Corte Madera planning commission approves design review and setback variances for 478 Montecito Avenue with conditions

The Corte Madera Planning Commission on Oct. 14 approved a design review application and setback variances for 478 Montecito Avenue (PL25-0032), allowing a 610-square-foot second-story addition, a 204-square-foot first-floor dining-room addition and reconstruction of an attached carport as a one-car enclosed garage.

The commission’s approval requires several conditions the panel added during the hearing: the upper-story playroom window on the north elevation must have a sill height of 48 inches; the applicant may add a matching window on the east elevation with a similar sill height; the rake/eave projection on the upper-story east elevation must be reduced to 12 inches; and exterior light fixtures must be revised so their lenses are not exposed. The staff report’s condition requiring that exterior walls identified as “to remain” within setback areas be retained unless a permanent amendment is approved also applies.

Why it mattered: The property is substantially undersized for its R1A zoning and contains lawfully established encroachments into required front and north side setbacks. Staff and the commission found the lot’s irregular shape and the existing house’s location on the lot create practical difficulties for a modest code-compliant renovation, a key factor in the variance analysis. Granting the variance allows the owners to maintain or improve covered parking and to add living space without demolishing and relocating the house.

Staff presentation and findings Staff presented the project and the analysis…