Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Design Review Single Family topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Albany planning commissioners approve design review for new home at 1126 Brighton Avenue
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a design-review application to demolish a dilapidated house and build a two‑story, ~1,779 sq. ft. single‑family home at 1126 Brighton Ave., subject to conditions including full-divided‑light windows and mechanical‑equipment requirements.
On Jan. 8, 2025, the Albany City Planning and Zoning Commission approved a design‑review application to demolish an existing one‑story single‑family house and detached garage and build a new two‑story single‑family residence at 1126 Brighton Avenue.
Staff told the commission the proposal would replace a dilapidated structure with an approximately 1,779‑square‑foot two‑story house and that the project meets Albany development standards. Staff recommended approval subject to findings and conditions of approval, including a modified mechanical‑equipment condition and a condition requiring building‑permit plans to show a driveway whose width does not exceed the garage door width plus six inches on each side.
The staff presentation noted the project exceeds the residential design guidelines’ 45% floor‑area ratio threshold used to identify “exceptional design,” and clarified that while the guidelines call out a 45% threshold, the municipal code permits up to 60% FAR for some small lots. Staff said the applicant revised the porch and roofline to reduce FAR impacts and to improve the house’s visual relationship to the street.
The applicant described design changes intended to emphasize the porch entry and reduce the appearance of a forward‑projecting garage, and said the front windows would be installed with a spacer bar between the panes (a “full divided light” appearance) rather than the lower‑profile simulated option. Commissioners asked for that detail to be made a condition of approval; the commission adopted a motion to approve the project with that condition and with the revised mechanical‑equipment condition staff described earlier.
The commission voted unanimously to approve planning application 24‑045 (1126 Brighton Avenue); commissioners recorded their votes during the hearing.
The approval includes the standard building‑permit review and the conditions referenced in the staff report, including the mechanical‑equipment condition that staff read into the record and the driveway‑width condition. Staff also noted no written correspondence on the project had been received before the hearing.
The approval is subject to the normal 14‑day appeal period following the decision.
Ending: The applicant may proceed to building‑permit submittal and must reflect the approved drawings and conditions on permit plans. If appealed within 14 days the decision would be held pending appeal resolution.
