approval 2330 Sewanee Lane July 26, 2016 – Page 7 of 7 If any Planning Commissioner, or other interested party has any questions or comments regarding this matter prior to the July 26, 2016, Planning Commission meeting, please contact Assistant Planner, Jordan Chamberlin by calling (626) 821-4334, or by email to JChamberlin@ArcadiaCA.gov. Approved: Attachment No. 1: Aerial Photo with Zoning Information & Photos of Subject Property and Vicinity Attachment No. 2: Proposed Architectural Plans Attachment No. 3: Incompletion & Approval Letters Attachment No. 4: Neighbors’ Comments Attachment No. 5: Appeal Letter Attachment No. 6: Certificate of Demolition Report & Historian’s Report Attachment No. 7: Preliminary Exemption Assessment Link to City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines: https://www.arcadiaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=1098 Attachment No. 1 Aerial Photo with Zoning Information & Photos of Subject Property and Vicinity 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 1950 1,761 1 MU,XIANHUA Site Address: 2330 SEWANEE LN 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 generated21-Jul-2016 Page 1 of 1 PhotoAofAtheAsubjectAproperty,A2330ASewaneeALane,AfromASewaneeALane PhotoAofAtheAsubjectAproperty,A2330ASewaneeALane,AfromAW.APalmADrive PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAnorth,A2326ASewaneeALane PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAeast,A2341AIvylandA venue,AfromAIvylandA venue PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAeast,A2341AIvylandA venue,AfromAW.APalmADrive PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAsoutheast,A130AW.APalmADrive PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAsouth,A138AW.APalmADrive PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAsouth,A146AW.APalmADrive PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAsouthwest,A152AW.APalmADrive PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAwest,A2331ASewaneeALane,AfromASewaneeALane PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAwest,A2331ASewaneeALane,AfromAW.APalmADrive PhotoAofAtheAneighboringApropertyAtoAtheAnorthwest,A2327ASewaneeALane Attachment No. 2 Proposed Architectural Plans