Zoning administrator approves hillside development permit to replace and enlarge deck at 2738 Treetops Way

The Santa Rosa zoning administrator approved a hillside development permit for 2738 Treetops Way to replace and enlarge an existing deck that had been previously expanded without permits.

Planner Susie Murray presented the project and explained that the current owner inherited a deck that had been enlarged without permits prior to their purchase. Because the previous, unpermitted enlargement made the proposed change more than a simple replacement, the project required a hillside development permit rather than qualifying for an exemption. Murray said the site is heavily wooded, that no trees are proposed for removal, and that staff conditioned construction start times to later in the morning to reduce neighborhood disturbance.

Staff found the project categorically exempt from CEQA on the basis of replacement and enlargement of an existing structure and single‑family exemptions. There were no public comments on the item, and staff reported no unresolved issues; the applicant had accepted the conditions of approval. The zoning administrator approved the resolution to permit deck replacement and enlargement. The action is final unless an appeal is filed by March 17, 2025.

The staff presentation included an aerial of the property and nearby open space and said the property is located in a rural residential (RR‑20) zone with a very low density general plan designation. The project was conditioned to avoid tree removal and to restrict early morning construction hours; staff noted the permit addressed a previously unpermitted enlargement.