Honorable Chairman and Members of the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission
Regular Meeting of June 18, 2019
Title
A-14#64- Planning Commission consideration of a small lot exception to open space requirements otherwise required in the Single-Family Residential (R-1) zone for a new single-family residence at 1122 3rd Street, and determination that the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Applicant/Owner: Shari Greenberg C/O Kelly Hamm
1122 3rd Street
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Adopt the attached Resolution to determine that the small lot exception from open space requirements is warranted for the proposed project.
Body
Background:
GENERAL PLAN: Low Density Residential
ZONING: Single-Family Residential (R-1)
LOT SIZE: 2,217 square feet
PROPOSED LIVING SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,169 square feet
PROPOSED LOT COVERAGE: 57% (65% maximum)
PROPOSED PARKING: 2 Standard/2 Guests
(2 Standard/1 Guest required)
The subject lot is located east of Pacific Coast Highway and south of 3rd Street. The 2,217 square feet subject lot contains an existing single-family residence. The subject lot has a narrow and substandard lot width of 25 feet and a lot depth of 88.83 feet. However, the lot width and depth is typical of lots fronting on 2nd Street and 3rd Street in the immediate neighborhood.
The applicant is proposing to demolish the existing single-family residence to construct a new two-story single-family residence with a basement and requests Planning Commission consideration of the small lot exception for open space standards for the proposed project.
Pursuant to Hermosa Beach Municipal Code (HBMC) Section 17.08.040 (Development Standards for Small Lots), lots that are 2,100 square feet or less are considered “small lot” by right and are subject to R-1 development standards with the exception of the open space and/or lot coverage requirements.
Furthermore, lots within ten percent (10%) of the lot size identified above (i.e., lots ranging from two thousand one hundred one (2,101) to two thousand three hundred ten (2,310) square feet) may also be considered for some or all of the lot coverage and/or open space exceptions for small lots subject to review and approval by the planning commission if warranted by any of the following considerations:
1. To achieve a consistent and comparable amount of indoor living space with existing dwelling units in the immediate neighborhood.
2. To allow design flexibility in the application of the open space standard in conjunction with the remodeling and expansion of existing structures.
3. To allow an innovative design which otherwise is consistent with the goals and intent of the open space and development standards for the R-1 zone.
4. To address unusual lot configurations or topography, as compared with surrounding lot and development patterns.
Below is the contrast and comparison between the standard R-1, R-1 “Small Lot”, and the proposed single-family residence.
|
|
Standard R-1 |
R-1 “Small Lot” |
Proposed Single-Family Residence |
|
Lot Coverage |
65% |
70% |
57% |
|
Minimum Open Space Requirement |
400 square feet |
300 square feet |
496 square feet (200 square feet on grade and total of 297 square feet on 2nd level decks) |
|
Minimum Open Space on Grade |
300 square feet |
Not Applicable |
200 square feet |
|
Minimum Dimension for Open Space |
10’ length x 10’ width |
7’ length x 7’ width |
24’11-1/2” x 8’1” (on grade), 18’10” x 8’6-1/2”, 13’3” x7’ (2nd level decks) |
|
60 % (180 square feet) of Open Space Accessible to Primary Living Areas |
Not required |
Required |
297 square feet |
|
25% (100 square feet) maximum open space may be located on decks/balconies |
Applicable |
Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
|
Open Space Must Be Open to the Sky |
Applicable |
Applicable |
All proposed open space areas are open to the sky. |
As depicted on the table above, the only two exceptions for the proposed project are the on grade requirement (200 square feet instead of 300 square feet) and dimensions less than 10’ (length) x 10’ (width).
Analysis
As noted above, Section 17.08.030 C states that lots that range between 2,101 to 2,310 square feet may be considered for some or all of the lot coverage and/or open space exceptions for small lots, subject to review and approval by the Planning Commission if warranted by any of the following considerations:
1. To achieve a consistent and comparable amount of indoor living space with existing dwelling units in the immediate neighborhood:
The proposed single-family residence will consist of 2,169 square feet of living space. Attached are exhibits to compare the proposal with lot sizes and indoor living spaces for properties in the immediate neighborhood. None of these subject lots qualify “by right” as small lots, but 15 of the 24 lots fall within the range for small lot consideration. The property at 1135 2nd Street has already been determined by the Planning Commission to warrant a small lot open space exception (1,854 square foot home). In addition, Planning Commission has also determined the following subject lots to warrant a small lot open space exception: 1110 2nd Street (2,199 square foot home), 1222 2nd Street (1,916 square foot home), and 1206 2nd Street (2,840 square foot home), which are located south side of 2nd Street. Otherwise, three of the lots are currently developed with smaller homes than the proposal, and eight (8) of the 23 lots homes also contain over 2,000 square feet of living space.
2. To allow design flexibility in the application of the open space standard in conjunction with the remodeling and expansion of existing structures:
Not applicable.
3. To allow an innovative design which otherwise is consistent with the goals and intent of the open space and development standards for the R-1 zone:
The purpose of the R-1 zone includes protection of the residential character of each neighborhood, a high quality environment for family life, and the preservation or residential property values. Also, PLAN Hermosa specifically calls out desired building design and orientation for the Hermosa Hills Neighborhood Character Area - it includes favoring garages that do not dominate front facades where visible from the street, and notes that any new construction or renovation should strive to minimize their prominence. In addition, the designed form and character encourages homes to organize living space to incorporate ocean views out over their neighbors.
While the proposed single-family residence proposes a garage that dominates the front façade at the street level, there is no other option on this block as there is no alley access. Because of the limited lot depth and lack of alley access, the proposed design incorporates a “reverse” or “upside down” floor plan with the living area and kitchen on the second floor, and a focus on designing the building with living space and adjacent balconies to include ocean views. The basic R-1 open space standards would require that the majority of open space be on the ground floor, which arguably is not practical or desirable for this type of floor plan.
Therefore, staff is of the opinion that the proposed design does provide an innovative way to incorporate open space on the second floor level decks to meet the R-1 “small lot” open space standards in a manner, which helps break up the facade and eliminate the box type appearance, creating a visual interest for the neighborhood. Also, while the minimum at grade and dimension requirements of the R-1 zone are not provided, over 400 square feet of open space is provided.
The residential buildings in the immediate neighborhood on the south side of 3rd Street typically have decks on both the front and the rear of the building. (Please see attachment 5 for aerial view). Thus, the proposal is compatible with the design of similar homes in the immediate neighborhood.
4. To address unusual lot configurations or topography, as compared with surrounding lot and development patterns:
Not applicable.
Environmental Determination:
The proposed project is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act as defined in Section 15303(b), Class 3 Exemption, New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures, because the proposal pertains to construction of limited numbers (two) of new, small structures. More specifically, the project is a two-story residential structure with a basement level in an urbanized area, totaling no more than six dwelling units. Moreover, none of the exceptions to the Categorical Exemption apply. Nor will the project result in a significant cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place over time, or have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances, or damage a scenic highway or scenic resources within a state scenic highway. The site is not located on a hazardous waste site and will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
General Plan Consistency:
The proposed single-family residence is located within a Low Density Residential (LD) Land Use designation. The purpose of this Low Density Residential Use designation is to provide retention, maintenance, investment in single-family residential neighborhoods, and to protect residential uses from potential nuisances of nonresidential uses. This low density designation is also intended to provide the lowest levels and offer a high quality environment for family life, and ensure the preservation of residential property values. The LD Land Use designation allows a density range between 2.0-13.0 dwelling units per acre, and the proposed single-family residence is 19.6 dwelling units per acre.
The subject lot is located within the Hermosa Hills Neighborhood, which transitions from high-and medium-density uses adjacent to Pacific Coast Highway and lower density single-family uses closer to Prospect Avenue. The future vision for this Character Area is to improve key pedestrian thoroughfares to enhance connectivity and access while preserving the single-family development pattern of this area. The proposed project will be consistent in that it will serve as a lower density single-family residential use.
The desired building design and orientation for the Hermosa Hills Neighborhood Character Area includes favoring garages that do not dominate front facades where visible from the street, and notes that any new construction or renovation should strive to minimize their prominence. In addition, the designed form and character encourages homes to organize living space to incorporate ocean views out over their neighbors. The proposed single-family residence is inconsistent with the designed character and form in terms of the garages that dominate the front façade where it is visible from the street because this subject property does not have alley access. However, the proposed single-family residence is consistent with the desired form and character by designing the building with living space and balconies to include ocean views.
The proposed design features implement the following PLAN Hermosa goals and policies: Land Use policies 1.6 Scale and Context, 2.4 Single Density Neighborhoods, 2.5 Neighborhood Preservation, 5.1 Scale and Massing, 3.2 Complete Pedestrian Network, 3.10 Require ADA Standards.
Perfect consistency is not required with all General Plan policies. Consistency means that the project does not impede the City’s ability to meet its General Plan goals. The proposed uses are in line with the City’s long term vision set out in the General Plan and the overall project does not impede the City’s ability to meet its goals.
Summary:
Staff recommends Planning Commission to adopt 1122 3rd Street as a small lot by adopting the attached resolution. The subject lot is consistent with HBMC Section 17.08.040 C (1) because the proposed single-family residence is consistent and comparable amount of indoor living space with existing dwelling units in the immediate neighborhood; and HBMC Section 17.08.040 C (3) because it allows an innovative design which otherwise is consistent with the goals and intent of the open space and development standards for the R-1 zone.
Attachments:
1. Proposed Resolution
2. Site Photo
3. Applicant Submittal
4. Lot Sizes Exhibit in the Immediate Neighborhood
5. Living Square Footages Exhibit in the Immediate Neighborhood
6. Aerial View of the Immediate Neighborhood
7. Poster Verification
Respectfully Submitted by: Kathy Khang, Assistant Planner
Approved: Ken Robertson, Community Development Director