3A Public Hearing 2007 0904 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The maximum building height for the townhomes is 31 feet, four inches which is well below the 50-foot height maximum for the RM-1800 District (Zoning Code Section 2-536). Landscape/Open Space A preliminary landscape plan shows native planting and rock gardens along the front residential townhouse structure and perimeter of the site. Staff has recommended that the applicant work with the Alameda County Bay-Friendly Landscaping Program to devise a landscape plan that is both water-efficient and easy to maintain while also serving the needs for stormwater drainage and filtering as required by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the City's Engineering Department. The tree planting in the parking area in the rear will provide both shading for the paved area and screening of the rear units from adjacent homes. The perimeter planting area includes non-invasive Bamboo, which is fast-growing and achieves a height of 12 to 15 feet, providing good screen for full height without being too dense coverage. The applicant responded to the Board's concerns, expressed in the November worksession, over the reduced landscaping areas on the side and rear by shifting landscape planting areas to the sides to achieve six- and five-foot planting areas on the left and right side property lines, respectively. The revised plan also shows that the driveway was re-configured to a consistent 20-foot width to allow for greater rear landscape areas - now 8 feet wide at the southern end. However, the site narrows as the driveway approaches the northern edge and the landscape area in turn narrows to a three-foot, seven-inch width. The average rear landscape setback that results from this differential is approximately five feet, seven inches. Staff believes that the variance can be granted due to the special shape of the site and to the overall conformance of the rear landscape area when the widths are averaged. Per the City's Engineering and Transportation Department and Alameda County Fire Department requirements, the driveway cannot be reduced to a width less than 20 feet. The project meets all requirements for courtyard widths for multi-family dwellings, per Zoning Code Section 2-556. The requirement states that the "minimum depth shall be one-half (1/2) the height of the opposite wall but not less than eighteen (18) feet opposite a living room and twelve (12) feet opposite a required window for any habitable room." The walls of the building, measured from the courtyard ground level, are 21 feet, 8 inches. The width of the courtyard is 36 feet, two inches, which exceeds half of the wall height and the above-specified minimums. Finally, the proposed project meets and exceeds the open space requirements for residential multi-family development. The 24-unit multi-family residential project would require total open space area of 4,800 square feet (200 square feet per unit, per Zoning Code Section 2-558 A.). The proposed enclosed private outdoor space for each unit, separated from the common courtyard open space by wood fences, is approximately 176 square feet, for a total of 4,220 square feet for the overall project. The provision of these private outdoor areas exceeds the minimum requirement of 120 square feet per unit (Zoning Code Section 2-558 B.). The proposed common open space area within the courtyard totals approximately 3,468 square feet. With the private Board of Zoning Adjustments Staff Report PLN2006-00043 January 18, 2007 Page 7 of 11