14a. 2002.1244DD (M. SMITH: (415) 558-6322)
660 28th STREET - north side of the street between Douglass and Diamond Streets, Lot 043 in Assessor's Block 6605, Mandatory Staff initiated request for Discretionary Review, under the Planning Commission's policy requiring review of housing demolition, of Demolition Permit Application No. 2002.03.20.1923, proposing to demolish the existing one-story over garage single-family dwelling. The proposal is also subject to a public initiated request for Discretionary Review. The applicant has also submitted an application to subdivide the lot into two lots and construct a single-family dwelling on each of the proposed lots. The subject property is located in a RH-1 (Residential, House, One-Family) District and a 40-X Height and Bulk District.
Preliminary Recommendation: Do not take Discretionary Review and approve the project as submitted.
(Continued from Regular Meeting of February 6, 2003)
SPEAKER(S):
(-) Steve Williams - Representing 5 of the DR requestors
- There are 41 people who live around these homes and only 2 support this project.
- The buildings are incompatible with the neighborhood since they are too tall.
- The issues that the neighbors have are to: 1) match the light wells, 2) reduce the depth into the rear open space and 3) reduce the height.
- Five doors down the exact same analysis came from the Department in a nearly identical project. He obviously thought that the same recommendations would be given and they were not. That project is now under construction. Whey is this a different standard.
(-) Cindy Reuter
- Five doors down, staff required that the developer reduce it's rear wall to be the average of the adjacent neighbor's rear walls on the second story and on the third story.
- The proposed projects do not comply with the Residential Design Guidelines.
- These buildings are twice as large as the average three-story home on the block.
- These buildings are just too tall, too deep and too long and too big. The buildings do not step down the hill either.
(-) June Chun
- She lives across the street from the proposed project.
- The homes are just too large and they overwhelm the surrounding homes and neighborhood.
- She is just asking to have this project reduced in size.
(-) Lex Fukumitzu
- He lives on 28th Street.
- He wasn't excited about the construction of the two homes because of the parking issue.
- Almost 80% of the neighbors who live on this block have written to the Planning Department in opposition of this project because of its size.
- Upper Noe Neighbors and Friends of Noe Valley wanted the Project Sponsor to work with the neighbors.
- There is support from Assemblyman Leland Yee and well as Assemblyman Mark Leno.
(-) Rene Pittin
- She lives on 28th Street.
- The project sponsor made promises to the neighbors that he did not keep, for example: that light wells would match, 3rd floor setback, no higher than uphill roof and no higher than project sponsors rain gutter, deeper excavation below grade, dwellings would step down the hill, flat roofs, and that the homes would not extend past neighbors' rear walls.
- Neighborhood character, neighborhood concerns and good neighborliness are not part of this project.
- She would like to ask the Commission to maintain the character of this neighborhood.
(-) Dick and Jerry Meister
- They moved into this neighborhood because of all the sunlight that falls upon this neighborhood.
- They receive a lot of sunlight into their home.
- The design of the new homes showed a huge wall that would cast deep shadows into his home and onto his garden.
- The first plans that they viewed, kept changing without having consulted the neighbors.
(-) Michelle Vignes
- She lives on the east part of the proposed project.
- It is very important for her to have peace and light in her home. She is a photographer and needs to work quietly in her office.
- With the proposed home, it would make her office quite dark. She only needs one dark room.
- She has lived thirty years in the neighborhood and has seen it change but nothing like these monster homes.
(-) Joe Butler - Project Architect
- He would like to ask the Commission to bring an additional 13 feet out of the second and third story so that the rear walls average with the adjacent structures.
(-) Randall Zielinski
- He lives in Noe Valley and is a member of the Friends of Noe Valley.
- He read a letter from the organization who is neutral on this project. They just ask that all neighbors work together on this to resolve all the issues.
(-) Tom Mogensen
- He is Vice President of Upper Noe Neighbors.
- The organization as well as the Planning Department received a letter from Supervisor Bevin Dufty of District 8 inviting everyone to participate in resolving a contentious problem of oversized homes.
- The Supervisor would like to have this problem resolved by participating in this project and finding a solution now.
(-) Julie Christensen
- She read a letter from the Bankorft Library stating how important it is to have Ms. Veene finish her photographical work by having a solution to the proposed homes and that they will not impact negatively into her home.
(-) Nancy Levine
- She lives on 28th Street.
- There is inconsistency with this project and the rest of the homes on this block.
(-) Pauline Shulman
- She lives on 28th Street
- She respectfully asks that the Commission take Discretionary Review on this project.
(-) Diane McCarney
- She is trying to make her neighborhood balanced and hopes that everyone can come to a compromise.
(-) Stan Lekach
- He lives around the corner from the proposed project.
- There are a lot of homes who have gardens and trees. If these houses were to be built as proposed, it would be a huge imposition and impact negatively on the adjacent homes.
(-) Phyllis Lyon
- She lives on Duncan Street.
- She hopes that the Commission will approve a Discretionary Review on this project.
(-) Del Martin
- She is here to support the Discretionary Review requestors.
(-) Bonnie Lindahl
- She lives on Duncan Street since 1963.
- She would not like the proposed homes to become an intrusion into their marvelous green space which has been protected for many years.
(-) Donald L. Eesley
- He lives on Duncan Street.
- He is in support of taking Discretionary Review
- Big buildings are not part of where he lives.
(-) Richard Meyers
- He lives on 28th Street.
- He is opposed to anything that would change people's lifestyles.
(-) Rich Levine
- He lives on 28th Street.
- The project sponsor has not had consideration to the neighborhood and there is no consistency with the homes on the block.
- The comments of the residents are plain and simple.
- He is not asking that the development cease, he is just asking for consistency in the neighborhood.
(-) Klaus Wirsing
- He lives 25 feet above the proposed building site.
- he made additions to his home a few years ago and excavated also to keep the roof line of the adjacent homes equal.
- This is something that the project sponsor could do to he proposed home.
(-) Patrick McLane
- He and his wife are the most recent residents of this neighborhood. They came to this neighborhood because of all the open space and air.
- They totally respect the right to develop property. They just ask that the property be developed that is in keeping with the adjacent buildings, that is of a scale that is consistent with the slope and that it's in keeping with the local neighbors.
(+) Steven Aiello - Project Designer
- HE is proposed two units where only one exists.
- San Francisco has a variety of homes and neighborhoods.
- Both of the adjacent neighbors' homes project further back than the buildings around them.
- He is only developing 50% of the total developable volume on the downhill volume and 57 1/2% on the uphill building.
- Both building are below the required height limit.
(+) Mary Sangiacomo
- She lives on 28th Street.
- She supports this project since the project sponsor will take a property which probably does not comply with building requirements and develop it into two very reasonably sized homes in a City which is in need for single-family housing.
- She and her husband have reviewed the plans and agree with the design.
- She hopes that the Commission will approve the project.
(+) Andrew Junius
- There are smaller houses on the block but there are also larger houses on the block. Just because one house is larger than the adjacent one does not constitute Discretionary Review.
- There are no substantial issues here to justify Discretionary Review.
(+) Val Rabichev - Structural Engineer
- The foundation will be lower than the uphill neighbor.
- This construction will be conducted in a safe manner with all the requirements of the San Francisco building code.
- The changes requested by the Discretionary Review requestors would make the construction of the homes riskier.
(+) Phillip Whitehead
- He prepared the soundness report and he is available for any questions.
(+) Claire Piltcher
- She founded Friends of Noe Valley 32 years ago.
- She is in support of this project. This is a great project.
(+) James McFadden - Project Sponsor
- He is not a developer and is just trying to build a house for his growing family.
- He and his wife want to remain living in Noe Valley.
- They plan to have about 4 or 5 members of his family live in the proposed homes.
- There are dozens of trees which will be removed and allow more and clearer views for the neighbors.
- If this building were across the street or lower down the block, they would probably not be here.
- They have made numerous changes to the design to accommodate the neighbor's issues.
(+) Maureen McFAdden
- She and her husband would like to remain in Noe Valley and enlarge their home.
- The project falls far within the San Francisco Building Code.
- Her husband has made several revisions to the design of the project.
- She hopes that the Commission will approve the design as is.
(+) Margaret McFadden
- She is the sister of the project sponsor.
- She has letters from neighbors who could not attend the meeting but who support the project sponsor.
(+) Joel Baumgardner
- He is an architect and has known the project sponsor for many years.
- The project is well designed and is consistent with the neighborhood and the residential design guidelines.
- The scale of the project is in line with the trend of the homes on the block.
- There have been several good neighbor gestures made.
(+) Kieran MItchell
- He lives on 24th Street.
- He and his wife support this project.
- He has had an opportunity to view the plans for the homes and thinks that they are quite reasonable.
(+) Catherine McCall
- She is here in support of the project sponsor.
- She read a letter from a neighbor who is in support of the project as well.
(+) Mario Wilson
- There are dozens of large homes in the area.
- This house is not out of character with the neighborhood.
- He just sees people worried about their views and misusing a process.
- The neighborhood needs family housing.
(+) Bob Powell
- He supports the project as proposed since it will be a great addition to the neighborhood.
- He read a letter from a member of the Upper Noe Valley Neighbors Association who is in support of the project.
(+) Heather Aiello
- She read a letter from a neighbor who is in support of the project but could not come to the meeting.
(+) John Dooling
- He has looked at the plans and finds that they are well designed and thought out.
- The proposed project will be a benefit to the neighborhood.
- The plans comply with the building code and zoning ordinance.
(+) Dorothy Walsh
- All her children have had to move out of San Francisco because they could not afford a house here.
- The proposed project needs to have both children's bedrooms and master bedrooms on the same floor.
- She supports the plans as they have been proposed.
(+) Gerry Kiegan
- He is here to urge the Commission not to take Discretionary Review on this project and approve the plans with modification.
(+) Sean Moran
- He is in support of this project.
- The old dwelling in question is uninhabitable and the proposed new construction are well under the height limit and the size and scale are compatible with the other homes on the block.
- It is time to let this project go forward.
(+) Vincent Walsh
- He was involved in the rezoning of the City back in the `70s. They had a lot of conversations about the size, lot and building envelopes. It was specifically intended that single-family homes could be built on 70% of the lot since families should be able to build the kind of homes they felt they needed.
- The proposed home is not unreasonable in size.
(+) Matt Dooling
- He lives in Noe Valley for many years.
- He read a letter from a neighbor who is in support of the project.
(+) Joe O'Donoghue
- The opposition is trying to say that the project is not designed with the residential design guidelines in mind.
- The project sponsor has a growing family and he should have the right to build this project to adapt to his growing family.
- Change is not bad.
(+) Sululagi Palega
- He has been involved in Noe Valley for more than 30 years.
- This neighborhood has always been about good changes and families and children.
- All the houses are different sizes, different shapes and have families with different nationalities.
(+) Joe Cassidy
- He has built a few buildings in Noe Valley.
- There are mostly two and three story buildings near the area where this home is proposed.
- He feels that there has mass negative hysteria just because the Friends of Noe Valley wrote a letter opposed to this project when the members did not even meet about it.
- He feels that the Commission should disregard the arguments from the opposition and approve the project as proposed.
ACTION: Do not take Discretionary Review and Approve Demolition Permit
AYES: Antonini, Bradford Bell, Boyd, Hughes, S. Lee, W. Lee
ABSENT: Feldstein
14b. 2002.1245DDDDD (M. SMITH: (415) 558-6322)
