Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Setback Modification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff hearing officer approves front-setback modification for rebuilt roof at 1715 Gillespie Street
Summary
The Staff Hearing Officer granted a front-setback modification to allow roof repairs and minor height increase after fire damage at 1715 Gillespie Street, finding the change modest, preserving neighborhood character and qualifying for a CEQA exemption.
The Staff Hearing Officer granted a front-setback modification for 1715 Gillespie Street to allow the replacement roof for a fire-damaged one and a modest rise in height within the required 20-foot front setback.
City staff said the 5,000-square-foot lot currently has a 1,157-net-square-foot single-family residence and a 230-net-square-foot detached garage. The project consists of an interior remodel and roof replacement; the staff report listed a project total of 1,387 square feet of development. The requested front-setback modification would allow a structure height increase from 17 feet to 17 feet 6 inches within the 20-foot front setback; staff reported the existing roof peaks at 22 feet 3 inches at its highest point but that the proposed work would reduce some portions to about 17 feet 6 inches.
Associate planner Miss Broadus (presenting the staff report) told the hearing that the proposal does not increase floor area in the front setback — the visible bay window is an allowed encroachment — and that the improvements would improve internal circulation and the streetscape. Staff recommended approval, concluding the modification is modest, an aesthetic improvement, and necessary to avoid unreasonable hardship because the house is already nonconforming to the 20-foot front setback.
Architect Tony Zikas, representing the applicant, said the design sought to retain the house’s character and that lowering the roof pitch further produced awkward proportions; homeowner Jim Park said the design remained within the neighborhood character of homes built in the 1930s. There were no public comments on the item.
Staff Hearing Officer Ellen Kokendo said the request was "a very easy approval" and called it "a very minor request," accepted staff findings, found the project exempt from further review under CEQA Guideline section 15301 (existing facilities), and approved the front-setback modification. Kokendo noted the decision is appealable within 10 calendar days of the action.
