Design review for 1110 Glen Eyrie continued; commission asks applicant to maximize retention of 'crazy‑quilt' brickwork

The Planning Commission continued the design review hearing for 1110 Glen Eyrie on Aug. 20 and directed the applicant to return with revised plans that respond to City Council direction to "maximize the retention of the existing character‑defining brickwork."

Staff summarized the project as facade improvements and associated site changes for a building originally reviewed by the commission in 2023. Since the project was remanded from city council, the applicant revised plans in several ways — increasing replacement trees, changing materials and colors, and proposing partial replacement of perimeter walls — but staff said the most important outstanding issue remained how much of the site’s distinctive "crazy‑quilt" brick cladding would be preserved or replaced in kind.

Assistant planner Jessica Mendoza told the commission the applicant submitted contractor and engineering letters saying some brick and site‑wall elements show waterproofing and structural issues; those consultants recommended removal and reconstruction in places, and the engineer suggested demolition of a 12‑foot chimney because of seismic risk. Staff recommended a conditional approval approach that would require the applicant, where preservation in place is infeasible because of documented damage, to reconstruct the brickwork "in kind" and to involve skilled masons; staff proposed a condition that would require documentation and a qualified craftsman to ensure replacement matches the existing character.

Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about relying solely on the applicant's technical reports without independent peer review and asked for photographic inventories and mock‑ups to show how replacement brickwork would appear. Several neighbors urged denial and preservation of the building and mature trees, while the project architect described a six‑step plan to catalog and salvage existing masonry and said the applicant would engage experienced masons and produce mock‑ups before construction.

After deliberation the commission continued the item to Oct. 15 and set a resubmittal deadline of Sept. 10 for revised plans and materials samples. Commissioners said the resubmittal should show elevations that incorporate the council’s direction — maximizing retention or in‑kind replacement of the brickwork (except the chimney, which staff said could be removed because it is structurally compromised and functionally obsolete). The commission also encouraged clearer material samples and a photographic inventory documenting existing brickwork so staff and commissioners can compare preserved versus replaced sections prior to final action.

The motion to continue was adopted on a unanimous roll call; the record notes the decision is appealable to city council.