Brentwood ARB approves conversion of garage to library at 8618 Rosalie amid neighbor stormwater concerns

The City of Brentwood Architectural Review Board on a routine vote approved a plan to convert the garage at 8618 Rosalie into a small library and living space for the homeowner.

Jason, a representative of Shea Construction and Design, told the board the project will replace the garage door with a dormer and match existing materials: "That's the dormer right there... siding to match, white vinyl windows to match." Board members reviewed materials and moved to approve the submission.

Neighbor Mike Conley, whose property sits directly behind the site, presented photos and video of recent heavy rains and warned that standing water remained for hours. "The backyard was full of water... 3 hours later, that water was still there," he said, asking whether raising the grade or adding impervious surfaces could divert water onto adjacent yards.

The chair responded that stormwater and hydrology are largely handled at permit review, saying in part that water concerns are "beyond the purview of this board, and it technically still is." Staff and board members noted the city's ordinance requiring a permit and a stormwater study for changes over 200 square feet, and they said the civil stormwater review tied to the building permit will address mitigation. The applicant described short-term mitigation options including a rain garden or gravel infiltration trench to capture new impervious-area runoff.

The board's approval clears the ARB review; the project will next proceed through the city's building-permit and stormwater-review processes, where the hydraulic engineering and any required underground storage or infiltration will be confirmed.