Planning commission continues 710 Kid Ranch demolition hearing after applicant raises deed‑restriction and permit‑timing dispute

The Planning Commission on Jan. 21 continued a public hearing on an application by Katie and Miles McDonald to demolish an existing single‑family home and build a new house with a pool and spa at 710 Kid Ranch Road in the medium‑density residential district.

The applicants said the project was first discussed with city staff in 2018 and later submitted as a demolition/design review application in October 2023. In the hearing the applicants told the commission they believe the city has delayed processing the application unreasonably and that, under California permit‑streamlining rules, the city’s failure to act within statutory timeframes may be treated as approval. The applicants submitted a written “notice of violation” during the hearing asserting those timing concerns.

Staff, zoning limits and the deed restriction City staff told the commission that the parcel is 1.67 acres and that the medium‑density (MR) zone carries a minimum density requirement of 5.1 dwelling units per acre; when applied to a 1.67‑acre lot that minimum equates to a nine‑unit yield (municipal code density calculations are rounded). Staff also said the municipal code limits the maximum floor area on lots over 20,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet; the McDonalds’ proposed…