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Commission approves large Saddleback Road home with conditions on grading and construction staging
Summary
The commission approved site-plan review and conditional-use permits for a new 12,000 sq ft home at 80 Saddleback Road, finding grading balanced on-site; staff and applicant described cut-and-fill volumes and mitigation for stormwater and construction staging.
The Rolling Hills Estates Planning Commission approved site-plan review and conditional-use permits for a new residence and multiple accessory structures at 80 Saddleback Road after staff and the project team outlined design, grading and mitigation measures.
Staff described the 4.82-acre property and the application for a 12,000-square-foot house with an approximately 2,000-square-foot pool, an 800-square-foot cabana, trellises, a tennis court and stable/corral facilities. Staff reported the project meets development standards (structural coverage under allowed limits) and said disturbed area would be about 39%, with cut-and-fill balanced on-site (staff cited 11,999 cubic yards of cut/fill during the field visit discussion). Staff recommended opening the public hearing and said the project is exempt from CEQA under Section 15600.
The applicant team explained the grading and massing choices. Architect Joe Spear noted the lot was already disturbed and that the project adds roughly 10.5 percent more disturbance while keeping the total under 40 percent. Civil engineer Dan Bolton said the design preserves existing landforms as much as possible, balancing cut and fill to avoid wholesale reshaping of the hillside. Owner Paul Japan described local ties and said the design was intended to be congruent with the city's rustic character.
During commission discussion members acknowledged the project's large grading numbers but agreed the changes largely occur on previously disturbed pads and that the on-site balancing reduced landscape impact. Commissioners raised corral size relative to a three-stall stable and confirmed construction vehicles would be parked on-site, a condition included in the draft resolution to address neighbor concerns about staging and runoff. With those findings a commissioner moved to approve draft resolution number 2025-10; the motion passed on roll-call vote.
The resolution approves the site-plan review and conditional-use permits with standard conditions addressing stormwater management, construction staging on site and other requirements detailed in the draft resolution.
