Planning commission approves new single‑story home project at 51 Peninsula Road; demolition and revocable license recommended to council

The Belvedere Planning Commission voted to approve design review for a new single‑story home at 51 Peninsula Road, approved a demolition permit for the existing residence and recommended the applicant’s revocable license for private improvements in the Peninsula Road right‑of‑way to the city council.

Staff described the proposal as demolition of an existing 4,282‑square‑foot residence and construction of a single‑family home with approximately 2,748 square feet of living area and an attached garage on an 8,900‑square‑foot lot in the R‑1L zoning district. The site faces Belvedere Lagoon; staff told the commission the finished floor must be raised to the base flood elevation plus one foot freeboard under FEMA regulations and the city’s floodplain management ordinance. Staff estimated the finished floor would be raised five to six feet above existing grade; the proposal measured the new garage and portions of the house at roughly 12 feet from base flood elevation plus freeboard and up to about 18 feet from existing grade in places.

Architect Toby Long presented plans showing a single‑story, transitional contemporary home sited to create a larger setback from the adjacent west neighbor and to preserve lagoon access and views. The applicant team—Tom and Gwen Price, who own adjacent property—said the design includes an on‑site accessory dwelling unit (roughly 615 square feet) and a junior ADU (about 300 square feet), a new pool, a stone veneer façade, wood trellis elements, 67 exterior light fixtures, and landscaping including three olive trees and three palms. The applicant said materials and some details were adjusted in response to neighbor input: the home was moved north to increase the left‑side setback to 10 feet, the front (street) wall material will be changed from stone to stucco to reduce the monolithic appearance, the pool and trellis geometry were revised to reduce setback encroachments, and the applicant agreed to lower the parapet coping by six inches.

Commissioners and neighbors discussed massing, materials, landscape screening and exterior lighting. Several nearby residents spoke in public comment: Joe Pacula (60 Peninsula) said the project “has quite a bulk to it” and asked whether the overall height could be reduced further; adjacent neighbors Nathan Allen and Heidi Biasca (49 Peninsula) described working with the Prices on modifications and raised questions about plant selection and the placement/maximum height of an olive tree. Commissioners praised the applicant’s outreach to neighbors and the late revisions; Commissioner Alex Seidel said the adjustments allowed him to make the required findings and recommended conditions that the final landscape and lighting plans be reviewed by the chair and planning staff.

The commission made three formal determinations recorded in the meeting: approval of design review for the new residence at 51 Peninsula Road subject to specified conditions (removal of variance requests by pulling elements back into the buildable envelope, a 10‑foot left side yard setback, substitution of a stucco front wall and an additional street tree at the front property line, and final landscape and lighting plans to be reviewed by the chair and staff), adoption of a demolition permit to remove the existing 4,282‑square‑foot house, and recommendation to city council to approve a revocable license for private improvements in the Peninsula Road right‑of‑way. Roll calls in the transcript recorded unanimous votes in favor by Commissioners Watson, Seidel, Botros, Shinske and Chair Johnson on the motions presented.

Commissioners added that landscaping and lighting would return for final review and suggested reducing the number and intensity of exterior fixtures; several commissioners recommended the hedge and other screening be planted early in construction so neighbors gain mitigation sooner. The applicant and design team said they will finalize materials and lighting selections in coordination with staff before building permits are issued.

Votes at a glance: design review for 51 Peninsula Road — approved with conditions; demolition permit for existing residence — approved; recommendation to city council for revocable license — approved. All three motions recorded unanimous roll call support in the transcript.