Owners of 103 Bolinas Avenue seek variance for 3-foot rear extension; ADR members recommend approval

The owners of 103 Bolinas Avenue asked the Town of Ross Architectural Design Review (ADR) group to recommend that the Town Council approve a 3-foot rear extension to enlarge a bedroom closet, a variance for floor-area ratio and a minor-exception permit to place a heat pump within the side-yard setback.

The request, presented by owner John Bozell, proposes a 40-square-foot addition that would extend the southern wall of the primary bedroom by three feet and recenter an existing high clerestory window. Bozell said the changes will allow a larger walk-in closet and eliminate a drop ceiling; he told ADR members the work would not change building height or width and “there will be no change in the exterior of the building other than the simple 3 feet extension.”

Alex (town planning staff) told the ADR the application seeks a nonconformity permit, a variance for exceeding allowable floor area and a minor exception permit for the heat pump location. Staff also said the town received a letter from the neighbor at 101 Bolinas Avenue raising privacy concerns and requested the ADR group discuss the project and make a recommendation to the Town Council.

Neighbors and ADR members who reviewed the story poles told the panel they did not observe a privacy impact. An ADR member who visited the property said, “I actually agree with the applicants that, there's no privacy issue because the windows are identical to what's already there.” Other ADR members recommended the applicants bring comparative FAR percentages from neighboring lots when they go to Town Council, noting many lots on Bolinas Avenue are narrow and nonconforming to zoning standards.

Bozell said the applicants attempted to reach the neighbor at 101 but had not been able to establish a dialogue; he said they have support from the neighbor to the south and from the neighbor to the west.

At the end of the discussion ADR members present indicated support for recommending approval to the Town Council, though no formal roll-call vote on the recommendation was recorded in the meeting transcript. Staff will forward ADR comments and the project record to the Town Council for its decision.

The ADR discussion focused on privacy impacts, historic nonconforming lot patterns on Bolinas Avenue and documentation the applicants could present to Town Council to justify the variance.

The project will return to Town Council for final action on the permits requested.