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Staff hearing officer approves small addition at 201 Cooper Road
Summary
The City of Santa Barbara staff hearing officer approved a 355 sq ft one-story addition and related modifications at 201 Cooper Road, finding the requested front- and interior-setback adjustments reasonable given an existing legal nonconforming condition; the decision is subject to a 10-day appeal.
Tess Harris, the City of Santa Barbara staff hearing officer, approved a permit for a 355-square-foot one-story addition, a 42-square-foot porch and a 533-square-foot covered rear patio at 201 Cooper Road, finding requested setback modifications appropriate given an existing legal nonconforming structure.
Community Development planner Kelly Braddison summarized the project as an addition that would leave the existing footprint largely unchanged while raising roof volume and updating the front facade. Braddison told the hearing the proposal includes a request for a front setback modification to accommodate a legal nonconforming entrance, an interior setback modification to allow roughly an 8-inch encroachment, and a CEQA categorical exemption under CEQA Guidelines §15301 for small additions to existing facilities. Staff concluded the modifications would secure appropriate improvements and would not negatively affect the neighborhood.
Applicant Matt Hepner presented drawings and scale photos showing the addition in relation to the adjacent property and said the proposed bedroom addition aligns with the existing rear master bedroom. He told the hearing the addition would not worsen neighbor impacts due to grade, vegetation and fencing and described the work as a modest reconfiguration to create a three-bedroom, two-bath home.
Harris asked whether the applicant had consulted adjacent neighbors; the applicant said neighbors had been contacted and that the nearest neighbor supports the project. Harris also questioned design alternatives and accepted the applicant’s explanation that roof geometry and existing FAR limits (staff noted the project totals 2,769 square feet, about 85% of the maximum allowed FAR) informed the chosen layout.
After addressing questions, Harris said the requested front-setback and interior-setback modifications were reasonable given the site’s nonconforming conditions and the minor nature of the encroachment. "I will go ahead and approve the project at 201 Cooper Road," Harris said, adding the decision is subject to a 10-calendar-day appeal period during which a planning commissioner may suspend the decision.
The approval allows the applicant to proceed toward permitting and construction, unless an appeal is filed within the stated timeframe.
