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ADR recommends 313 Upper Toyon parking-pad revision be forwarded to council; debate centered on hardship and fire access
Summary
The ADR recommended that the Town Council consider the design review, hillside permit and variance for a new parking pad at 313 Upper Toyon after the applicant increased the side-yard setback, added screening under the pad and said the change would improve access and emergency maneuverability.
The Ross Advisory Design Review on April 15 voted to forward the 313 Upper Toyon application—seeking design review, a hillside law permit and a variance for a parking pad within the side-yard setback—to the Town Council with a recommendation.
Staff said the applicant revised plans after earlier ADR comments by adding screening beneath the parking pad to conceal mechanical equipment and by increasing the parking-pad side-yard setback from 24 feet to 30 feet. The applicant told the ADR that the property’s existing driveway configuration and a narrow lower drive court limit on-site maneuverability; the proposed pullout/parking pad would reduce overflow parking in the public easement, improve vendor and emergency access and reduce neighbor reliance on shared turning maneuvers.
Discussion among ADR members touched on whether the application demonstrated the hardship findings required for a variance. One member said the lot already has more parking than average for Ross and questioned whether a hardship existed; others said the reorientation of the deck, the added screening and the neighbor’s support suggested the change would improve safety and aesthetics. Several ADR members said they could not personally make the legal findings for a variance but were willing to forward a recommendation to the Town Council for final disposition.
The applicant said they had paused a concurrent accessory dwelling unit (ADU) application after fire/life-safety reviewers raised concerns about the easement’s function as a turnaround and the need to widen the driveway. The applicant emphasized the pullout’s role in keeping the easement clear for emergency access and deliveries.
The ADR’s recommendation will be transmitted to the Town Council; staff will include the applicant’s revised drawings and the neighbor support documentation in the council packet.
