Belmont Planning Commission approves 1505 Pine Knoll second-story addition over neighbor objections

The Belmont City Planning Commission on July 1 approved a single-family design review permitting a second‑story addition and associated renovations at 1505 Pine Knoll Drive.

Staff described the project as adding a second story and other work that would bring the house to about 3,357 square feet on a 6,356‑square‑foot lot, just under the site’s maximum allowed gross floor area. Staff said the project meets applicable setbacks and other zoning standards for the R1B district and recommended approval subject to the conditions in the staff report. Staff also noted an email received June 28 raising concerns about grading, solar access and privacy, and said the project would be subject to standard building‑permit checks including a soils/geotechnical review and a survey to confirm the project does not exceed the 28‑foot height limit.

The project drew multiple public comments from immediate neighbors who said the proposal was out of scale for the small lot and voiced concerns about unpermitted fill, privacy and construction impacts. Evangeline Kortenkamp Brown, who said she lives at 1510 Pine Knoll, said she did not support the project and called the proposal a “complete teardown.” Neighbor Leon, who said he has lived at 1507 for 48 years, said the two‑story addition would leave his yard and windows without privacy. Another neighbor, who identified herself as Tanya Mitnick and said she is the property owner/applicant, described her family’s long ties to Belmont and said they put “our heart and knowledge” into the house and hope the commission will approve the project.

Commissioners asked staff and the applicant questions about which existing walls would be retained, how the city determines whether CEQA exemptions apply and whether any unpermitted grading had been documented. Staff said the city uses its GIS and records for baseline slope and lot data, noted that the applicant provided a neighborhood outreach summary and said the June 28 email is part of the public record. Staff and commissioners explained that multiple categorical CEQA exemptions can apply to single‑family home construction and that Section 15303 of the CEQA guidelines can cover new single‑family residences in urbanized areas. Staff also pointed to standard conditions of approval that require, among other items, soils and geology reports, licensed civil and structural design review and a survey during construction to verify the 28‑foot height limit.

After deliberation, commissioners found the application met the required findings for design review and voted 4–0 to approve the resolution for single‑family design review at 1505 Pine Knoll Drive. The commission’s approval is appealable to the City Council within 10 calendar days.

The record of public comment includes a June 28 letter from adjacent property owners that alleges unpermitted import of fill material raising the yard by about 3 feet, potential effects on drainage and soil stability, loss of solar access and privacy, and questions about CEQA exemption applicability. Staff said grading and drainage matters would be reviewed at the building permit stage and that the city’s permit center and code‑enforcement channels are the appropriate paths for alleged unpermitted activity.