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Planning commission approves conversion at 312 Beach Road, requires removal of south‑side windows
Summary
The Belvedere Planning Commission approved a design review application to convert previously unfinished space into conditioned floor area at 312 Beach Road, conditioning approval on the removal of two south‑facing windows to address neighbor privacy concerns.
The Belvedere Planning Commission approved a design review application for 312 Beach Road on a motion that required removal of south‑facing windows that commissioners said would raise privacy concerns for an adjacent residence.
Staff reported the application sought design review to convert unfinished space within an existing storage structure into habitable floor area. According to the staff presentation, the parcel is roughly 12,000 square feet and developed with a single‑family dwelling and a detached garage on the eastern side of Belvedere Island. The staff report said the project would not alter the building exterior and that, as detailed in the draft resolution, staff found the proposal complies with the zoning ordinance and general plan policies and is exempt from CEQA.
Commissioners focused their discussion on whether two windows on the southern elevation—previously approved when the space was used for storage—would create new privacy impacts now that the area would become conditioned living space. Commissioner Jenna Watson said she was “concerned about, about privacy, both the building placement and window size” and noted the two buildings sit “very, very close together.” Commissioner Justin (no last name provided) initially said he could not make the required findings without clearer information about the relationship between the properties, telling the panel, “I cannot make the findings.”
Applicant Dave (applicant) told the commission the shell and the wall in question were complete and that the windows had been previously approved during an earlier exemption. He said the area in question was part of a 2022 exemption and that the wall had been finaled by the building official: “This wall is complete, and this was part of an exemption from '22.”
After deliberation, commissioners moved to approve the design review with a condition requiring removal of the two southern‑facing windows. The motion carried; roll call votes recorded in the transcript show Commissioner Watson, Commissioner Alex Seidel, Commissioner Shinske, and Chair Johnson voting in favor. The action item in the meeting record is described as approval of design review with the stated condition. No change to the building exterior material or other elements was required by the motion.
The commission separated discussion from decision: commissioners questioned the history of the windows, the finaling of the prior exemption, and the presence of a concrete element and an easement along the side yard (an easement was discussed but not altered by this action). The staff and applicant answered technical and factual questions about prior approvals, final inspections, and the absence of planned new exterior lights as part of this phase.
The commission’s action addresses only the design review application before it; planning staff noted other matters such as easement enforcement or building‑department review of foundation or stair work would be handled separately by the building department.
Votes at a glance: design review for 312 Beach Road — approved with condition (remove south‑side windows); roll call in the transcript recorded votes from Commissioner Watson (yes), Commissioner Seidel (yes), Commissioner Shinske (yes), Chair Johnson (yes).
