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Appeal of the BZA Approval of PLN2011-00014 July 18, 2011 <br />4 <br />of the roof of the addition exactly matches the pitch and style of the front of the existing <br />dwelling, and the stucco exterior of the existing home will be carried through with the <br />addition. The half -circle window feature on the front of the home is carried through on <br />the front and rear of the addition and the other new windows will be sliders to match the <br />existing ones, providing consistent application for a cohesive appearance. <br />• Section H.2 provides that the visual mass of the resulting addition should be de- <br />emphasized and "in -scale with the surrounding homes". The applicant eliminated an <br />attic area above the second story addition specifically to keep the roof height as low as <br />possible: at 21 feet, five inches at the ridge, it is well below the 30 -foot roof height <br />permitted. The low -profile setting of the addition and orientation at the rear minimizes <br />the impacts on the adjacent neighbors as well as neighborhood streetscape. A majority of <br />the homes in the immediate block of the project site are two-story. <br />• Section H.3 provides that the proposal value the existing visual character of the <br />neighborhood, fitting in to the neighborhood's existing architectural context "utilizing a <br />compatible architectural vocabulary". The immediate neighborhood is a mix of <br />architectural styles, as the homes were developed at different times between 1924 and 1960. <br />As a result, there is no one predominant architectural style for the neighborhood, though it <br />should be noted a majority of the homes within a block of the project site are two-story. The <br />addition is designed to carry through compatible architectural features of the Spanish <br />Colonial Bungalow style of the existing home. The addition will be approximately 70 feet <br />back from the sidewalk and, combined with the low -slung design, should not negatively <br />impact the neighborhood's existing visual character. <br />• Section HA provides that the physical impacts to the neighbors should be minimized and <br />that the addition should not "substantially impair the privacy and access to light and air of <br />adjacent residences, while balancing the applicant's ability to improve the subject <br />property in accordance with all applicable restrictions ". To address issues of access to <br />light and air, as well as to limit the impacts of bulk and mass on adjacent properties, the <br />proposal must comply with Zoning Code Section 2-537 Daylight Planes in R Districts. <br />"Daylight Plane" means a height limitation that, when combined with the maximum <br />height limit, defines the building envelope within which all new structures or additions <br />must be contained. All plans for new homes and additions must include an architectural <br />illustration for each side of the building showing compliance with this requirement. As <br />indicated on Exhibit "C" in the June 2nd BZA Staff Report (See Attachment #4), the <br />illustration shows that the proposed addition is within the building envelope and does not <br />encroach into the daylight plane. (However, the roof eaves are permitted to extend two <br />(2) feet into a required side yard as well as within the daylight plane, per Zoning Code <br />Section 4-1654.A.) <br />To further address privacy concerns that were expressed by the appellant prior to the ZEO's <br />decision, the approval was conditioned with a requirement that the plans be revised to show <br />the two new windows on the west (or left) elevation of the second story to either 1) be re- <br />designed/positioned upward, or 2) if kept the same size and location, shown with the <br />addition of opaque screening added to the bottom portion of each window to prevent <br />direct viewing into the appellant's side yard. Subsequently, plans recently submitted after <br />