Neighbors and planners push back on proposed two‑story garage and solar walkway at 820 N. Price Road

Olivette — The Planning & Community Development Commission on Dec. 19 heard a detailed presentation about a proposed phased yard project at 820 North Price Road that would add a 427‑square‑foot covered walkway fitted with solar panels and a detached 1,020‑square‑foot garage with a second‑floor accessory dwelling unit.

Planning staff told the commission the covered walkway is subject to community design and site‑plan review because it carries solar panels on an accessory structure. Staff flagged several specific code triggers: accessory structures are capped at 600 square feet for administrative approval; accessory structures are generally limited to 15 feet in height for staff review; the commission has a 10% cap on total accessory‑structure coverage per lot; and any combination of improvements that raises new impervious area over 1,200 square feet requires an engineered best‑management practice (BMP) for stormwater.

“Because of the inclusion of those solar panels and the uniqueness of the project, we brought it before you,” a planning staffer said, noting the proposed garage would be roughly 1,020 square feet and approximately 26 feet in height with the living unit above the garage. The staff presentation recommended acting only on the walkway unless the petitioner supplied a full phased site plan and the stormwater information needed for an engineered BMP.

Petitioner Ilya Adelman told the commission he intends to use the second floor for family—“the intent was never to rent or lease or Airbnb”—and said he had positioned solar panels on the south‑facing walkway because large specimen trees shade the garage roof. “We did a whole light study to figure out exactly where on‑site they would be optimized,” Adelman said. He added the team was willing to redesign or reduce square footage to meet code limits.

Neighbors urged the commission not to approve the garage as submitted. “The building is 26 feet tall, but due to the grade difference this building will rise 29 feet above my backyard and sit six feet off the property line,” said Tim Hellman, who lives directly south of the proposed structure. Hellman and other residents characterized the garage and living space as oversized for the neighborhood, said the design could overlook adjacent yards, and asked that full stormwater and tree‑preservation reviews be completed before any approval.

Commissioners and staff expressed similar concerns. Staff noted the lot is narrow (roughly 55 feet wide where code anticipates 100 feet), which reduces options for shifting massing and makes privacy and overshadowing an important consideration. They also emphasized that approving the walkway and garage together as currently proposed would push cumulative accessory coverage and impervious surface above administrative thresholds, triggering more intensive stormwater engineering.

Following public comment, the commission did not take formal action. Members asked the petitioner to return with an integrated site plan that addresses accessory coverage, revised massing or reduced garage size, a concept stormwater management plan, and clearer tree‑preservation documentation. Staff said it would accept revised materials at least one week before the commission’s next meeting. The commission is scheduled to reconvene Jan. 16, 2025.

What’s next: The petitioner and architect will work with staff on redesign options (smaller garage, relocate or reduce walkway, or put panels on the garage), prepare stormwater mitigation that shows whether an engineered BMP will be required, and coordinate with neighbors on privacy and grading. The commission deferred action until those materials are submitted.