HomeMy WebLinkAbout1601 Howard Avenue - Staff Report (2)City of Burlingame
Variance for Front Setback
Address: 1601 Howard Avenue
Request: Variance for front setback for a first floor addition.
Applicant and Property Owner: Margaret Jensen
Designer: Peter Sano
General Plan: Low Density Residential
Item # ,�
Study Item
Meeting Date: 6/26/2006
APN: 028-293-010
Lot Area: 7,316 SF
Zoning: R-1
Summary: The existing two-story residence with a detached two-car garage in the rear yard contains
3,115 SF (0.42 FAR) of floor area and has four bedrooms. The applicant is proposing to demolish the
existing stairs that lead to the second floor balcony from the front yard and add 207 SF to the first floor
at the front of the residence. The proposal also includes an interior remodel to the first and second
floors, including a redesign of the second floor plan. With the proposed addition, the floor area will
increase from 3,115 SF (0.42 FAR) to 3,327 SF (0.45 FAR), where 3,591 SF (0.49 FAR) is the
maximum allowed (project is 264 SF below the maximum allowed FAR).
Because Crescent Avenue is the short street frontage, the front setback requirements will apply to the
portion of the residence facing Crescent Avenue. The new front wall of the first floor addition will be
located 18'-0" from the front property line, where the required front setback is 22'-4" (the average
front setback for the block along Crescent Avenue); therefore, a front setback variance is required (18'-
0" to property line where 22'-4" is minimum required). Approximately 58 SF (or 28%) of the 207 SF
addition will encroach into the required front yard. The property currently has two existing
nonconforming front setback conditions: the stairs proposed for demolition (16'-0" from the property
line) and a patio/trellis structure to remain (20'-0" from property line) (required front setback 22'-4").
The proposed project will include a total of four bedrooms, requiring 2 parking spaces on-site, one of
which must be covered (10'-0" x 20'-0" interior dimensions). There is an existing 540 SF detached
two-car garage (27'-0" wide x 20'-0" deep) located in the rear yard that provides 2 covered spaces,
while the existing driveway allows for the uncovered parking space (9'-0" x 20'-0"). Therefore, the
project meets the parking requirements for the property.
All other zoning code requirements have been met. The applicant is requesting the following:
• Front setback variance for a first floor addition (18'-0" to property line where 22'-5" is
minimum required) (CS 25.28.072)
Staff Comments: Planning Staff would note that this project is not subject to design review because it
is a single story addition with a plate height of less than 9'-0". Please see attached sheets for all other
Staff Comments.
This space intentionally left blank.
Variance for Front Setback
1601 Howard Avenue
Lot Area: 7,931 SF Plans date stam ed: June 9, 2006
Existing Proposed � Allowed/Required
i
SETBACKS �
...................................._..,_......_...__-�---- ________.._.__.�._...__._..,----......_. ..__........_.
................................................_.._.......---._._._...�--._._ _._.___._.�.._.__�.�.------�----__.......�...._......._...
Front (Istflr): 16'-0" 1 18'-0" Z � 22'-4"
(2nd flr): 32'-0" 32'-0" 22'-4„
Side (left): 7'-6" 7'-6" 7'-0"
(right): 24'-0" 24'-0" 7'-6"
........................................------ ____.__.._._................................................................................................................................................................_..._...._.__..._........_.._.._.............__.....................................
Rear (Ist flr): 33'-0" 33'-0" 15'-0"
(2nd flr): 44'-0" 44'-0" 20'-0"
Lot Coverage: 2250 2394 SF 2926 SF
(29%) � (31 %) (40%)
_ ......................__..........................._ ....._....._................................................................................._......_........__...................................._._.._.._..------...._;.....�._....._..........._._...__..._._.__...__.._._........._........................................
FAR: 3115 SF 3327 SF I 3591 SF 3
0.42 FAR 0.45 FAR j 0.49 FAR
# of Bedrooms: 4 4 ---
Parking: 2 covered 1 covered 1 covered
(27'-0" x 20'-0") (27'-0" x 20'-0") (10'-0" x 20'-0")
1 uncovered 1 uncovered 1 uncovered
(9'-0" x 20'-0") (9'-0" x 20'-0") (9'-0" x 20'-0")
� .......... ... ........................................._................. .........................----._....................................................._..... ................._....................................................................................._......_............._._........................................._ _-------._........__........
Height: 20'-0" 20'-0" 30'-0"
DH En velope: N/A N/A ' N/A
The existing stairs, proposed to be demolished, are located 16'-0" from the front property line. The
existing front wall of the residence is setback 30'-0" from the front property line and the existing
trellis is 20'0 " from the front property line.
Z Front setback variance for a first floor addition
required)
37,931 SFx32%+1,100SF+400SF=3,591 SF
(18'-0" to property line where 22'-S" is minimum
Kristina Woerner
Planner
Cc: Margaret Jensen, applicant and property owner
2
{
. MAY 2 5 2006
Margaret )ensen
'' 1601 Howard Variance Request CITY OF BURLINGAME
PiANNING DEPT.
Response to Questions A-D and Table of Setbacks
A. The home at 1601 Howard Avenue is on a corner lot. The front of the house is on
Howard while the narrow side of the lot ---legally the front is on Crescent Avenue.
The entire house is set 6ack on the lot giving a deep front yard on the Howard side.
This leaves no area to expand behind the house. The side of the house on Crescent
is where the kitchen is located: this is the area in need of expansion. A large part of
the area desired for this expansion is currently occupied by a structure (staircase and
storage room) which will be removed.
A variance is requested to allow for a small addition, net 165 ft� to the kitchen. This
would allow for an eating area and larger family type kitchen. This is in keeping with
the new construction and remodels through out the community.
The current structure is setback 16 feet; the setback of the new addition will be 18
feet. The average on the block of Crescent is 22.4 feet (this does not include the far
corner house on Crescent and Barriolet whose set back is less than 10 feet). The
average is dramatically affected by the fact that Crescent Avenue is truly crescent
shaped. The street curves awayfrom the properties in the middle of the block on
our side of the street. The homes in the middle of the block have a larger numeric
setback while a visual sighting down the block would show that the fronts of all
homes on the block are within 3 or 4 f� of each other.
B. The homeowner of more than 30 years wishes to use her kitchen fully to
accommodate the informal entertaining that most homes of this size allow. This
kitchen currently is 9x15 and the area for the table is 3 x9 with one side of the table
against a wall. This addition would give more space to the preparation area as well
as a more appropriate size table.
C. The proposed addition will not affect traffic noise, lighting, landscape, sun, shade, or
view of the neighbors. There should be no impact to the neighborhood. The
architecture of the addition is consistent with the existing home. The side of this
home's lot on Crescent Avenue is currently enclosed by a solid stucco watl so the
change from the current stucco staircase structure to the new addition is obscured
by this stucco wall. The addition would present a lower profile than the existing
structure. The top of the roof of the addition will be at the plate line between the
first and second floors of the home; this is lower than the existing structure, which
extends 4 ft above the plate line. The proposed setback of 18 ft is equal to the
seatback of the neighboring home. (See table of setbacks for the block on page 2)
D. The new structure will be in all ways compatible with the architecture of the house.
The new construction replaces an existing structure whose set back is 16 feet and
the new will be 18 feet. The new addition will have a sloping Spanish tile roof in
keeping with the style of the home and others in the neighborhood. The new
addition adds very little to the mass of the home as it replaces an existing structure.
Even with the addition the size of the home is within the requirements for the ratio
of square footage to lot size and consistent with the size of other homes on the
block.
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