Board approves second-story addition above garage at 1801 Lagoon View Drive with conditions on lighting and screening

The Tiburon Town Design Review Board on Feb. 6 approved a second-story addition over the garage and a reduced wraparound-deck replacement at 1801 Lagoon View Drive, subject to conditions that address exterior lighting and screening.

Property owner Alex Rosner presented the proposal with architect Ron Sutton. Rosner said the project responds to safety and livability issues: replacing a failing cantilevered deck, reconfiguring a large existing lower-level primary suite into two children's bedrooms and a playroom, and adding a new main bedroom above the garage. The proposal reduces total deck square footage slightly while adding a modest upper-level addition placed to minimize view impacts.

Rosner said the upper-level addition would sit well below the town's 30-foot height limit and that the design keeps the addition's profile low (about 7 feet 7 inches above the current roof ridge) and set back from neighbors. The applicant said existing vegetation and lot topography provide screening and noted letters of neighbor support, including from nearby downhill neighbor 1799 Lagoon View Drive.

The board reviewed two requested variances: a modification to an existing lot-coverage variance (the project adds approximately 76 square feet to existing coverage) and a minor expansion of a nonconforming deck into an adjacent side-yard setback by about 18 inches to improve egress and usability. Staff recommended findings in support of both variances; the applicant agreed with staff's report.

A downhill neighbor who submitted late mail spoke at the hearing and shared photographs demonstrating the view of the story poles. The neighbor said they had installed a Photinia hedge to provide additional screening and asked the applicant to limit any roadway-facing downlights and to consider slightly smaller eaves because a large four-foot eave can add perceived bulk. The applicant replied that screening was important and agreed to examine downlight fixtures and eave depth during final design.

During deliberations the board recommended conditions that address the neighbor's concerns. The board added a condition requiring exterior lighting to be fixed and shielded and a contingency condition that if the neighboring 10-inch pine tree must be removed at the neighbor's request (for example, by the fire authority), the applicant must replace it with an evergreen tree at least a 24-inch container size. Several members also advised exploring noncombustible deck surfacing because of the site's susceptibility to wildfire.

The board moved to adopt the staff-prepared resolution with the additional conditions on lighting and replacement screening; the motion passed unanimously.