The Pacifica Planning Commission is seeking as small a footprint as possible for a home on Berendos Avenue in Vallemar.
Nestled between a hillside and Calera Creek and at the mouth of Modoc Place and Hiawatha Avenue, the one-acre lot has a very small buildable area with natural restrictions and city regulations already in place. The owner, Dave Colt, reduced the scale of a former version of his plans to present to the Planning Commission April 21. Nevertheless, the commissioners unanimously requested Colt return June 2 with a revision that puts less of a footprint on the lot Landscaping Idea. The commissioners also requested Colt return with a plan that calls for no parking on the street in the front of the lot, which will require a variance on the front setback that is normally required.
The commissioners were pleased with some aspects of the scaled-down construction project, but were intrigued that the coverage on the lot could get even smaller.
The version of the plans they reviewed called for a two-story home containing four bedrooms, three baths with a limited, uninhabitable attic space that will not be higher than five feet. The total living area was reduced from 3,500 square feet to 2,700 square feet. The overall height of the home would be 26 feet, reduced from 35 feet. A two-car attached garage with two adjacent parking spaces on the developed part of the lot was proposed. The commissioners were concerned those parking spaces must be placed well clear of the street and will not present a traffic or pedestrian safety hazard. The curb will be painted red to prevent people from parking along that portion of the street.
A sidewalk on the portion of the lot facing the street will be created out of crushed granite. Addressing concerns from the neighbors about safety on that part of the road, the sidewalk will be open to the public. During construction, trucks will not be permitted to block the roadway as it is narrow and would severely restrict traffic flow.
The home was relocated on the lot 25 feet away from the creek to increase the habitat of the San Francisco garter snake and California red-legged frog, as recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is now at the base of the hill and 15 feet from the closest dwelling on Modoc Place. Some eucalyptus trees will have to be removed, which raised objections from several Vallemar neighbors who objected to a potential loss of wildlife.
Planning staff prepared a mitigated negative declaration and asserts it is all that is necessary to fulfill CEQA requirements. However, many members of the public who addressed the commissioners at past meetings and at this last meeting wanted the commissioners to require the owner to prepare a full environmental impact report. They were concerned about pedestrian safety, storm water drainage, potential loss of wildlife, the removal of dirt and a sense that the home did not blend in well among the smaller homes of the neighborhood.
Commissioner Rich Campbell, who addressed his colleagues as a member of the public because he lives close to the building site, brought up concerns about protecting wildlife. He also said the unique configuration of pedestrians and vehicles created a potential hazard.
“I appreciate that he tuned it down, but he did not scale it down adequately, 3,000 square feet is not reasonable,” Campbell said. “These safety issues must be addressed. Prohibit parking along that site. There’s still a fair argument for an EIR.”
In response, planning staff added additional requirements to which the owner must now comply, if his project is approved. To address issues about biology, the owner must comply with recommendations from the GGNRA. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required the owner apply for an incidental take permit for the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake. A condition was added that requires an exclusionary fence and escape funnel designed as recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure the endangered species are protected. The habitat area shall not be used for construction purposes. After construction, a permanent barrier - buried at least six inches and rising 24 inches above ground - will replace the fence. If wildlife is discovered during construction, construction will stop.
Addressing concern about preserving the upland habitat and movement corridors, Landscaping Idea an additional condition was added that prohibits structures, the use of pesticides and other actions that would harm the habitat area.
Addressing culvert and drainage impacts, the city will now require the owner to allow city staff to walk onto the property and maintain the culvert and creek channel. Staff will review and approve a drainage plan the owner will submit. No run-off will be directed into the creek.
The home plans will require a variance for exceeding the allowable lot disturbance and to allow a side yard setback. Planning staff recommended the commissioners approve this and allow a 15.6 percent lot disturbance, with 7.5 percent of that in landscaping.
“The Planning Commission may prefer the applicant further reduce the footprint of the building thereby reducing the disturbed area and the amount of the variance needed for the maximum allowable lot coverage,” the staff report reads. In staff’s opinion, it would be possible to design a dwelling of 2,700 square feet or less living area with a smaller footprint that the proposed dwelling. The Planning Commission has expressed concerns about not exceeding the maximum allowable lot coverage for other projects but in this case, the maximum allowable lot coverage is a negative number, which raises practical issues. Also, the dwelling does not exceed the proposed living area threshold for the proposed Mega Home Ordinance.”
The commissioners did not approve the variance at this meeting and instead held out for a plan that decreases the total lot disturbance.
A neighbor asked for story poles to give the community a sense of how they will be impacted by the new residence. A couple of neighbors spoke in favor of the development saying that the owner did a good and thoughtful job developing plans and that it would make a nice addition to the neighborhood.
But one neighbor, Steve Candido, the one whose property is now closest to where the new home will be, said he didn’t appreciate the new setback from the creek.
“It’s right on top of me. But you should let him go forward to the next step,” he said.
The commissioners expressed their pleasure with the progress the owner made on scaling down the project.
“This has been a genuine improvement,” said Commissioner Harold Cicerone, noting there will be a peer review of the plans once the planning commission approves them. “A lot of things have been addressed. The actual footprint being disturbed is very small. Landscaping Idea I don’t need an EIR to tell me there are species on this site. I’m comfortable with that part of it. We are being sensitive to the creek.”
Planning Commission Chair Leo Leon pushed for a smaller footprint.
“This project can be designed with a smaller footprint. I’m concerned about retaining walls, especially if they are unnecessary and I believe they are unnecessary, he said.
Commissioner Celeste Langille said the home is too big for the lot. She asked for a covenant to restrict any future owners of the property from changing the conditions that the planning staff is putting in place. Director of Planning Michael Crabtree responded that those covenants could be put in place.
“This is an environmentally sensitive lot close to a hill and a creek and he will have to get an incidental take permit. The size is out of character with the neighborhood. This is more variance of the Hillside Preservation District than I’d like to see. I would like to see a redesign with a smaller house. Safety is another issue. Parking is not resolved,” she said.
“The applicant has done a fine job,” said Commissioner B. J. Nathanson, noting the elements that will be taken care of by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the peer review. “At what point are we micromanaging what people can do? But I like the idea of a smaller footprint.”
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