Albany planning commission approves Carmel Avenue second‑story addition with design changes

The Albany City Planning and Zoning Commission approved design review application PA25‑012633 on June 25, 2025, to allow a 693‑square‑foot second‑story addition to a single‑family home on Carmel Avenue, subject to changes to the addition's roof pitch and street‑facing windows.

Staff said the project would enlarge the existing main level and replace part of the upper level to create a roughly 2,100‑square‑foot, four‑bedroom, three‑bath residence with a maximum 20‑foot height at the addition. Mira Hahn, an associate planner for the City of Albany, presented the application and told commissioners, “Tonight, I'm here to present [the] design review application, PA25‑012633, Carmel Avenue,” and outlined the scope, materials and setbacks.

The proposal places the new second story toward the rear of the house, recessed about 27 feet from the front façade, and preserves a detached 345‑square‑foot garage the owners plan to convert to an accessory dwelling unit in the future (that conversion is not part of this review). The addition would include a skylight above stairs, painted stucco to match the house, composition shingle roofing for the addition, fiberglass‑clad windows and a wood trellis and porch at the rear.

Commissioners raised visual‑design concerns about the new roof height and the placement of windows, citing the addition's attic/storage volume and how the new wall area would appear from the street. Commissioners discussed head height, attic storage and floor‑area‑ratio constraints; staff noted the project is close to local FAR limits. The project team said mechanical equipment would be electric heat‑pump systems while an on‑demand water heater would remain gas.

Architect Cecil (on the record as the project architect) explained that staff had asked the team to reduce the roof slope and described the current and proposed slopes, saying the front clay‑tile roof is about a 4:12 pitch and that the proposed addition had been drawn at a 3:12 pitch after staff consultation. Cecil said the design team reduced pitch to retain usable attic storage while complying with review guidance.

The commission approved the project 3–0 with conditions: change the addition's roof pitch (maintaining the existing ridge line) to a 4:12 slope, increase the size (glazing area) of the four street‑facing windows on the addition, and encourage—but not require—the applicant to consider clay‑tile detailing along the eave line. Commissioners and staff noted a 14‑day appeal period before building permits may proceed.

The commission received no written public correspondence or in‑person public comment on the item during the meeting.