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889, Construct an 800 sq ft guest h, Staff ReportsI • • Raia<if INCORPORATED JANUARY 24, 1957 NO. 2 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD ROLLING HILLS, CA 90274 (310) 377-1521 FAX (310) 377-7288 Agenda Item No.: 8B Mtg. Date: 09-15-15 TO: HONORABLE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM: YOLANTA SCHWARTZ, PLANNING DIRECTOR APPLICATION NO. ZONING CASE .NO. 889 SITE LOCATION: 38 PORTUGUESE BEND ROAD (LOT 118-RH) ZONING AND SIZE: RA-S-2, 5.08 ACRES (EXCL. ROAD EASEMENT) APPLICANT: MR. AND MRS. STEVE WHEELER REPRESENTATIVE: BOLTON ENGINEERING PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 REQUEST AND RECOMMENDATION 1. The applicants, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler request a Site Plan Review and a Conditional Use Permit to construct an 800 square foot guest house, grading of 210 cubic yards of cut and 210 cubic yards of fill to enlarge the building pad by 570 square feet and to construct not to exceed 3' high retaining walls behind the guest house, which would connect to previously approved walls along the perimeter of the building pad. The existing 663 square foot guesthouse will be demolished. 2. It is recommended that the Planning Commission review the staff report, open the public hearing, take public testimony and schedule a field visit to the site. BACKGROUND 3. The lot is 5.08-acre in size in the RAS-2 zoning district. Portuguese Bend Road divides the property, where approximately 47,500 square feet of the lot (1.07 acres) is located on the west side of the road and the remaining on the east side of the road. Portuguese Bend Road roadway easement along this lot is 80 feet wide. The portion east of Portuguese Bend Road is developed with 5,112 square foot residence, 761 square foot garage, 848 square foot swimming pool, 653 square foot guest house, a spa, covered porches, entryway and service yard. The existing spa located by the guest house and the ZC NO. 889 38 Portuguese Bend Rd. • • existing guest house will be demolished. The portion of the lot west of the road is undeveloped. 4. Previously the Planning Commission approved grading for construction of two terraced walls along the swimming pool/guest house building pad to enlarge the pad and to construct an 860 square foot solid roof covered patio and a spa. Also approved was a water fountain feature and related retaining walls, stairs and terraced landings between the retaining walls located in an area between the residential building pad and the lower swimming pool/guest house building pad. An area for a future stable and corral was set aside in the rear of the lot, behind the swimming pool/guest house pad. 5. Records indicate that the residence was constructed in 1951. An addition to the house and the pool were constructed in 1961. A pool house was constructed in 1962 and in 1976 an addition to the pool house was constructed. The structure is currently used as a guest house. At that time no differentiation was made between a recreation room, pool house or guest house. A new septic system was installed in 1999. 6. The net lot area for development purposes is 4.43 acres or 192,980 square feet, which excludes the roadway easement. The property is steep, except where already developed. 7. With the prior approvals a condition was placed on the property that any further development be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission. Other conditions require that all graded slopes be planted for erosion control; that the water fountain and stairs feature be screened from neighbors; that a landscaping plan and a bond be submitted to the City which could be released after two years of planting, only if the plants are in good condition and the landscaping complies with the intent of the conditions of approval; and that new engineering plans be submitted to the Building Department and permits obtained for the water feature, retaining walls and stairs. The RHCA Architectural Committee reviewed the water feature/wall designs and approved it, but required that the owners install cabinet like fixtures in front of them to further screen two of the high walls. MUNICIPAL CODE COMPLIANCE 8. Pursuant to Section 17.16.040 of the Zoning Ordinance a Conditional Use Permit is required for a guest house and Section 17.16.210(5) lists conditions for such a use, as follows: 5. Guest house providing that the following conditions are met: a. Shall not exceed eight hundred square feet. b. Shall not be located in the front yard or any setback. c. A kitchenette and sanitary facility consisting of a shower, sink and toilet shall be permitted. d. No vehicular access or paved parking area shall be developed within fifty feet of the guest house. ZC NO. 889 38 Portuguese Bend Road • • e. Occupancy of the guest house shall be limited to persons employed on the premises, the immediate family of the occupants of the main residence or by the temporary guests of the occupants of the main residence. No temporary guest may remain in occupancy for more than thirty days in any six-month period. f. Renting of a guest house is prohibited. g. All requirements of this title must be complied with unless otherwise set forth in the permit or approved plan. h. A landscaping plan shall be submitted to the City of Rolling Hills Planning Department staff or Planning Commission, if requested, for approval. The plan submitted must comply with the purpose and intent of site plan review, as specified in Chapter 17.46 of this title. Additionally, Section 17.17.160 requires a minimum of three -car garage when the property is developed with a guest house, subject to the requirements of Section 17.16.210(A)(5). The applicants propose an 800 square foot guest house in the general area of where the existing 663 square foot guest house will be demolished. The project will be subject to the above conditions for a guest house. The applicant states in the application that a 761 square foot garage is attached to the main residence. Staff was also told that a portion of the garage is used for other than garage use. A verification of availability of an area for 3 cars will be required, and if this project is approved such condition would be incorporated into the conditions of approval. The existing pool equipment area will be relocated behind the guest house and placed between the proposed walls. 9. A Site Plan Review is required for the grading out of the 570 square foot building pad, which requires a total of 420 cubic yards of dirt, including backfilling of two terraced walls; one 35' long and 2.5' in height and the other, closer to the guest house, approximately 65' long and ranging from 2.5' to 3' in height. 10. With the previous approval the existing pool/guest house building pad will be 9,318 square feet, and it is proposed to be further enlarged in the area of the proposed guest house by 570 square feet to 9,888 square feet. The building pad coverage on this building pad will be 18.7%. Due to allowances, 800 square feet of the 860 square foot covered patio is not counted towards building pad coverage. 11. For development purposes the lot is 192,980 square feet. With the previous approvals, the disturbance of the lot will be 35.6%. The proposed grading will contribute additional 0.3% disturbance, for a total disturbance of the net lot area of 35.9%. This includes future disturbance for a stable and corral. (Maximum permitted is 40%). 12. Structural coverage on the net lot is proposed to be 10,046 square feet or 5.2%, which includes all of the structures. With the allowable deductions, the structural ZC NO. 889 38 Portuguese Bend Road • • coverage will be 9,246 square feet or 4.8%. The total lot coverage, including structures and hardscape, will be 28,034 square feet or 14.5%. 13. The property drains with the contours and a new dissipater is proposed downslope from the pool building pad to collect water from the enlarged pool decking and the structures. 14. The project will require RHCA review and approval. 15. APPLICANTS' DESCRIPTION OF PROTECT AND JUSTIFICATION The applicants' agent states in the application that the guest house is a permitted use with a CUP and that the guest house will meet all of requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. The new guest house will replace an existing one, which was constructed long ago and does not meet the current building and fire codes. In addition, the agent states that the short walls would be an extension of previously approved walls and will allow a minimum of 4' walkway around the guest house. The representative states that the walls will not be seen from road and will be screened so the visual impact will not be noticeable. 16. When reviewing a development application the Planning Commission should consider whether the proposed project is consistent with the City's General Plan; incorporates environmentally and aesthetically sensitive grading practices; preserves existing mature vegetation; is compatible and consistent with the scale, massing and development pattern in the immediate project vicinity; is in keeping with the desired development pattern and character of the City; and otherwise preserves and protects the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Rolling Hills. The Planning Commission must also consider the criteria for granting a Site Plan and CUP. ZC NO. 889 38 Portuguese Bend Road • • ZONING CASE NO. 889 SITE PLAN REVIEW/CUP/VR RA-S- 2 ZONE SETBACKS Front: 50 ft. from front easement line Side: 35 ft. from side property line Rear: 50 ft. from rear property line CUP required for pool house, SPR required for grading & walls. GRADING Site Plan Review required if excavation and/or fill or combination thereof that is more than 3 feet in depth and covers more than 2,000 sq. ft.) must be balanced on -site. STRUCTURAL LOT COVERAGE (20% maximum) TOTAL LOT COVERAGE (35% maximum) BUILDING PAD COVERAGE (30% maximum -guideline) Residential Pool pad Stable pad DISTURBED AREA (40% maximum; any graded building pad area, any remedial grading (temporary disturbance), any graded slopes and building pad areas, and any nongraded area where impervious surfaces exist.) STABLE (min. 450 SQ.FT. & 550 SQ.FT. CORRAL) STABLE ACCESS ROADWAY ACCESS VIEWS PLANTS AND ANIMALS ZC NO. 889 38 Portuguese Bend Road AS APPROVED SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE, GARAGE, POOL, COVERED PATIO, GUEST HOUSE Residence Garages Pool/ spa Guest House Pool equip. Stable -future Attch porch -Hs Entry Service yard Covered Patio 5112 sq.ft. 761 sq.ft. 863 sq.ft. 653 sq.ft. 90 sq.ft. 720 sq.ft. 525 sq.ft. 87 sq.ft. 113 sq.ft. 860 sq.ft. 9,784 sq.ft. Flatwork/stairs & patio 17,548 sq. ft. TOTAL 26,612 sq.ft. N/A PROPOSED NEW GUEST HOUSE & WALLS Residence Garages Pool/ spas Guest House Pool equip. Stable Attch porch -Hs Entry Covered Porch Service yard Flatwork/ stairs & patio TOTAL 5112 sq.ft. 761 sq.ft. 863 sq.ft. 800 sq.ft. 90 sq.ft. 720 sq.ft. 640 sq.ft. 87 sq.ft. 860 sq.ft. 113 sq.ft. 10,046 sq.ft 18,788 sq.ft. 28,834 sq.ft 210 c.y. cut and 210 c.y. fill to be balanced on site 5.06% 5.2% of 192,980 s.f. net lot area w/ allowances 4.6% w/ allowances - 4.8% 13.7% 28,034 s.f; 14.5% of 192,980 s.f. net lot area (w/ allowances) 17.7% of 34,363 sq.ft. pad 17.9% of 9,318 sq.ft. pad 26.8 %-Future 35.6% or 68,813 sq. ft. (192,980 sq. ft. net lot area) Future 720 sq.ft. 550 sq.ft. corral Future from Port. Bnd Rd. Existing driveway approach N/A N/A 17.7% of 34,363 sq.ft. pad 18.7% of 9,888 sq.ft. pad 26.8%-future 35.9% or 69,378 sq.ft. (192,980 sq. ft. net lot area) Future 720 sq.ft. 550 sq.ft. corral Future from Port. Bnd Rd. Existing driveway approach Planning Commission review Planning Commission review • SITE PLAN REVIEW CRITERIA 17.46.010 Purpose. The site plan review process is established to provide discretionary review of certain development projects in the City for the purposes of ensuring that the proposed project is consistent with the City's General Plan; incorporates environmentally and aesthetically sensitive grading practices; preserves existing mature vegetation; is compatible and consistent with the scale, massing and development pattern in the immediate project vicinity; and otherwise preserves and protects the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Rolling Hills. 17.46.050 Required findings. A. The Commission shall be required to make findings in acting to approve, conditionally approve, or deny a site plan review application. B. No project which requires site plan review approval shall be approved by the Commission, or by the City Council on appeal, unless the following findings can be made: 1. The project complies with and is consistent with the goals and policies of the general plan and all requirements of the zoning ordinance; 2. The project substantially preserves the natural and undeveloped state of the lot by minimizing building coverage. Lot coverage requirements are regarded as maximums, and the actual amount of lot coverage permitted depends upon the existing buildable area of the lot; 3. The project is harmonious in scale and mass with the site, the natural terrain and surrounding residences; 4. The project preserves and integrates into the site design, to the greatest extent possible, existing topographic features of the site, including surrounding native vegetation, mature trees, drainage courses and land forms (such as hillsides and knolls); 5. Grading has been designed to follow natural contours of the site and to minimize the amount of grading required to create the building area; 6. Grading will not modify existing drainage channels nor redirect drainage flow, unless such flow is redirected into an existing drainage course; 7. The project preserves surrounding native vegetation and mature trees and supplements these elements with drought -tolerant landscaping which is compatible with and enhances the rural character of the community, and landscaping provides a buffer or transition area between private and public areas; 8. The project is sensitive and not detrimental to the convenient and safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles; and 9. The project conforms to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL OF CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT: 17.42.050 Basis for approval or denial of conditional use permit. The Commission (and Council on appeal), in acting to approve a conditional use permit application, may impose conditions as are reasonably necessary to ensure the project is consistent with the General Plan, compatible with surrounding land use, and meets the provisions and intent of this title. In making such a determination, the hearing body shall find that the proposed use is in general accord with the following principles and standards: ZC NO. 889 38 Portuguese Bend Road • • A. That the proposed conditional use is consistent with the General Plan; B. That the nature, condition and development of adjacent uses, buildings and structures have been considered, and that the use will not adversely affect or be materially detrimental to these adjacent uses, building or structures; C. That the site for the proposed conditional use is of adequate size and shape to accommodate the use and buildings proposed; D. That the proposed conditional use complies with all applicable development standards of the zone district; E. That the proposed use is consistent with the portions of the Los Angeles County Hazardous Waste Management Plan relating to siting and siting criteria for hazardous waste facilities; F. That the proposed conditional use observes the spirit and intent of this title. SOURCE: City of Rolling Hills Zoning Ordinance ZC NO. 889 38 Portuguese Bend Road