Preliminary Land Use/Project Review Committee Report
March 11, 2009
Attending: Amanda Rice (acting as committee chair), John Lamb, Steve Cole, Joyce Renshaw, Jim Bahringer.
The committee reviewed four projects on March 2, 2009 – One new residence and out buildings, two additions and one commercial project.
Projects:
1(a) DRC2008-00100 (Sittig, planner) GRIFFITH (owner) — MUP for a new 3178 sq ft SFR, 599 sq ft guesthouse, 681 sq ft garage, 756 sq ft stable, 216 sq ft tack room, and 450 sq ft feed shed on a 74.68 acre site located off Kathryn Drive in Cambria. APN: 013-085-016 and 019. GVA 2 Comment: Projected 1,000 gallons per day CCSD water usage is excessive in light of Cambria’s ongoing chronic water shortage. Project should explain how it will meet the intent of the Design Criteria in Chapter 7 of the North Coast Area Plan, as required by the Area Plan [my addition - we did not discuss]. Recommendation: Support.
1(b) DRC2008-00109 (Sittig, planner) EVANS (owner) — MUP for a 152 sq ft addition to an existing 1432 sq ft SFR on 4345 sq ft lot at 1325 Richard Ave. in Cambria. APN: 024-352-015. GVA 7. Comment: Appears to be seeking permit for existing addition. Recommendation: Support.
1(c) DRC2008-00113 (Singewald/Scheel, planners) KAUTZ (applicant) — MUP for wine-tasting in existing retail building at 2164 Center Street (between Burton and West) in Cambria. APN: 013-262-002. GVA 5 Comment: CCSD has stated that it will not provide a “will serve” letter for this project because it does not have enough water allocation to support the proposed type of business. The NCAC cannot recommend support of a project for which CCSD will not provide a “will serve” letter. Recommendation: Does not support.
2. DRC2008-00104 (Sittig, planner) GROW (owner) — MUP to convert existing garage attic to 480 sq ft guest room (with bath) at 5330 Nottingham on a 5600 sq ft lot. GVA 3 Comment: The footprint and Gross Structural Area (GSA) for this house and garage already exceed that allowed for this size lot.
When the NCAC reviewed the plans for this house and garage in June 2007 (DRC 2006-00210), we commented that “The GSA vs. the lot size should be reviewed for compliance”, and “It appears that the 400 sq ft of ‘attic space’ over the garage is not included in the GSA calculations”. We speculated that the garage attic subsequently would be converted to living space, but limited our comments as above.
Upon inquiry to the Planning Department re this project, Planning stated that “DRC2006-00210 included a condition that the attic space shall not be used as a guesthouse. It now appears that the origin of this condition was likely in response to NCAC’s stated concerns when you reviewed the project in June 2007. With this new MUP application, the applicant is requesting the removal of this condition. As for the allowable GSA, the applicant argues that this space is already existing. In other words, approval of the project would not change the massing of the existing residence.”
The NCAC feels that the project’s footprint and GSA already exceed those allowed on this lot by the Building Size Standards prescribed by the North Coast Area Plan; that the owner should comply with the condition originally placed on this project that the attic space cannot be used as a guesthouse; and that the owner should not be allowed to do an “end run” around the Building Size Standards.
Recommendation: Does not support.
