HomeMy WebLinkAbout401 Bloomfield Road - ApplicationBU,,, NGAME M0 OF BUR UNGAM E
VAMANC E APPUCAMNS
The Planning Commission is required by law to make findings as defined by the City's ordinance
(Code Section 25.54.020 a-d). Your answers to the following questions will assist the Planning
Commission in making the decision as to whether the findings can be made for your request.
Please type or write neatly in ink. Refer to the back of this form for assistance with these
questions.
a. Describe the exceptional or extraordinary circumstances or conditions applicable to your
property which do not apply to other properties in this area.
b. Explain why the variance request is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a
substantial property right and what unreasonable property loss or unnecessary hardship
might result from the denial of the application.
C. Explain why the proposed use at the proposed location will not be detrimental or injurious
to property or improvements in the vicinity or to public health, safety, general welfare, or
convenience.
d. How will the proposed project be compatible with the aesthetics, mass, bulk and character
of the existing and potential uses on adjoining properties in the general vicinity?
APR 2 3 1999
12/92 var.frm CITY OF BURLINGAME
PLANNING DEPT.
a. Describe the exceptional or extraordinary circumstances or conditions applicable, to your
property which do not apply to other properties in this area.
Do any conditions exist on the site which make other the alternatives to the variance impracticable or
impossible and are also not common to other properties in the area? For example, is there a creek cutting
through the property, an exceptional tree specimen, steep terrain, odd lot shape or unusual placement of
existing structures? How is this property different from others in the neighborhood?
b. Explain why the variance request is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a
substantial property right and what unreasonable property loss or unnecessary hardship
might result from the denial of the application.
Would you be unable to build a project similar to others in the area or neighborhood without the exception?
(i.e., having as much on -site parking or bedrooms?) Would you be unable to develop the site for the uses
allowed without the exception? Do the requirements of the law place an unreasonable limitation or hardship
on the development of the property?
C. Explain why the proposed use at the proposed location will not be detrimental or injurious
to property or improvements in the vicinity or to public health, safety, general welfare, or
convenience.
How will the proposed structure or use within the structure affect neighboring properties or structures on those
properties? If neighboring properties will not be affected, state why. Think about traffic, noise, lighting,
paving, landscaping sunlight/shade, views from neighboring properties, ease of maintenance. Why will the
structure or use within the structure not affect the public's health, safety or general welfare?
Public health includes such things as sanitation (garbage), air quality, discharges into sewer and stormwater
systems, water supply safety, and things which have the potential to affect public health (i.e., underground
storage tanks, storage of chemicals, situations which encourage the spread of rodents, insects or
communicable diseases).
Public safety. How will the structure or use within the structure affect police or fire protection? Will alarm
systems or sprinklers be installed? Could the structure or use within the structure create a nuisance or need
for police services (i.e., noise, unruly gatherings, loitering, traffic) or fire services (i.e., storage or use
flammable or hazardous materials, or potentially dangerous activities like welding, woodwork, engine removal).
Genera/ we/fare is a catch-all phrase meaning community good. Is the proposal consistent with the city's
policy and goals for conservation and development? Is there a social benefit?
Convenience. How would the proposed structure or use affect public convenience (such as access to or
parking for this site or adjacent sites)? Is the proposal accessible to particular segments of the public such as
the elderly or handicapped?
d . How will the proposed project be compatible with the aesthetics, mass, bulk and character
of the existing and potential uses on adjoining properties in the general vicinity?
How does the proposed structure or use compare aesthetically with existing neighborhood? If it does not
affect aesthetics, state why. If changes to the structure are proposed, was the addition designed to match
existing architecture or pattern of development on adjacent properties in the neighborhood? If use will affect
the way a neighborhood/area looks, compare your proposal to other uses in the area and explain why it "fits".
How does the proposed structure compare to neighboring structures in terms of mass or bulk? If there is no
change to structure, say so. If a new structure is proposed, compare its size, appearance, orientation etc. with
other structures in the neighborhood or area.
How will the structure or use within the structure change the character of the neighborhood? Think of
character as the image or tone established by size, density of development and general pattern of land use.
Will there be more traffic or less parking available resulting from this use? If you don't feel the character of
the neighborhood will change, state why.
How will the proposed project be compatible with existing and potential uses in the general vicinity? Compare
your project with existing uses. State why you feel your project is consistent with other uses in the vicinity,
and/or state why your project would be consistent with potential uses in the vicinity. 12/92var.hm
Variance Application for 401 Bloomfield Road Burlingame CA 94010
Assessor's Parcel No. 029-171-450
Request for Setbacks to be oriented as per 50' frontage.
Request for Original Garage, decreased in size with this proposal, to remain within the Rear Setback.
Request for Second Floor Addition, pulled back from the Bloomfield Road side, to encroach the Rear Setback by
four feet (for structural and livability reasons).
Request for 140 square foot overage in the FAR as a result of the present house layout and reasonable structural
configuration for the second floor addition. As a result, great attention has been paid to the facades and
their configurations, including staying further back than the declining height allows.
a. This Property has an unusual (for the setbacks) layout on the property, similar to a few properties along
Bloomfield Road. The house appears to face Bloomfield Road; however, the property across Vernon
Way along Bloomfield Road faces the Subject Property, or Vernon Way. That house's layout reflects the
50' frontage, not 100, along Bloomfield Road in its setbacks.
As can be seen on Drawing 3/A-3, the Subject Property violates every setback, if the 100' side is taken as
its frontage. In order to do a second floor addition, the whole house would have to be torn down and rebuilt; and
the layout would be so skinny and narrow as to make it 20 foot wide on the First Floor and 10 foot wide on the
Second Floor. Rooms would not reasonably fit into the Second Floor Layout.
However, if as on the Property across Vernon Way, this Property were treated as if the frontage were 50
feet, not 100 feet, the present house violates less of the present-day setbacks, and the site becomes more usable,
particularly on the second level. Because of the present footprint of the house, there is no way to move the
garage around; its protruding face has been pushed back beyond all of the other faces along Bloomfield Road
with this proposal as a way of managing that "pushing into the lot corner" of the original garage.
This proposal also takes into account that there has been a great deal of open space left between the
adjacent properties along Blomfield Road, and respects those boundaries. The various ways ("Pinwheeling") the
adjacent houses face has quite a nice character, and actually allows for the larger than normal open spaces. This
proposal wishes to stay within the present footprint, as a result.
b. There is a severe loss of buildable area, and loss of existing neighborhood character, if the present front
of the house determined the front and rear setbacks.
Again, in order to do a second floor addition, the whole house would have to be torn down and rebuilt;
and the layout would be so skinny and narrow as to make it 20 foot wide on the First Floor and 10 foot wide on
the Second Floor. Rooms would not reasonably fit into the Second Floor Layout.
C. The proposed use is the same, except for the addition of bedrooms. This family, as many in the
Burlingame area, find moving up to a larger size house in the area far more cost prohibitive than renovating
their present homes.
Traffic will not increase; present traffic will be maintained, and then decrease due to children going off
to college shortly. Normal residential noise will be contained in the same area, with the same fences and
increased insulation in the newer construction. Large fences on three sides, existing trees and the distance across
Bloomfield Road should obscure most of the new lighting from the windows of the residence. The property
adjacent along Vernon Way has mostly blank walls. Because of the larger than normal distances between the two
adjacent properties along Bloomfield Road, there should not be much, if any, view obstructions. Please see the
Photographs and overlay of the proposed location of the addition. O'►
EIVED
APR 2 3 1999
CITY OF BURLINGAME
PLANNING DEPT,
Replacement of the sewer line is needed, which should greatly help the Public Health issues. Garbage
will be stored further back along the Garage, which should also prevent odors and infestation of rodents, etc.,
from occurring versus the much closer location to the street that exists.
An alarm system may be installed. The use will remain residential.
The social benefit to allowing this structure, originally designed as a two -bedroom with a third bedroom
now carved out of the garage, is to allow a long-term resident of Burlingame to finish raising their family in this
area. Burlingame has a wonderful, family -oriented quality which should be maintained.
This site has no public access, except for friends and family.
d. The proposed project is compatible with the aesthetics, mass, bulk and character of the existing and
potential uses on adjacent properties.
The proposed addition is designed to reflect its' next -door neighbor's house along Bloomfield Road.
(See photographs). It retains the long, linear look of most of the houses along Bloomfield, while using a
reduction of the mass in its various faces on all sides to achieve the same look. The addition also reflects the
existing rooflines, fenestrations, and detailing. The character, particularly in this block, changes in the second
story addition, but the massing should seem less due to the restraint on the size of the second floor, within the
existing structural framework.
The setback of the protruding garage, the in -and -out massing of the second floor, set well back behind
the longest front face at the Living Room, should create interest and more light and air onto Bloomfield Road.
RECEIVED
APR 2 3 1999
Cf y OF BURLINGAME
PLANNING OEPT