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Commission approves modest rear‑cottage expansion at 71 Granada Avenue after prolonged debate; variance granted
Summary
After a lengthy hearing with competing neighbor privacy claims, the Planning Commission approved the sponsors’ revised plan to expand a rear cottage at 71 Granada Avenue and granted the associated variance, finding the project modest and compatible with the unique rear‑yard pattern on that block.
The Planning Commission on Dec. 10 approved a discretionary review and granted the variance for an addition to a rear cottage at 71 Granada Avenue following extensive public testimony both for and against the project.
Staff framed the issue as a question about preserving a historic rear cottage while allowing modest expansion; the residential design team (RDT) recommended alternatives that would place more mass at the front of the lot. The project sponsors — Ben Pierce and Muriel Maffrey — said they had pursued extensive neighborhood outreach and designed a compact, energy‑efficient addition that preserves garden space and supports their goal of creating a family living space and artist studio. The immediate neighbor and design‑review requester, Diane Rosen, argued that the proposal is too bulky and intrusive and asked that the project be moved six feet rearward to reduce privacy impacts.
Supporters — including several neighbors, local architects and civic figures — said the sponsors’ plan would preserve garden space, improve an aging building and provide a modest, sustainable home. After questions, rebuttals and a period of focused testimony, the commission voted to approve the sponsor’s proposal (decision on discretionary review recorded SEG 6276–6292) and the chair closed the public hearing and granted the variance subject to standard conditions (SEG 6299–6303).
Commissioners noted the project’s modest scale relative to other development patterns, the sponsors’ neighborhood outreach and the unusual block pattern of rear‑yard structures that affects the design context. They also encouraged mitigation of privacy concerns through screening or landscaping.
