Planning commission approves pergola variance after neighbors weigh views

The Rolling Hills Estates Planning Commission on a motion approved a variance allowing portions of an accessory pergola to encroach into a 50-foot front-yard setback at 5 Ringbit Road West.

Staff told the commission the item had been continued from September over massing concerns. Since that meeting the applicant removed one of the pergola panels, reducing the visible mass by about 20% and altering pole detailing; staff recommended opening the public hearing and said the project is exempt from CEQA under Section 15303.

Neighbors offered mixed reactions during public comment. A nearby resident who visited the revised plans said he and his wife were "a okay with what they currently have," while Carol Maroney of 17 Southfield said the white posts "impact the feeling that I have of Rolling Hills" and worried the addition would change the area's dark, low-profile character. Resident Susan Sleep said a pergola at the Rolling Hills Community Center is similar in size and materials and "very much blends" with the city's ranch-style aesthetic.

Commissioners praised the applicants' outreach and design changes, and several members said the reduced overhang and removal of a panel substantially lessened the visual effect from the street. One commissioner noted the lot's severe constraints and said removing one more panel would not eliminate posts already necessary to support the structure. After discussion a commissioner moved to approve draft resolution number 2025-09; another commissioner seconded. The commission recorded roll-call approval; two commissioners who were too close to the project had recused themselves earlier.

The resolution approves the pergola variance with the findings and conditions included in the draft resolution. The commission did not specify additional mitigation beyond the changes shown in the revised site plan and the conditions in the resolution.

The commission moved on to the next item following the vote.