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Planning commission approves variance for 2606 Green Lane addition
Summary
By unanimous vote the commission granted variances for reduced front/side/rear setbacks and slightly reduced outdoor living space for a two-story addition at 2606 Green Lane, concluding staff's finding that the lot's substandard size creates a unique hardship.
The Redondo Beach Planning Commission unanimously approved a variance for property owner work at 2606 Green Lane on May 21, allowing reduced front, side and rear setbacks and a modest reduction in required outdoor living space to permit a first- and second-story addition.
Senior planner Steven G. Yang described the lot as substandard at 2,850 square feet (the city's current minimum is about 5,000 sq ft) and said the project would add a 104-square-foot garage expansion, a master-bedroom addition at the rear, and a 776-square-foot second-floor addition (attic/dormer space above the garage is non-habitable per staff). "The lot was created in the early 1900s," Yang said, explaining why surrounding parcels reflect a mix of nonconforming dimensions. He told the commission the proposal would not increase existing nonconformities beyond what already exists on site and that the owner plans to occupy the home after construction.
The project asks for four variances: a front-yard variance of roughly 4.8 feet, a north-side variance of about 1 foot, a rear-yard variance of about 4.5 feet and a reduction of outdoor living space to 713 sq ft from the 800 sq ft requirement. Yang said staff recommends approval of the exemption declaration and the variances because the lot's irregular size and existing encroachments create a unique hardship in meeting current R-2 standards.
One neighbor (an adjacent property owner) contacted staff with privacy concerns about dormer windows facing north; planning staff said elevations had been adjusted and that the dormers would not introduce additional windows facing the neighbor. Commissioners asked for and received clarification that the small front balcony is an architectural feature and that anything under 1.5 feet projection does not trigger a variance under the zoning code.
After public comment (the applicant's agent spoke in support and there were no other public cards), the commission moved to approve the exemption declaration and grant the requested variances; the roll-call vote was unanimous.
Next steps: the applicant will pursue building permits and plan-check; staff will review building-permit plans to confirm square footage and habitability definitions (7-foot ceiling rule and HVAC) during the plan-check process.
