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Commission approves 4→3 unit merger at 905–907 Diamond Street, takes discretionary review
Summary
After public testimony on housing quality and family needs the Planning Commission took discretionary review and approved staff's compromise to merge the building from four units to three (rather than the applicant’s requested 4→2), citing balance between preserving housing stock and creating family‑sized units.
The commission reviewed a mandatory discretionary application for a unit‑merger at 905–907 Diamond Street and voted to take discretionary review and approve a 4→3 merger, following debate about the tradeoffs between preserving smaller rental units and creating larger family‑sized housing.
Planning staff recommended a 4→3 merger to preserve as many functional rental units as possible while creating at least one larger, family‑sized unit. The project sponsor and architect said the existing four small units were awkward and poorly configured for families; the proposed merger would reconfigure floor plates, reduce excessive circulation space and deliver a larger unit with modern layouts.
Neighbors offered split views. Some longtime residents and nearby property owners urged preserving the existing smaller units and warned about loss of rental supply; other neighbors and the project architect argued the house historically had been configured differently and the proposed merger created higher‑quality, family‑oriented living space.
After deliberation the commission voted 5–2 to take discretionary review and approve the staff‑recommended 4→3 merger with standard conditions and recordation requirements. Commissioners cited the city’s interest in preserving rental stock while recognizing the documented quality issues with the existing 4‑unit layout.
