3132 Charing Cross Road – Too big a house on too small a lot.

On Wednesday, December 8^th at 9:30 am the Glendale Planning Hearing Officer will hear a variance case regarding 3132 Charing Cross Road.  Information on how to attend the hearing can be found here.  Concerned canyon residents can express their views by calling Milca Toledo at 818-937-8181 or emailing her at  MiToledo@glendaleca.gov.

The Glendale Planning Commission staff has recommended a denial of this variance.  Below are specifics as outlined by the city.

APPLICANT PROPOSES:

Construct a 2,764 SF single-family residence on at 6,069 SF vacant hillside lot.

1. Reduction of the required minimum 10-foot interior setback (for the building and retaining walls), and to allow a reduced interior setback of zero for the building along the north-easterly (left side) property line and propose the construction of two, five-foot high retaining walls within five feet of the interior property line.

3. Reduction of the required minimum 40% ungraded open space on a lot with an average current slope greater than 30%; the project proposes 31.8% ungraded open space.

4. Increase the maximum allowed floor area ratio (FAR) to 0.42 on a lot with an average current slope greater than 40%, where 0.3 is the maximum.

CODE REQUIRES:

 Standards Variances

1. The minimum lot size for purposes of constructing a new dwelling unit on lots divided prior to June 26, 1986 is seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet (GMC 30.11.030 and GMC 30.11.060).

2. Building and structures permitted after May 2, 1991, shall be setback a minimum of 10 feet from the interior property line (GMC 30.11.030 Table 30.11-B), and retaining walls within five feet of the interior property line must be under three feet high.

3. A minimum of forty (40) percent of the site area in the R1R zones shall be ungraded open space for any lot exceeding an average current slope of thirty (30) percent (GMC 30.11.040 F).

4. The maximum floor area ratio shall be 0.30 for the first 10,000 sq. ft. of lot area on a lot with an average current

RECOMMENDATION

Staff believes the required findings of fact for Variances to construct a new 2,764 SF, three-story house has not been demonstrated, and therefore, recommends the Planning Hearing Officer deny the following variances requesting to:

1. Reduce the required interior setback to zero along the north side of the property where a minimum 10-foot interior setback is required (for the building and retaining walls greater than three feet high); and

2. Reduce ungraded open space to 31.8 percent where a minimum 40 percent ungraded open space is required on a lot with an average current slope greater than 30 percent; and

3. Increase the total floor area ratio (FAR) to 0.42 where the maximum allowed is 0.30 on a lot with an average current slope greater than 40 percent.