Zoning administrator denies variance request at 1688 Samedra Street for expanded front‑yard paving and uncovered parking

The City of Sunnyvale zoning administrator denied a variance request on June 25 from property owner Larry Yu seeking permission for 62% impervious surface and uncovered front‑yard parking at 1688 Samedra Street, where the municipal code limits front‑yard impervious surface and uncovered parking to 50 percent.

Project planner Momo Ishijima presented the application (File No. PONG20250028) and recommended denial, telling the zoning administrator that the lot is larger than typical Sunnyvale lots (approximately 9,800 square feet, about 75 feet wide by 135 feet deep) but that the variance would be a special privilege and the required findings for a variance were not met. Ishijima said staff had estimated the existing impervious area in the front yard at about 927 square feet and that the front‑yard area (defined as the first 20 feet from the property line) measures roughly 1,500 square feet. The staff report noted there are already approximately six uncovered parking spaces plus two covered garage spaces on the lot without the variance.

Larry Yu, the property owner and applicant, argued the front‑yard paving was added because recent street changes — including the installation of bicycle lanes on Homestead Road and South Mary Avenue — removed on‑street parking and pushed student and parent parking into the neighborhood near Homestead High School. Yu told the zoning administrator he had spent money to add on‑site parking and said the change represents roughly a 1.5 percent alteration to his lot. Yu told the panel, “I respectfully require the city to approve the permit instead of denying it,” and described safety and access concerns for his disabled mother‑in‑law and guests when on‑street parking blocks driveway access.

Planner Ishijima also reported a complaint to the Public Works traffic division filed by the applicant about student parking on Samedra Street; Public Works staff suggested the Safe Routes to School coordinator discuss the issue with Homestead High School administration and offered possible curb redlining for visibility. The zoning administrator acknowledged the parking pressures caused by the bicycle lane installations and said the matter appears to be one of parking management. The zoning administrator noted options available to the neighborhood, including discussing permit parking, working with Public Works on curb markings, and coordinating with Homestead High School to reduce parking in residential blocks.

After reviewing the staff findings and the applicant's testimony, the zoning administrator concluded the variance request did not meet the required findings and denied the permit under alternative 3. The zoning administrator advised the applicant he could appeal the denial to the planning commission within 15 calendar days; an appeal would stay the denial and schedule the item for a future planning commission hearing.

No members of the public spoke at the hearing; the record includes one emailed comment from Mary Lacy. The staff report and project materials for File No. PONG20250028 remain available in the project file for review.