COUNTY OF SAN MATEO Inter-Departmental Correspondence
PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT
DATE:			August 25, 2008
BOARD MEETING DATE:			September 9, 2008
SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:			10 days, within 300 feet
VOTE REQUIRED:			Majority
TO:		Honorable Board of Supervisors
FROM:		Lisa Grote, Director of Community Development
SUBJECT:		EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Reconsideration of a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) and Coastside Design Review Permit to construct a 1,627 sq. ft. addition to an existing residence and detached accessory building on an 11,103 sq. ft. parcel, including the removal of one significant size cypress tree, located at 324 The Strand, in the unincorporated Moss Beach area of San Mateo County. This project is appealable to the California Coastal Commission.
RECOMMENDATION
Reconsider the proposed Coastal Development Permit and Coastside Design Review Permit and approve the project as revised and conditioned.
VISION ALIGNMENT
Commitment: The revised project keeps the commitment of “Responsive, Effective, and Collaborative Government.” The applicant is requesting a rehearing of her project to address concerns raised by the Board at its February 5, 2008 hearing. Ms. Trilevsky has reduced the size of her proposed addition. Because the changes reduce the square footage of the building (13%), but do not change the design characteristics of the proposed addition, the applicant is requesting a rehearing rather than being remanded to the Design Review Committee or Planning Commission.
Goal: The proposed project achieves Goal Number 20: “Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.” Reconsideration of this item allows the applicant to respond to specific concerns raised by the Board of Supervisors about the size of the proposed addition.
BACKGROUND
The applicant is proposing to construct a 1,509 sq. ft. addition to an existing residence and a 118 sq. ft. addition to an existing detached accessory building. As proposed in this revision, the house would have a total size of 3,285 sq. ft. The detached accessory building would have a total area of 614 sq. ft. These revisions represent a 12.7% reduction in floor area from the version that was previously before the Board (1,627 sq. ft. total addition rather than the previous 1,833 sq. ft. total addition).
The project consists of a partial demolition of the northerly portion of the one-story building and removal of the back (north) wall of the garage. A new, two-story addition would be constructed on the north side of the house, perpendicular to the coastal bluff. One significant size cypress tree is proposed for removal. The project does not involve a significant amount of grading.
DISCUSSION
At the Board’s public hearing on February 5, 2008, the Board upheld the appeal of Tom Bruce, project neighbor. The Board, in making its decision at that hearing, made comments about the size of the proposed addition. The Board supported the appeal based on the size of the proposed addition and incompatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. The applicant is seeking an opportunity to be heard by the Board on the matter of house size. In response to the Board’s concerns, Ms. Trilevsky has reduced the size of her proposed addition by 567 sq. ft. (approximately 13%) from what was originally considered in February. Because the applicant is requesting reconsideration of the project, all aspects of the project are subject to review and reconsideration.
FISCAL IMPACT
If the project is approved and constructed, additional property taxes will be assessed.