Architectural Review Committee Meeting

MINUTES ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY Wednesday, April 5, 2017 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM 580 PACIFIC STREET, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Members Present: Silva, Freeman, Rath, Rogers, Catanzaro, Gorman Members Absent: None Staff Members Present: Principal Planner Caraker, Senior Associate Planner Bennett, Associate Planner Roveri, Associate Planner Schmidt, Recording Secretary Salameh CALL TO ORDER Chair Silva called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 1. March 15, 2017 Action: Approved as amended. 2. Approve 1300 Munras Avenue; Architectural Review Permit 17-0107 for Addition to an Existing Commercial Building; Applicant Edward L. Rinehart, Architect; Owner Mike Patel; VAF Zoning Designation (Exempt from CEQA per Article 19, Section 15301(e), Class 1) Action: Approved as submitted. On a motion by Committee Member Rath, seconded by Committee Member Freeman, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee approved the Minutes of March 15, 2017 as amended and approved AR Permit 17-0107 for 1300 Munras Avenue as submitted. AYES: 6 MEMBERS: Silva, Freeman, Rath, Rogers, Catanzaro, Gorman NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Clyde Roberson spoke about the appointment process for boards and  Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, April 5, 2017 commissions, noting that that Monterey is a special place to live, work, visit and volunteer. He thanked new and existing Committee Members for their dedication in volunteering. He also thanked the ARC for their work on projects such as the Monterey Conference Center, noting that it was skillfully done. Chair Silva thanked Mayor Roberson. He said that he would recuse himself from Item 3 and that Vice Chair Freeman would serve as Chair for the remainder of the meeting. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 3. Consider 18 Dunecrest Avenue; Architectural Review Permit 17-0139 for New Two- Story Single-Family Dwelling; Applicants and Owners Steven R. and Sharon T. Platt; R-1-6-D1 Zoning District (Exempt from CEQA per Article 19, Section 15303, Class 3) Action: Continued for redesign with direction to the applicant to lower the roof height at least two feet to preserve a view of the horizon, reconsider the design of the balcony on the east elevation, reduce the depth of the eaves and submit a professional landscape plan. Staff Presentation/Committee Member Questions Associate Planner Roveri presented the Agenda Report and took Committee Members’ questions. Applicant Henry Ruhnke of Wald, Ruhnke & Dost Architects presented a PowerPoint slideshow and spoke about the history of the house and how the new design would lend itself well to the beach community, noting that the architecture was intended to fit in with the character of the neighborhood. He addressed the first and second floor setbacks and said that the design complied with all zoning ordinance guidelines for the neighborhood. He addressed the reduced size of the current design versus the previous design by a different contractor and noted that the storypole staking currently in place was meant to account for a worst case scenario. He said that lowering the floor level of the garage would create a steep driveway slope, therefore creating difficulty for entering the garage and possibly allowing water to enter during rainy weather. He added that he understood the importance of view preservation and said that he was amenable to lowering the roof slope and reducing the size of the eaves to preserve the view of the horizon. Committee Member Gorman asked staff to address garage and massing concerns. Ms. Roveri explained that the square footage in the staff report did not include the square footage of the garage, as it was not considered livable space. She added that the Zoning Ordinance credited garage space of 500 square feet and said that was excluded from inhabitable space. Vice Chair Freeman asked Mr. Ruhnke if it was his opinion that all residents of the Del Monte Beach neighborhood were allowed to have a second story. Mr. Ruhnke said yes. Vice Chair Freeman asked Mr. Ruhnke if he had considered the massing of the house as viewed from Spray Avenue, noting that Ms. Roveri had mentioned the top-heaviness of the house as viewed from below. 2 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, April 5, 2017 Mr. Ruhnke said that he had not seen that as an issue, as people would typically look down at the ocean rather than up at the house. He explained that to move the lower floor out, square footage would have to be taken from the top floor, making the design less functional. He emphasized the importance of second story views, noting that the three vacant lots nearby would eventually be developed. He said that the height of the design was below City height requirements and that he did not believe a variation in height would be appropriate for the lot. He reiterated his and the owners’ desire to follow guidelines and be good neighbors in regard to the design of the house. Committee Member Rath said that when the ARC visited 140 Beach Way on their field trip, they saw that the owner had a view of the entire bay. She asked Mr. Ruhnke if the design of 18 Dunecrest Avenue could be adjusted to continue to allow 140 Beach Way the current views. Mr. Ruhnke said he did not believe that lowering the roofline of 18 Dunecrest Avenue would majorly impact the views of 140 Beach Way. Committee Member Gorman asked if the three undeveloped lots northwest of 18 Dunecrest Avenue were restricted to one-story designs. Mr. Bennett clarified that the three lots were restricted to one-story designs by the California Coastal Commission. Public Comment Dave Duvall said that he had lived in his home at 19 Dunecrest Avenue since 1978 and expressed concerns about the massing of the project at 18 Dunecrest Avenue, the landscaping, and the height of the basement ceilings. He suggested lowering the basement floor elevation, lowering the pitch of the roof, reducing the heights of all ceilings to the standard eight feet, and reducing the height of the retaining wall. Laura Nagel, a resident at 7 Dunecrest Avenue, said that she agreed with and was thankful for the staff report on the project. She said that the project at 18 Dunecrest Avenue would compromise her view of Marina Beach to the east. She spoke of how her mother had lived in the same home she currently did and how she lost her view of the bay as neighbors gradually added on to and built new homes. She noted that the house at 18 Dunecrest Avenue already had unobstructed views of the bay. Debra Proctor, a resident at 17 Dunecrest Avenue since 1981 and directly across the street from the project site, said that view preservation is a wonderful community effort and that she would like to retain her view of the horizon. She expressed concern about the massing of the house and suggested lowering the basement floor, as it should not be livable space, lowering the roof pitch, and removing the newly-planted Cypress trees from the yard. Judy Therrien, a resident at 12 Dunecrest Avenue, spoke about Del Monte Beach landscaping guidelines as addressed by the California Coastal Commission. She said that the project could be altered a bit to mitigate neighbors’ concerns, but that overall it was an admirable design. Committee Member Gorman asked about the height limit for a single-story dwelling. Ms. Roveri responded that the height limit was 25 feet. 3 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, April 5, 2017 Paul Behan, a resident at 17 Dunecrest Avenue, said that he was in support of staff’s recommendation and mentioned concerns that over time the view of the horizon would become chopped up by this development and possible future developments. He reiterated other neighbors’ concerns regarding the ceiling heights and landscaping that would not obscure views. Jayme Fields, a resident at 20 Dunecrest Avenue commended the design of the house, but said that it could be improved upon in order to maintain neighbors’ views. She said that she supported staff’s recommendations to reduce overall height and massing, as well as to reduce the eaves. Mr. Ruhnke said all landscaping at the site would be removed due to construction. He explained that the garage could not be lowered because it would then be below grade, allowing water in during stormy weather. He said that he did not anticipate loud noise during the construction of the basement and explained the method in which it would be built. He also said that the basement was intended to be a storage area, not a livable environment. Committee Member Rogers asked about lowering the roof slope and the possibility of a one car garage, versus a two car garage. Mr. Ruhnke said that the roof could be lowered two feet and that the eaves could be reduced as well. He explained that a one car garage would not be feasible within the floor plan due to rooms within the design shifting and impacting overall functionality. Committee Member Rogers asked about the possibility of lowering the structure itself. Mr. Ruhnke explained that if the structure was lowered, the driveway slope would become too severe. The ARC asked questions about the possibility of creating a split in the lower floor level and the garage, therefore allowing the driveway to remain at its current slope and reducing the height of the structure. Mr. Ruhnke said that lowering the entire house two feet would create an issue of partially-underground rooms on the first floor, which he felt was not reasonable. Vice Chair Freeman asked Mr. Ruhnke if he felt that by lowering the roof pitch two feet, the integrity of the floor structure could be maintained while preserving the horizon line. Mr. Ruhnke said yes. Vice Chair Freeman asked Mr. Ruhnke if he could provide a landscape plan, as the Cypress trees represented a mass that should be improved. Mr. Ruhnke said a landscape plan would be provided in order to mitigate any concerns. Committee Member Rogers asked if the balcony on the east elevation was necessary. Mr. Ruhnke said that the balcony was not functional. Committee Member Comments Committee Member Rogers said that she understood the neighbors’ concerns regarding 4 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, April 5, 2017 their views, but said she felt Mr. Ruhnke was reasonable in his mitigation efforts. Committee Member Catanzaro complimented Mr. Ruhnke’s design but expressed concern regarding 15% of the neighboring views being lost. He said that he did not want this project to set a precedent for future designs. Committee Member Rath said that the design was well done, but that she believed the roofline should be lowered to afford views of the horizon. Vice Chair Freeman acknowledged the difficulty of living in a neighborhood of beach cottages that added on to become two-story homes. She said that the guidance from the City was that every home was allowed a second story and addressed the garage being visually included in the mass of the first story, as well as the design of the second story balcony. She said that a professional landscape plan would be necessary to mitigate any of the neighbors’ worries about tall-growing foliage. She said that she believed the project was designed within the City’s guidelines and that she was in support of it. On a motion by Committee Member Rath seconded by Committee Member Rogers and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee continued the project for redesign to the applicant to lower the roof height at least two feet to preserve a view of the horizon, reconsider the design of the balcony on the east elevation, reduce the depth of the eaves and to submit a professional landscape plan. COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS Vice Chair Freeman said that Tyller Williamson, a newly-appointed ARC member, could possibly begin serving on the ARC as soon as April 19, 2017 after a decision made by City Council. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS Mr. Bennett said that 371 Monroe Street and 909 Wainwright Street would be addressed at the April 19, 2017 ARC meeting. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:52 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Todd Bennett Chair Senior Associate Planner Architectural Review Committee 5