Board approves San Marino house design but denies small terrace/planter encroachment variance

The board approved design review and three of four variances for a new two‑story residence at 4 East San Marino Drive, but denied a narrow terrace/planter encroachment request that staff said did not demonstrate a practical hardship.

Ralph Show (architect) presented the contemporary home and explained site constraints posed by the corner/interior lot orientation, which led to requests for variances including a spiral stair to access roof equipment, a wider front walkway/stair to match the broader frontage, and a reduction in rear‑yard pervious area to permit a driveway. He also sought a small encroachment allowance (three inches for walkway, 1.5 feet for a planter) to improve the front aesthetic and entrance composition.

Staff recommended approval of the spiral stair, walkway width and pervious‑area variances but recommended denial of the terrace/planter encroachment because staff said a 3‑inch or 1‑foot‑3‑inch adjustment could make the feature code‑compliant without hardship. Board members debated precedent and whether aesthetic benefit alone justified a variance. "There is absolutely no hardship here," the architect acknowledged during discussion; some members agreed that the planter was largely aesthetic and preferred to deny that single variance while approving the rest.

The board approved the design and variances 1, 3 and 4 and denied variance 2 (the planter encroachment). The decisions were accompanied by typical permit and condition language.

Next steps: Applicant to proceed with permit submittal consistent with the approved variances and revised conditions.