3A Public Hearing 2008 1201 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Support Systems Homes, Inc., leased the property from Mrs. Knab, and obtained a conditional use permit to operate a clean and sober support home for adult men recovering from chemical dependency until 2004. The property sat vacant for approximately a year. In May 2005, Dr. Danice Friend purchased the property and the City Council granted a PD permitting the use of the main structure on the property to a single-family dwelling and to use the former gardener's cottage as professional office use. On-site Improvements The on-site structures include the main house, four detached structures towards the southwest corner of the property, and a covered wood deck and gazebo in the south garden (see Exhibit A - Site Plan). The main house is two -stories with a floor area of approximately 3,262 square feet. The ground floor has one bedroom, living room, family room, dining room, kitchen, and two and one-half bathrooms. The second floor contains four bedrooms each with its own bathroom. The 432 square -foot detached structure facing Clarke Street is the Gardener's Cottage, which is used as the resident's office. The detached structure facing West Estudillo Avenue is the Old Carriage House. The two other detached structures near the southwesterly corner are the Blacksmith's Shop and a small storage shed. Conversion of the Gardner's Cottage to Office Use In March 2008, the conversion of the Gardner's Cottage to an office was completed and finaled by the City's Building and Safety Services Division. Dr. Friend, the applicant and property owner, uses it specifically for her own practice. PROPOSAL Carriage House The ground floor of the Carriage House would be small studio unit having approximately 360 square feet, and includes a kitchen, bathroom and living room that would also be the sleeping area. As in studio apartments the sleeping amenity could be a futon, fold -a -away sofa bed, or a Murphy bed (wall bed). The interior contains an existing second floor loft, accessed by a circular staircase; however the space is not proposed to be used for sleeping but light storage. As proposed, there would be no significant change to the exterior of the Carriage House. The carriage doors would be fixed and not operational. (See attached Exhibits A, E, F, and G). Blacksmith's Shop The footprint of the Blacksmith's Shop is smaller than the Carriage House and is even decreased further with the communal laundry room that is on the ground floor of the building, leaving only 268 square feet for a kitchen, bathroom and small dining area. To improve the livability of the unit by providing more space, the proposal includes utilizing the second floor loft as a sleeping area. The loft would be accessed by a new circular staircase near the center of the unit; the old stairway to the loft would be removed. In the Fire Department's review, the proposal requires a larger egress window on the northerly gabled -end of the building and taller head clearance in the loft (see Exhibit S). To accommodate the required egress window and head clearance, the proposal is to raise the height of the exterior walls and roof approximately one and one-half feet. (See attached Exhibits L, P, Q, R and S). Planning Commission Staff Report November 13, 2008 PLN2007-00062 Page 3 of 7