[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6569808,"mediaKeyId","3277989-1f6fc418b05238cadb73647f14c852f9","parentId",3277989,"title","Commissioners review addition at 3355 Carlisle Terrace; suggest simpler roof, sections and materials details","audioSeconds",1298,"startMs",1925000,"endMs",3223000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3277989-1f6fc418b05238cadb73647f14c852f9&start=1925&end=3223","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3277989-1f6fc418b05238cadb73647f14c852f9/thumbnail_1925000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6569808/Lafayette/Contra-Costa-County/California/Commissioners-review-addition-at-3355-Carlisle-Terrace-suggest-simpler-roof-sections-and-materials-details","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569808-f663f96b8905c4cf043807953079117b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770960220&Signature=Cf4BJxCHPe0hNR~If1j~4jZq3KChqQq8PzJRsf4jAQ1xuB8S~maD879T6RzopASe4YeYu1MOOVldicIed5xZDaYMGxtGqElEnebY68GmdLnO64VnNjKy2AGgmy-pjY8upPQtJC-lYDJ0wt8CUeIHks6C64Ssi0sstWF0ODWE3~D00CAgjWC9HDSirq36j0fK0~9m7-bItrpG5gVlngLkm7j7lG~peU7KYmniEOvM7VNVtPvsktin3ywoLIdAyW4SLZSEEKu7yOKG9NWwhktf7--u9NQhn1Nd~HUA-bEJ4OhwPiguMOatzZ0DCidfuy9q~koLCgQYW8QGldVkwiaPJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lafayette","date","2025-05-13T01:57:37Z","article","The Lafayette Design Review Commission provided feedback on a proposed addition and partial second‑story remodel at 3355 Carlisle Terrace during a study session. Staff said the project proposes a 992‑square‑foot first‑floor addition and a 1,118‑square‑foot second‑floor addition that would raise the home’s total to about 4,210 square feet and a ridge height of 28 feet 6 inches; the property is about 0.28 acres in an R‑20 zone.

Madison Leonard presented the item and said the existing home totals about 2,080 square feet and currently is nonconforming to front and side setbacks; staff recommended the owner consider merging the adjacent narrow parcel by lot‑line revision to meet the west side setback. Leonard said the study session was noticed and posted and that staff received no public comments. “Does the project substantially comply with the residential design guidelines…?” she asked commissioners as a framing question for feedback.

Applicant Bill Whiteman described the work as a straightforward remodel that pushes the first‑floor addition to the rear and concentrates a partial second story on the west side, which the applicant said is lower relative to the uphill slope and will be partly screened by topography. Whiteman said he plans to preserve a large backyard silver maple and replace some impermeable patio with permeable surfacing; he also noted the city has code provisions (as cited in the meeting) that can treat contiguous parcels as merged under certain circumstances and that he would prefer to avoid the time and expense of a formal lot merger if possible.

Commissioners raised design and procedural concerns. Multiple commissioners recommended replacing the proposed shed roof and high roof pitch with a more conventional gable form to fit neighborhood character and reduce perceived bulk; one commissioner called the shed roof “out of character” and suggested eliminating upper windows that accentuate the roof massing. Commissioners requested a sectional drawing that shows house elevations relative to neighboring houses, clearer material specifications (including siding and exterior lighting), and more context photos or diagrammatic sections showing distances to adjacent homes.

On setbacks and approvals, commissioners and staff discussed two paths: a lot‑line adjustment that would reconfigure parcel boundaries to achieve compliant setbacks, or a variance application to permit the proposed additions on the existing parcel. The applicant said he would apply for the variance and, if necessary, pursue a lot‑line adjustment; one commissioner noted a lot‑line adjustment could be faster in practice but that both are feasible approaches.

Commissioners also recommended that the applicant document tree preservation measures for the silver maple the applicant estimated to be roughly 75 years old and show how the proposed work will avoid impacts to critical roots. Staff reiterated that the DRC’s role at this meeting is advisory and that the applicant should return with revised permit drawings, sections showing adjacent house elevations, material samples and lighting plans.

No formal motion or vote was taken; the commission provided design direction and asked the applicant to return with the requested drawings and clarifications.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Design Review Commission","oneSentenceSummary","The Lafayette Design Review Commission provided feedback on a proposed addition and partial second‑story remodel at 3355 Carlisle Terrace during a study session.","taxTitle","Lafayette, Contra Costa County, California","taxId",77659,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6569813,"Lafayette design panel reviews 6‑story Mount Diablo condominium proposal",1687,235000,1922000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3277989-1f6fc418b05238cadb73647f14c852f9&start=235&end=1922","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3277989-1f6fc418b05238cadb73647f14c852f9/thumbnail_235000.jpg","/articles/6569813/Lafayette/Contra-Costa-County/California/Lafayette-design-panel-reviews-6story-Mount-Diablo-condominium-proposal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569813-263741c1cb37ecf5c6552e2b1e02a4a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770960220&Signature=KaT5Smd4ywY87hyIZiE0fy6eO3nJDFNFxkpdhvGyLoA8qDCYbTyh8h3nNv5Okvgtl66CInnk09dFLqtAUXPqPsnptQiZrZ4awR7V16AEcvH2hL9Y-wZYhyWZ~vgX2695WexVrCmwKmplfsQ9Q3N8p1dcDc250E30H1uALFZnKwR6xSTQLjbd-F8jhmqQBTzNz4FvLhskUQBcDicKxZpRCAZUaNN-BWyR8KwlEPH9F~PQ9zOFQSSGm3CdExItG7XvxYHWb9jPc-K0SiRrTNHrOPYmB~BIXYBW-d~daDLmBco5CwBgZI0CF6AX4dH1MIUmgP4iTAA7jQXRwUmQqem5pA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lafayette Design Review Commission members reviewed a proposal for a six‑story condominium building at the northwest corner of Mount Diablo Boulevard and Second Street during a study session. The applicant proposes a 58‑foot building with 31 for‑sale units and two podium levels providing 63 parking spaces; the project site is about 0.64 acres in a C1 zoning district.

Staff presenter Stephanie Cervantes, senior planner with the planning department, said the item is a study session and that “the recommendation is to review the proposal and provide feedback to the applicant.” She said the project would include on‑site resident amenities such as bike storage, a dog wash, a fitness center, a yoga studio and a rooftop club, and that the project had been noticed to neighbors within 300 feet and posted onsite; staff received no public comments.

Applicant Nikhil Guerra and Ascend Architecture principal Paul Farah described the design intent. Guerra said he is a local resident and developer and that he wants “something which is beneficial for the vitality and which adds to the vitality and the charm of Lafayette.” Farah said the team aimed to “break the building down” with a strong base, articulated facades and balconies, and explained vehicle access would be from Second Street at one level and Orchard Hill Way at the other.

Commissioners focused on scale and street experience. Commissioner Aron said the building “is much larger than any building within that context” and urged more terracing to reduce perceived mass at upper stories. Multiple commissioners said the proposed 58‑foot height and a two‑story parking podium are out of character with nearby two‑ and three‑story buildings. One commissioner said the podium reads as a “two‑story blank wall” from the pedestrian perspective and recommended pulling parking away from Mount Diablo and increasing landscaping and street‑level activation.

Commissioners also suggested clearer material hierarchy so that materials reinforce massing rather than appearing “a little bit of everything everywhere.” Several asked that the design language used on the Second Street elevation be carried through the Mount Diablo frontage to avoid a flat, boxy appearance. The applicant drew attention to proposed cladding materials, described on the plans as composite wood products, fiber cement panels, board‑formed concrete at the base, corrugated metal (the lighter white/silver elements) and aluminum windows.

The project team confirmed the proposal is being pursued as a density‑bonus product. Staff told the commission the applicant has submitted an SB 330 application but has not filed a formal application requesting any specific waivers, incentives or concessions, so those requests have not yet been analyzed.

No formal motion or vote was taken at the study session. Commissioners concluded by asking the applicant to return with revisions that address terracing, podium treatment and street‑level activation, along with clearer material and detailing information; staff will use the DRC’s comments in the project’s next submittal.","At a Design Review Commission study session, staff and the applicant presented a proposal for a six‑story, 31‑unit condominium at the northwest corner of Mount Diablo Boulevard and Second Street. Commissioners raised concerns about height, a two‑story parking podium, and street activation; no formal action was taken.","actionData","errors"]

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Commissioners review addition at 3355 Carlisle Terrace; suggest simpler roof, sections and materials details

Lafayette design panel reviews 6‑story Mount Diablo condominium proposal