Design board continues 700 Hawthorne remodel for corner, landscaping and skylight details

Homeowner Eric presented a remodel-addition for 700 Hawthorne Drive, saying the family needs more living space and higher ceilings in the main living area. He described a plan to raise living-room ceilings from 8 feet toward a 10-foot interior ceiling in the main volume, move solar panels to the lower roof, and retain the house’s existing coastal-shingle character.

Neighbors attending the hearing praised the homeowners’ intent but raised concerns about a projected corner of the expanded living area that would extend toward an existing view corridor, and about the number and placement of skylights and raised solar panels. Dr. Shefaghi, representing neighbors who have lived at their address for decades, told the board that "2 feet from our perspective is an egregious amount" and said the change would meaningfully affect their long-held view.

Board members who visited the site described a constrained lot and recommended several mitigations: reduce the number of skylights, show clearer solar-panel placement (lower-profile mounts were discussed), prepare a site-specific planting/landscaping plan, and explore a small pull-back or shift of the northwest dining-room corner that projects near a neighbor’s window. Several board members said a modest change in that corner’s footprint could materially lessen the visual impact.

A motion to continue for a date uncertain so the applicant could return with refined drawings and a planting/section plan passed unanimously, 4–0. Staff noted scheduling constraints for the next meetings and that the applicant will need to submit materials and a staff report for the next hearing cycle.

What’s next: The applicant is expected to produce revised plans (an annotated site plan showing plantings and fence lines, a section through the northwest corner, and a simplified skylight layout) for staff review and rescheduling to a future hearing date.