COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AGENCY

DATE:

March 22, 2004

SET TIME:

9:30 a.m.

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 20, 2004

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Marcia Raines, Director of Environmental Services

SUBJECT:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Consideration of an appeal of the decision by the Planning Commission to approve a Coastside Design Review Permit to construct a new single-family dwelling, located at 221 Carmel Avenue in the unincorporated El Granada area of San Mateo County. This project is not appealable to the California Coastal Commission.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Board of Supervisors deny the appeal and uphold the decision of the Planning Commission to approve the project by making the required findings and adopting the conditions of approval listed in Attachment A, which includes the condition requiring that all new utilities be installed underground.

PROPOSAL

The applicant is proposing a new 3,187 sq. ft. single-family dwelling with an attached 408 sq. ft. garage on a 6,250 sq. ft. parcel. He has appealed the requirement to underground utilities.

PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION

The Planning Commission voted 3-2 (Commissioners Kennedy and Wong dissenting) to deny the appeal and uphold the decision of the Design Review Committee (DRC) to approve this project with the requirement that utilities be placed underground.

SUMMARY

The DRC considered the project on September 11, 2003, and approved the project, including the standard condition requiring that all new utilities be installed underground. The applicant appealed the DRC decision--because it included that condition--to the Planning Commission. On February 11, 2004, the Planning Commission denied the appeal. The applicant has now appealed the Planning Commission decision to the Board of Supervisors. The applicant/appellant believes he should not be subject to the condition because: (1) the cost and disturbance to other existing infrastructure is unreasonable, and (2) the disruption to the neighborhood which has extensive existing aboveground utilities. The underground utility condition is based on a specific Design Review Standard and thus the Planning Commission made this a requirement of their approval.