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Orinda Planning Commission continues review of 14 Los Altos home after neighbors, commissioners raise design and tree-protection concerns
Summary
Commissioners deferred a decision on a proposed 4,001 adjusted-square-foot home at 14 Los Altos Road after neighbors and some commissioners questioned the building’s massing, proximity to a protected oak and compliance with ridgeline overlay rules; the applicant agreed to return at a date uncertain.
The Orinda Planning Commission on June 24 continued consideration of a proposal to demolish a dilapidated house at 14 Los Altos Road and build a new 4,001 adjusted-square-foot single-family home after commissioners and neighbors raised questions about design, size, and protection of a nearby oak tree.
Staff told the commission the project proposes a 4,001 adjusted-square-foot residence (4,401 gross square feet with a 400-square-foot garage credit), a 559-square-foot elevated deck and a 749-square-foot accessory dwelling unit that is not counted toward the maximum floor area. The lot is 20,020 square feet with an average slope of about 27 percent; because the parcel lies in the Ridgeline Overlay District, the proposal triggers discretionary design review and special design review under the Orinda Municipal Code.
Planning staff recommended approval, presenting project plans, site maps and a table comparing nearby homes. Staff said the project meets the base development rules for the RL-20-R district but exceeds the overlay thresholds (500 square feet and 18 feet in height), and therefore requires design review and…
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