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Home My WebLink About721 Walnut Avenue - Staff Report�• Y. �� C IT T O� � BURLINGAME �: - �•- STAFF REPORT AGENDA ITEM # MTG. DATE 06.10.98 To: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCII, DATE: June 3, 1998 FROM: CITY PLANNER � � J/ � IJ!J�1.1 � APPRO VED BY sus.rEcr: APPEAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION DENIAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE OF SPECIAL PERMITS TO BiTII,D A GARAGE AT 721 WALNUT AVENUE, ZONED R-1 RECOMNIENDATION: The Ciry Council should hold a public hearing and take action. Affirmative action should include findings for each of the special permits requested. The reasons for any action should be clearly stated for the record. (Action Alternatives and criteria for a conditional use permit are attached at the end of the staff report.) Conditions of approval included in the staff report: 1. That the project shall be built as shown on the revised plans submitted to the Planning Department date stamped May 14, 1998, (site plan, east elevation, west elevation, floor plan, south and north elevation); 2. That the conditions of the Chief Building Official and Senior Engineer's May 4, 1998, memos shall be met; 3. That the use of the structure shall be limited to off-street parking for vehicles, and that the accessory structure shall never be used, rented, or converted into a second dwelling unit; and that there shall be no sewer or water services connected to the accessory structure; and 4. That the project shall meet all the requirements of the California Building and Fire Codes, 1995 edition, as amended by the Ciry of Burlingame. Planning Commission Action At their meeting on May 26, 1998, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and voted 7-0 to deny without prejudice the applicants request for three conditional use permits in order to build a new garage in his rear yard. In their acrion the Commission directed the applicant: 1) to reduce the size of the garage, suggesting 700 SF as a maximum; 2) to reorient the skylights away from the adjacent property lines and consider moving them to the front of the garage facing the house; 3) to redesign to save the existing oak tree in front of the garage; and 4) to retain the dormer with window on the front of the propose garage if he liked. -1- M� In their comments on the project the commissioners noted: it would be an improvement to remove the existing garages, they are dilapidated; this lot is deep (167') so the additional 264 SF (over the 718 SF existing) has no impact on the neighbor; it is unusual for someone to provide more off-street parking than required; proposal is under the maximum lot coverage allowed; skylights would not have an effect on the neighboring properties at night. Commissioners also noted: providing these two additional parking places is not intended to take cars off the street (applicant wishes to store two military vehicles he owns and drives about 500 miles a year); concerned about the bulk of the building, it will be massive at the rear of this property; used to use 500 SF as maximum garage, increased it to 600 SF to be more realistic, this applicant wants 360 SF over this new mu�imum, prefer a 24' deep by 27' wide, 668 SF garage; concerned about the number of skylights which will act as beacons to the neighbors at night, structure will be there a long time so how this owner will use it is not important; if over 600 SF need to look at extraordinary circumstances on the property, this is a standard lot, 600 SF is enough for a garage, cannot find hardship to justify; house at 719 Newhall has no windows to rear but is old could be replaced and windows installed to the rear on this lot; could park four vehicles in 718 SF which is garage area now on the lot, would not have to remove the oak tree; proposed garage would take the whole backyard. BACKGROLJND: Michael Read, applicant and property owner, is requesting three conditional use permits in order to replace his two existing 718 SF (total) garages with a one 900 SF garage (39'-0" W x 23'-0" L) within the rear 30 % of his 50' x 167' (8350 S� lot at 721 Walnut Avenue, zoned R-1. The new garage will accommodate four cars, all of which will have a 24 foot back-up area. The garage will have two side by side double car garage doors for access. A portion of the back up area for two of the parking stalls will be turf block (an open tile which grass grows through) so that some of the rear yard greenery can be retained. Turf block is not suitable for regular driveway use, but the two spaces served by the turf block will be used to store two military vehicles which will be used infrequently ( about 500 miles per year). These military vehicles are each 11'-3" long. The proposed 900 SF garage requires conditional use permits for the following exceptions to the zoning code: 1. Accessory structure in excess of 600 SF (960 SF proposed); 2. Windows and skylights higher than 10'-0" above grade (10'-6" to bottom of skylight proposed); and 3. Skylights within 10'-0" of the rear and side property lines (8'-0" to rear, 7'-0" to side, 10'-0" required). Presently there are two detached garages on the property; one 228 SF and the other 490 SF (total 718 SF). These two garages are placed one in front of the other with a 20 foot separation between -2- � them. The front garage blocks the full access to the one at the rear of it. The applicant proposes to remove both of these garages when he builds the new garage. The proposed garage will be located at the rear of the propeny setback 3'-0" from side and rear propeny lines. A one foot overhang is proposed around the structure resulting in a 2 foot separation from property line. Because it is located in the rear 30% of the lot the garage is exempt from side and rear property line setback requirements. The proposed garage will cover 38% of the rear 30% of the lot (50% ma7cimum coverage of rear 30% allowed). The proposed structure will have a 9'-0" plate line (9'-0" malcimum allowed). The proposed roof ridge will have a ma�cimum height of 15' (15'-0" maximum allowed). The attic area of the garage between the top of plate and the highest portion of the roof frame will be 6'-0" (7'-0" ma�cimum allowed). The interior clearance of the first floor of the garage is 9'-0" (7'-0" minimum allowed). The building is designed with a dormer on the front (facing the house) which contains a window higher than 10' above grade (maximum height for a window is 10'-0" above grade). There are also 5 skylights proposed; 3 are located on the rear (west) side of the pitched roof facing the rear property line 8'-0" from propeny line (10'-0" required) and 2 skylights are located on the side (north) roof elevation facing the side properry line a minimum of 7'-0" from property line (10'-0" required). No water or sewer connections to the garage have been proposed. There will be electricity in the garage. ATTACFIl�IENTS: Action Altematives and Required Findings for a Conditiona( Use Permit. Monroe letter June 2, 1998, to Michael Read, setting appeal hearing for June 10, 1998. Michael Read letter June 1, 1998, to City Clerk requesting appeal. Planning Commission Minutes, May 26, 1998. Planning Commission Staff Report, May 26, 1998 with attachments. Resolution Notice of Public Hearing for Appeal, June 2, 1998. -3-