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8.A. - Page 7 <br /> development of the project, taking into account the maximum home sizes which would <br /> be allowed under the City's Zoning Code. Even if the number of lots currently <br /> participating is reduced by three, that reduction would not result in any new <br /> environmental impacts. While the circumstances are a bit unusual (given the fact that <br /> the lots were previously created and are now under multiple ownerships), the <br /> preparation of the EIR successfully achieves the Council's prior policy direction and <br /> should simplify future City consideration of actual development applications. <br /> The fact that there is not a pending project application would not, by itself, prevent the <br /> EIR from being certified. However, as noted earlier, staff is recommending that the <br /> appeal be granted on more limited grounds to fix the two items described above. <br /> Home Sizes <br /> While not directly relevant to the current appeal, City staff also requests Council <br /> direction regarding one additional issue. There has been some debate regarding the <br /> appropriate home sizes for the development. The Project, as originally proposed by the <br /> applicant and as analyzed in the EIR, proposes home sizes ranging from 3,240 to 5,120 <br /> square feet (with an average size of 3,965 square feet). The EIR also analyzes a <br /> reduced home size alternative, with home sizes ranging from 2,000 to 3,432 square feet <br /> (with an average size of 2,479 square feet), representing a reduction in house sizes of <br /> almost 60 percent. (All square feet calculations include garages.) <br /> The applicant is advocating for the larger home sizes. Those sizes, as proposed, are <br /> consistent with the City's existing Zoning Code, which allows for home sizes having a <br /> total footprint area that is up to 40% of the total lot area. (Thus, for example, for Lot no. <br /> 1, the applicant has proposed a home of 4,400 square feet, which is 40% of the lot's <br /> 11,000 square foot area.) <br /> The EIR alternative ("B") proposing smaller home sizes was based upon a methodology <br /> similar to what is utilized in other Bay Area Peninsula cities having hillside <br /> developments. This methodology was developed based on a survey of those other <br /> cities. Based upon that survey, staff has developed an adjusted slope density formula, <br /> which would reduce the maximum allowable home size by a percentage based upon the <br /> overall slope of the lot, but with a minimum floor area of 2,000 square feet. This formula <br /> is shown in Table 1 below: <br />