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Home My WebLink About1460 Cabrillo Avenue - Staff Report (2)Item No. 9c DSR Study Calendar PROJECT LOCATION 1460 Cabrillo Avenue City of Burlingame Design Review and Front Setback Variance Address: 1460 Cabrillo Avenue Item No. 9c Design Review Study Meeting Date: May 26, 2015 Request: Application for Design Review and Front Setback Variance for a major renovation including a first and second story addition to an existing single family dwelling. Applicant and Architect: TRG Architects, Randy Grange Property Owner: Raymond Han General Plan: Low Density Residential APN: 026-041-180 Lot Area: 5,760 SF Zoning: R-1 Project Description: The existing house is two stories with a detached garage and contains 2,829 SF (0.49 FAR) of floor area. The applicant is proposing a first floor addition along the left side and also a minor expansion at the front that includes a new covered porch. The existing house has a nonconforming front setback of 17 feet, where 19'4" is the block average. The addition at the front will bring a recessed portion towards the front and will align with the existing front building wall therefore it will require a front setback variance, but will not extend beyond the existing non-conforming front facade. The existing house has a basement; however the project includes removing a portion of the basement and raising the concrete floor so that there is only 100 SF of the basement that will be over 6 feet in height. The zoning code exempts up to 100 SF of lower floor/basement areas, which is all that will be retained with a ceiling height over 6 feet, the remainder of the space will have a ceiling height less than 6 feet and therefore will not count in the total floor area. The existing second floor is tucked within the roof framing of the first floor and will be expanded by approximately 641 SF to 1,176 SF. The proposal will bring the total floor area to 3,340 SF (0.57 FAR) where 3,343 SF (058 FAR) is the maximum allowed. The existing detached garage is 597 SF (18'2" x 32'11 ") and is 15'8" in height. The proposal includes removing approximately 12 feet of the garage at the front and widening the garage by 2'6". In addition the garage roof will be reframed and will be reduced to 15 feet. The renovated garage will provide two covered parking spaces (20' x 20') and one uncovered space in the driveway, where one covered and one uncovered parking space are required for the renovated 4-bedroom house. The applicant is requesting the following applications: ■ Design Review for a second story addition C.S. 25.57.010 (a) (4)); and ■ Front Setback Variance (17' proposed where 19'4" is the block average and is the minimum required) (C.S. 25.26.072 (b)(1)). This space intentionally left blank. Design Review and Front Setback Variance 1460 Cabrillo Avenue 1460 Cabrillo Avenue �ot Area: 5, �60 5r Plans date stam ed: Ma 20, 2015 EXISTING PROPOSED ALLOWED/REQ'D SETBACKS _ ................................................... ...... . . ........................ . . .................. ........................................................... Front (1sf flr): 17'-0" ' 17'-0"Z � 19'-4" (block average) (2nd flr): 33'-6" 25'-2" 20'-0" Side (left): 6'-0" 10'-0" 4'-0" (right): 13'-0" 10'-0" 4'-0" Rear (1st flr): 40'-0" 15'-0" (2nd flr): 40'-0" No change 20'-0" Lot Coverage: 2,331 SF 2,286 SF 2,304 SF 40.4% 39.4% 40% ; ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... � FAR: 2,829 SF 3,340 SF 3,343 SF3 0.49 FAR 0.57 FAR 0.58 FAR � .................................................................................................................................:.................... . ..... _ # of bedrooms: 4 4 --- Off-Street Parking: 2 covered 2 covered 1 covered (18'-2' x 32'-11 ") (20'-8' x 20'-8") ;(10' x 20' clear interior) 1 uncovered ' 1 uncovered 1 uncovered (9' x 20') (9' x 20') (9' x 18') , � ............ .................................................. Heighf: 23'-0" 30'-0" 30 -0 DH Envelope: N/A Complies CS 25.26.075 ' Existing nonconforming front setback (17'-0" existing where 19'-4" is the block average and minimum required). 2 Front Setback Variance to extend the first floor wall (17'-0" proposed where 19'-4" is the minimum required) 3 (0.32 x 5,760 SF) + 1100 SF + 400 SF = 3,343 SF (0.58 FAR). Staff Comments: See attached memos from the Building, Parks, Fire, Engineering and Stormwater Divisions. Design Review Criteria: The criteria for design review as established in Ordinance No. 1591 adopted by the Council on April 20, 1998 are outlined as follows: 1. Compatibility of the architectural style with that of the existing character of the neighborhood; 2. Respect for the parking and garage patterns in the neighborhood; 3. Architectural style and mass and bulk of structure; 4. Interface of the proposed structure with the structures on adjacent properties; and 5. Landscaping and its proportion to mass and bulk of structural components. -2- Design Review and Front Setback Variance 1460 Cabrillo Avenue Required Findings for Variance: In order to grant a Variance the Planning Commission must find that the following conditions exist on the property (Code Section 25.54.020 a-d): (a) there are exceptional or extraordinary circumstances or conditions applicable to the property involved that do not apply generally to property in the same district; (b) the granting of the application is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right of the applicant, and to prevent unreasonable property loss or unnecessary hardship; (c) the granting of the application will not be detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity and will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, general welfare or convenience; and (d) that the use of the property will be compatible with the aesthetics, mass, bulk and character of existing an potential uses of properties in the general vicinity. Catherine Barber Senior Planner c. TRG Architects, applicant and architect Attachments: Application to the Planning Commission Variance Application Neighborhood Photos Staff Comments Notice of Public Hearing — Mailed May 29, 2015 Aerial Photo -3- May 26, 2015 Attachment A VARIANCE APPLICATION FOR FRONT SETBACK 1460 Cabrillo Ave. a. The existing house is already constructed with a 17' front setback, where 19'-4" is the block average. This proposal does not seek to make the current setback worse as the proposed porch setback is 17'-6". This proposal merely seeks to work with the existing structure. b. Denial of the variance would cause unnecessary hardship. The owners desire a front facing door, and larger front facing porch (this porch is an improvement consistent with the design guidelines). The solid foyer wall will be pushed further back (by 2') than the existing foyer wall, and hidden by the full porch, which is actually open space, and exempt from floor area. The proposed front entry will have less mass, and appear less solid than the existing entry. If the porch were to be removed from the design, the apparent mass would increase.* c. 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. There are no proposed changes that would impact public health, safety, or convenience. The proposed porch setback is greater than the existing house setback. Public health and safety are generally the purview of the building codes, and there are no code issues with this proposal. d. The proposed project will be compatible with the aesthetics, mass, bulk, and character of the existing and potential uses on adjoining properties in the general vicinity. As stated above, the building is already situated at the proposed setback, as are others in the vicinity. The mass has been articulated with wall offsets and one story roof lines. *Additionally, the variance is required due to the system of averaging front setbacks; this house is already in place. The system of averaging front setbacks itself, can cause unnecessary hardship to some property owners, while having no impact on others (even when one cannot see the difference as viewed from the street). In fact, a new home can be constructed with a greater front setback than the house that is torn down had (this happens all the time). This, in turn, changes the average of the block such that some existing homes that met the old average would not meet the new average. These homes therefore, would require variances to do work to the front of the house, when they would not have before. A system of averaging setbacks for new construction, but allowing existing properties, built with permits, to maintain existing setbacks is fair with no hardship or detriment. �CITY OF BURLINGAME ' COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT BURLINGAME 501 PRIMROSE ROAD — BURLINGAME, CA 94010 i PH: (650) 558-7250 • FAX: (650) 696-3790 - www.burlingame.org Site: 1460 CABRILLO AVENUE The City of Burlingame Planning Commission announces the following public hearing MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2015 ai 7:00 P.M. in the City Hnll Council Chambers, 501 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA: Application for Desir..^. Review and Front Setback Variance for a major renovation including a first and second floor addition to an existing single family dwelling at 1460 CABRILLO AVENUE zoned R-1. APN 026-041-180 Mailed: May 29, 2015 (Please refer to other side) PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Citv of Burlina me A copy of the application and plans for this project may be reviewed prior to the meeting at the Community Development Department at 501 Primrose Road, Burlingame, California. If you challenge the subject application(s) in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing, described in the notice or in written correspondence delivered to the city at or prior to the public hearing. Property owners who receive this notice are responsible for informing their tenants about this notice. For additional information, please call (650) 558-7250. Thank you. William Meeker Community Development Director PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE (Please refer to other side)