CITY OF SUNNYVALE

REPORT

Planning Commission

 

 

SUBJECT:	Application(s) for a project on a 9,920 square-foot site located at 1339 Navarro Drive in R-1 Zoning District (APN:  313-12-028):
Motion	2005-0287- Design Review to allow a new two-story home totaling 4,302 square feet exceeding the 4,050 square foot threshold requiring Planning Commission review.

 

REPORT IN BRIEF     

 

Existing Site Conditions	Single family home
Surrounding Land Uses
North	Single family home
South	Single family home
East	Single family home
West	Single family home
Issues	Neighborhood compatibility
Environmental Status	A Class 1 Categorical Exemption relieves this project from California Environmental Quality Act provisions and City Guidelines.
Staff Recommendation	Approve with conditions

 

Click here for map. (.jpg)
PROJECT DATA TABLE

 

 

ANALYSIS

Description of Proposed Project

The proposal is for a new two-story house. The new home is approximately 1,519 square feet larger than the current home with a three-car garage and up to seven bedrooms.  Although the proposed structure does not exceed a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 45%, this project requires Planning Commission review because it exceeds a second adopted threshold of 4,050 square feet.

Background

 

Previous Actions on the Site: There are no previous Planning related files for this site.  The neighborhood was rezoned from R-0 to R-1 in 1996.

 

Environmental Review

 

A Class 1 Categorical Exemption relieves this project from California Environmental Quality Act provisions and City Guidelines.  A Class 1 Categorical Exemption includes additions to existing structures up to 10,000 in urban areas with available public services.

 

Design Review

 

Site Layout: The project site is an existing single-family lot in an established neighborhood.  The proposed two-story home would face east (front) with direct driveway access to a three-car garage located in the front of the home.  This is the typical orientation for homes in the neighborhood.

 

Undergrounding: All new homes are required to underground service drops from the overhead lines to the building.

 

The following Guidelines were considered in analysis of the project site design.

Single Family Home Design Techniques	Comments
3.1: Respect neighborhood home orientation and setback patterns.	The proposed home would be oriented facing the street which is typical in the Raynor Park neighborhood.
3.2. D  Do not locate garages forward of other habitable portions of the house unless that is the predominant pattern in the neighborhood.	The garage doors are the closest element to the street, with front doors set back.  This pattern is typical for the neighborhood.
3.6: Design homes to respect the privacy and sun access of neighbors	There are no proposed balconies on this project.  On the north there are no second story windows.  On the south the bedroom and bathroom windows are set back fifteen feet from the side property line.  A solar study indicates there will be no solar impact per the SMC.

 

Architecture:  The proposed single family home would exhibit typical “builder’s modern” style features and design.  The exterior finish would be stucco.  The roof material would be terra cotta roof tile.  The front elevation features a covered entryway.  There are gables over the garage roof and central front bedroom window.  The applicant makes use of window trim and large window details on the living room.

 

The following Guidelines were considered in the analysis of the project architecture.

Single Family Home Design Techniques	Comments
3.2 F: For three car garages, set the third car garage face forward or back of the other garage faces at least two feet.	The third car garage is offset from the larger two car garage.  The larger door is set back approximately two feet.
3.3: Design entries to be in scale and character with the neighborhood.	The covered entry roof is at the one-story level and is not overpowering to the proposed structure.
3.4 Design second floors to complement first floor forms and minimize their visual impact.	The second floor is designed in proportion to the first level of the house.  It does not make use of tall roof forms. The project utilizes tall interior ceilings in the living room (north side) where the roof is dropped several feet below the two-story level.
3.5. A:  Avoid overly complex floor plans with visually busy walls and roof forms.	The sides and rear of the proposed structure are simple in wall pattern.  The front makes use of some plane changes but is not considered busy.  The roof forms are also interesting and have variety but are uncomplicated.

 

Landscaping:  There are no landscaping requirements for single family development.

 

The site currently has no protected heritage trees.  Protected trees are those that measure 38 inches or greater in circumference when measured at four feet from the ground.  There is one large date palm tree located in the front yard.  It will be protected during construction (Condition of Approval #6D).

 

Parking/Circulation: The project exceeds the minimum parking requirements for single family homes with a three-car garage and driveway spaces.

 

Compliance with Development Standards/Guidelines: The project complies with all development standards.

 

Expected Impact on the Surroundings:  There are no expected impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.  The project is located in a neighborhood that is changing and includes many older small homes as well as larger custom homes. The applicant’s proposed home is not unusually large for this neighborhood where lots are generally 9,000 square feet or greater and newer homes are up to 4,500 sq. ft.

 

The applicant has provided a solar shadow analysis.  The project will not shade more than 10% of the adjacent structure.

 

 

No fiscal impacts other than normal fees and taxes are expected.

 

 

Notice of Public Hearing	Staff Report	Agenda
·         Published in the Sun newspaper ·         Posted on the site ·         Six notices mailed to property owners and residents adjacent to the project site as well as to the representative for the Raynor Park Neighborhood Association	·         Posted on the City of Sunnyvale's Website ·         Provided at the Reference Section of the City of Sunnyvale's Public Library	·         Posted on the City's official notice bulletin board ·         City of Sunnyvale's Website ·         Recorded for SunDial

 

 

Findings and General Plan Goals: Staff was able to make the required Findings for design review.  Finding and General Plan Goals are located in Attachment A.

Conditions of Approval: Conditions of Approval are located in Attachment B.

 

 

1.      Approve the design review with recommended conditions.

2.      Approve the design review with modified conditions.

3.      Deny the design review.

 

 

Staff recommends Alternative 1.

 

Prepared by: 

Gerri Caruso

Principal Planner

 

Reviewed by:

Trudi Ryan

Planning Officer

 

Attachments:

A. Recommended Findings (.pdf)

B. Recommended Conditions of Approval (.pdf)

C. Site and Architectural Plans (.pdf)