Designers present concealed addition plan for 1889 Paseo De Peralta house; board offers advisory comments

At an informational session on Sept. 9, preservation staff and the project team presented preliminary plans for 515 Paseo De Peralta, a property with an original 1889 brick house and noncontributing additions. Project presenters said the plan calls for renovating the significant original house, demolishing identified noncontributing outbuildings, and constructing a two‑story addition largely embedded into the uphill slope behind the house. The team said the addition would be concealed in most public views and would include a buried first story, a garage accessed from the existing driveway and an upper-level guest suite and studio; the project also proposes ADA access via rebuilt stair and terrace work to stabilize the foundation.

Staff described the status hearing outcome from Aug. 12 in which the main house was found to be significant while some additions and two outbuildings were ruled noncontributing; yard walls were noncontributing generally except for a stone wall along Paseo. Presenters said the porch is in danger of detaching, structural repairs are needed to rubble-stone foundations and brick walls, and that returning the house to a single-family configuration required rethinking the interior layout.

Board members gave advisory comments only. Several members noted the unusual nature of an informational session for a project, stressed that comments were nonbinding, and urged the team to work closely with staff. Member Pena Deane identified potential ordinance hurdles: additions to significant structures must be lower than the primary structure and cannot have a footprint more than 50 percent larger than the significant building without exceptions; board members recommended the addition be visually subordinate, use similar materials without mimicking the original, and avoid attaching to primary facades. Presenters said planning allowed a base height of 23 feet with a potential four‑foot allowance for the steep site and that their proposed building would be approximately six feet taller than the existing house in places; board members flagged that height as an issue that may require exceptions.

Why it matters: the proposal involves a locally significant 1889 house and a substantial addition; staff and the board will need to weigh structural stabilization, preservation of primary facades and terraces, and code exceptions for height and massing should the applicant file a formal application.

Next steps: the team will return with a formal application and staff recommendation. The board’s comments were advisory; any formal approvals, exceptions, or conditions would occur during a noticed hearing with materials reviewed by staff and placed on a future agenda.