Council initiates general‑plan amendment to rezone 480 Chapman Drive to allow home addition; approves reduced $6,000 fee

The City Council voted on June 16 to initiate a general‑plan amendment that would change the land‑use designation for 480 Chapman Drive from neighborhood commercial to low‑density residential, allowing the existing single‑family residence to be treated as a conforming use and enabling an approximately 499‑square‑foot addition.

Senior Planner Daniel Fosma described the property’s history: a circa‑1956 single‑family residence on a 9,500‑square‑foot parcel that is a nonconforming use under the city’s current neighborhood‑commercial designation. He told the council that historically the corridor was commercial and the 2023 general plan downzoned some parcels to neighborhood commercial; the applicant seeks a reclassification to match adjacent residential parcels and to permit expansion that would otherwise be disallowed for a nonconforming structure.

Fosma said full application fees for the required trio of amendments (zoning, general plan, and form‑based map amendment) could exceed $36,000 given typical staff time and public‑hearing costs, but staff recommended a reduced flat fee of $6,000 based on an estimated 24 hours of staff time. The council accepted the staff recommendation to initiate the amendment and to apply the $6,000 flat fee, while noting staff could return with a revised refund or billing mechanism if actual hours are materially lower or higher.

The homeowner, Alicia, and representatives from GKW Architects described the family need for an addition to accommodate two young children and showed renderings of a rear addition that would not be visible from the street. The council emphasized that initiation does not guarantee approval; the formal application would be subject to planning‑commission and council review and could be denied following full hearings.

The motion to initiate the general‑plan amendment and approve the reduced fee passed by roll call.