Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Commissioners George Selgin.

Here.

Deborah Van Essen. Here. David Collins. Here. Jeff Feu.

Here.

Steven Verver. Laurie Bonnell. Here.

We now have time for a public comment. The public is afforded the opportunity to address us on any matter not on the agenda. Is there anyone who would like to talk to us about anything not on the agenda? Okay, approval of the minutes from our last meeting. Do we have a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Minutes have been approved. Tonight, we have one thing on our agenda, which is a public hearing. And so what will happen first is our planning director will explain the item to be heard and give us a report. We'll ask him questions that we might have. Sorry, I guess that's supposed to be here. Then we'll open the public hearing. The order of testimony will be the applicant, those in favor, those opposed in any rebuttal. After all the testimony has been given, we will close the public hearing, and we will discuss the item further if we need to, and then we will make a motion and a ruling. If you don't agree with what we've decided, you do have a right to appeal. So the first item, or the only item, actually, is a variance application for 1226 Doak Boulevard. Mr. Zeidemeyer.

Thank you, Madam Chair, fellow commissioners. Good evening tonight. The item before you tonight is a request to amend an existing variance for property located at 1226 Doak Boulevard. I know some of you guys were probably on the commission back a few years back when these properties came up along Doak Boulevard. We did do some variances for the front setbacks of the houses because of the unusual shape. of the parcels. Before I get into the project too much, I wanna point out that I have provided the commission with an updated staff report. It should be in front of you tonight. During our preparation for tonight's meeting, staff did identify several numerical errors in the setback measurements contained in our original staff report. Those measurements have been corrected in the updated report that you have in front of you. I do want to emphasize, though, that these corrections do not change the location of the fencing being requested by the applicant, the scope of the variance request, or staff's recommendation this evening. The corrections simply ensure that the setback measurements described in the staff report reflect the proposed fence location shown on the project plans or hopefully on your screen in front of you right now. By way of background, this property was originally a part of a larger parcel at 1202 Robert Avenue. The parcel map was approved in 2010, dividing the property into two lots. Now addressed is 1196, which has a house that was currently finished about a year or so ago, a custom home that was built and finished, and now at 1226 Doak Boulevard. In 2022, the Planning Commission did approve the variances that I mentioned earlier to provide some setback relief for the residents due to the unique shapes of the parcels and the configuration of these lots. The amendment before the Commission tonight applies only to 1226 Doak Boulevard and only relates to the proposed fencing. The property is zoned R1C, which requires a 30-foot front yard setback for fencing along Doak Boulevard. The applicant is proposing to locate the fence approximately 16 feet 5 inches from the front property line, which represents a variance of approximately 13 and a half feet approximately in that neighborhood from the required front setback. The proposed fence would align with the front corner of the house, as you can see in the drawing there, of the existing residence and would not extend any closer to Doak Boulevard than the house itself. While the proposed fence would be approximately 16 feet 5 inches from the property line, it would be approximately 18 feet 4 inches from the back of sidewalk. There's currently no sidewalk out there. As part of the development of that house, a 12-foot wide combined sidewalk class 1 bike path will be installed, much like the adjacent property to the east of that. It is also important to consider the configuration of Doak Boulevard. Looking at this request tonight, there is a 12-foot wide, again, 12-foot wide sidewalk and a bike path, as well as a 10-foot wide landscape median, parkway median between the sidewalk and the curb. As a result, the proposed fence and front corner of the residence would actually be located about 40 feet from the curb line of Doak Boulevard. Staff believes the physical configuration of the property and unusually wide public frontage along Doak Boulevard are important considerations in evaluating the current requests in front of you. Although the proposed fence requires a substantial technical reduction from the city's 30-foot front setback requirement, the fence would still be located about 40 feet from the curb line, like I mentioned earlier. Most importantly, the fence would align with the front corner of the existing house rather than projecting forward in front of the residence. This would allow the property owner to enclose and make reasonable use of his side yard while maintaining a substantial physical and visual separation between the fencing and Doak Boulevard. The applicant is also proposing landscaping between the sidewalk and fence, including trees, shrubs, bushes, and ground cover further softening the appearance of the fencing and maintaining an attractive streetscape. The staff report already identifies landscaping as an important component of the proposal. Based on the unique configuration of the property, the alignment of fence with the existing residence, the substantial separation from the street and the proposed landscaping, staff believes the requested variance provides reasonable relief without adversely affecting the character of the neighborhood. Therefore, staff is recommending approval of the variance this evening, and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Okay, does the commission have any questions for Ken?

One question for you, Ken, is this lot being merged into one lot, or is it still two different addresses? It says an ADU.

So the lot was, the Parcel map was two addresses. There was two lots. Previously, about a year or so ago, there was a house that was constructed down there, a custom home that was on 1196 Stoke Boulevard. And then this one has a house with an ADU that's being built with it as well, if you've been back to see the site. Yeah, it's one lot, including an ADU.

Can you clarify on the diagram, 18-4 from the sidewalk

to the fence, but it's got a 40 foot three from the curb to the fence, which would make the sidewalk.

It's 12 feet wide and 10 feet of parkway between the sidewalk and the curb.

Okay.

So with that, yeah, those additions together. So property line on that piece of, on that property there sits almost, almost two feet behind the back of sidewalks. There's a small little space between the sidewalk and the property line, um, on that piece of property. So that's kind of that line you're seeing, that little bit of a line you're seeing there, that's the 18.4 is from the back of sidewalk, but the actual setback from the property line is 16 feet, five inches.

Okay, any other questions for Ken? Okay, so we will open the public hearing. And the applicant is here, I'm guessing? The applicant? Okay. Would you like to address us? Explain what's going on? Okay. I need you to come up here and state your name and address. And then let us know what your great dream is here.

New custom home. And Mr. Lopez here is going to purchase the home. Dr. Lopez, I'm sorry. And my outlook or my goal is to make that corner lot look beautiful. So we're going to put a custom fence, not a wooden fence, a PVC veneer fence with metal poles. So it doesn't have to be stained or anything. It's really cosmetically beautiful. good on the eyes I guess I would say so that's it you know and since the since Ken mentioned the lot kind of goes from the east to the west it narrows so if we were to go with the 30 foot setback the fence would be I mean his his lot would probably be the size of this this platform so we just want to give him more space to enjoy that half acre basically a half an acre there so I'm an owner builder. Yes.

McGill, are you building the property next door currently?

I had already built the property adjacent to this one, yes.

Okay. Yes.

Any other questions?

You're welcome.

Anyone else who would like to speak in favor?

My name is Vince Lopez. I'm actually the buyer of the lot. I've been eyeing that lot for quite some time. And when I saw the for sale, one of my co-worker, Dr. Diab, who lives about three houses down the street, the same street, mentioned that to me. And I was very happy that I got to touch base with Miguel. I was actually eyeing the house beside it, who is also owned by a doctor at Kaiser, Dr. Padilla, who actually left Kaiser because his license was, there's a question license for the California state. So he'll be coming back, I heard. So he'll be joining us. It's nice to have co-workers in that same street but basically my commitment to you guys is yes i want this house to be beautiful i want this house to have a good landscape i want to give uh of course i i want to live up to the reputation of dope boulevard it will be a nice house and miguel has been very nice to give me recommendations and i support his recommendation um If there's any changes that we need with regards to landscaping, we'll make it beautiful. Yes, that's what we want. We don't want an eyesore in this street. And I believe the patient, the house across it, that's actually my patient as well. So just knowing people around it, I'm very excited to move in. Hopefully we could finish this lot or this house by the end of the year. So thank you. Where are you moving from?

Manteca, yes.

it's closer to Kaiser Modesto where I work at, so. Oh, yes. Yes. So, um, yeah, Dr. Dia will always bug me and say, there's a house for sale. There's a house for sale, but I really wanted to give my two boys. I have a 10 year old and a 12 year old. I know in a few years, they're probably moving out for college. I want them to enjoy the house at least. So we're building a house over there. My in-laws who lives with me would be staying in the ADU. I want to give them their privacy. That's why I built the ADU for them as well. Um, The only challenge now, I have so much lot on the left side, and I don't know what to do with it. But I'm thinking of other stuff to do in that lot. Maybe a nice garden, maybe. Just inside the fence, within the fence. But... That additional fence, that red line, that kind of just makes sense to me. I could enclose the house, and so it will be all the way straight to Robert. And so it will be more visually appealing rather than a piece of my house sticking out, and then the fence would be behind it. So that's why hopefully it will get approved with God's will.

Any questions for doctors? Three doctors over there.

Yes, actually, Dr. Padilla, Dr. Diaz.

No, I just want to know where to go if I can't make it on time.

No, there you go. There you go.

Okay, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Okay, anybody opposed?

Seems to make logical sense.

Okay, I will close the public hearing. Any discussion before we have a motion?

So I drive to every property we look at, and I went over there trying to find something. Only to find out Kenny had already addressed it, okay? Yeah. The fencing, the landscaping, right? I drove the entire street trying to look for something, and it was all right there. It is an unusual lot, and I feel we're lucky to have Vance and Dr. Lopez looking at this, trying to build this type of a property, okay, with an unusual parcel like that. I don't think we could do any better at all.

Well, what's nice is it's going to be a beautiful, improved lot from what it has been for a long time. But I was thinking about the fence line coming out a little bit if there was going to be a traffic issue, but there's not because if you're going to make a right-hand turn, there's no obstruction issue with the fence line. So I don't see an issue.

Yeah. I would agree. It's pretty straightforward. George, you were going to say something?

No, just that I completely agree.

I'll make the motion. Planning Commission approves the amendment to existing variance B22-43 for 1226 Doak Boulevard based on the findings and subjective conditions contained in the statute.

Okay, your proposal has passed, congratulations. We're looking forward to seeing that house.

Good. Excellent. Welcome to Ripon. Thank you.

Okay. So let's see. We have, let's see if we have anything else. Any reports?

We do have a couple items hopefully slated for September's meeting. We're hoping to bring about three of our chapters from our municipal code to in front of the commission. We are starting that process of updating, going through a major update of our code. Clean up.

Exciting business.

It is, I'm telling you. But it is, it's exciting for Tommy, I guess. It is important, though. It is kind of our guiding principles for design of everything, all our different districts. So it is important to review occasionally and make sure we're up to date on these. So we're going to slowly start working our way through a bunch of these, probably over the next hopefully 18 months to 24 months, getting through them. So hopefully those will be on the agenda as public hearings. You guys do make a recommendation to the city council on those. And then I do believe we have a major site review for Rip and Grace Church here in town, right there by the terraces. They are looking to – they actually were repairing their parking lot in the back there and trying to add some additional parking, but had some ideas of making that into more of a multi-use area, maybe having – basketball which i think they had some basketball courts back there but adding pickleball and such um to that area as well so that that'll be coming in front of the commission um for you guys to to vote on um just we have sent out project referrals to that and um I've gotten a few comments, you know, people are worried about noise with that type of stuff, and then also lighting and such. So we'll try our best to mitigate those things, but I don't know if we can fully mitigate noise from pickleball.

Maybe they can put the pickleball courts close to the mortuary.

Well, I don't think they're the ones complaining, but... But, yeah, so it'll be interesting. I don't know, maybe there's some... we're not through kind of getting all the comments back, but you know, there could be some mitigation as maybe time limitations on that type of stuff or things like that, that'll be in front of the commission, but that'll be a project that you guys will get to decide on. And we'll see if any of the neighbors show up to voice their concerns in person too. So those two items for September, and we do have a couple maybe ramping up for October and hopefully some more municipal code for October. Tommy's really excited about that.

You got by easy last year. I'm going to be busy all year.

I'm just trying to get things organized here.

All right. Okay. Yeah. All right. Any other reports? Attorney? Commissioners? All right. The meeting is adjourned.

Until...