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Council approves vertical standing‑seam metal roof after homeowner appeal
Summary
After an appeal and public comment, the Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council overruled the planning commission and approved a vertical standing‑seam metal roof for a single‑family home on Torres Street, finding design guidelines and code findings could be met with conditions.
The Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council on April 1 granted an appeal and approved a vertical standing‑seam metal roof for a single‑family residence on the northeast corner of Torres Street and Second Avenue, overturning a planning commission decision that had denied the roof type.
The homeowner, Brandy Faye, appealed after the planning commission expressed concerns about the fit of a vertical standing‑seam roof with surrounding architecture and about a perceived proliferation of metal roofs. The council conducted a de novo review of the planning commission’s action.
In public comment and at the dais, supporters of the roof emphasized fire‑safety considerations and the practical limits on retrofit roofing choices. Faye described losing private insurance coverage on her existing wood shake roof and said aluminum would be “non‑flammable, nontoxic, and . . . classified as a noncombustible building material.” Multiple neighbors and a local architect testified in favor of approving the roof.
Staff advised the council that metal roofing was not categorically prohibited by applicable regulations but that residential design guidelines typically discourage visible metal roofs unless a deviation finding was made and design compatibility demonstrated. After discussion, the council made findings that the proposed design met the city’s design objectives when conditioned to reduce visual impact and manage color and profile. The council voted to grant the appeal and allow the metal roof with those conditions.
Several residents representing delivery and veteran groups spoke during public comment about practical benefits of metal roofing. Council members said they were persuaded that the property’s architecture and the proposed roof profile could be compatible with the neighborhood and noted the applicant’s willingness to work with staff on materials and colors.
The council’s action included direction that the applicant follow the planning and building conditions the council specified; staff will prepare the formal findings and update the design review record as the project proceeds.
