Lot Merger: The applicant has requested to merge lots 23 & 25 of lot AA in accordance with CMC 17.10.040.B.2, Other Owner-Initiated Mergers. Per CMC, 17.10.040.B.2, The City encourages the merger of small lots into larger lots to promote diversity in design and housing size and to preserve open space. Two or more contiguous lots of record, each of which would individually meet the standards for development as a building site, may be merged through the filing of a voluntary merger request by the owner(s).
By merging the two lots, an increase in base floor area and exterior volume of 3% becomes available, an incentive which the applicant has chosen to utilize for the proposed development. By merging the two 4,000 square foot lots, the project site becomes a single 80’x100’ 8,000 square foot lot. Typically, an 8,000 square foot lot is permitted 2,960 square feet of base floor area, however, with the lot merger incentive, the base floor area allowed is increased by 3% to 3,200 square feet of base floor area.
Forest Character: Residential Design Guidelines 1.1 through 1.4 encourages preserving significant trees and minimizing impacts on established trees; protecting the root systems of all trees to be preserved; and, maintaining a forested image on the site.
The site contains twenty trees, eight of which are significant and an additional eight considered moderately significant. The applicant requested to remove three moderately significant trees (Attachment 7, Sheet A1, trees #6, 12, 14) and relocate one significant tree ((Attachment 7, Sheet A1, tree #17) to accommodate the proposed development. The applicant’s request was presented to the Forest and Beach Commission on July 12, 2018.
The Forest and Beach Commission approved the removal of three moderately significant trees and the relocation of one significant tree with the condition that if the relocated tree (tree #17) dies within 5 years, a new 84” box oak is required to be planted as a replacement. Draft Condition of Approval #1 has been included stating this requirement (refer to Attachment 6).
The city forester reviewed the design study proposal and determined the proposed development is adequately setback from all other trees on-site. There is no additional tree planting requirement per the forester. The tree removal permit for the project has been approved and would be issued at the time of building permit issuance. The minutes from the Forest and Beach Commission hearing have been included as Attachment 2 (item #2), and the tree relocation plan has been included as Attachment 3.
Privacy and Views: Residential Design Guidelines 5.1 through 5.3 encourages designs that preserve reasonable privacy for adjacent properties and maintain view opportunities to natural features.
Staff has not identified any privacy or view impacts associated with the project. Two of the four sides of the lot face the public right-of-way (corner lot), and the interior side lot line faces what will be a vacant lot (Lot 21). The rear property line is the only side of the property which shares a property line with developed residential properties and the only windows proposed to face the neighboring properties are windows for the guesthouse. All proposed windows of the guest cottage would be screened by a 6’ tall solid wood fence.
Additionally, there do not appear to be any view impacts associated with the project. Staff was unable to identify any view impacts from neighboring sites or the public right-of-way. Story poles have been installed on the site since late November 2018 and to date, staff has not received any correspondence from neighbors stating their view has been impacted.
Mass and Bulk: Residential Design Guidelines 7.1 through 7.7 encourages a building’s mass to relate to the context of other homes nearby; minimize the mass of a building as seen from the public way or adjacent properties; and, relate to a human scale in its basic forms.
The proposed residence and guesthouse are consistent with the Residential Design Guidelines as they relate to mass and bulk. While the proposed residence is taller than the existing residence, both the residence and guesthouse maintain the single story appearance and step with the topography of the site. Additionally, while the garage and guesthouse are located within the rear setback, however, they are both less than 15’ tall and maintain the required 3’ setback from the rear property line. Throughout the site, the buildings uses low, horizontal building forms that hug the ground, as encouraged by the Residential Design Guidelines and is consistent with the mass and scale of neighboring properties.
Building and Roof Form: Residential Design Guidelines 8.1 through 8.5 encourages traditional building forms; using restraint with variations in building planes; using simple roof forms that are in proportion to the scale of the building; and, roof eave lines that are low in scale. Guideline 8.3 states to “limit the number of subordinate attachments, such as dormers, to avoid cluttered design.”
The proposed residence is a simple U-shape, as considered typical by the residential design guidelines. While there are multiple variations in the wall planes throughout the residence and guesthouse, the variations are not drastic, or overly complicated, and are appropriate for the style of the residence and guesthouse.
The roof is primarily a gabled wood-shake roof pitched at 6:12. A small portion of the roof is a conical standing steam copper roof, also pitched at 6:12. While the copper roof may have reflective properties at the time of installation, the heavy tree canopy on the site should minimize glare or reflections off the roof. Additionally, copper will oxidize over time, becoming duller and eventually patina so it is no longer reflective. The Planning Commission may address the Copper roof if they feel the material is an issue.
Right-of-way: Residential Design Guidelines 1.5 through 1.7 encourages maintaining an informal open space character of the right-of-way; maintaining trees and natural vegetation; and, designing parking areas to reinforce the forest image.
The existing right-of-way adjacent to lots 23 and 25 is in a natural state with a limited number of minor encroachments, such as loose boulders. The applicant is proposing informal landscaping for the 13th Avenue frontage while maintaining the Casanova Street right-of-way in a completely natural state. The right-of-way landscaping, as depicted on the landscape plan (Attachment 7, Sheet L1) has been reviewed by the city forester and the plant selection is appropriate for the right of way.
Lot 21 has a driveway nearly the width of the lot extending into the right-of-way. As the site (lot 21) is proposed to be completely demolished and all improvements removed, draft condition of approval #4 (Attachment 6) has been included requiring the adjacent right-of-way be brought to a natural state.