COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AGENCY

DATE:

January 19, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 8, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

10 days, within 300 ft.

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Marcia Raines, Director of Environmental Services

SUBJECT:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Consideration of a Coastside Design Review Permit, pursuant to Section 6565.4 of the County Zoning Regulations, to construct a new 2,548 sq. ft. single-family residence on a 5,000 sq. ft. parcel located at 286 – 2nd Street, in the unincorporated Montara area of the County. (Appeal from decision of the Planning Commission denying the Design Review Permit.) This project is not appealable to the California Coastal Commission.

RECOMMENDATION

Deny the appeal and uphold the decision of the Planning Commission and deny the Design Review Permit, County File Number PLN 1999-00015, by making the findings of denial.

VISION ALIGNMENT

Commitment: Number 9 (Partnerships); “Effective and Collaborative Government.”

Goal: Number 20; “Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.”

The Planning Commission’s recommendation to deny the subject Design Review Permit furthers Commitment 9 and Goal 20 because the Planning Commission’s decision concluded that the project’s non-compliance with design review standards suggests that they were considering the future impacts of the project on the surrounding neighbors and were not willing to accommodate the “immediate gains” to the applicant if the proposed house were approved and built.

BACKGROUND

Proposal: The applicant is proposing to construct a new 2,548 sq. ft. two-story single-family residence on a 5,000 sq. ft. parcel.

Planning Commission Action: On November 10, 2004, the Planning Commission voted 4-0 (one Commissioner absent) to uphold the appeal and deny the decision of the Planning Director to approve this project.

DISCUSSION

This project was one of two design review applications for new single-family homes on two adjacent parcels submitted by the applicant in February 1999. Both projects had their initial Design Review (DR) approvals rescinded due to public notification irregularities. Upon thorough re-noticing, review and extensive opportunity for comment, both projects have incurred nearly identical degrees of strong opposition from the neighbors, based on their bulk, size and design relative to applicable DR standards. Subsequently, however, the subject project was approved by the Planning Director in April 2004. That decision was appealed to the Planning Commission by 22 neighbors.

The Planning Commission’s denial of this project took into consideration the issues posed by the appellants and found there was no adequate evidence to support two specific and applicable design review standards: (1) the house is not designed and situated so as to retain and blend with the natural vegetation and landform of the site, and (2) the house is not in harmony with the shape, size and scale of adjacent buildings in the community. However, the applicant’s appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision includes revised house plans that incorporate some of the changes recommended in the initial Planning Director’s approval, as well as clarification requested by the Planning Commission, and other minor roof and height changes that represent improvements overall.

FISCAL IMPACT

No fiscal impact.