Commission advises redesign for 2 Oxford study session amid floodplain, massing and privacy concerns

The Mill Valley Planning Commission on Aug. 12 held a study session on a proposed new two-story house with a detached accessory dwelling unit at 2 Oxford Avenue and provided detailed design guidance but took no formal action.

Wayne Farrens of The M Group, presenting for Planning Department staff, said the proposal (project number PL25-8) would demolish a single-story, 1,183-square-foot home on a 5,776-square-foot lot in the RS-6 zoning district and construct a new two-story, 1,770-square-foot residence, a 448-square-foot detached garage and a 634-square-foot ADU located above that garage. Staff noted the site is within a FEMA-designated flood zone and floodway and that the design must place finished floor elevation at least one foot above the flood elevation. Staff summarized public comments raising concern about massing, architectural style, privacy impacts from second-story decks and walkways, sight-line and daylight loss for neighbors, permeable paving and artificial turf choices, and the absence of a completed hydrological study in materials provided to date.

Commissioners focused on several recurring issues:

- FAR and ADU treatment: Staff explained that under Mill Valley rules an ADU that is effectively attached or connected to the main house can be exempted from adjusted floor-area calculations, but…