Zoning Administrator Hearing

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes Zoning Administrator Hearing Wednesday, March 26, 2014 2:00 PM West Conference Room, City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 CALL TO ORDER Mr. Andrew Miner, Zoning Administrator, called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. PUBLIC HEARINGS File #: 2014-7124 Location: 508 South Bayview Avenue (APN: 209-32-036 ) Applicant / Owner: James Neubert/Darren Quintero Proposed Project: VARIANCE to allow one covered parking space where two covered parking spaces are required, for a 329-square foot addition resulting in floor area greater than 1,800 square feet. Reason for Permit: A Variance is required for deviations from residential parking standards. Project Planner: Momoko Ishijima, (408) 730-7532,mishijima@sunnyvale.ca.gov Issues: Parking and neighborhood compatibility. Recommendation: Approve with conditions Momoko Ishijima, Project Planner, presented the item. Staff is recommending approval and stated the addition does not include a new bedroom but will be expanding the living room and kitchen areas. Staff has not received any letters or interest from the public. Mr. Miner verified that no additional bedrooms will be added and Ms. Ishijima stated that if the garage was removed it would be under the 1,800 square feet requirement. Ms. Ishijima stated that the design and upgrades will match the rest of the structure. Mr. Miner opened the public hearing. Jim Neobert, Architect, received and reviewed a copy of the staff report. Mr. Neobert stated that due to the shape and size of the lot, it was tough to make a two car garage work. He also mentioned that they have two uncovered parking spots in front of the garage. Mr. Miner asked if the width of the driveway will meet the City’s requirement. Ms. Ishijima stated the driveway is 50 feet long. Mr. Miner asked some general City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Zoning Administrator Hearing Meeting Minutes March 26, 2014 questions about the expansion of the kitchen. Mr. Miner also wanted to know some history on the structure and why the garage was designed the way it was. Ms. Quintero stated garage was originally designed like that and was already constructed at the time of purchase. Mr. Miner closed the public hearing. Mr. Miner stated that he would like to work with staff to see if there is any alternate design for the uncovered parking space and took the application under advisement until Friday, March 28, 2014. The applicant expanded the driveway to accommodate 3 uncovered parking spaces. The result is 1 covered and 3 uncovered off-street parking. The Zoning Administrator approved the project with the change. Mr. Miner stated that the decision is final unless appealed to the Planning Commission with payment of the appeal fee within the 15-day appeal period. File #: 2013-7789 Location: 480 S. Mathilda Avenue (APN: 209-28-052) Applicant / Owner: Eddie Leone (applicant/owner) Proposed Project: SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT to allow a 7’-6” tall fence in the front yard of a commercial property in the Downtown Specific Plan Block 13. Reason for Permit: A Special Development Permit is required for any fence that exceeds 6 feet in height in the front yard. Project Planner: Elise Lieberman, (408) 730-7443, elieberman@sunnyvale.ca.gov Issues: Height, Aesthetics, Neighborhood Compatibility Recommendation: Approve with Conditions Elise Lieberman, Project Planner, presented the item. Ms. Lieberman stated that Neighborhood Preservation cited the owner for not having a permit. Staff mentioned an alternate option regarding the color of the fence if the trellis is to remain. Staff is recommending GC-7 any structure that exceeds the height of the fence should be temporary and not a permanent fixture. Mr. Miner mentioned the landscaping condition and asked if additional landscaping is required. Ms. Lieberman stated that she would like to see additional landscaping, smaller shrubs for a variation in height but does not feel that it would need to be required. Mr. Miner opened the public hearing. Ed Leone, Applicant, received and reviewed a copy of the staff report. Mr. Leone noted that the shrubs that are currently located in front of the fence were there prior City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Zoning Administrator Hearing Meeting Minutes March 26, 2014 to the business moving in. He also mentioned he would like to add more shrubs but feels it would affect the signage and he is willing to add something that will give the fence a softer feel. The applicant mentioned he stopped painting the lattice once he received the notice from Neighborhood Preservation. He would like to finish painting the lattice purple as he feels it matches well with the gold color of the fence. Mr. Miner inquired about the type of classes being held at this location. Mr. Miner asked about the purpose of the patio and wanted to know if it was going to be used to hold classes or for security purposes. The applicant stated that the height of the fence will deter anyone from jumping the fence and he currently uses the space to store equipment. Mr. Miner stated he sees it as expanding the footprint of the building. Mr. Miner mentioned if the footprint expands then we must look at the amount of parking and if they meet the parking requirement. Mr. Leone stated there have been no issues regarding parking. Mr. Miner stated when he did the site visit he noticed that a roof was built and that it was not constructed legally. He mentioned to staff that it will have to be legalized. Mr. Miner added a condition to add landscaping in the middle of the fence to soften the appearance of the fence and add mulch. Mr. Miner closed the public hearing. The Zoning Administrator approved the application with the added landscaping condition. Mr. Miner stated that the decision is final unless appealed to the Planning Commission with payment of the appeal fee within the 15-day appeal period. File #: 2014-7122 Location: 890 Lewis Avenue (APN: 165-17-045) Applicant / Owner: Joshua Miner Design (applicant) / Tara & Gaurav Khetrapal (owner) Proposed Project: VARIANCE from Sunnyvale Municipal Code Section 19.46.060 to allow one covered parking space where two covered spaces are required for a 499 square foot addition to a single family home resulting in floor area greater than 1,800 square feet. Reason for Permit: A Variance is required from Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) Section 19.46.060, which requires that two covered parking spaces be provided when an addition results in a home with at least 1,800 square feet or four bedrooms. Project Planner: Ryan Kuchenig, (408) 730-7431, City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Zoning Administrator Hearing Meeting Minutes March 26, 2014 rkuchenig@sunnyvale.ca.gov Issues: Covered Parking & Neighborhood Compatibility Recommendation: Denial Ryan Kuchenig, Project Planner, presented the item and recommended approval. The property currently has 3 bedrooms and 11/2 bath. The applicant is adding a bedroom and bathroom totaling 499 square feet. Staff was not able to make the findings for the variance and mentioned the concern about setting a new precedent in the neighborhood. Mr. Miner inquired about the square footage; the architect stated that with the added square footage they would be at 1,855 square feet. Mr. Miner opened the public hearing. Josh Miner, Architect, received and reviewed a copy of the staff report and mentioned the reason for this addition is to move an elderly person into the property. Gaurav Khetrapal, Owner, stated that they never intended to expand the property but due to unforeseen issues the need for an addition is now present. He also mentioned the intention is to make a comfortable living situation for all living at the property. Besides the sewer line they have a bunch of beams that will need to be relocated and that the side of the garage is a load barring wall. Mr. Khetrapal stated there are three homes on the street that have a one car garage, the three homes would include the applicants. He believes that this would not set a major president and asked for approval of the application. Tara Khetrapal, Owner, reiterated that they are trying to accommodate a family member and that this person will not be capable of driving and a parking space will not be needed. She mentioned that plans to widen the driveway in the future are on the table. Mr. Khetrapal noted that this family member has a revoked driver’s license due to health issues. Mr. Miner asked if the house was similar to another property on the same street and asked some questions regarding the interior square footage. Mr. Miner confirmed that the applicant will be adding a master bedroom. Mr. Miner is concerned about the addition of the bedroom and how parking should be made to accommodate four vehicles, two covered and two uncovered. Mr. Miner reiterated that the City is looking at use and cannot put other aspects into play. Mr. Khetrapal mentioned that pictures have been included and that his garage is inset as opposed to other properties in the neighborhood. Mr. Miner closed the public hearing. City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Zoning Administrator Hearing Meeting Minutes March 26, 2014 The Zoning Administrator took the application under advisement and would like to work with staff on looking at a property in the neighborhood to see how they designed the home with a one car garage. Mr. Miner stated that the decision is final unless appealed to the Planning Commission with payment of the appeal fee within the 15-day appeal period. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Miner adjourned the meeting at 3:00 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 5