AgdaPkt 2018-07-23 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

9.A - Page 1 REPORT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manager July 23, 2018 SUBJECT Neighborhood Compatibility and Design Review Process for Major Additions and New Single -Family Homes & Potential Mount (Mt.) Carmel Historic District RECOMMENDATION Hold Study Session and Provide Comments related to Neighborhood Compatibility and Design Review Process for Major Additions and New Single -Family Homes and Potential Mt. Carmel Historic District BACKGROUND In Redwood City, hundreds of property owners improve their homes every year. Most of these improvements are relatively minor, and include kitchen remodels, new roofs, window replacements and other interior renovations. In addition, each year, there are also dozens of major additions to single-family homes, as well as complete tear down and rebuilds of homes on existing single-family lots. Generally, during a good economy, the City issues more permits (both small and large), than during down economic years. Given that we are going into our eighth year of a growing economy, the City has received continued requests for large additions or tear downs and rebuilds, particularly in neighborhoods with high property values. Attachment 1 to this report details the number of large additions and new home re -builds that have been constructed over the past 11 years. These larger projects usually generate more neighborhood concerns than smaller projects. Concerns generally focus on compatibility issues, such as the size and architectural style of the home compared to neighboring homes. Most recently, a number of Mt. Carmel neighborhood residents have expressed concerns about several new homes proposed in their neighborhood. The comments have focused on the size of the homes, the style of the homes, the approval process, and the need to take the potentially historical nature of the Mt. Carmel neighborhood into greater consideration during the review of new homes.