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Planning commission approves deck expansion and variances at 33 Carlson Court with tree‑protection and landscaping condition
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Summary
The Ensemble Planning Commission approved a design review permit and three variances for a deck replacement and 135‑sq‑ft expansion at 33 Carlson Court, subject to a detailed tree‑protection plan for a 40‑inch cedar and a condition requiring fire‑department‑compliant landscaping at the base of a combined 12‑ft wall and fence.
The Ensemble Planning Commission approved a design review permit and three variances for 33 Carlson Court, allowing the replacement and a 135‑square‑foot expansion of an elevated deck and construction of a new retaining wall and fence.
Staff contract planner Jacob Bard told the commission the lot is substandard (6,310 square feet versus the 7,500‑square‑foot minimum in the R‑1 zone) and that the property’s steep rear slope and cul‑de‑sac frontage justify the requested exceptions. Bard said the project is categorically exempt from CEQA under the Class 1 exemption and recommended approval with conditions, including a required tree protection plan for “a mature 40‑inch cedar tree at the front of the property, which will be protected in place.”
Architect Abba Rahimi Farab, presenting for the applicants, described the work as a modest, code‑compliant update intended to preserve the property’s only usable outdoor area: a TimberTech (or equivalent) composite deck and code‑compliant 42‑inch rail, a rebuilt retaining wall and a six‑foot fence atop it, and stair and lighting improvements. The project proposes a total deck area of about 435 square feet and a combined wall/fence height of up to 12 feet at the highest point of the slope.
Commissioners said they were generally supportive of the design and of the findings that the lot’s geometry and slope create special circumstances that make strict compliance impractical. Several commissioners urged measures to soften the visual impact of the tall wall and fence. Commissioner Jennifer (first name used in the record) moved to approve the project with an added condition requiring landscaping at the base of the wall that meets fire‑department standards; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
The commission’s action adopts the staff resolution approving the design review permit and three variances, subject to the staff findings and conditions, including a detailed tree‑protection plan in the building permit phase and the landscaping condition. The commission noted there is a 10‑day appeal period from the decision.
Appeal instructions, the staff report and plans are part of the project record; staff told the commission that notices were mailed to property owners within 300 feet and no public comments were received during the noticing period.
