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Small Balenas addition prompts neighbor objection and ADR call for proportionality study
Summary
A proposed 42‑square‑foot exterior addition at 103 Balenas Avenue would increase recorded FAR slightly; ADR members generally found the design contextual but asked the applicants to supply a neighborhood proportionality study and engineering details after a nearby neighbor raised privacy and drainage concerns.
At the Aug. 20 Ross ADR meeting, Ariana Van Meers and her husband John Bozell presented a conceptual plan to push a master-closet wall outward by 4 feet and add about 36 interior square feet (42 exterior) at 103 Balenas Avenue. The applicants said the change would restore a walk-in closet shown on original 1990 plans, replace leaky French doors with matching Marvin doors and move a window to regain a view of Mount Baldy.
Staff confirmed the project requires design review, a nonconformity permit and a variance because it increases FAR and encroaches in setback areas as recorded by the town. The applicants said the change would raise their recorded FAR from roughly 26% to about 26.6% (their architect disputed the town’s calculation and reported a lower baseline), and noted the town’s permit fee for a variance is approximately $9,000 — a fiscal concern they wanted to resolve before a formal application.
A nearby neighbor, Veronica, spoke during public comment and described health and mobility limitations; she raised "very serious" objections, citing proximity of the proposed work to her storage building spanning a gully, water/moisture concerns and loss of privacy if the roofline were extended. The applicants said they had shared story-pole views and plans with the neighbor and can provide additional materials and engineering data.
ADR members generally found the design sympathetic to the house and neighborhood context but requested additional materials: a proportionality study showing FAR and setback patterns along Bolinas/Balenas Avenue, story-pole or vantage-point photos from the neighbor’s perspective, and any engineering evidence addressing the neighbor’s drainage/moisture concerns. Several members recommended the applicants speak with staff and the town attorney to understand likely outcomes if a neighbor contests the variance at town council.
Next steps: applicants were advised to gather the proportionality study, story-pole views and engineering documentation before filing a formal variance application.
