Two Chester Street appeals could set stage for rulings on second stories
Compatibility was issue of concern for planners
Neighbors are supportive
By Nathan R. Huff
When the Town Council takes up the appeals of two Chester Street residents denied additions by the Planning Commission, its decision could reach far beyond the individual applicants.
In effect, the council will be ruling Feb. 22 on what many residents view as the recently drawn "line in the sand" against two-story houses in the Chester Street neighborhood.
Applicants Daryl Monk and Sandra Foster have sought to expand their small, one-story homes, and both have pointed to surrounding two-story homes as evidence that their plans are compatible with the neighborhood. However, the commission majority has repeatedly stated in recent months that the character of the neighborhood is in jeopardy because of out-of-scale additions.
Daryl Monk, who has done considerable research on the sizes and dates of additions in his neighborhood, said that 17 of the 58 homes in his neighborhood are two-stories, and his remodeled home would be the second smallest of those homes.
"I know you have to draw a line in the sand at some point, but you need to look at each and every project individually," Monk said, adding that he has unanimous neighborhood support.
Monk's home is 868 square feet, and his addition would bring the total up to 1,768 square feet, which still falls within floor-area ratio (FAR) and setback requirements. In a letter written to the Planning Department following a Conceptual Development Advisory Committee meeting where staff suggested Monk stick with a one-story design, Monk cites the department's 1998 approval of a two-story house 56 feet from his own property line.
One neighborhood resident who has written a letter on Monk's behalf is Sandra Foster, who is also seeking a second-story addition to her small, one-bedroom, one-bathroom Chester Street home. The plans she submitted are over FAR, but Foster said many of the surrounding two-stories are also over FAR.
"I don't know how, legally, they can approve projects a stone's throw from mine that are almost exactly what I want to do, and then turn mine down," Foster said.
She said that by "red-flagging" any proposed two-story additions in the neighborhood, property values are lowered and it becomes an item homeowners must disclose before selling their property. "Frankly, some of [the houses] are shacks," Foster said, "and I take issue with them declaring that as the standard."
Former Planning Commissioner Kathyrn Morgan, who voted on both Foster and Monk's applications, said the commission, in no way, had prohibited the future building of two-story homes; they just want the additions to maintain neighborhood character.
"We were not just singling out Chester Street," Morgan said. "The town is dotted with small-scale, older neighborhoods with narrow streets, and primarily one-story houses that are more, relatively, affordable."
Morgan said a rush of development in the Chester Street neighborhood was a large part of the commission's decision to adopt FAR limits in the mid-'90s. Large, looming houses were being built that violated both neighborhood character and neighbors' privacy, according to Morgan.
"Everybody mouths the words 'we have a beautiful small town, it's got a history, an architecture, and a small scale,' " Morgan said. "Over and over again people come to hearings and vote to try and preserve that. It's when you come to a specific application that push comes to shove."
Monk said he understands the commission's intentions, but he feels his application satisfies the compatibility and architectural criteria. "I think they're doing the best job they can," Monk said, referring to the commission's attempt to maintain neighborhood "character." "I just think they need to be a little more open-minded."
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
