3A Public Hearing 2008 0707 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Appeal of the BZA Approval 4 July 7, 2008 PLN2008-00022 Permits and/or Variances Granted Conditional Use Permit for Substandard Lot Section 4-1650 of the Zoning Code requires that any use other than asingle-family residence on a substandard lot undergo a conditional use permit review process. This is to ensure that small lots are evaluated to determine their ability to adequately accommodate the proposed projects other than a single-family home and that the project conforms to the basic setback, coverage, height and off- street parking requirements. In this case, the lot is 40 feet wide and 130 feet deep. While the width of the lot is 10 feet less than required in the DA-3 District, its depth is longer than a standard 50 by 100 foot lot, by 30 feet. The total area of this lot is approximately 5,200 square feet which exceeds the 5,000 square foot minimum lot area in the DA-3 District. The additional depth of the lot and the rectangular shape, make the proposed duplex a viable project to construct on the narrow lot. The proposed duplex complies with all setbacks, lot coverage, height, and development standards for the DA-3 District, with the exception of covered off-street parking. Although the DA-3 District is lenient and relaxed with its zoning requirements, adequate consideration to maintain appropriate setbacks and scale of the duplex was given so that the proposal should blend in and have no impact upon the existing adjacent development and the existing neighborhood. Architecture/Design-Site Plan Review The exterior design of the proposed one-story additional unit would blend in with the existing single-story unit on the property. The exterior of the addition and the roof should have a seamless finished appearance. It is typical that stucco walls and the hipped-roof design can be executed without any notice of the new addition versus the existing home. Reducing the design to one- story and being situated behind the existing unit would deemphasize the height and bulk of the proposed unit. The rhythm of one-story building elevations on the north side of Williams Street would be retained by the rear placement of the one-story addition. The adjacent apartment complex to the northeast is four-stories tall. There are other two-story developments in the immediate area which are found across the street on the south side of Williams Street. These two-story developments are mainly apartment complexes. The one-story additional unit should have no visual impacts along the Williams Street or Thornton Street-streetscapes or the immediate neighborhood. Parking Exception Because the revised design does not include two covered parking spaces and the third space would not be independently accessible (rather along the driveway) the review and approval process included a parking exception (Zoning Code Section 5-2212 C.). The DA District requires three off- street parking spaces for a duplex, which includes two of the spaces to be covered.