HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRB 2011-09-20 #3CITY OF
n.— 4
Community Development Department— Planning Division
Meeting Date: September 20, 2011
Case Numbers: TS11-004/ZC11-003/ED11-047
Project Planner: Raffi Boloyan (415) 485-30952
REPORT TO DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
SUBJECT: 190 EI Cerrito Ave (Untermann Subdivision) — Proposal to subdivide a single 6.24 -
acre hillside parcel into two lots, with the existing single family home at 190 EI Cerrito
remaining on a 3.24 -acre parcel and a new single family home proposed on a new 3.0 -
acre parcel; APN: 011-121-10; Planned Development — Hillside Overlay (PD -H) District;
Tom and Merrie Untermann, owners; Al Cornwell/CSW Stuber-Stroeh, applicant;
Fairhills Neighborhood.
PROPERTY FACTS
Site Characteristics
Site Development Summa
General Plan Designation Zoning Designation Existing Land -Use
Project Site:
Hillside Residential Resource
HRR
Planned Development —
Hillside Overlay PD -H
Single family residence
North:
HRR
PD 1729
Single family residences
South:
HRR/Low Density Residential
LDR)
Single Family Residential
(R2a and R7.5
Single family residences
East:
Public/Quasi Public P/QP
P/QP
Open space
West:
LDR
R7.5 and R20
Single Family Residences
oleo-
Site Development Summa
Lot Size
Lot Coverage or Natural State
Required:
Proposed:
None
3.0 acre and 3.24 acre
Allow/Req:
Proposed:
Established by PD
TBD
Allowed:
Proposed:
Height
30 ft
< 30 ft
Allowed:
Pro osed:
Density or Floor Area
2 units based on slope density calculation of
0.2 — 0.5 dwelling units/acre
2 units + 2nd unit
Parking
Upper Floor Area
Required:
Proposed:
5 or 6; 2 covered, 2 guest + 1 or 2 for 2
unit
6; 2 covered and 4 uncovered
Allowed:
Proposed:
50% of maximum lot coverage
TBD
Lot
Width, Yard or Landscape Area
Setbacks
Required:
Proposed:
Established by PD
TBD
Reuired
Existing
Proposed
Front:
Side(s):
Rear:
Established
by Planned
Development
N/A
Established by
Building Envelope
Total:
Grading
610 cy
Tree Removal
Total No./Specles : TBD — 3 based on concept site plan
Cut:
Fill:
f_ 711-
610 cy Off -Haul: 0 cy
610 cy
Requirement: Replace at 3:1 for significant trees
Proposed: 3
Fo nnrside parcels, development standards are based upon the parcel size and percent slope, and height is measured from the natural
grade. Non -hillside building height is measured from finished grade pursuant to the UBC method.
SUMMARY
The subject project is being referred to the Board for the review of the layout of the proposed 2 lot
subdivision and recommendation of whether the layout and siting of the proposed building envelope is
consistent with the Hillside Guidelines. In addition, the Board is asked to review the proposed Planned
Development standards and provide any recommendations. This review does not include an
application for formal design review, but only conceptual mass and siting plans to demonstrate that a
structure can be built in accordance with the Hillside Guidelines on the proposed new subdivision lot.
The Board's recommendation will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and ultimately City
Council.
Overall, the subdivision of the 6.24 acre (7.15 gross acres) property into two lots to allow for the
development of a new single family home and second unit is consistent with the density and lot size
standards established under the General Plan and the Subdivision Ordinance. Based on review of the
applicable design criteria, which is discussed in detail below, staff has concluded that the lot layout of
the new subdivision lot is appropriate and respects the natural features. In addition, the siting of the
building envelope at the lower portion of the new lot appropriately focuses future development on the
lower, previously graded and less steep portions of the site, respecting the natural hillside. Staff
requests that the Board review this report and provide a recommendation on compliance with all
pertinent design criteria. Specifically, staff asks the Board to consider the following:
Site Plan and Subdivision Layout
• Whether the layout of the new lot and the building envelope is appropriate, adequately
responds to site constraints and features, and provides a suitable building site and access.
• Whether the subdivision layout and building envelope location adequately comply with hillside
subdivision criteria.
PD Rezoning
• The Planned Development (PD) Standards and whether any additional standards or
modifications should be incorporated into the PD standards to guide any future development.
BACKGROUND
Site Description/Setting:
The project site is a partially developed 6.24 -acre parcel containing one single family home. The
total gross acreage for the site is 7.15 -acres and includes 0.91 -acres of private easement area
used as roadway and is thus included in the overall lot size for the property. The subject site
borders City Open space to the west, a portion of the Academy Heights residential subdivision to
the north and single-family homes that front on Culloden Park Ave to the east.
The project site is currently zoned a "shell" Planned Development —Hillside Overlay (PD -H) and
maintains a Hillside Residential Resource General Plan Land Use designation (0.2-.05 units/acre).
The majority of the properties surrounding this site are zoned single-family residences (R7.5, R20
and R2a). The site is located at the eastern edge of the Fairhills Neighborhood, just south east of
the former quarry that is currently developed as the Academy Heights subdivision.
The site exhibits a steep hillside topography, with an elevation of 180 feet at the southeast corner
of the site (near end of Stewart Rd) and 360 feet at the northwestern edge of the site, uphill from
the single family home. The existing home is location at approximately the 275 foot elevation.
The average slope for this property is 40.57%. The ridge of the hillside to the rear of this property is
a visually significant ridgeline and the ridgeline is at approximately elevation 625 feet. The upper
corner (northeast) of the site is the highest elevation on the property and this point is nearly 200
feet below the ridgeline above.
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The majority of the site, especially the upper hillside portion of the site, is characterized by a native
oak woodland with species of Oak, Bay and Madrone trees. The lower portion of the subject site
exhibits a flat bench area and is absent any trees or shrubs. Marin Municipal Water District owns a
small portion in the center of the subject site and has various easements to serve their water
distribution system. In addition, a small drainage channel runs north to south through the center of
the site, near the MMWD facilities and collects and conveys run off from the hillside above.
EI Cerrito Ave is a private roadway that extends north off Bryn Mawr Ave. El Cerrito Ave. abuts the
subject site and then turns southward and snakes around the two adjacent properties, a single
family residence at 180 EI Cerrito and another single family residence home (referred to as the
"castle") at 185 EI Cerrito Ave. El Cerrito then dead ends on the subject property. El Cerrito Ave is
a private roadway that has common use amongst the three properties near the end of the road.
The structure at 185 EI Cerrito, the "castle", is listed on the City's Architectural/Historic Survey and
is ranked as "exceptional"
The subject site is currently developed with a singe -family home that was built in the early 1990's
and consists of approximately 4,800 sq ft of gross floor area. The existing structure exhibits a low
scale Mediterranean design. The southern and western portions of the site are encumbered by a
scenic restriction that prohibits the installation of any structures. The scenic restriction was placed
on those areas at the time of the original subdivision of this property in the late 1980's. The existing
home is located within a building envelope area designated for development of all structures. No
structures or development is currently allowed outside the building envelope. The location of the
proposed new parcel is on the western edge of the site, below and to the west of the existing single-
family home.
History:
Prior to 1971, the subject properties at 190 EI Cerrito Ave (6.234 acres), 180 EI Cerrito (1.17 acre) and
185 EI Cerrito Ave (.93 acres), were all one property. In 1971, a previous owner of the property divided
it into two separate lots by deed, without a City approved parcel map as was required by the local
subdivision Ordinance and State Subdivision Map Act. The deed created a 0.93 acre site that hosted
185 EI Cerrito Ave and a 7.4 -acre vacant site that encompassed the remainder. This unauthorized
subdivision was not discovered by the City until 1981, when applications were filed to subdivide the
property.
In 1982, the Planning Commission conditionally approve a two lot subdivision of the subject property,
authorizing one parcel and a building pad at the north west end of the site and one parcel and building
pad at the southeast end of the site. In order to remedy the unauthorized subdivision that occurred in
1971, the applicants at the time agreed to include the adjacent 0.93 -acre parcel on the final parcel
map. At that time, both parcels were under the same ownership. This Tentative Map was never
recoded and thus the approval lapsed.
In 1987, a new owner purchased the property and requested a Certificate of Compliance. This was
granted in 1987. After the issuance of the Certificate of Compliance, the new owner (which is the
current owner of the site), applied for and received approval of a Design Review Permit for a new
single family home on the site (190 EI Cerrito Ave).
In 1988, an application was once again filed to subdivide the 190 El Cerrito Ave property into two lots.
This subdivision was approved by the Planning Commission later in 1988 (S87-13). The Parcel Map
divided a larger 7.4 acre site that surrounded the separate "castle" property into two sites, a 1.17 acre
parcel (now developed with 180 EI Cerrito Ave) and the subject site (developed with 190 EI Cerrito
Ave). At that time, the City imposed a "scenic restriction" on the south and western slope of 190 EI
Cerrito Ave property, restricting any structures in that area. This scenic restriction was not required on
the eastern side of the property (area that is subject to the current request for subdivision) given the
limited visibility of that area from off site. Following approval of the Parcel Map, the new owner of the
new lot at 180 EI Cerrito Ave received approval of a Design Review Permit for the design of the new
structure and later built a single family home.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project components and required entitlements are described below, as follows:
Land Use Entitlements:
Two -Lot Subdivision (TS11-004):
The project proposes to subdivide a single, 6.24 -acre parcel into two lots; a 3.24 acre lot (Parcel Two)
and 3.00 -acre lot (Parcel One). Parcel Two will maintain the existing single-family residence and
associated ancillary structures. Proposed Parcel One would be developed with a new single-family
residence, a detached second unit, driveway and parking areas and associated site improvements.
The newly created parcel (Parcel One) would gain access from a driveway off the existing private road,
EI Cerrito Ave, which is an approximately 16 -foot wide roadway. Access to the existing parcel and
single family home (Parcel Two) would continue to be provided by EI Cerrito Ave.
As depicted on Sheet TM -1 off the project plans, a building envelope is proposed to be included on
Parcel One and would encompass approximately 1 acre of the 3 total acre site. The building envelope
is proposed to maintain a 20 foot setback at the front, a minimum 25 foot- (east) and 50 -foot (west)
side setback and minimum 80 -foot rear setback. The remaining 2 acres of proposed Parcel Two
outside of the building envelope would remain as natural state. All proposed development would be
located lower portion of the site, within the building envelope, located below the visually significant
hillside upslope portions of the site.
Zone Change (ZC 11-003):
The project proposes to rezone the subject site from the current "shell' Planned Development — Hillside
Overlay (PD -H) to a revised PD -H that reflects the proposed development plan. The proposed PD
rezoning requests to allow an additional lot with a single family home and detached second unit. The
proposed PD regulations are attached (Exhibit 3). The PD regulations establish the development
standards for a Planned District and are in -lieu of the standard zoning regulations contained in the
Zoning Ordinance.
Environmental and Design Review Permit (ED11-047):
Hillside subdivisions (i.e., properties with slopes over twenty-five percent (25%), or General Plan land
use designation of Hillside Residential) require Environmental and Design Review Permit approval
pursuant to San Rafael Municipal Code (SRMC) Section 14.25.040.A.3.a. and Section 15.07.020 (Lot
Design Standards for Hillside Subdivisions). The Environmental and Design Review Permit must be
reviewed by the Design Review Board and approved by the Planning Commission to assure that the
subdivision design complies with the General Plan criteria as implemented through the San Rafael
Hillside Residential Design Guidelines Manual. In addition, even though a specific home design is not
proposed as part of this application, hillside subdivisions are required to demonstrate a conceptual
siting and massing plan for development of a new home to allow the City to review the appropriateness
of the building location, establish any building envelopes and ensure that a new structure can be built
that meets all the applicable hillside standards, i.e. building height, stepbacks, gross floor area limit,
natural state and general hillside design principals.
The PD Rezoning requires final review and action by the City Council. Therefore, all applications,
including the Design Review will be acted on by the City Council after review and recommendation by
the DRB and Planning Commission. The conceptual building and site layout proposed for Parcel Two
are presented in the project plans, and discussed further in this report.
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Proposed Improvements:
Building Improvements
The applicant proposes the development of a new single-family residence and a detached second unit.
Conceptual plans have been prepared to illustrate how the new hillside lot could be developed. The
conceptual plans show a 3 -level single-family residence and a 2 -level detached second unit within the
prescribed building envelope. The building envelope is proposed to limit the siting of any new
structure. The extent of the building envelope would provide a minimum of 20 foot setback at the front,
50 feet (west)/25 feet (east) to the sides, and 80 feet to the rear. The proposed PD regulations identify
the maximum gross floor area for all structures on the new lot of 6,500 sq. ft., as established by the
hillside guidelines. The conceptual siting of the structure and a building section are illustrated on Sheet
TM2 of the project plans.
Access, Circulation and Parking
Based on the conceptual plans, access to the new single family residence would extend a new 20 -ft
wide driveway from EI Cerrito Ave up to the building pad. This driveway would have a maximum slope
of 15%. A hammerhead and parking are is at the front of the garage to the main structure. Opposite
the hammerhead, a secondary driveway is proposed to lead to the guest parking and detached second
unit. This secondary driveway would have a slope up to 20%. Pursuant to the Hillside Overlay District
standards, a total of up to 6 parking spaces are required for the single family residence and second
unit. Two covered spaces and two uncovered spaces for the single-family residence and up to 2
uncovered parking spaces for the second unit. The conceptual access layout is illustrated on Sheet
TM2 of the project plans.
Drainage and Grading
The preliminary drainage concept is to collect all runoff from the developed site and convey it to the
existing drainage system along EI Camino Ave. Before the run off is directed to the storm drain system
in EI Camino Ave, the run off will be detained or dissipated on the subject site to ensure that the peak
flow and volume do not exceed the existing levels. The drainage system would be designed contain the
25 -year and 100 -year runoff volumes and gradually dissipate water in a natural manner.
Total cut and fill quantities of the conceptual layout include excavating 610 cy for the house, 60 cy for
the driveway while filling 260 cy for the driveway and 410 cy for the site. The project would, therefore,
result in balanced grading for house grading and new driveway improvements. Aside from a four foot
tall retaining wall proposed along the garage, no retaining walls are proposed on the site. There are a
few areas of the site that exceed the 2:1 slope limit.
Proposed Landscaping and Associated Improvements
Currently, there are no landscaping or associated improvements proposed, and only minimal tree
removal would be required. Most of the area within the building envelope is previously graded and
absent any trees. The conceptual footprint shown on TM2 would require the removal of t tees. It is
anticipated that ornamental landscaping for yard areas around the house will occur. The designated
conservation area would be required to remain in its natural state. A landscape plan would be
mandatory as part of the formal Environmental and Design Review permit review required for the
house by the Hillside Overlay District standards.
ANALYSIS
General Plan 2020 Consistency:
The site maintains a General Plan Land Use Designation of Hillside Residential Resource (HRR),
which allows a residential density between 0.2- to 0.5 units per acre. A policy in the Neighborhood
Elements for the Fairhills neighborhood (NH -100) states:
NH -100 Retain the existing character of the neighborhood, including both historic and natural
setting, by
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Maintaining the authentic historic value and ambiance of the neighborhood's older
housing,
Assuring that new development and significant remodeling respects and enhances the
character of the surrounding housing, and
Protecting hillside areas by clustering new development where appropriate to maximize
open space preservation and by carefully evaluating the location, size and height of new
structures, road design and adequacy for safety of vehicles, grading, structural
foundations, surface and sub soil drainage, excavation, earthfills and operations in order
to avoid buildings which are excessively visible or out of scale, soil erosion, scarring of
the natural landscape, obstruction of scenic vistas from public vantage points or loss of
natural vegetation and wildlife habitat.
Overall, the HRR land use designation for this site would allow a residential density ranging from 1 to 3
units for the 6.24 acre (7.15 gross acre) site. As will be discussed below, the Subdivision Ordinance
uses a slope density calculation to establish the maximum density. For this property, given the slopes
of the property, the maximum allowable density for this site is 2 units. As proposed, the new single-
family residential unit would be within the allowable density range for this site. Staff notes that second
units are not counted towards density in any Single Family Zoning Districts within the City.
In terms of the NH -100, the Fairhills Neighborhood policy, it appears that the project would create a
new lot that is in size and shape of other properties in the immediate vicinity. The proposed
development, with the inclusion of a building envelope, would focus any future development of the site
at the lower portions of the hisIlide, thus preserving the natural hillside to the rear and preserving views
of the upper portions of this site and adjoining site from public vantage points to the south.
Zoning Ordinance Consistency:
Chapter 7— Planned Development District
Planned Development (PD) Zoning is required for hillside subdivisions. The PD District promotes
cluster development on large sites to avoid sensitive areas, and allows flexibility in property
development standards. The minimum net lot area of a PD District shall be 2.5 acres, except that the
minimum may be 1 acre for hillside lots where unusual site characteristics exist. The maximum number
of dwelling units shall not exceed the maximum number permitted by the General Plan density for the
total site area and the maximum height limit shall be as identified in the General Plan.
The current "shell" PD -H was assigned to the property as part of the Zoning Ordinance update in 1991.
All large hillside properties, both developed or undeveloped, were assigned a shell PD. The shell PD
recognized and approved the existing development on the site at the time. However, any future change
or modification to the property requires that the PD be amended. The lot size and density proposed for
this project are consistent with the parcel sizes and density ranges allowed under the General Plan for
the Hillside Resource Residential land use designation. The maximum height for this property would be
30 feet, as is the limit for other single family residential areas. The conceptual plan demonstrates that a
reasonably sized structure could be built within the height limit.
The proposed PD regulations (Exhibit 3) mirror the standards that would be applicable for any hillside
residential development. A building envelope is established and illustrated on the Tentative Map and
areas outside the building envelopes are to remain free of any structures. The maximum gross building
size is established and mirror that required for any hillside development for all structure on a single
property (2,500 s ft + 10% of lot size, up to a maximum of 6,500 sq ft. In this particular case, the
maximum allowable size for all structures on Parcel Two would be 6,500 sq ft.
Staff does have one minor concern with the PD regulations and that is clarification for what may occur
outside the building envelopes. Currently, the front 20 feet of the property is outside the building
envelope. Certain site improvements, i.e. driveway and ornamental landscaping may be proposed
within the front area and clarification should be considered to allow certain minor improvements,
C.
driveways, landscaping, but preclude any structures.
• The Board is asked to review the proposed Planned Development regulations and provide any
comments or recommendation on the standards
Chapter 12 — Hillside Overlay Standards
The Hillside Overlay Standards establish certain development standards for hillside properties,
including:
• Maximum gross floor area of 2,500 sq ft + 10% of lot size, with a 6500 sq ft maximum,
• Natural state requirement of 25% of lot + % slope of property, up to a maximum of 85%.
• Requirement for building stepbacks on all downhill elevations and any side walls within 15
feet of any side building setback. In the stepback zone, wall height is limited to 20 feet in a
single plane and must be stepped back if exceeds 20 feet.
• Extra parking requirement on substandard streets, streets which have a paved width less
than 26 feet.
• Natural Sate Requirement to preserve 25% + % slope of the property (to a maximum of
85%) in its natural undisturbed state.
• Ridgeline development prohibition to preclude any new subdivisions within 100 vertical feet
of a visually significant ridgeline.
As designed, this project appears to be consistent with these standards and these standards have
been incorporated into the PD Standards. The conceptual plan demonstrates the required parking can
be provided on this substandard street. The natural state requirement for this site is 66 % (25% + 41 %
avg slope) and as designed, the building envelope encompasses one of the three acres of Parcel Two,
thus preserving 66% of the site as natural state. Lastly, the highest point of this property is more than
100 feet below the ridgeline, thus not subject to the ridgeline prohibition property (the highest point of
site is at elevation 360 ft and the ridgeline is elevation 620 feet).
Chapter 25 — Environmental and Design Review Permit
The following criteria have been identified as applicable to the proposed lot split:
• Site Design. There should be a harmonious relationship between structures within the
development and between the structures and the site. Proposed structures and site
development should be related accordant to existing development in the vicinity. There must be
a consistent organization of materials and a balanced relationship of major elements.
• Site Features and Constraints. Respect site features and recognize site constraints by
minimizing grading, erosion and removal of natural vegetation. Sensitive areas such as highly
visible hillsides, steep, unstable or hazardous slopes, creeks and drainage ways, and wildlife
habitat should be preserved and respected.
• Access, Circulation and Parking. The development should provide good vehicular, bicycle and
pedestrian circulation and access, on-site and in relation to the surrounding area, including
public streets, waterways, shorelines and open space areas. Safe and convenient parking
areas should be designed to provide easy access to building entrances. Parking facilities should
detract as little as possible from the design of proposed or neighboring structures. Entrances to
parking structures should be well-defined and should include materials compatible with those of
the parking garage. Traffic capacity of adjoining streets must be considered.
• Drainage. Special attention shall be given to proper site surface drainage and an adequate
drainage system.
• Utility Service. Utility connections shall be installed underground. Proposed method of sanitary
sewage disposal for all buildings shall be indicated. Refuse collection areas shall be screened
and located in areas convenient both to users and to persons who make collections. There shall
be adequate ingress and egress to all utilities. (Note: Recycling facilities must meet Standard of
Resolution 93-57.)
The neighborhood off EI Cerrito Ave and Culloden Park to the west side is predominantly Single -Family
Residential with R7.5, R20, and R2a Districts, ranging from 7,500 to 2 acres in size, with the exception
of the subject parcel (currently zoned PD and encompassing over 6 acres. There are 6 lots to the rear
of the site in the Academy Heights Subdivision that are larger in size, ranging from 2-7 acres in size,
but are access from Twin Oaks Ave. The proposed two lots, Parcel One at 3.24 acre and Parcel Two
at 3.0 acres, would still be the largest lots in the immediate neighborhood off EI Cerrito Ave and even
Culloden Park. Development is proposed on only 1.0 acre of the new lot. The building envelope would
accommodate a hillside home designed to step up the slope, and minimize hillside grading and
impacts. Furthermore, the lot preserves the bulk of the site as open space and maintains a significant
buffer between surrounding residential properties.
The main portion of the new driveway access maintains a slope of 10% or less with no retaining walls.
The secondary driveway extension leading to the second unit and guest parking does exhibit a higher
driveway grade reaching almost 20%. In general, 18% is the goal for driveway grades and higher
grades can be approved with Traffic Engineer and Fire Department approval and recommendation of
the DRB. In this case, the higher grades are on a portion of the driveway that is secondary and would
minimize the amount of grading that would be required. The final design of the driveway grades and
location would be evaluated during the formal design review for any new development of this house.
Staff believes it has been demonstrated that reasonable access can be provided to the site consistent
with the Hillside Guidelines.
In terms of retaining walls, the conceptual plan illustrates project without retaining walls to minimize the
amount of grading. The only small retaining walls shown are at the side of the garage to the main
structure where the structure is cut into the hillside. However, there are two areas of the driveway that
may exhibit slopes reaching almost 1:1 and this would need to be re-evaluated and small retaining
walls may be necessary to reduce the slopes to the 2:1. Slopes of 2:1 or less are encouraged by the
Hillside Guidelines. This is a design details that would be addressed as part of the formal Design
Review Process and in general, the conceptual plan demonstrates that the proposed new lot could be
developed with a structure and meet the applicable standards.
The preliminary drainage plan is to collect all run off from the new development, treat and hold it on site
and then direct it to the existing drainage facilities on EI Cerrito Ave. Before the drainage is discharged
onto EI Cerrito Ave, it is anticipated that some sort of detention basis or dissipater will be added to the
site to meter the run off so that it does not exceed current levels in terms of volume or peak flow.
Drainage improvements would be required to mitigate excess runoff that will be caused by the new
development. As designed and sited, it is not anticipated that the project would increase run off ,
towards the east (Culloden Park) since any new run off from the new development would be captured
on site and directed towards EI Cerrito Ave.
The lot would provide new water and sewer connections, which exist in the private road in EI Cerrito
Ave. The City Traffic Engineer has review and accepted the proposed driveway layout and access.
Public Works has also reviewed the drainage and grading plans, and the sewer and water service
providers have reviewed utility requirements. It may be necessary for the owners to store trash cans at
the end of their driveway, or end of the private roadway during trash collection days.
In term of the Design Review criteria contained in Chapter 25, they are not applicable to this project
since no formal Design Review Application was submitted. The applicant has chosen to not apply for
Formal Design Review at this time. If the proposed subdivision and PD rezoning is approved, a formal
Design Review process will be required before building permits are issued and construction is
commenced. The main purpose of the conceptual review that is required is to assure that the lot layout
of the proposed subdivision and siting of any building envelope, would allow the future development of
a structure to meet the applicable design criteria.
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• Staff requests the Board's input on whether the site design is appropriate, adequately responds to
constraints, and provides a suitable building site and access.
Subdivision Ordinance Consistency:
The following standards apply to development of the hillside site:
15.06.040 — Lot Access
(a) Access to public street. Except as approved as part of a Planned Development District,
established in accordance with the zoning ordinance ..., all lots or parcels created shall have
frontage on a public street meeting the minimum requirements of this chapter for pavement and
right of way widths.
15.07.020 Lot design standards.
The maximum density allowed for subdivision and the minimum lot size and lot width are established
by this slope density calculations and sliding scale contained in this section of the Subdivision
Ordinance. For lots over 5 acres, the subdivider has the option of calculating the amount and location
of land falling into each slope category. Based on this the slope analysis, this 7.15 acre property
could yield a maximum of 2.1 dwelling units and each lost must have a minimum lot size of 2 acres
and average lot width of 150 feet. Lower densities and larger lot sizes may be required where
potentially hazardous conditions or special natural features occur or, where development would be
highly visible to the neighborhood or community.
Review of the project is required by the Design Review Board and approval by the Planning
Commission to assure that such lots and the subdivision design comply with the following general plan
criteria as implemented through the Hillside Residential Design Guidelines Manual:
(1) Subdivision grading minimized;
(2) Avoids highly visible hillsides and ridgeline development;
(3) Preserves hillsides as visual backdrop;
(4) Steep slopes avoided;
(5) Clustering of development to be utilized to minimize visual impacts;
(6) Tree preservation maximized;
(7) Minimizes removal of natural vegetation;
(8) More hazardous/unstable portions of site avoided;
(9) Mitigates geotechnical site constraints or conditions when needed;
(10) Buildings achieve hillside design quality; and
(11) Preserves or protects unique or special natural features of the site, such as rock
outcroppings, mature vegetation, landforms, creeks, drainage courses, hilltops or ridgelines.
15.07.030 Street, driveway and parking standards.
(a) Narrower street widths (acceptable to the city engineer and other city departments) can be
approved when it will reduce grading impacts and the number of lots, topography, and the level
of future traffic development justifies the reduction. Twenty-five feet (25) is the minimum width
requirement for a public street.
(b) Each lot shall have a private driveway, the grade of which shall not exceed eighteen percent
(185yo), with adequate provision for ingress and egress. With a supportive recommendation from
the design review board and city departments, an exception may be granted to allow grooved
driveways with a grade of eighteen to twenty-five percent (18-25%), when it will result in a
project which has fewer impacts on grading, trees and views.
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(c) Each lot created on substandard city streets and all private streets shall provide a minimum of
two (2) off-street, independently accessible guest parking places for each dwelling unit intended
to be developed on the lot. These parking spaces shall not be located on the driveway apron.
These spaces shall be conveniently placed relative to the dwelling unit they serve. This
requirement may be waived or reduced when the size or shape of the lot or the need for
excessive grading make the requirement infeasible.
(d) No private street leading to a private driveway on a lot shall exceed a grade of eighteen percent
(18%).
Hillside Residential Design Guidelines Manual — Section IV B1 (Subdivisions)
■ Preservation of Existing Natural Features. Hillside Residential Development plans should
demonstrate an effort to preserve and protect significant natural features in the layout and
design of streets, lots and grading patterns in subdivisions.
■ Street Layout and Design. Streets, driveways, parking and emergency vehicle access should
be aligned to conform as closely as possible to existing grades and minimize the need for
grading of slopes.
■ Hillside Grading and Drainage. Changes to existing natural terrain through grading should be
kept to a minimum in order to preserve the inherent characteristics of sloping hillside sites.
■ Lot Configuration, Building Setbacks and Locations. Establishment of Building Envelopes is a
requirement on all parcels. The layout of lots should be derived from the form of the land; the
development plan should adapt to existing topography and natural features, avoiding
unnecessary alteration of land forms.
Appropriate studies have been conducted to evaluate the hillside site for geotechnical, grading and
drainage and erosion control. The project has prepared a Soils B level report that was reviewed and
accepted by the City Public Works Department to have adequately evaluated the potential seismic and
landslide risks, and soil erosion associated with the potentially unstable slope and the site was found to
be suitable for development.
The development area for Parcel Two has been intentionally placed at the base of the slope so as to
preserve to the greatest extent the natural hillside features on the upper portions of the site. In
addition, the siting of the structure at the lower portion of the site would maintain the street presence
that other structure provide along EI Cerrito Ave. A building envelope is proposed for the new lot
consistent with the Hillside Design Guidelines Manual. Furthermore, nearly 67% of the site and the
majority of the upslope hillside will be preserved outside the building envelope, where construction will
be prohibited. The site would accommodate a house that is partially buried and steps with the natural
topography of the site, thereby limiting grading to 610 cy for the new home, and 60 cy for the driveway.
That earth would be retained and the grading would be balanced on site. Some restorative grading
may be required upslope of the proposed driveway. This area would be required to be re -vegetated
with natural grasses for slope stability. Drainage is also proposed to be collected and metered or
dissipated so that the post construction outflow from the site does not exceed the flow or volume of
pre -construction condition.
Access to the new lot would be through the existing private roadway, EI Cerrito Ave. Given the limited
amount of development that uses the road, the 16 -foot wide that exists is appropriate to serve the
handful of existing homes that currently use the road and the addition of the new lot.
The driveway design has been evaluated to assure adequate circulation and vehicle maneuvering,
Vehicles can enter and exit the site in a forward direction without being forced to back out, and that
emergency vehicle access is adequately accommodated. While a portion of the proposed private
driveway slope is steep, reaching 20%, the main portion of the driveway is maintained at or below the
18% maximum allowed slope, and appropriately follows site contours. Again this is a conceptual review
to show the feasibility of the proposed lot split and the design details on the final grading, driveway
10
siting and design and building architecture siting and landscaping will be reviewed in complete detail at
the time for formal design review.
• Staff requests the Design Review Board's recommendations on whether the subdivision layout and
building envelopment location adequately comply with hillside subdivision criteria.
NEIGHBORHOOD CORRESPONDENCE
No neighborhood meeting was held for the proposed project. Notices were mailed to all property
owners and residents within 300 feet of the project site as well as the Culloden Park/Twin Oaks
Homeowner's Association, 15 days prior to the Design Review Board meeting. In addition, the site was
posted with notice of this meeting 15 days in advance.
To date, no written comments have been received regarding this project. Staff has fielded a two verbal
inquiries about the project from surrounding neighbors. The general comments that were expressed
during these inquiries were concern with drainage, traffic intensification from the new subdivision and
second unit, and speeding on EI Cerrito Ave.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the proposed lot split is within the allowable density and lot sizes established by the General
Plan. In general, staff finds that the lot layout, location and building envelope appropriate for the site.
Many of the design details associated with the new development of a home would be reviewed and
evaluated during the Formal Design Review process. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the
layout of the new lot and establish any building envelopes and ensure that a structure that meets the
hillside guidelines can be built based on the location and size of the building envelope, Staff asks the
Board to make its recommendation regarding the site planning and subdivision design requirements.
Specifically, staff asks the Board to comment on the following:
• Feedback on the Planned Development (PD) Standards and whether any additional standards or
modifications should be incorporated into the PD standards to guide any future development
• Whether the layout of the new lot and the building envelope is appropriate, adequately responds to
site constraints and features, and provides a suitable building site and access.
• Whether the subdivision layout and building envelope location adequately comply with hillside
subdivision criteria.
EXHIBITS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Reduced Project Plans
3. Draft Planned Development (PD) Standards
Full-sized plans have been provided to the DRB members only.
cc: Tom and Merrie Untermann Al Cornwell
190 EI Cerrito Ave CSW/ST2
San Rafael, CA 94901 45 Leveroni Ct
Novato, CA 94949
11
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Untermann Land Division
Untermann Land Division
Planned Development District — Hillside Overlay
Purpose of Planned Development District - Hillside Overlay
`a E' ilk E ff
The current current Planned Development District — Hillside Overlay (PD -H) covers the existing
single family home and associated structures and site improvements on a 6.24 Acre lot,
as well as allows the subdivision of the parcel into one new additional lot and creation of
a single family home. The purpose of the proposed PD -H for a future 1 single family
residential unit is to regulate the development of a 3.0+/- acre parcel at the end of EI
Cerrito Avenue. The PD -H District zoning classification will ensure the future
development of the site in accordance with the provisions of the property development
regulations. The intent of the PD -H District is to accomplish the following:
A. To protect public health and safety by minimizing hazards;
B. To encourage preservation of natural hillside features;
C. To ensure adequate emergency access by providing on-site parking;
D. To implement the residential site design policies of the general plan and the
Hillside Residential Design Guidelines Manual.
E. To allow in the future the addition of second units to the remaining and proposed
lots.
2. Development Standards
The PD -H shall be developed in conformance with the Hillside Design Guidelines, and
the development plans, associated drawings and reports submitted with the PD as listed
in the Exhibits and Reports sections and the development standards set forth below.
A. Building Stepback
1. A 20' height limit measured from existing grade shall be observed within all
areas within 15' of the maximum building envelope limit.
2. To allow for design flexibility, an encroachment into the street front, street
side and interior side stepback is permitted along 25% of the building length.
B. Building Setbacks
1. Setbacks shall meet City of San Rafael Hillside Development Overlay District
requirements.
2. Future buildings shall be built within the proposed building envelope, and no
additional setbacks shall be required.
3. The existing house and site improvements are built within the proposed
building envelope. The setback in the rear is shown as zero since existing
improvements extend to the property line. Future improvements in this area
will be subject to a 10' setback from the property line.
C. Natural State
1. Everything outside of the proposed building envelope is to remain in its
natural state, except for frontage areas where street access is to be located.
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Untermann Land Division
2. All areas within the proposed envelope can be disturbed pending City
approval.
3. Remaining lot is to remain as is.
D. Minimum Lot Area
1. Existing Lot is 6.24 acres.
2. Proposed Lots are 3.00 acres and 3.24 acres.
3. No further subdivision of parcels as shown on the Tentative Map, to allow for
the creation of additional building sites shall be permitted; however, this does
not preclude the minor adjustment of lot lines between adjacent parcels.
E. Building Envelopes
1. Per City of San Rafael code, maximum building envelope size is 44,431
square feet (see attached Exhibit `A' for calculations). Building envelope
proposed is approximately 43,560 square feet.
2. All structures shall be within the building envelopes, per 23.1 above.
3. Building Envelope of remaining parcel is 47,986 S.F.
F. Area Outside Building Envelopes
1. No development outside of building envelope as shown on Sheet TM1 is
being proposed.
2. No additional development within the remaining lot is being proposed at this
time.
3. All trees within this area shall be retained unless removed for health or safety.
4. No structures, as defined in the San Rafael Zoning Ordinance, shall be
permitted in this area.
G. Gross Building Square Footage
1. The maximum permitted gross building square footage of all structures will
meet the requirement of Section 14.12.030(D).
2. Square footage of existing building footprint is 4,985 +/- square feet.
H. Maximum Building Height
1. Future building heights shall not exceed 30 feet as measured vertically from
the existing grade to the uppermost point of the roof edge or peak, wall,
parapet, mansard or other feature.
2. Chimneys are not included in height calculations.
3. Height of existing building is 18'±
Parking
1. Parking on remaining parcel allows for 2 additional spaces outside of the
drive apron.
2. Two (2) additional guest parking spaces shall be provided (outside the
driveway apron) as shown on Sheet TM1 and Sheet TM2 at time of future
development (preliminary proposal shows four (4) spaces outside of the drive
apron).
J. Landscaping
1. Landscaping shall remain as is for remaining lot.
2. Landscaping shall be required for future development.
3. Planting material shall be consistent with the Hillside Design Guidelines and
planting material contained in the Fire Hazard Assessment.
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Untermann Land Division
K. Tree Removal
1. No trees are to be removed from the remaining lot per this submittal, unless
removed for health or safety.
2. Tree removal within the proposed building envelope shall be kept to a
minimum. Based on the proposed footprint approximately 3 trees (being a 7"
Oak, an 8" Oak, and a 14" Oak) would be removed.
3. Significant trees (any tree which is in good health and form and is more than
12 inches in diameter as measured 4.5 feet above the root crown) that are
removed shall be replaced at a ratio of 3 new trees for every tree removed.
Minimum tree replacement size shall be 15 gallon. Exception to this
requirement may be allowed by the Design Review Board (i.e. more plantings
of smaller size) when site conditions warrant.
L. Architecture
1. Design of current building is single story ranch style with a Mission influence.
2. Design of the future residential building shall be consistent with the
requirements of the Hillside Overlay District and Hillside Design Guidelines.
3. Residential architecture shall create interest in all building facades,
incorporate energy efficient design and utilize colors and materials judged
compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
4. All fencing shall be consistent with an approved fence plan.
M. Soillmport/Export
1. Import or export of soil is not permitted for the subdivision improvements. Cut
and fill required for the subdivision shall be balanced. Should soil import or
export be necessary, the amount of imported/exported material shall be
reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission.
2. The amount of import/export of fill material shall be kept to a minimum as
much as possible with the development of each single family house and shall
be reviewed by the Design Review Board.
3. Uses
A. Permitted
1. Single Family Residential
2. Home Occupations in accordance with the City's Home Occupation
regulations
3. Other accessory structures and uses customarily incidental to a permitted
use and contained on the same site in accordance with Planned
Development standards.
B. Conditional Uses
1. Second Residential Units
2. Other uses allowed with a use permit in single family residential districts as
specified in the San Rafael Zoning Ordinance.
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Untermann Land Division
4. Exhibits
Exhibits on file with the Planning Department include the following:
A. Average Slope and Area of Natural State Calculations (Exhibit `A' Attached)
B. Tentative Map, Sheet TM1
C. Tentative Map, Sheet TM2
5. Reports
Reports on file with the Community Development Department —Planning Division
include the following:
A. Soils Report by GeoEngineering, dated April 29, 2009
B. Preliminary Title Report dated --------
6. Future Additions, Modifications and Second Units
Future additions and modifications are to be submitted to the City of San Rafael
Planning Department for review. This includes future "in-law" units as allowed by code.
7. Future Accessory Structures
A. Future accessory structures shall be contained within the building envelopes
provided they are within the maximum gross building square footage.
B. Future accessory structures shall be placed to the side or rear of existing or
proposed buildings.
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