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Commission approves raising and restoration of 145 Bolinus Road; parking to be addressed under CUP
Summary
The commission approved a plan to raise a 1920 craftsman cottage at 145 Bolinus Road above base‑flood elevation, permit a 284 sq ft rear addition, and incorporate parking considerations into the conditional use permit rather than a separate variance; staff recommended the plan and commissioners emphasized preservation and fire‑safety conditions.
The Fairfax Town Planning Commission on June 18 adopted Resolution No. 2026‑13 to allow rehabilitation, raising and a modest 284‑square‑foot rear addition to a historic 1920 craftsman cottage at 145 Bolinus Road.
Staff told the commission the project lifts the house about 2 feet 2 inches to sit above the base‑flood elevation, uses Secretary of the Interior rehabilitation standards to preserve historic character, and will condition the approval on an interior fire‑sprinkler system and a structural vegetation management plan reviewed by Ross Valley Fire Department. The staff report noted the lot’s narrow, tapered shape (about 21 ft at the rear) and an access easement that limits additional parking on site.
Applicants Benjamin and Samantha Herbertson and designer Matt Owens described structural distress, the need to raise and rehabilitate the house, and plans to recreate the front porch to match existing street appearance while placing a modest addition at the rear. "We were able to buy it and we mortgaged everything we had," owner Benjamin Herbertson said, and the team stressed their intent to preserve the property’s historic character.
Commissioners examined whether the scope exceeded the town's 50% threshold (which can trigger different parking rules). Staff and commissioners concluded the scope is less than 50% and that a separate parking variance is not required; instead, parking conditions can be included within the conditional use permit per central‑commercial conditional‑use code section 17.100.110.C2. Commissioners directed staff to remove stand‑alone references to a parking variance and to add specific language under CUP findings documenting that the existing tandem parking arrangement is being incorporated into the permit.
A neighbor on Zoom, Scott Hawkstraer (owner of 141 Bolinus Road), spoke in support of the project and praised the owners. After resolving the parking language and several editorial changes to the draft resolution, the commission voted unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2026‑13 (Cardoozo: yes; Feffer: yes; Jansen: yes; Petron: yes; Newton: yes; Chair Swift: yes). A 10‑day appeal period was announced.
Next steps: staff will finalize the resolution edits to remove variance references and to add tailored CUP language addressing parking, confirm plan dates and submittal completeness, and circulate the final resolution; the project will then proceed to building‑permit review and agency sign‑offs.
