HomeMy WebLinkAboutDecision Letter
City of
Arcadia
Development
Services
Department
Jason Kruckeberg
Assistant City Manager/
Development Services
Director
240 West Huntington Drive
Post Office Box 60021
Arcadia, CA 91066-6021
(626) 574-5415
(626) 447-3309 Fax
www.ArcadiaCA.gov
March 17, 2020
PDS Studio Inc.
Attn: Philip Chan
711 S. 1st Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91006
Subject: Single-Family Design Review No. SFADR 19-19
Project Address: 1725 Grace Avenue
Dear Mr. Chan:
The public comment period for the Notice of Pending Decision ended on
February 10, 2020. During the public comment period, staff received one
letter of opposition and a petition with 14 signatures from surrounding
residents objecting to the project. The neighbors were concerned with the
mass and scale of the proposed two-story house in comparison to the other
smaller single-story homes in the neighborhood, and with privacy impacts
that the new two-story residence would have on the adjoining properties to
the sides and rear of the site. The Applicant wanted to be given an
opportunity to revise the plans to address the neighbors and staff concerns.
However, the Applicant did not submit revised plans.
After consideration, staff determined that the new 3,360 square foot, two-
story, Prairie-style residence with an attached, 445 square-foot, two-car
garage and a 1,050 square-foot basement is not consistent with the City’s
Single-Family Design Guidelines. Specifically, staff found the project
inconsistent with the following guidelines and sections:
Objective No. 3 (Page 8): “A new homes should be consistent in
architectural style, scale, massing, features, and quality as the surrounding
neighborhood.”
Site Planning Principles and Neighborhood Context (Page 9):
Section A: The location, configuration, size and design of the new
building should be visually harmonious with their respective sites and
compatible with the character and quality of their surroundings.
Section No. 6: Height, Bulk, and Scale (Page 15):
Section J: A structure’s size and bulk should complement the
predominant massing types of the neighborhood.
As proposed, the project would appear out of scale and incompatible with
the other homes in this neighborhood that primarily comprises of smaller
single-story homes. Therefore, the Development Services Department has
denied the single-family design review project.
There is a ten (10) day appeal period for this application. To submit an Appeal Application,
please visit www.ArcadiaCA.gov/planning and follow the instructions. Please submit a
complete Appeal Application by 5:30 p.m. on March 30, 2020. In response to guidance
received by federal, state, and local public health officials, Arcadia City Hall will be closed
to the public until further notice. If you have any questions regarding the above denial,
please contact me at (626) 574-5423 or by email at planning@arcadiaca.gov.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Community Development Division/Planning Services
Vanessa Quiroz
Associate Planner
c: Jack Song, Property Owner
W.R. Ireland, Neighboring Resident
Ken Obst, Neighboring Resident
Ruben Chavez, Neighboring Resident
Angela Mak, Neighboring Resident
Roberta Marquez, Neighboring Resident
Evelyn Glaser, Neighboring Resident
Jerry Brinkman, Neighboring Resident
Ka Yu Yip, Neighboring Resident
J. Rebecca Bryant, Neighboring Resident
Dr. Mark I. Park, Neighboring Resident
Gloria Pei, Neighboring Resident
Hao Huang, Neighboring Resident
Joanne Luo, Neighboring Resident
Gustavo Marquez, Neighboring Resident
Katy Mui, Neighboring Resident