Staff recommends approval of Manchester Avenue single‑family home and ADU; decision to be finalized for signature

Senior Planner Christina Bustamante said staff recommends approval of permits for the Manchester Avenue Project LLC, a proposal to build a new single‑family residence with an attached three‑car garage and an accessory dwelling unit with an attached one‑car garage on a 27,257‑square‑foot vacant parcel.

The recommendation was presented during a regular meeting item that identified the required discretionary permits as an administrative design review permit and a coastal development permit. Bustamante said the project includes site improvements such as an extension and expansion of the existing sewer line and that a temporary construction trailer will be placed on site.

Staff reported that the site is located in an RR‑1 (Rural Residential 1) general plan/zoning designation and lies within several overlays including a special study cultural and natural resources overlay, a scenic visual corridor overlay and the appeal jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission. Bustamante said staff determined the application and plans are consistent with the city’s certified local coastal program, the general plan and applicable provisions of the municipal code, and recommended approval “based upon the aforementioned findings and subject to the conditions of approval.”

Bustamante told the hearing that a citizen participation program (neighborhood meeting) was held and that seven members of the public attended. She said their primary concerns related to potential impacts on neighboring views and the proposed building heights for both the main residence and the accessory dwelling unit. Bustamante also reported that no written public comments, voicemails or emails were received during the public notice period and that staff mailed a notice of pending action and posted the notice at city hall and on the Development Services Department website.

On environmental review, Bustamante said the project is exempt from further CEQA review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15303(a) (Class 3: new construction of small structures) because it proposes a single‑family dwelling in a residential zone. She also noted that staff found no historic resources would be affected and that the project does not qualify for the exemptions listed under the CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 as stated in the staff presentation.

The presiding officer closed the item by instructing staff to prepare the final decision for signature. “With that, I will adjourn the meeting, and then we will follow with the decision. Christina will be updating that and then running that for my signature,” the presiding officer said. The transcript shows no formal vote recorded at the meeting; the matter was left with staff to finalize the decision and the presiding officer to sign it.

Next steps: staff will prepare and circulate the written decision and associated permit documents for the presiding officer’s signature and any administrative filing required by the coastal permit process.