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Planning commission approves new Dorrance Way residence with condition to reduce second-floor massing
Summary
Commission approved a proposed 3,749 sq ft two-story single-family residence at 4934 Dorrance Way but required the applicant to reduce second-floor square footage so the second story comprises no more than 40% of the total building area; vote was 3–0.
The Planning Commission approved a development plan and coastal development permit to demolish an existing house and build a new 3,749-square-foot, two-story single-family residence at 4934 Dorrance Way, with a condition requiring revision of the second story so it meets the beach-neighborhood guideline that the second floor not exceed 40 percent of the total building square footage.
Staff described the proposal as a craftsman-style two-story home with a 437-square-foot attached two-car garage, slab-on-grade foundations and landscaping that includes decomposed-granite on-street shoulders to support parking. The project requires a modification to the front-yard setback because a small portion of habitable space and an unenclosed porch sit inside the city’s 50-foot-from-centerline setback; staff recommended the modification be approved because the project provides more open space and landscaping than required.
Architect Dylan Chapelle and other members of the project team presented massing studies comparing the proposed house to nearby properties and argued the design includes articulation, porches and roof breaks intended to reduce apparent mass. Several members of the public urged the commission to resist “mansionization” of the beach neighborhood and warned units of this size often become short-term rentals; others supported the project and emphasized local spending by the applicant.
Commissioners discussed the neighborhood-design guideline limiting second-story coverage to 40 percent, compatibility with nearby houses and sea-level-rise considerations. Commissioner Lafeverse initially said the revision was significant and asked for a full development-plan review; Commissioner Van Antwerp and Vice Chair Moyer argued the lot size and articulation supported approval. The commission compromised by approving the project subject to a condition that the applicant modify the Second Floor so it meets the 40 percent guideline, with the applicant agreeing to revise the design and work with the Architectural Review Board to finalize details.
Roll-call on the motion to approve resolution PC25-006 (with the second-floor condition) was recorded as: Commissioner Lafeverse — yes; Commissioner Van Antwerp — yes; Vice Chair Moyer — yes. Motion passed 3–0.
Ending: Staff will circulate the project revisions to the ARB and incorporate the second-floor reduction before final architectural review and building-permit issuance.
