Atherton council upholds planning commission, denies appeal of 94 Palmer Lane variances

The Atherton City Council on July 16 denied an appeal and upheld the Planning Commission’s approval of front- and rear-yard setback variances and tree-protection-zone exceptions that permit construction of a new single-family home with a detached garage and an 800-square-foot accessory dwelling unit at 94 Palmer Lane.

The decision came after a public hearing in which town planner Britney Bendix told the council the staff recommendation was to deny the appeal and affirm the Planning Commission’s action. “Our recommendation tonight is that city council deny the appeal and uphold the decision of the planning commission to approve requests for a front and rear yard setback variance, as well as tree protection zone exceptions that would enable construction of a new single family home with detached garage and attached ADU at 94 Palmer,” Bendix said during her presentation.

Why it matters: the property was created through an urban lot split under State law commonly referred to as SB 9 and now sits at 0.32 acre inside Atherton’s R‑1A zoning district. The owner’s proposal, as approved by the Planning Commission, would allow a roughly 2,961-square-foot primary residence with an 800-square-foot ADU sited in a way that requires variances to the town’s front- and rear-yard setback standards and exceptions to tree…