Item 3 - Staff Report.115 Los PatiosPREPARED BY: SEAN MULLIN, AICP
Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6874
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 01/23/2019 ITEM NO: 3
DATE: JANUARY 15, 2019 TO: PLANNING COMMISSION FROM: JOEL PAULSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURE AND SITE APPLICATION S-18-054. PROJECT LOCATION:
115 LOS PATIOS. PROPERTY OWNER: BOEHNLEIN GLENN S & SUSAN P TRUSTEE. APPLICANT: DE MATTEI CONSTRUCTION. REQUESTING APPROVAL FOR CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDITION TO A SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE TO EXCEED THE FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR) STANDARDS ON PROPERTY ZONED PD. APN 407-24-014. DEEMED COMPLETE: DECEMBER 18, 2018 FINAL DATE TO TAKE ACTION: JUNE 18, 2019
RECOMMENDATION:
Approval, subject to recommended conditions.
PROJECT DATA:
General Plan Designation: Low Density Residential
Zoning Designation: Planned Development, PD
Applicable Plans & Standards: General Plan; Residential Design Guidelines
Parcel Size: 9,745 square feet
Surrounding Area:
CEQA:
The project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to the adopted Guidelines for the Implementation
of the California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15301: Existing Facilities.
Existing Land Use General Plan Zoning
All Single Family Low Density Residential PD
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FINDINGS:
As required, pursuant to the adopted Guidelines for the Implementation of the California
Environmental Quality Act, this project is Categorically Exempt, Section 15301: Existing
Facilities.
As required by the Residential Design Guidelines that the project complies with the
Residential Design Guidelines.
As required by Section 29.40.075(c) of the Town Code for granting approval to exceed the
maximum allowable floor area.
CONSIDERATIONS:
As required by Section 29.20.150 of the Town Code for granting approval of an Architecture
and Site application.
ACTION:
The decision of the Planning Commission is final unless appealed within ten days.
BACKGROUND:
The subject site is located on Los Patios (Exhibit 1). The lot is approximately 9,745 square feet
developed with an existing 3,130-square foot, two-story home and a 574-square foot attached
garage. A proposal to enclose an existing first floor covered patio and exceed the maximum
floor area by 89 square feet was approved by Planning Commission in 2000 and constructed in
2001.
The current project is also being referred to the Planning Commission because the applicant is
requesting approval of an Architecture and Site application to exceed the maximum allowable
floor area ratio (FAR). The residence would have the largest floor area in the immediate
neighborhood based on Town and County records. The lot is the smallest in the immediate
neighborhood and the residence would therefore also have the largest FAR.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A.Location and Surrounding Neighborhood
The subject site is located on Los Patios (Exhibit 1). The subject site and surrounding
properties are single-family homes developed as part of a Planned Development approved
by Ordinance 847 in 1965, which was then amended by Ordinance 1109 in 1973. The
homes in the immediate neighborhood are on lots ranging from 9,745 to 17,011 square feet
in size.
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION (continued):
B.Architecture and Site Application
The applicant is proposing to reconfigure and enlarge the existing second-story bedrooms,
including enclosure of an existing second-floor covered balcony, for a net increase in floor
area of 86 square feet. The added floor area would not increase the existing building
footprint and would be within the existing roof form. The applicant is proposing to match
materials and colors of the addition to those of the existing home (Exhibit 6).
Architectural Consultant review was not required due to the minimal nature of the
proposal. The design of the enclosure would match the existing residence. No story poles
were required because the addition would be within the existing roof form.
C.Zoning Compliance
A single-family home is a permitted use in the PD Overlay and underlying R-1:8 Zone. The
proposed project would not change setbacks, height, lot coverage, or on-site parking
requirements.
DISCUSSION:
A.Floor Area
The application is being considered by the Planning Commission because the proposed
gross floor area for the home would exceed the maximum allowable FAR by 175 square
feet. The applicant is proposing to reconfigure and enlarge the existing second-story
bedrooms. The reconfiguration would include increased floor area of 317 square feet by
enclosing an existing covered balcony, and decreased floor area of 231 square feet by
creating an open, two-story stairwell/entry hall (Exhibit 6, Sheet A0.1). The maximum
allowable floor area for the house is 3,041 square feet. The existing house has an approved
floor area of 3,130 square feet. The net increase in the house floor area would be 86 square
feet, for a total of 3,216 square feet.
Exhibit 4 contains the applicant’s Project Description/Letter of Justification for the floor area
exception. The proposed project would comply with the required findings for exceeding the
maximum allowable floor area (Exhibit 2). The subject property is the smallest in the
immediate neighborhood and the existing residence is 3,130 square feet with an FAR of
0.32. The proposed addition would increase the size of the residence to 3,218 square feet
and the FAR to 0.33. While the residence would have the largest FAR in the immediate
neighborhood, the proposed 0.01 increase in FAR would not significantly affect the scale of
the building or compatibility with the immediate neighborhood. The proposed increase is
modest, and the mass and scale of the home would not increase substantially as the
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DISCUSSION (continued):
addition would be located within the roof form and columns of the existing home.
Additionally, the addition would match the colors and materials of the existing home and
would not change the lot coverage or setbacks of the existing home.
B.Neighborhood Compatibility
Based on Town and County records, the homes in the immediate neighborhood range in
size from 2,450 square feet to 2,996 square feet. The FARs range from 0.17 to 0.28. The
applicant is proposing 3,216 square feet of countable gross floor area for the home on a
9,745-square foot parcel (0.33 FAR).
The neighborhood analysis below reflects the current conditions in the immediate
neighborhood.
Address Zoning House
SF
Garage
SF
Total
SF Site SF House
FAR Stories
109 Los Patios PD 2,996 494 3,490 10,800 0.28 2
111 Los Patios PD 2,808 612 3,420 10,375 0.27 1
117 Los Patios PD 2,612 506 3,118 11,400 0.23 1
119 Los Patios PD 2,632 699 3,331 12,000 0.22 2
110 Los Patios PD 2,714 484 3,198 13,410 0.20 2
112 Los Patios PD 2,450 519 2,969 12,825 0.19 2
114 Los Patios PD 2,753 574 3,327 12,150 0.23 2
116 Los Patios PD 2,541 700 3,241 11,920 0.21 2
118 Los Patios PD 2,834 496 3,330 17,011 0.17 2
115 Los Patios (Existing) PD 3,130 574 3,704 9,745 0.32 2
115 Los Patios (Proposed) PD 3,216 574 3,790 9,745 0.33 2
The proposed project would result in the largest home in the immediate neighborhood;
however, the proposed increase in floor area of less than 100 square feet is modest and
would be located within the roof form and columns of the existing covered balcony at the
rear of the home. The proposed project would be compatible with the immediate
neighborhood as it would not significantly affect the mass and scale of the building.
C.CEQA Determination
The project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to the adopted Guidelines for the
Implementation of California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15301: Existing Facilities.
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PUBLIC COMMENTS:
The applicant has reviewed the project plans with the adjacent neighbors to the north, west,
and south, and provided signatures from each property owner (Exhibit 5). No other public
comments have been received as of the writing of this report.
CONCLUSION:
A. Summary
The applicant is proposing to reconfigure and enlarge the existing second-story bedrooms,
including enclosure of an existing second floor covered balcony, for a net increase in floor
area of 86 square feet. Although the applicant is proposing to exceed the maximum floor
area, the added floor area would be located within the roof form of the existing covered
balcony at the rear of the home. The applicant is also proposing to match materials and
colors of the addition to those of the existing home.
B.Recommendation
Based on the analysis above, staff recommends approval of the Architecture and Site
application subject to the recommended conditions of approval (Exhibit 3). If the Planning
Commission finds merit with the proposed project, it should:
1.Find that the proposed project is categorically exempt, pursuant to Section 15301 of the
California Environmental Quality Act as adopted by the Town (Exhibit 2); and
2.Make the finding that the project complies with the Residential Design Guidelines
(Exhibit 2); and
3.Make the required findings as required by Section 29.40.075 of the Town Code for
granting approval to exceed the maximum FAR (Exhibit 2); and
4.Make the required considerations as required by Section 29.20.150 of the Town Code
for granting approval of an Architecture and Site application (Exhibit 2); and
5.Approve Architecture and Site Application S-18-054 with the conditions contained in
Exhibit 3 and development plans in Exhibit 6.
C.Alternatives
Alternatively, if the Commission has concerns with the proposed project, it can:
1.Approve the application with additional and/or modified conditions of approval;
2.Continue the application with direction to a date certain; or
3.Deny the application.
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EXHIBITS:
1.Location Map (one page)
2.Required Findings and Considerations (two pages)
3.Recommended Conditions of Approval (five pages)
4.Project Description/Letter of Justification, received November 26, 2018 (two pages)
5.Neighbor acknowledgement of project (four pages)
6.Development Plans, received December 18, 2017 (15 sheets)
Distribution:
Steven Plyler – De Mattei Construction, 1794 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126
Glen and Susan Boehnlein, 115 Los Patios, Los Gatos, CA 95032