Commission approves rear addition and future ADU conversion at 1020 Key Road with variance for reduced rear setback

The Planning and Zoning Commission on April 23 approved a variance, use permit and design review application (PA25‑009) for a rear addition and garage conversion at 1020 Key Road, allowing a 5‑foot rear yard setback where Albany code requires 20 feet.

Associate Planner Mira Han presented the proposal, explaining the property is a substandard lot (approximately 3,520 square feet with a depth of about 55 feet rather than the typical assumed depth of 100 feet). The project would add an approximately 246‑square‑foot rear first‑floor addition and convert a 265‑square‑foot existing garage to livable space; the applicant intends to convert the addition to an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and later construct a detached ADU on the lot. Han said the city’s local ordinance (cited in the staff report as “government section 66,323 in the city's local ordinance”) does not permit a combined detached and attached ADU on one single‑family property, so the applicant structured the work in stages.

Han told the commission the rear addition would not be visible from the street, the rear height would match the existing 10‑foot‑9‑inch height, and that proposed windows on the south side are roughly 47 feet from the property line while windows on the north side are more than 15 feet from the adjacent property. “The proposed project will be in scale with nearby residences,” Han said. She concluded, “Staff recommends that the Planning and Zoning Commission review and approve the proposed project subject to findings and standard conditions of approval.”

No public commenters objected to the application during the meeting; the architect Adam Abraham and the property owners, who identified themselves as Haley and her husband, were on the call and made themselves available to answer questions. Commissioners discussed the need for a variance due to the lot’s substandard size and depth and noted the property backs onto the Ohlone Greenway and BART tracks, reducing the potential for rear‑yard impacts.

A commissioner moved to approve item 6‑1 (PA25‑009, 1020 Key Road). The motion carried on a roll‑call vote with all commissioners present voting to approve. The chair reminded the applicant to keep any story poles up for 14 days and noted the 14‑day appeal period.

The commission’s approval authorizes the variance and design review findings in the staff report and is conditioned on the standard conditions of approval listed by staff. The conversion to an ADU and any subsequent detached ADU construction will require separate building‑permit review to ensure compliance with city building, safety and ADU rules.