REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Proposed Project:
DESIGN REVIEW: To allow a 245 square feet first-floor addition and 448 square feet second-floor addition to an existing two-story single-family home, resulting in 3,178 square feet (2,698 square feet living area, 480 square feet garage and 75 square feet porch) and 51.4% Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
Location: 808 Shetland Place (APN:316-27-085)
File #: 2018-7876
Zoning: R-0
Applicant / Owner: Megan Miner Design (applicant) / Rajan Singh and Anila Godhania (owner)
Environmental Review: A Class 1 Categorical Exemption relieves this project from the CEQA provisions.
Project Planner: Aastha Vashist, (408) 730-7458, avashist@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
General Plan: Low Density Residential
Existing Site Conditions: Two-story single family residence
Surrounding Land Uses
North: One and two-story single family residences
South: Interstate 280 highway
East: Two-story single family residence
West: Two-story single family residence
Issues: Neighborhood compatibility
Staff Recommendation: Approve the Design Review with recommended conditions in Attachment 4.
BACKGROUND
Description of Proposed Project
The applicant proposes a 673-square foot addition to an existing 2,560 square foot two-story residence resulting in 3,178 square feet gross floor area with 51.4% FAR. The subject property is located on a 6,180-square foot interior lot, which is similar to other surrounding properties.
A Design Review is required for the construction of an addition to evaluate compliance with the development standards and the City’s Single-Family Home Design Techniques. Planning Commission review is required for homes exceeding 45% FAR.
See Attachment 1 for a map of the vicinity and mailing area for notices and Attachment 2 for the data table of the project.
Previous Actions on the Site
There are no previous planning applications or active neighborhood preservation complaints for this property.
EXISTING POLICY
Applicable Design Guidelines:
The proposed addition is consistent with the adopted Single-Family Design Techniques since the proposed design has compatible scale, mass and height as the surrounding new two-story homes in the neighborhood. Staff has included findings for the Single-Family Design Techniques in Attachment 3.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Class 1 Categorical Exemption (CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301) relieves this project from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, which covers minor alteration or additions to an existing single-family home involving negligible or no expansion of the existing use.
DISCUSSION
Architecture and Site Design
The existing neighborhood is comprised of one and two-story single-family residences with simple rectilinear forms. The house is in a neighborhood of single-family homes built from the 1950s to 1960s with Ranch-style architecture.
The existing two-story house has Ranch-style characteristics with a rectilinear form and gable end roofs. The proposed first-floor addition would extend towards the street and contain 245 square feet gross floor area, including expansion of the existing living room and a new entry porch. The 448-square foot second-floor addition is proposed over the living area towards the east side of the property at 46-foot setback from the front property line and consists of one new bedroom with an attached bath. The roof pitch of the addition would match that of the existing home. No tree removals are proposed as part of this application.
Exterior modifications are also proposed to existing building facades that include the addition of stone veneer material and repainting of the building facades. All new windows will match the existing. The proposed overall color scheme includes grey tones for the walls (See Attachment 5, Site and Architectural Plans). Overall, the proposed modifications and building materials are compatible with the character of the existing and adjacent homes.
Development Standards
The proposed project complies with the applicable development standards as set forth in the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, such as lot coverage, parking, height, and setbacks. The Project Data Table is in the Attachment 2.
Floor Area and Floor Area Ratio
The proposed 51.4% Floor Area Ratio (FAR) requires Planning Commission review since it is more than the 45% FAR threshold. The proposed addition exceeds the threshold by 6.4%, which translates to 397 square feet of floor area above the 2,781 square feet at 45% FAR.
The existing FAR of the single-family homes in the neighborhood ranges from 20% to 57% with an average of 33%. Four of the homes in the neighborhood exceed 45% FAR or 3,600 square feet. See Attachment 6 for neighborhood area comparison.
The proposed project is consistent with the established precedent for the neighborhood. The resulting mass and bulk of the home is minimal, as the project exceeds minimum setback requirement. In fact, the second-floor addition is set back 46 feet from the front property line and maintains the large front yard pattern of the neighborhood.
Since this neighborhood consist of several two-story homes and is not predominately one-story, the 35% second floor to first floor ratio design guideline is not applicable.
Solar Access
SMC 19.56.020 states that no permit may be issued for any construction which would interfere with solar access by shading more than 10% of the roof of any structure on a nearby property. The project plans demonstrate that the shading would comply with this requirement (shades no roof area of the adjacent homes).
Neighborhood Impacts and Compatibility
The surrounding two-story homes are similar in scale and height as the proposed second floor addition. The proposed home addresses neighbor privacy, solar access requirements, scale and architectural design compatibility.
The proposed addition to the existing second floor significantly exceeds the minimum required setbacks from all four sides. The proposed design and location of the second floor further helps in minimizing the privacy impacts on the neighboring properties.
The new second floor window facing the side yard will be high sill to minimize privacy impact on the neighboring property (Condition PS-1(a), Attachment 4). The use of different wall material, wall offsets, and roof segment help in breaking up two story wall surfaces and reducing the visual bulk of the second-floor addition.
Based on the setbacks and location of windows, staff does not find any privacy impacts related to the proposed addition. The applicant also proposes to utilize high-quality material for the addition and exterior modification that will complement the architectural style found in the existing residence and within the neighborhood and will enhance the existing streetscape.
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
• 29 notices mailed to property owners and residents within 300 feet of the project site
See Attachment 1 for a map of the vicinity and mailing area.
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.
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.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Approve the Design Review with the Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
Staff
Prepared by: Aastha Vashist, Associate 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 Square Footage Comparison