REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Proposed Project: Related applications on a 3,920 square-foot site:
DESIGN REVIEW: To allow construction of a 957 square-foot first and second-floor addition to an existing single-family home, resulting in 2,282 square feet living area (no covered parking) and 58.5% Floor Area Ratio (FAR), and
VARIANCE: To allow 28% rear yard encroachment, where 25% maximum is permitted.
Location: 404 S. Murphy Ave. (APN: 209-26-023)
File #: 2021-7829
Zoning: DSP-10 (Downtown Specific Plan Area Block 10)
Applicant / Owner: Bay Area Project Pro / Devang and Vina Bhuva
Environmental Review: A Class 3 Categorical Exemption relieves this project from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions.
Project Planner: Mary Jeyaprakash, (408) 730-7449, mjeyaprakash@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
General Plan: Transit Mixed Use
Existing Site Conditions: One-story single-family home
Surrounding Land Uses
North: Four-story parking garage
South: One-story single-family home and detached second story accessory dwelling unit
East: Two-story mixed-use building
West: Two-story duplex-family homes across Murphy Avenue
Issues: Neighborhood compatibility and compliance with the Single-Family Home Design Techniques.
Staff Recommendation: Approve the Design Review and Variance with the recommended conditions of approval in Attachment 4.
BACKGROUND
Description of Proposed Project
The applicant proposes a 957 square-foot first and second-story addition to an existing 1,325-square-foot, one-story residence resulting in 2,282 square feet gross floor area with 58% FAR on a 3,920 square-foot corner lot. The applicant also proposes a 33-square-foot addition to an existing 500 square-foot basement which is not counted towards the floor area and FAR.
The project is considered a new home per the City’s Major Residential Remodel Policy because at least 50% of the exterior walls above the foundation are proposed for removal. The project is subject to the requirements for a new home.
A Design Review permit is required for the construction of an addition to evaluate compliance with development standards and the City’s Single-Family Home Design Techniques. Planning Commission review is required for new homes exceeding 50% FAR or 4,000 square feet of gross floor area and achieving 120 points with Build It Green Certification, per the City’s Green Building Program. A Variance is also required to allow 28% (278 square feet) rear yard encroachment (to accommodate a new bathroom and expand the existing kitchen area), where a 25% (250 square feet) rear yard encroachment is required for the first floor.
See Attachment 1 for a map of the vicinity and mailing area for notices and Attachment 2 for the project data table.
Previous Actions on the Site
There are no previous related planning applications or active neighborhood preservation cases for this property.
EXISTING POLICY
Applicable Design Guidelines: The City’s Design Guidelines provide recommendations for site layout, architecture, and design. The proposed addition is consistent with the design guidelines contained in the Single-Family Home Design Techniques. Staff has included recommended findings in Attachment 3.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Class 3 Categorical Exemption (CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301) relieves this project from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which covers minor alterations or additions to an existing single-family home involving negligible or no expansion of the existing use.
DISCUSSION
Architecture and Site Design
The subject property is a corner lot located on the southeast corner of Murphy and Iowa Avenue. The property is in a neighborhood with an eclectic mix of Ranch, Craftsman, English Tudor, Modern, and Spanish style architecture. The property has an existing one-story Ranch style home. The neighborhood consists of one- and two-story residential buildings, including single-family, duplex, and multi-family homes, and mixed-use buildings with commercial and residential uses developed after 1920s. The Cityline mixed-use project is also directly north of Iowa Avenue with a four-story parking garage facing the subject property.
The proposed architectural style can be categorized as Modern Farmhouse Style with the following prominent architectural elements,
• Front porch emphasizing the entrance;
• Rectangular double-hung windows with exterior grids;
• Vertical channel siding on exterior walls;
• Open rafters and decorative circular window below the gable;
• Stone veneer wainscoting around the base of the elevations from Murphy and Iowa Avenue;
• Smooth stucco on entry porch walls;
• Bay windows with black color trims and asphalt shingles matching the roofing of the house;
• Decorative brackets below the bay windows;
• Multipaneled windows with divided lights;
• Bright sandstone white colored walls in contrast with the black colored bay windows and asphalt roof.
The proposed architectural elements complement each other and provide a cohesive architectural style. All exterior materials and finishes work together as a palette of sandstone white color (on the exterior walls and windows), with black accents (on the trims and brackets on the bay windows, and on the asphalt roof). Staff finds the proposed design to be aesthetically pleasing, consistent with the architectural style, and helps to enhance the existing streetscape of the neighborhood.
The existing home is legally non-conforming because a portion of the house encroaches into the corner vision triangle. Pursuant to Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) Section 19.34.060(d), any structure is limited to three and one-half feet in height within the corner vision triangle. The northwest corner of the house encroaches approximately 10 feet into the corner vision triangle. The proposed addition is not within the corner vision triangle. The portion of the existing house located within the vision triangle will not be modified, therefore, the project does not increase the non-conformity.
Overall, staff finds the proposed modifications, architectural style, and building materials to be compatible with the neighborhood. See Attachment 5 for the Site and Architectural Plans. See Attachment 4 - GC.7 for the recommended Conditions of Approval.
Development Standards
The proposed project complies with the applicable development standards, as set forth in the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, except the rear yard encroachment. See Attachment 2 for the Data Table of the project.
Variance for Rear Yard Encroachment
The applicant is requesting to encroach 28% (278 square feet) into the required rear yard, which is more than the maximum 25% (250 square feet) allowed for the first floor. The proposed first floor addition to the back of the house would fill in two corner recessed areas and would maintain existing setbacks. Staff is able to make the required findings to support the Variance because the lot is smaller in size and narrower than a standard single-family lot and the addition will not impact the adjacent neighbors.
See Attachment 3 for Variance findings and Attachment 7 for applicant’s Variance justification letter.
Parking
The site currently has two uncovered parking spaces and no covered parking spaces. SMC Section 19.46.030 (b) exempts the project from providing parking because the site is located within one-half mile of the Sunnyvale Caltrain station.
Floor Area and Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
The existing home has a FAR of 33.8%. The proposed addition qualifies as a new home and results in 58.2% FAR. The project achieves the voluntary incentive of 120 points with Build It Green Certification and allows 50% FAR through a staff-level Design Review application, per the City’s Green Building Program. The project exceeds the 50% FAR threshold for Planning Commission review. The proposed FAR is well within the existing range in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood contains a mix of single-family and multi-family homes, as well as office and retail uses. The existing floor area and FAR of homes in the neighborhood range from 1,282 square feet to 4,263 square feet (2,475 square feet average) and 20% to 78% FAR (41% FAR average). The block west of the project consists of a planned developments (DSP-11) of five two-story townhomes built in 2003 with gross floor areas averaging 3,738 square feet (77% FAR). See Attachment 6 for a neighborhood area comparison.
The mass and bulk of the proposed addition are consistent with the existing home and two-story buildings in the neighboring. The proposed second floor is set back well over the minimum required reducible front and side setbacks, which helps in minimizing the bulk of the second story. The location of the second-floor addition, plate height of the second floor, and use of high-quality materials further minimizes the visual bulk of the second floor from the street. Therefore, staff finds the mass and bulk of the proposed second-floor addition to be reasonable.
Neighborhood Impacts and Compatibility
The proposed project is consistent with the site layout and character of the surrounding neighborhood. The first-floor addition will maintain the existing setbacks of the house along all four sides. The second floor is set back 13 feet 10 inches at the reducible front, where only nine feet minimum is required. The proposal addresses neighbor privacy by providing 11 feet 8 inches side setback, where only seven feet minimum is required. The proposal also addresses scale and architectural design compatibility. The proposed exterior modification will further complement the neighborhood character and enhance the existing streetscape.
The proposed overall height of 27 feet 6 inches is comparable to the heights of the surrounding two-story buildings. The building height is consistent with other two-story buildings within the immediate neighborhood. For example, the two-story mixed-use building at 146 E. Iowa Avenue, to the east of the proposed site has a height of 27 feet 6 inches, the two-story duplex building at 405 S. Murphy Avenue, across Murphy Ave to the west of the proposed site has a height of 28 feet, and the two-story townhome building at 461 S. Murphy Avenue in the block across Murphy Avenue has a height of 30 feet. The proposed project is consistent with the scale, setbacks, and character of the neighborhood buildings and therefore, it is compatible with the neighborhood.
Fiscal Impact
No fiscal impacts other than normal fees and taxes are expected.
Public Contact
Notice of Public Hearing
• Published in the Sun newspaper
• Posted on the site
• 115 notices mailed to property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project site
Staff Report
• Posted on the City of Sunnyvale’s website Agenda
• Posted on the City’s official notice bulletin board
As of the date of staff report production, staff has not received any public comments.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the Design Review and Variance with the Recommended Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
2. Approve the Design Review and Variance with modified conditions.
3. Deny the Design Review and Variance and provide direction to staff and the applicant where changes should be made.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Approve the Design Review and Variance with the Recommended Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
Staff
Prepared by: Mary Jeyaprakash, Senior Planner
Approved by: Noren Caliva-Lepe, Principal Planner
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity and Noticing Map
2. Project Data Table
3. Recommended Findings
4. Recommended Conditions of Approval
5. Architectural and Site Plans
6. Neighborhood Floor Area Analysis
7. Applicant’s Variance Justification Letter