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Design panel weighs modern-style amendment for El Levante homes amid view and compatibility concerns
Summary
Applicants for 110 El Levante requested an amendment to switch approved Spanish architecture to modern; staff noted the original tract approvals and a recent biological update, and the subcommittee said modern could be acceptable but urged stronger modern design techniques to break up vertical massing and better integrate materials.
The subcommittee reviewed a request to amend previously approved architecture for 110 El Levante, where the applicants seek to replace an originally approved Spanish style with a modern design. Staff explained the tract map and prior approvals and confirmed a mitigated negative declaration adopted with the subdivision; because approvals are dated, the applicant updated the biological study and is not proposing changes in protected coastal sage scrub areas.
Applicant John said the view opportunities at the cul‑de‑sac pushed the design toward modern glazing and open-plan elements: "this is the reason the view is pushing us toward the modern architecture," he said, describing expansive window openings and stepped floor plates designed to capture canyon and ocean views. Staff noted the proposal includes a Minor Exception Permit request to reduce a front-yard landscaping requirement because of a garage encroachment and to allow turf-block driveway as partial mitigation.
DRC members debated whether modern architecture is appropriate for that side of the cul‑de‑sac. Several members said modern could be acceptable given the existing variety of styles on nearby lots, but they emphasized modern must be well-executed. Reviewers urged design moves that break up large vertical surfaces — use stone as a base (plinth) rather than full cladding, wrap stone at logical terminations, reduce reliance on thin vertical fins that read as "stuck on" elements, and consider recessed openings, layered planes and thoughtful material transitions so the design reads as deliberate rather than a collection of applied finishes.
The subcommittee suggested specific material adjustments (consolidate stone at the base, use fins to articulate rather than simply separate zones) and asked the applicant to return with revised elevations that demonstrate massing, material relationships and how view openings would be framed without creating excessive vertical massing. The DRC did not block the amendment and indicated it would provide its recommendations to the Planning Commission.
