Planning commission approves variance to waive barn set-aside for small addition at 1 Morgan Lane

The Rolling Hills Estates Planning Commission approved a variance for zoning case 26-75 on July 21, 2026, allowing a 112-square-foot interior addition to proceed without the municipal-code-required stable and corral set-aside. Staff told commissioners the 0.65-acre lot is irregular, has more than a 35-foot elevation change and is already legal nonconforming with roughly 90% lot disturbance, making it impractical to locate the 1,000-square-foot set-aside outside easements and setback areas.

"Staff recommend that the Planning Commission open the public hearing, take testimony, provide direction to staff and the applicant, and consider Resolution 2026-12 for approval," the project planner said during the presentation. The planner also noted the property is exempt from CEQA as construction of an addition to a single-family residence and that staff received no written public comments within the 1,000-foot noticing radius.

Commissioners discussed the item after closing the public portion; several members stressed the city’s equestrian character while recognizing the parcel’s constraints. Chair (S1) said the commission treats such relief “very rarely” and only in "unique and special circumstances," but agreed the lot’s slope and easements make a barn or set-aside infeasible. Commissioner (S4) moved to approve Resolution 2026-12, the motion was seconded, and a roll call vote recorded approval by the commissioners present. The motion passed; one member (Mister Douglas) was listed absent earlier in the roll call.

The approval relieves the current property owner of the obligation to identify a stable/corral set-aside now; staff noted future property owners could still apply for construction of a stable and corral if conditions on the lot change. The commission did not impose additional conditions beyond those in the resolution.