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Seaside Planning Commission unanimously approves use permit for rear-yard deck at 1265 Muscow Street
Summary
The Seaside Planning Commission on May 13 approved use permit UP 2026-00005 to allow a five-foot rear-yard deck projection at 1265 Muscow Street, finding the project reduces an existing nonconformity and fits the neighborhood. The decision is appealable within seven calendar days.
The Seaside Planning Commission voted unanimously May 13 to approve use permit UP 2026-00005, allowing a five-foot projection for a rear-yard deck at 1265 Muscow Street.
Assistant planner Mitchell Wexler told commissioners the proposal covers a single-family parcel in the RS8 zone and would add about 491.08 square feet to the existing deck area. Wexler said the property’s existing deck was legally established in 1976 and that the proposed design moves the structure closer to conformance with current setback rules under SMC section 17.30.100.E and table 2-3 in section 17.12.050.
The commission asked multiple technical questions about site elevation, neighboring property grades and fence locations. Wexler said the lot sits on a slope and that the proposed deck—at roughly four feet above grade—could change how neighbors perceive sightlines, but staff concluded the project would remain accessory to the dwelling and would fit within neighborhood character. Applicant Heather O’Hara, who identified herself as one of the owners at 1265 Muscow Street, said the addition is intended to create usable outdoor space for her young children and clarified that the side portion of the deck remains within allowable side setbacks.
After public comment was closed with no speakers on the permit, a commissioner moved to approve the use permit and another seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Staff reminded the applicant that the decision may be appealed in writing to the city clerk within seven calendar days from the decision date, with a required filing fee and a clear statement of grounds for the appeal.
The commission’s approval was framed as a site-specific finding that the deck, as revised, reduces a prior nonconformity and will not substantially change the residential character of the block. The permit is subject to the project plans and the conditions of approval outlined in the staff report.
