Larkspur planning commission approves design review to rebuild fire-damaged house at 8 Loma Vista

The Larkspur Planning Commission on Feb. 10 approved a design-review permit for 8 Loma Vista Avenue to rebuild the rear of a house that was damaged by a 2024 structure fire.

Planning staff presented PLN25-043, telling commissioners the owner proposes to rebuild most of the damaged rear elevations “like for like” while adding a rear staircase, converting a flat roof above the breakfast nook to a hipped roof, and filling a roughly 30-square-foot area behind the garage. Because the house appears on the city’s historic-resources inventory, the project was reviewed by the Heritage Preservation Board and evaluated by an architectural historian; staff said both reviews supported a finding of consistency with preservation standards. Staff recommended approval subject to findings, conditions and Class 1 and 31 CEQA exemptions.

Owner Alex Douglas, who told the commission he had ‘‘always loved this house’’ and wanted to restore it rather than expand it, said the fire left the house uninhabitable and that he planned to move back in once reconstruction is complete. "I really just wanna put this house back," Douglas said.

Commissioners described the proposed work as modest and largely screened from the public right-of-way; several members said the new hip roof was an improvement over the prior flat roof. Commissioner Tara Hall moved to approve the design review; the chair seconded. A roll-call vote passed 3–0 with two commissioners absent. The approval is subject to a 10-day appeal period and the conditions included in staff’s recommendation.

Procedural next steps: the decision may be appealed by filing the required forms and fees with the city clerk during the 10-day appeal window. If not appealed, the applicant will proceed with required permits and the reconstruction work under the approved conditions.