Design Review Board continues review of 1317 Los Alamos home after neighbors raise drainage, massing and privacy concerns

The Santa Barbara Design Review Board on Feb. 24 continued review of a proposal to replace the existing residence at 1317 Los Alamos with a two‑story, 2,818‑square‑foot house and a 733‑square‑foot detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

Board members asked the applicant for more information on massing, view impacts and streetscape treatment and directed the design team to return with site sections showing relationships to nearby homes, an updated proposed streetscape that includes the new landscaping and fence details, and studies to reduce visible hardscape and the visual weight of a two‑story element facing the street.

The project team, led by Liz Hughes of Tom Ochsner Architect and landscape architect Robert Richards, described a site with two levels divided by a steep slope and said the ADU is sited on the lower flat area while the main residence occupies the upper portion. Hughes said the main dwelling would include a second‑floor deck and a roof deck sited to preserve neighbor privacy and capture limited ocean view opportunities. The applicant’s submission lists a proposed total of 4,020 square feet of development on a 12,176‑square‑foot lot; staff noted the main residence alone would be about 82% of the applicable floor‑area ratio without the ADU and that including the ADU would bring the aggregate to about 100% of the cited guidance.

A neighbor directly behind the property, Dodie Galloway of 105 San Nicolas, urged the board to require drainage assurances and expressed concern about the ADU placement four feet from her property line. Galloway told the board: “The size, the scope, and the of this project, it's it's monumental when you look at the lot… if something isn't done then any kind of water is going to be running into my property. I'd like assurance that somehow they were going to tap into a sewer line and that they have a specific drain plan.”

Board members repeatedly raised the frontage massing and the amount of hardscape visible from Los Alamos. Vice Chair Sherry said, “I think the challenge with this lot is it's 2 levels and because your house is under 85% FAR, you're front loading it to the street quite a bit, and that exacerbates the massing.” Several members recommended shifting or setting back second‑floor elements, adding canopy trees in front planters, and minimizing the apparent height of the proposed roof deck railing as seen from the street.

Staff and the board clarified procedural scope: the ADU is in the coastal zone and requires a coastal development permit reviewed by the staff hearing officer and is exempt from the board’s design purview; the board’s review is limited to the primary residence and its design‑compatibility findings.

After discussion the board voted unanimously to continue the item to a full board hearing and requested the following deliverables: existing and proposed streetscape views (photo‑matched) and a proposed streetscape showing plantings and fence adjustments; a site section or perspective from San Nicolas/Shoreline to show how the new balconies and roof deck relate to nearby properties (105 and 109 San Nicolas were specifically requested); a study and proposed modifications to the front elevation to reduce visual massing on the right‑hand side facing the street; study and reduce visible hardscape at the frontage; and proposed screening (planting/fence) for the lower portion of the property.

The board also encouraged the applicant to engage in “good‑neighbor” outreach with adjacent owners, particularly 116 Los Alamos and 109 San Nicolas, before returning with revised materials.

The board’s continuation motion passed 5–0 (Board members Mosley, Richards, Grafaiti, Vice Chair Sherry and Chair Lewis). The board did not make determinations on the ADU, drainage details, or coastal permit requirements; those are to be reviewed through staff and building permit processes and the staff hearing officer where applicable.