Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infill Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves 10‑unit Mount Olympus infill after extensive neighborhood negotiations
Summary
After nearly four years of design evolution and community negotiations, the commission approved a conditional‑use authorization for a 10‑unit family housing infill (five two‑unit buildings) in the Mount Olympus/Corona Heights area; sponsors reduced scale, removed roof decks on certain buildings and committed community benefits and construction mitigation to address neighbors’ concerns.
The Planning Commission approved a 10‑unit residential infill project on a steep Corona Heights site that sponsors and neighbors said evolved substantially over nearly four years of public design review and community negotiation.
Dawson Clinton Contractors and design team presented a proposal to subdivide three parcels and construct five two‑unit buildings (10 family‑sized units), with street‑level improvements, pedestrian safety work and landscaping. Staff found the project consistent with the Corona Heights Special Use District (SUD) criteria and supportive of family‑sized housing. Chris Towns of the Planning Department summarized the site constraints, SUD findings and public outreach record.
Sponsors described extensive adjustments: the team reduced heights on the upper terrace buildings, removed roof decks for certain upslope structures, reduced net square footage by roughly 10% and negotiated written agreements with multiple neighborhood groups addressing excavation, shoring, and construction mitigation. The project team told commissioners it had conducted 19 public meetings and had binding agreements with neighborhood groups addressing geotechnical protections and other conditions.
Speakers representing neighborhood associations, including Mount Olympus Neighbors and Corbett Heights Neighbors, described protracted negotiations and a mix of support and conditional non‑opposition. Several neighbors and association representatives testified they had secured commitments on construction mitigation, hillside stability work and modest community benefits; some speakers raised concerns about process and the handling of community polling but many said the sponsor had been responsive.
Commissioners praised the sponsor’s outreach and the resulting design changes and voted to approve the conditional use authorization with conditions to be incorporated into the permit. The vote was unanimous. Staff and the project sponsor said mitigation measures and conditions – including no roof access on specified buildings, construction monitoring and landscape commitments – will be part of the approval package.
