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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin - PC - 2023.06.26BURLINGAME CITY HALL 501 PRIMROSE ROAD BURLINGAME, CA 94010 City of Burlingame Meeting Minutes Planning Commission 7:00 PM Council Chambers/OnlineMonday, June 26, 2023 1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 p.m. - Council Chambers/Online The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm. Staff in attendance: Community Development Director Kevin Gardiner, Planning Manager Ruben Hurin, Associate Planner 'Amelia Kolokihakaufisi, and Assistant City Attorney Scott Spansail. 2. ROLL CALL Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, Shores, and TsePresent5 - Comaroto, and LowenthalAbsent2 - 3. REQUEST FOR AB 2449 REMOTE PARTICIPATION 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a.Draft June 12, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Draft June 12, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting MinutesAttachments: Commissioner Schmid made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Horan, to approve the meeting minutes. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, Shores, and Tse5 - Absent:Comaroto, and Lowenthal2 - 5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA There was a request to allow Item 10c (221 Victoria Road) to move to the first item on the agenda so that the applicant could make it to the airport in time to catch a flight. The commission agreed to this change. Item 9c (123-135 Primrose Road) was continued at the applicant's request. 6. PUBLIC COMMENTS, NON-AGENDA My name is Temo Aguilar. I'm a field representative from the NorCal Carpenters Local Union 217 right here in San Mateo County. I would like to share my experience with everyone here and what the carpenters union has done for myself and for my family when we have local projects approved with labor standards . Construction apprenticeship programs have the resources and ability to lift our neighbors out of poverty and into a comfortable middle class lifestyle without drawing on taxpayers. Our county's veterans here can be brought directly into our apprenticeship program through a program we have called the Helmets to Hardhats program. It is how I came into the program as well. And not only will their training fees be taken care of, veterans can collect their GI bill as well throughout the entire program. Apprentices go through the entire program without owing a dime. It is even possible for apprentices to purchase their first homes close to where they work while in the apprenticeship program. To be able to create a local viable pool of Page 1City of Burlingame June 26, 2023Planning Commission Meeting Minutes skilled laborers is one of the main missions of the Carpenters Union. The Carpenters Union also offers an excellent health care program where sadly, so many workers have none. These workers have to rely mainly on social programs and overly taxed emergency rooms, I'm pretty sure we have all seen those. When my son was injured while playing varsity football, he had torn a ligament in his hand and lost motor functions of one of his fingers. My son had the medical coverage to repair his hand and bring them back to 100% functionality through top notch physical therapy. If we can adopt these sorts of standards, a living wage and apprenticeship program, a good health welfare program, you will see the standard of living throughout our community in the Bay Area raised. Thank you all for allowing me to be able to speak on my personal experiences and just a small part of what the Carpenters Union's vast resources can do for us. Thank you. 7. STUDY ITEMS There were no Study Items. 8. CONSENT CALENDAR There were no Consent Calendar items. 9. REGULAR ACTION ITEMS a.1460 Balboa Avenue, zoned R-1 - Application for Design Review for a first and second story addition to an existing single -unit dwelling. This project is Categorically Exempt from review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per Section 15301(e)(1) of the CEQA Guidelines. (Form + One, applicant and designer; Kali and Trevor Tileston, property owners) (88 noticed) Staff Contact: Fazia Ali 1460 Balboa Ave - Staff Report 1460 Balboa Ave - Attachments 1460 Balboa Ave - Renderings 1460 Balboa Ave - Plans Attachments: All Commissioners have visited the project site. Community Development Director Gardiner provided an overview of the staff report. Chair Pfaff opened the public hearing. Tim Raduenz, designer, represented the applicant and answered questions about the application. Public Comments: >There were no public comments. Chair Pfaff closed the public hearing. Commission Discussion/Direction: >Please correct drafting errors on the proposed left elevation. >Looks good. I like the changes to the siding. Commissioner Pfaff made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Tse, to approve the application. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, Shores, and Tse5 - Page 2City of Burlingame June 26, 2023Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Absent:Comaroto, and Lowenthal2 - b.1209 Cabrillo Avenue, zoned R -1 - Application for Amendment to Design Review for proposed changes to a previously approved project for a new, two -story single-unit dwelling and attached garage. This project is Categorically Exempt from review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per Section 15303 (a) of the CEQA Guidelines. (Patrick Donato, Levy Art and Architecture, applicant; Ross Levy, Levy Art and Architecture, architect; Sohan Talwalker, property owner) (64 noticed) Staff Contact: 'Amelia Kolokihakaufisi 1209 Cabrillo Ave - Staff Report 1209 Cabrillo Ave - Attachments 1209 Cabrillo Ave - Plans & Renderings Attachments: All Commissioners have visited the project site. Associate Planner Kolokihakaufisi provided an overview of the staff report. Chair Pfaff opened the public hearing. Ross Levy, designer, represented the applicant and answered questions about the application. Public Comments: >Sohan Talkwalker, property owner: I appreciate everyone ’s time and consideration. I know I ’ve spoken to this committee a few different times. Some of these changes were necessitated primarily by the desire to move our kitchen from the north side to the south side to give us a more integrated living space. This is what drove some of the changes in terms of layout. My architect has illustrated why we have decided to move away from the originally proposed Tesla roof, given some of the issues we have heard that it was a premature product, the servicing and especially the installation was extremely unreliable. Chair Pfaff closed the public hearing. Commission Discussion/Direction: >I’d like to thank the owner and the architect for bringing this forward to us in advance, as opposed to after it’s done and giving us the opportunity to work with you on this. I also appreciate the depth of the presentation that was brought to make it clear to us where the changes were made to make it a little easier for us to get through this request. This was definitely a complicated project when it came through the first time, I appreciate the effort being out into finishing it well. I totally understand the issues with the roof and the maintenance with the wood. I support this change. >Being one of the people who wanted to pull this off the FYI list for review, I apologize to have to bring you back in person. It would have been helpful had we received the renderings that time. Part of my question was due to the fact that I could not clearly read what was submitted to understand the implications of the proposed changes in the roofing material. I can understand the decrease in the extent of the rain screen, the materials around the house, but it was really the roof that I was concerned about . Seeing that clearly in the revised proposed renderings, which look very realistic, I do want to commend the applicant for bringing back a very complete package for our review. It is very helpful. I also want to reiterate the importance of bringing this up to our attention now while it is under construction rather than after the fact. Thank you. I can see the project moving forward. >This is not a deal breaker, but I would prefer to have the material in the middle be wood. I really appreciate the effort made with the rendering and to have come back with a really complete program. Page 3City of Burlingame June 26, 2023Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Schmid made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Horan, to approve the application. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, Shores, and Tse5 - Absent:Comaroto, and Lowenthal2 - c.123-135 Primrose Road, zoned HMU - Application for Design Review, Special Permit for height, and Lot Combination for a new four -story, 14-unit multi-unit residential apartment building. The project is Categorically Exempt from review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per Section 15332 of the CEQA Guidelines (Infill Exemption). (Abha Nehru, Carrasco and Associates, applicant and architect; Albert and Theresa Wong, property owners) (150 noticed) Staff Contact: Erika Lewit 123-135 Primrose Rd - Staff Report 123-135 Primrose Rd - Attachments 123-135 Primrose Rd - Class 32 Infill Exemption 123-135 Primrose Rd - Plans & Renderings Attachments: This item was continued at the request of the applicant. 10. DESIGN REVIEW STUDY a.1344 Cortez Avenue, zoned R-1 - Application for Design Review for a new, two -story single-unit dwelling and detached garage. (TRG Architects, applicant and architect; Otto Miller, property owner) (49 noticed) Staff Contact: Catherine Keylon 1344 Cortez Ave - Staff Report 1344 Cortez Ave - Attachments 1344 Cortez Ave - Plans & Renderings Attachments: All Commissioners have visited the project site. Assistant Planner Kolokihakaufisi provided an overview of the staff report. Chair Pfaff opened the public hearing. Yossi Singer and Michael Callan, designers, represented the applicant and answered questions regarding the application. Public Comments: >There were no public comments. Chair Pfaff closed the public hearing. Commission Discussion/Direction: >With the proposed relocation of the driveway, please clarify if the street trees are either protected or replaced. >Very nice, clean lines. No fuss. Use correct drawing line weights at the elevations, there are a lot of horizontal lines and dashed lines indicating floor levels and ceiling levels. It looks and feels different than Page 4City of Burlingame June 26, 2023Planning Commission Meeting Minutes the renderings. The second floor feels tall, heavy, and overbearing possibly because it is all white . Consider using colored stucco or painted siding on the first floor below. Appreciate the modernist approach. >Feels flat, not enough details to break up the elevations. It is a big form sticking out. The right -side elevation is two stories high with one flat wall down the length of the driveway with only one pop out which does not give relief to that. >I like the way the roof is working and is creating a solar platform. It is a very innovative use of space. >The choice of materials is not helping as far as making it a nice modern farmhouse. It just seems flat. Provide more information on the details for windows and trims. >I like the simplicity of the house. The roof plan is one of the slickest I ’ve seen in a while. It is clean and the space for solar panels works well. The lack of overhangs on the roof adds to the flatness of the façade. Consider how you will deal with the rain. Revisit the porch, 3’-0” wide porches are not very useful . Suggest increasing the size to at least 5’-0” to be able to put some furniture and make the space usable. >I do like the house and what they are going for except for the protruding gable end at the second floor . It looks wider than it is because of the extra white space and a small double hung window on the middle . It looks even larger than it is for how much it takes up the front facade. >Please revisit the porch design as it is too skimpy, and it looks like a faux porch. The elevation looks very flat. Commissioner Tse made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Horan, to place the item on the Regular Action Calendar when plans have been revised as directed. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, Shores, and Tse5 - Absent:Comaroto, and Lowenthal2 - b.1588 Columbus Avenue, zoned R-1 - Application for Design Review for a first and second story addition to an existing single -unit dwelling. (Chu Design Associates, applicant and designer; Vincent Ko, property owner) (48 noticed) Staff Contact: Fazia Ali 1588 Columbus Ave - Staff Report 1588 Columbus Ave - Attachments 1588 Columbus Ave - Renderings 1588 Columbus Ave - Plans Attachments: All Commissioners have visited the project site. Assistant Planner Kolokihakaufisi provided an overview of the staff report. Chair Pfaff opened the public hearing. James Chu, designer, represented the applicant and answered questions regarding the application. Public Comments: >There were no public comments. Chair Pfaff closed the public hearing. Commission Discussion/Direction: >It is a great adaptation of the existing house. Everything fits nicely. >Looking at both the elevations and renderings, it appears that this is a brand -new house. It is hard to see the renovation. The quirky garage creates a cool outdoor terrace at the front of the house. Page 5City of Burlingame June 26, 2023Planning Commission Meeting Minutes >I love the reuse of the charming door and garage doors. It is lovely and fits in the setting. You did a really nice job. > Beautifully designed and developed from an existing home, as my fellow commissioner said, it is almost seamless. You cannot tell where the addition may be. I am a fan of the heavily troweled finish. The only thing that bothered me about the front elevation was the existing window at the living room that is tall but has a low header height. Consider adding a lintel above the living room window, together with the addition of the planter box outside the room, it seems a nice enhancement to the front elevation . Otherwise, it is a beautiful design. > I am impressed with the design. It is a very good design. I am glad that the architect has decided to continue a lot of the other features of the style of the house that were not there originally; the wrought iron covers on the window and the flares wall coming out of the arched doorway. I’m glad they have decided to enhance the design and not just make it good enough. Suggests giving the parapets some variation with arches, like the house across the street, just to add some flare and it would make the house look even better. I do prefer the current texture on the stucco. Commissioner Schmid made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Tse, to place the item on the Consent Calendar. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, Shores, and Tse5 - Absent:Comaroto, and Lowenthal2 - c.221 Victoria Road, zoned R-1 - Application for Design Review for a first and second story addition to an existing single -unit dwelling. (Viren Ahuja, applicant and architect; Viren Ahuja, property owner) (84 noticed) Staff Contact: Fazia Ali 221 Victoria Rd - Staff Report 221 Victoria Rd - Attachments 221 Victoria Rd - Plans & Renderings Attachments: All Commissioners have visited the project site. Community Developer Director Gardiner provided an overview of the staff report. Chair Pfaff opened the public hearing. Viren Ahuja and Sunny Grewal represented the applicant and answered questions regarding the application. Public Comments: >Olivia Canniffe, 223 Victoria Road: We live next door to the right of the property in question. I have a few things that I’d like to say. First, the owner did mention that the property next door was two -story. Neither of the properties next door are two stories. We don ’t have a two-story home, and neither is the house on the other side of him. I have a few areas of concern, from briefly looking at the plans, with the proposed additional space on the second floor, natural lighting will be blocked on two or three windows of our bedrooms, and it will be exceptionally dark. Also, the window on right side of the proposed additional space, the family room, on the ground floor is quite large and will be directly looking into our bedrooms . Suggests considering moving it and reducing the size to protect our privacy. We did a remodel about 15 years ago and I am not sure if the City ’s ordinance has changed. This proposal looks like a four -bedroom house with a single car garage. I know that is something we were not allowed to do and was limited to a three-bedroom house because we only have a single car garage. Chair Pfaff closed the public hearing. Page 6City of Burlingame June 26, 2023Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Commission Discussion/Direction: > On the elevation, the stairwell looks like it is landing on the roof. Consider adding a parapet on the flat roof of the additional bedroom to provide better roof drainage. >Appreciate the explanation behind the roof design. In reality, you have room in the height limit to be able to go a little higher with your roof. I understand the desire to not increase the height for the neighbors, but we are talking about a minimal amount and would not really show much on the elevations. So, it will not dwarf the neighbors and could make a much better framed roof solution and would then make the elevations cleaner. I wouldn ’t say I will oppose a project that wants to raise the height a little bit to make the forms work better. >On the second-floor front elevation, the bathroom extends to the right which makes the right -side elevation look heavy and less balanced. Consider reducing the size of the fourth bedroom and reconfiguring the bathroom to have a little bit of setback relief, which is the whole purpose of having the Declining Height Envelope. I know there is an existing non -conforming area there, but it could be cleaned up a little bit. Otherwise, it is a remodel project, and you are matching a lot of the existing elements. I can understand and appreciate the reuse of the house. >Agreed you have ample building height to work with to improve the roof design. The house has a variety of roof forms. Consider looking closely at some of the existing elevations and try to form the massing of the second floor to be like what is currently existing. I do appreciate that you are working with the existing home and did not opt to tear it down and rebuild. There are some nice characteristics or charm to the arrangement of the spaces of the house as it is now, and it could be improved upon with revisiting the second story roof design. > I wanted to address the comment from the neighbor to the right. One, I believe it is correct, you can have a four-bedroom home with a one -car garage, that is within the Planning regulations. Second, regarding lighting, looking at the elevations, the family room windows are high and looks like they are transom windows. There should not be any privacy concerns looking at the neighbor ’s primary bedroom since the windows were intended to also provide privacy for both sides and have been intentionally designed. Looking on the street, there are some two -story homes or split levels, but it's certainly not just one-story homes. I do see that the massing can work having an expanded second story. >The front elevation improves with this project. I would also like for them to consider the opportunities for the roof redesign. Suggests changing the two half round windows to be consistent with the design, they no longer fit. >I agree with my fellow commissioners. It is a charming house, and I am glad that you ’ve decided to go with the existing cladding material. >With the windows there, it looks very 70’s, but in a way, there is something charming about a tree house, so it can be cool. Commissioner Tse made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Pfaff, to place the item on the Regular Action Calendar when plans have been revised as directed. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:Horan, Pfaff, Schmid, Shores, and Tse5 - Absent:Comaroto, and Lowenthal2 - 11. COMMISSIONER’S REPORTS There were no Commissioner's Reports. 12. DIRECTOR REPORTS Community Development Director Gardiner noted that the City Council continued its discussion of the affordable housing funds at its June 20th meeting. There is a subcommittee of City Council that will continue to work on the implementation two directions that have been suggested. One is focusing on Page 7City of Burlingame June 26, 2023Planning Commission Meeting Minutes existing housing stock that could be preserved as naturally affordable. The other would be to continue to support newly constructed affordable housing, possibly with the city initiating another project, similar to the Village. a.1855-1881 Rollins Road, zoned RRMU - Update on the status of an approved multi -unit residential project. 1855-1881 Rollins Rd - Memorandum 1855-1881 Rollins Rd - Plans Attachments: Received. 13. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS None. 14. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Page 8City of Burlingame