REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
File #: 2016-7113
Location: 540 Rockport Drive (APN: 202-02-004)
Zoning: R1
Proposed Project:
DESIGN REVIEW: For a 738 sq. ft. one-story addition to an existing 3,055 sq. ft. one-story single-family home resulting in 3,793 sq. ft. (3,168 sq. ft. living area and 625 sq. ft. garage) and 41% Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
Applicant / Owner: John Barton (applicant) / Arvind and Bharti Goel (owner)
Environmental Review: Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Class 1, Existing Facilities)
Project Planner: George Schroeder, (408) 730-7443, gschroeder@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
General Plan: Residential Low Density (0-7 du/ac)
Existing Site Conditions: Single-family residence
Surrounding Land Uses
North: Single-family residence across Rockport Dr.
South: Single-family residence
East: Commercial and office uses across Tilton Dr.
West: Single-family residence
Issues: Floor Area
Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions
BACKGROUND
Description of Proposed Project
The applicant proposes a first story addition of 738 square feet at the front and rear of an existing 3,055 square foot, one-story single-family home, resulting in a total of 3,793 square feet and 41% Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The lot size is 9,129 square feet, which is similar to other surrounding lots of over 9,000 square feet. A Design Review is required for the construction of an addition to evaluate compliance with development standards and with the Single Family Home Design Techniques. Planning Commission review is required for homes exceeding 3,600 square feet.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Class 1 Categorical Exemption relieves this project from the California Environmental Quality Act provisions. Class 1 Categorical Exemptions include minor additions to an existing single-family residence.
DISCUSSION
Architecture and Site Design
The existing neighborhood is comprised mostly of one-story single-family homes, which are primarily designed in the tract Spanish and Ranch styles with Eichler homes towards the west end of Rockport Drive. There are four existing two-story homes in the neighborhood. Commercial and office uses are located east of the project site across Tilton Drive.
The existing one-story home is located at the southwest corner of Tilton and Rockport Drives. The home has 1960s Spanish-style characteristics with a rectangular form, wide garage frontage, stucco walls, gable and hip tile roofs, wood window and garage door trim, and a recessed entry. The Tilton Drive side is considered the "front" per the code definition because that is the shorter of the two lot lines fronting a street. However, for purposes of design review, staff is interpreting the Rockport Drive side as the front of the house because the existing house and front yard setback is oriented to that frontage.
The project consists of a 738 square foot addition to both street-facing fronts and the rear of the home, which would increase the size of two existing bedrooms, the master bathroom, the living room and kitchen nook. An existing shed and a portion of a fence along Tilton Drive would be removed as well as an existing rear patio cover. See Attachment 5 for the plan set.
The rear addition encroaches 3’-8” into the required rear yard area, and would be in line with an existing wall within the required rear yard area. Section 19.48.050 of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) allows a one-story addition to encroach up to 10 feet into the required 20-foot rear yard area provided that the addition area does not exceed 25% of the required rear yard area. The total proposed addition area along with the existing wall consists of five percent of the required rear yard area.
The first-story addition would match the colors and materials of the existing house and be consistent with its existing form. No tree removals are proposed.
Floor Area
A single-family residential project with a gross floor area greater than 3,600 square feet requires review by the Planning Commission. Although the proposed 3,793 square feet of gross floor area requires Planning Commission review, the FAR of 41% is lower than the Planning Commission review threshold of 45%. The neighborhood (25 homes on Tilton and Rockport Drives) are mostly one-story homes with four two-story homes. The existing gross floor area of the homes in the neighborhood ranges from 1,921 to 3,287 square feet with an average of 2,591 square feet. See Attachment 6 for a gross floor area comparison. The proposed gross floor area would make the home the largest in the neighborhood by about 500 square feet.
Although the proposed gross floor area exceeds the 3,600 square feet threshold, the proposed addition is single-story, and is located along the street frontages with minimal impact to adjacent homes. The proposed addition has also been designed to closely follow existing setbacks by filling in existing voids in the existing house’s footprint. The design of the addition respects the existing architectural style of the home and its mass and bulk are similar to those in the neighborhood. Additionally, a decorative stone veneer treatment would be applied to the house street frontage.
Applicable Design Guidelines and Policy Documents
The proposed home is consistent with the adopted Single-Family Design Techniques since the proposed design maintains the existing form and materials of the house, and is consistent with other homes in the neighborhood. Staff has included Design Review permit findings in Attachment 3.
Development Standards
The proposed project complies with the applicable Development Standards as set forth in the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, such as lot coverage, height and setbacks. The Project Data Table is located in Attachment 2.
Conclusion
Staff was able to make the required findings for the Design Review permit. Recommended Conditions of Approval are in Attachment 4.
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
• 39 notices mailed to property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project site
Staff Report
• Posted on the City’s website
• Provided at the Reference Section of the City’s Public Library
Agenda
• Posted on the City’s official notice bulletin board
• Posted on the City’s website
Public Contact: Staff has not received any correspondence or phone calls from neighbors at the time of writing of this report. See Attachment 1 for a map of the vicinity and mailing area.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the Design Review with the Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
2. Approve the Design Review with modified conditions.
3. Deny the Design Review and provide direction to staff and the applicant where changes should be made.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Approve the Design Review based on the Findings in Attachment 3 and with the recommended Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
Staff
Prepared by: George Schroeder, Associate Planner
Approved by: Gerri Caruso, Principal Planner
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity and Noticing Map
2. Project Data Table
3. Recommended Findings
4. Recommended Conditions of Approval
5. Plan Set
6. Neighborhood Square Footage Comparison