San Clemente zoning administrator approves 82‑sq‑ft addition and conditionally allows existing overheight front wall at 107 West Avenida Keyes

The City of San Clemente zoning administrator on March 20 approved a development permit and conditionally approved a minor exception to allow an existing overheight front patio wall and guardrail at 107 West Avenida Keyes, a single‑story home adjacent to a designated historic resource.

Planner Jessica Gattney, assistant planner in the City of San Clemente planning division, told the zoning administrator the proposal (project 24‑576, development permit 25‑042) would add an 82‑square‑foot addition and a 50‑square‑foot covered porch to a 1,281‑square‑foot house on a 4,400‑square‑foot lot. Gattney said the project was reviewed under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and “was found to be consistent” with standards intended to protect nearby historic features.

The issue before the zoning administrator centered on a nonconforming front patio wall and guardrail. Gattney reported that a short front wall encroaches about 3 inches into the public right of way and ranges from roughly 9 to 21 inches in height, while another portion of the wall was described in staff materials as ranging between about 48 and 60 inches and being paired with a 42‑inch guardrail that triggered the…