AgdaPkt 2003-06-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

ATTACHMENT EDWARD AND SUSAN WILSON 454 BARKENTINE LANE REDWOOD CITY, CA 94065 -1126 MAY 022003 ';J (G50) 614-4407 I CITI' 0Z GEDWOOL) C! Ty . \' CLERK May 2, 2003 City Council Members: Mayor Richard S. Claire Vice -Mayor Jeff Ira Jim Hartnett Diane Howard Colleen Jordan Barbara Pierce Ira Ruskin City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road Redwood City, CA 9406' Application for a Variance (V2003 -02) Application for an Architectural Permit (AP2003 -20) 454 Barkentine Lane, Redwood City, CA Susan R Edward Wilson, owners Dear City Council members, 9.A -�a CO � _ - Cmoft r ftm lial _ Fm Dept Public Works Dept. Human Res. Dcr Library DepL Z PocksERz:. Dcrt.� / Pol Dcct _ __ _ 900 °crt A. 'A'e are sorry to ask to impose on your valuable time with this appeal, but we do not feel our application for a variance (V2003 -02) was considered or acted upon fairly by the Zoning Administrator (Notice of Official Action, dated 5/1/03). We hope you will be able to give careful consideration to the facts in this case and can reverse the variance denial. The attached documents provide a concise summary of the matter. Much more information that we researched and presented with the application is on file with Blake Lyon, project planner. Briefly, we are applying for a variance that would allow a 15 foot rear setback (Ordinance 1130.273, effective 11/15/1990 increased the rear setback from 6 feet to 20 feet). Our home backs onto Mariner Park in the Redwood Shores community of the City of Redwood City. This is a 17 -acre open space area. which is especially wide at our location We feel that this proximity to open space, combined with the presence of several surrounding trees, a 70+ foot tall heritage Redwood tree preventing expansion to the front- and the relatively small size of our lot, provide the basis for findings in favor of a variance. Cleary, feN% situations such as this are truly black and white in terms of making judgments, which is h\ an appeal process like this exists However, we feel that in several relevant facts in this case, the Zoning' Administrator (ZA), neA in this position as of November 2002, has made extraordinarily unreasonable judgments based on the factual evidence. There is no argument that our property backs onto Mariner Park, but the present ZA has decided that that fact is not a "special circumstance" (although prior Redwood City ZA - s have, as have several other cities on the Peninsula) There is no argument over whether our property has 6500 ft or that there are no smaller properties bordering Manner Part, on our side, but the ZA has judged that it is not small enough. There is no argument that