Item 34 - Public Hearing - Appeal Application No. 2024-01 for Construction of a 23’-4” Tall Accessory Building (2221 N Heliotrope Drive)

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CUP No. 2022-06 — Maharajah House Moon Pavilion (2221 N. Heliotrope Drive) August 26, 2024 Page 5 tile roofing, and architectural ornamentation. Staff verified that the structure was not being utilized as a separate living area, but instead was being used as storage for antiquities and cultural artifacts. Planning staff held various conversations with the property owners and property owner representatives (i.e., architects, engineers, etc.) between 2022 and early 2024 regarding the unpermitted work, and provided two options which included removing the unpermitted work and returning the structure back to the original conditions, or going through the required City permits to legalize the work. In May 2024, the property owners submitted required building plans to the Planning and Building Agency to legalize the unpermitted work, and convert the structure into an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) for a separate living space and storage. At the time this report was printed, the building plans were still in building plan check and have not been approved for permit issuance. On July 15, 2024, Planning staff conducted a follow-up site visit/inspection in order to ensure that no additional work had been constructed without the necessary City permits, and in order to provide more recent site photos to the Planning Commission. These site photos have been included as part of Exhibit 3. While staff did notice construction of two additional structures (presented as gazebos in Exhibit 5), these structures did not appear to exceed 120 square feet in size (10 ft. by 12 ft.), and therefore did not require a building permit. Project Analysis CUP requests are governed by Section 41-638 of the SAMC. CUPs may be granted when it can be shown that the proposed project will not adversely impact the community. If these findings can be made, then it is appropriate to grant the CUP. Conversely, the inability to make these findings would result in a denial. The purpose of regulating the height of accessory structures within single-family residential zones is to minimize impacts to surrounding areas and ensure the structures will provide a positive contribution to neighborhood character and identity. The installation of the proposed structure would not result in a change to the existing land use. Instead, the property will continue to be used as it was historically, as a single-family residence. In addition, the proposed structure has been designed to be located away from adjacent properties to minimize the privacy concerns and visual impacts. By locating the structure towards the northeast end of the property, the design limits the potential impacts to the single-family properties along all elevations due the proposed setbacks (twelve and fifteen feet), the existing six foot high stucco wall, and existing mature landscaping ranging in height from twelve feet to 25-foot tall (e.g., mature tree and mature bamboo). In addition, the public right-of-way parkways are improved with mature oak trees along Santa Clara Avenue, which further help to minimize the privacy concerns and visual impacts of the proposed structure. The existing landscaping and mature trees are not proposed to be removed or altered. To ensure that the existing landscaping conditions