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Commission recommends approval of single-house rebuild on substandard lot at 3111 Circle Hill Road
Summary
The commission recommended approval 7–0 of a special-use permit to construct a new single-family dwelling on a developed substandard lot at 3111 Circle Hill Road. Staff found proposed floor-area ratio and height compatible with nearby houses; neighbors had raised questions about grading, tree removals and driveway placement.
The Planning Commission recommended approval (7–0) of a special-use permit allowing construction of a new single-family dwelling on a developed substandard lot at 3111 Circle Hill Road (R-8 zone).
Planning staff presented the application and site plan. Katie McDonald said the proposed home’s floor-area ratio (FAR) would be 0.34, within the surrounding range (about 0.25–0.34), and the proposed height would be 28.7 feet (the R-8 maximum is 30 feet). Staff noted the neighborhood contains a diverse mix of architectural styles and that the proposed design seeks to incorporate context-sensitive elements. The site is in the Northridge–Rosemont small-area plan area and the surrounding uses are residential.
Neighbors submitted a late letter raising questions about the lot-area calculation and the interpretation used for FAR, and about the garage location and impacts to the steep rear slope and tree removal. Staff responded that survey and licensed surveyor measurements in the application had been used for the FAR calculation and that discrepancies in older real-estate records were the likely cause of the confusion. Staff said grading, stormwater and site-design details would be reviewed in the grading plan and building-permit process and that tree removal is reviewed under the city’s tree and stormwater rules.
Commissioners asked for clarification on how height compatibility is evaluated; staff said the City uses an average height calculation for the block face and may compare average plus 20 percent as an informational guide (the zone maximum remains the hard limit). After public hearing with no in-person speakers, the commission voted unanimously to recommend approval. The recommendation will proceed to City Council.
