Lafayette design panel reviews 6‑story Mount Diablo condominium proposal

Lafayette Design Review Commission members reviewed a proposal for a six‑story condominium building at the northwest corner of Mount Diablo Boulevard and Second Street during a study session. The applicant proposes a 58‑foot building with 31 for‑sale units and two podium levels providing 63 parking spaces; the project site is about 0.64 acres in a C1 zoning district.

Staff presenter Stephanie Cervantes, senior planner with the planning department, said the item is a study session and that “the recommendation is to review the proposal and provide feedback to the applicant.” She said the project would include on‑site resident amenities such as bike storage, a dog wash, a fitness center, a yoga studio and a rooftop club, and that the project had been noticed to neighbors within 300 feet and posted onsite; staff received no public comments.

Applicant Nikhil Guerra and Ascend Architecture principal Paul Farah described the design intent. Guerra said he is a local resident and developer and that he wants “something which is beneficial for the vitality and which adds to the vitality and the charm of Lafayette.” Farah said the team aimed to “break the building down” with a strong base, articulated facades and balconies, and explained vehicle access would be from Second Street at one level and Orchard Hill Way at the other.

Commissioners focused on scale and street experience. Commissioner Aron said the building “is much larger than any building within that context” and urged more terracing to reduce perceived mass at upper stories. Multiple commissioners said the proposed 58‑foot height and a two‑story parking podium are out of character with nearby two‑ and three‑story buildings. One commissioner said the podium reads as a “two‑story blank wall” from the pedestrian perspective and recommended pulling parking away from Mount Diablo and increasing landscaping and street‑level activation.

Commissioners also suggested clearer material hierarchy so that materials reinforce massing rather than appearing “a little bit of everything everywhere.” Several asked that the design language used on the Second Street elevation be carried through the Mount Diablo frontage to avoid a flat, boxy appearance. The applicant drew attention to proposed cladding materials, described on the plans as composite wood products, fiber cement panels, board‑formed concrete at the base, corrugated metal (the lighter white/silver elements) and aluminum windows.

The project team confirmed the proposal is being pursued as a density‑bonus product. Staff told the commission the applicant has submitted an SB 330 application but has not filed a formal application requesting any specific waivers, incentives or concessions, so those requests have not yet been analyzed.

No formal motion or vote was taken at the study session. Commissioners concluded by asking the applicant to return with revisions that address terracing, podium treatment and street‑level activation, along with clearer material and detailing information; staff will use the DRC’s comments in the project’s next submittal.