Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Alright. I now call to order the development review hearing of 01/14/2026 at the time of 04:00. Afternoon. My name is Sheldon Aseng, and I am the hearing officer for today's agenda as delegated by the director of community development, Akshay Ahmed. The staff in attendance today is assistant planner Summer Foss and associate planner Tracy Tan. Distribution of the agenda. The agenda is available on the city's website under the calendar event on the Friday afternoon preceding the meeting. For those, in the chambers, please silence your mobile devices. Copies of the agenda are available for your convenience here at the front. Declaration of procedures.

The hearing procedure and order of input for this hearing will be as follows. I will identify each project as described on the agenda. For those items on the consent calendar, I will ask if anyone wishes to speak on the item. If separate discussion is warranted, I will move the item to the public hearing portion of the agenda. If a separate discussion is not needed, the item will remain on consent calendar for approval.

Those items listed under public hearing, I will ask staff to provide a brief report. The applicant or the representative will have up to five minutes to speak. They should identify themselves by stating their name for the record. After the applicant or rep their representative has spoken, any member of the public who wishes to speak on an item may provide testimony for up to two minutes per speaker, either for or against the project. All speakers are required to state their name for the record.

Following comments from the public, the applicant may make additional remarks for up to five minutes. I will then close the public hearing, and I may ask staff to answer questions, respond to comments made by the applicant or the public, or further discuss the item. And then I'll take action on the item. If you challenge these land use decisions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at this public hearing or in written correspondence delivered to the city at or prior to the public hearing. Actions on agenda items are final unless appealed within seven calendar days.

Continuances or exceptions. Are there any requests from applicants or the public for withdrawal, continuance, or exception to any of these items other items on today's agenda. Okay. We haven't gotten to that part yet. But I also if you want to, I invite you I don't know if you have any chairs. You can sit closer. You can bring a chair and sit closer up here if you want. That helps. I'm not sure if that will help. But

okay. Okay.

We'll we'll get to the, yep. Thank you. Next is no. No worries. I'll keep you in the loop, but thanks for letting me know.

Public presentations. Would any member of the public like to briefly address any item or topic that is not on today's agenda?

I'm Keith Adams. I live in Forest Park adjacent to St. Thomas Woods. I've been hearing things the last month or two about the possibility or it's in planning or you have the planning department has been approached concerning Prunish Golf Club or property, and that the someone mentioned, and I don't want to be passing on rumors, but things have a way of suddenly rising in this town. And I've lived here over fifty five years.

That if it's too late to say anything, but I heard that there's a potential of some real estate owner purchasing or wishing to build on the land across the street from the shopping center on Prune Ridge between Santa Mos and Saratoga. Is that a fact, or am I just passing on stuff that I shouldn't even be concerned about?

That's good question. So something that's not on the agenda, which is which is fair. It's there is an application, development application that is it's been submitted for 400 Saratoga. I think that's the property address that you're

Yes.

It looks like it. So it's in the middle of the process now. There's no decisions that are being made. But I would ask you to, you know, contact us the the planning department and and say that you want to to speak to the planner for 400 Saratoga. And that we'll get you in in contact with that planner, and that person will give you all the information

that you It's not I'm not that concerned that I want to lead some kind of opposition. I just want to know if this is in the offing. It had things like this have a way of spoiling and ruining neighborhoods. I say I've been through a lot of things here. I don't attend much anymore. I'm in my nineties, but I don't want to see something go by. I intend to live a long time yet. Anyway, thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Anyone else or wants to speak on something that's not on the agenda? Okay. Great. Then we're going on to consent calendar. There's one item on the consent calendar. It is item one. It's the development review hearing minutes of 12/10/2025 meeting. Anyone has any comments on this item, please raise your hand. Oh, go ahead.

Property is next door, but one to me. I'm mystified. Usually, this stage, or maybe I've missed it. I've always the people who have been present and or there's been a plan and elevations and all that kind of thing, and I don't see or have any idea. I do know that there were a request for a second story, So I'm just curious. It doesn't mention it does say it's a single no. It doesn't. But I do do want you to know has have plans been presented yet? Okay. Just a request?

So, Keith, right right now, we're talking about, on the consent item, the meeting minutes for the last meeting. We're not talking about any project. We're get we'll get to that. Yep. So we're just talking about the meeting minutes, what was discussed at the last meeting in December.

Oh, I'm sorry.

So what yeah. What'll happen is, we'll get through the this part of the agenda that we'll get to the public hearing. The staff planner will give a presentation, and then we'll open it up for people to discuss. Okay?

That's today now.

That's today. That's today. No worries. Okay. Anyone, has any, comment about the meeting minutes? Please raise your hand. Seeing none, then item one on the consent calendar, which is the meeting minutes, is now approved. So moving on to public hearing. Item number two is a public hearing action on the architectural review for a 1,400 square foot 1st Floor addition to an existing one story residence resulting in 3,400 square foot one story residence located at 472 Muriel Court. The CEQA status is exempt from CEQA per section one five three one class one existing facilities.

I believe, Summer, you have a a presentation?

Hi. Thank you, Sheldon. This is item number two, 472 Muriel Court. I am Sammer Foss, assistant planner. This is the request for the architectural review for a 1,435 square foot addition to an existing 1,971 square foot single story residence resulting in a 3,406 singles square foot single story residence.

The site the lot size is 8,596 square feet. The surrounding uses are r r one six l single family residential, and that is the zoning of this parcel as well, which is consistent with the general plan designation at a very low density residential. You can see that here on this map. Here is a rendering of what the proposed project will look like. It's kind of hard to tell here, but this is popped out.

It's kind of circular. And we see an entry feature here as well. And these are windows on the right side here. Here is a site plan. I just want to point out that the existing garage has a legal nonconforming setback of four feet nine inches. The addition does meet setbacks at five foot one inch here. And this is, I think, five feet 11 inches back here. Here we can see the floor plan. All the areas in gray here are the areas of addition. So we can see that here.

You can see the circular front room a little bit better here. The proposed project complies with the city's single family and duplex residential design guidelines in that the project would create a house design that is compatible in scale and character with the housing types that are typical in the neighborhood as the proposed design will have similar massing to the adjacent properties. The project is found to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15.301 e one class one existing facilities and that the project is a small addition to the existing single family residence. Staff recommends that we determine the product to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act formal pursuant to CEQA guidelines section one five three zero one e one class one existing facilities, and approved the architectural review for a 1,435 square foot addition to an existing 1,971 square foot single story residence resulting in a 3,406 square foot residence. Once single story residence located at 472 Muriel Court, subjects to the findings and conditions of approval.

Staff has not received any comments on this project.

That concludes your presentation? Is that okay. Thank you. Alright. So then next, I will, invite the applicant to speak on this project. If you're either here in the chambers or online. Okay. I see a hand online. You should be able to speak now.

Yes. Hi.

Hi. Hello.

Hi. How are you?

My name I'm doing great.

I'm great. Thank you so much. My name is Azadeh. I'm the designer of this project. And first of all, I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to use that. Thanks for the summary that is that present our project. We truly appreciate it and it's only addition we're proposing a one story addition and remodeling and we are very happy, very thankful if the project is approved by today. Thank you so much for all of your time and support.

Okay. Thank you. So, Summer, if you can put up the slide with the elevation. I just have a couple questions for you.

Oh, sure.

Thank you. I'm just wondering, I don't see it here, but I'm thinking it probably will be light fixtures. Can you just describe where those would be placed on the front here, if any?

Yeah. We for the front here, we have a foyer that we put a stone for the foyer because it maybe it's not as clear here. But if you look at the plan that we have some post in the front of the entry that the entry is coming it needs to go inside that there's a foyer that we put the stone here. And for sure, we put some trim for the windows as well, well, window trim as well.

Okay. And then the, if you go back to the that's okay. So then the garage, I see there's some glass being used. What's the transparency on that? Is that completely opaque?

No. It's about some we use the frosted glasses. That is not because because of the safety, I think it's we don't put the exactly the not the the not the clear glass. We have to ups obscure glass for the one side because of bringing some lights or some, some light inside the garage.

Okay. Thank you. Those those are my questions. So I'll now ask, anyone else that, in the public who wants to speak on this project. So please raise your hand. Okay. Sir? And just state your name again. And

Heath Adams. You're code. I just have a question on the windows. Mainly, it's a beef of mine that I followed all city ordinances, and then I find that neighbors around the entire area are just putting in windows and and sheds and things, extensions, little ones that they want. And then I was initially, I was putting in windows just replacing what we had.

And then I was advised by my contractor that by the ordinance, he had to have I had to have window a window in each bedroom or room had to have more than just a door to it. It also had to have a frontal or side access for the fire department to enter or leave or for the people to pass a stretcher or a a person through the window. Is that gone by the wayside in this in our city, or am I I don't wanna spoil a project. It looks very attractive.

Did you wanna respond to Keith's questions about code requirements and or I I can certainly take it if you want.

I can try my best to answer that. Bedrooms are required to have ingress and egress windows as you stated for fire, and safety.

Yeah. So this this project will, right now, it's going through the planning phase, but eventually, you have to go through building permits, and they'll meet the requirements of the building fire codes. Yep. Of course. Thank you.

So, so if there's, anyone else that wants to speak on this item? I don't see any other hands. So then, I'll close the I'll close the public hearing. And so I think I I feel satisfied with the responses to my my questions and staff's analysis regarding the California Environmental Quality Act and as well as the project meeting the findings. So I will determine the project to be categorically exempt from CEQA and approve the architectural review subject to the findings and conditions of approval.

So thank you very much. There's an appeal period, and I work with Summer on the the building permit side of it. So moving on to item number three. It's a public hearing action on architectural review to allow the demolition of an existing single family residence and the construction of a new approximately 3,300 square foot two story single family residence located at 2645 Ribeiro Avenue. And the CEQA status is exempt from CEQA for section one five three zero three, new construction. Tracy, you have a presentation.

Perfect. Thank you. Tracy Tam, associate planner on this application. The request before you today is for an architecture review permit to allow for the demolition of an existing single story, single family residence and to allow the construction of a new approximately 3,314 square foot two two story single family residence. Project site is zoned R 16 L, which is a single family residential zoning district.

And as you see by the image there, it is surrounded by a sea of other R 16 L single family residents zoning districts. This is the rendering that was submitted for the project. You'll notice that it is a two story house. There is an entryway element with a slightly elevated roofline. The material you'll see sort of in the vertical stacked brown there is a wood siding material.

Instead of it being horizontally oriented, it is vertically oriented. And then the rest of the materials, or exterior material wall materials is a stucco. And there are a handful of windows that you'll see on the floor plan. So right now, you're looking at the site plan. The sidewalk here notes that the front property line is here.

It is meeting the front setbacks, side setbacks, and rear setbacks, and the rear property line being back here. The image that you have on the left hand side, that is the proposed 1st Floor floor plan. You notice that there is a bedroom on the 1st Floor with a garage and the kitchen, dining, living room, things that you would expect to see. On the image for the on the right hand side, that is the floor plan for the, 2nd Story. And so there are three bedrooms on the 2nd Story, a laundry room, a couple of bathrooms.

And the 2nd Story, it's a little hard to tell on this image, but the 2nd Story is set back from the 1st Floor as well, providing additional architectural interest and meeting our code standards. Project has found been found in compliance with the city's adopted single family and duplex residential design standards and that the 2nd Floor is stepped back from the 1st Floor. The 2nd Floor is also less than 66% of the area of the 1st Floor. And the architectural style and the elements used are more traditional in nature. The roof pitch, roof type, and roof materials, are pretty traditional found in the neighborhood.

And the proposed exterior materials, as noted before, it's a combination of stucco and wood siding, although the wood siding is stacked vertically, not horizontally, which are awesome materials found within the neighborhood. AFT did receive one public comment related, on this item, and the public comment was related to impacts to adjacent solar panels as a result of the proposed project on understanding that the existing home on the property now is a one story home, and the proposed project is a two story home. This project is found to be category exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act in that it is a construction demolition and construction of a new nonhistoric house. So it does fall within the CEQA guidelines section one five three zero three a, and it's a class three exemption. Staff recommends that the hearing officer determines that the project be categorically exempt from CEQA and approve the architecture review permit to allow for demolition of the existing single family residence and the construction of a new, two story single family residence subject to the findings and conditions of approval.

And that concludes staff's presentation.

Thank you, Tracy. So I'll open up for the applicant or any presentation or remarks that they may have. Is that you, sir? Okay. Come up and state your name.

My name is Edik Lazari. I'm the applicant and designer of the house. So thank you for opportunity. When we studied the existing house, it was a disaster house with some nonpermitted structure on it, so we decided to demo the house and make a new two story house. So the plan that you've seen, it wasn't our initial proposed elevation and floor plan, but we worked with planning department and Tracy, then at the end, it comes that one.

So I know that we had a we have a comment about the solar. And I know some cities, have a solar study, and we provided that, and I send it to you. My understanding is city of Santa Clara doesn't have shadow study. But based on other cities, we provided a plan for shadow study for June at certain time, 9AM, noon, and 3PM. And it shows only in December in a period of maybe ten, fifteen days.

And between nine to ten, 10:45, it will be shadowed there. There's a long shadow at December. It's almost three times of the height. So other than that, I think building is 24 and a half feet, so it doesn't provide that much shadow. And in December, you know that it's usually is cloudy, so we're not worried about the shadow. Other than that, I don't know if you have a question I can I can

answer? Interesting. Maybe if you can put the elevation up. It's kinda similar. This is recognized. I think similar questions I had for the prior. I think it yeah. I think overall, you know, it's it's got a lot of detail, but I was just wondering about the like like fixtures, and then it's just the transparency of, like, the garage. Yeah. Respond to that.

Yeah. It's nice. But, you know, sir, it's I mean, why? Now people, they wanted something different in cities. It's just for your information, not in cities and Eclara, in other cities also.

And most of the time, we have issue between the key point of the design guidelines, neighborhood compatibility and new designs. Neighborhood is like eighty years, three generation ago. And clients sometimes have issue why we need to follow three generation ago just to see, oh, neighbor's house is just eight feet plate and is hip roof or whatever. So these issues anyway, this is what it came out with. It's not 100% what we wanted. But, anyway, now we have agreement between us and planning. So and our client is happy with that.

Okay. Thank you. So now I will ask if there's any other you can sit down now. Thank you.

Okay.

So now I'll just ask if there's any other member of the public that wants to speak on this item. Raise your hand. Alright. Seeing none, then I will, close the public hearing. And, no, thank you for your comments.

I appreciate that. That sometimes, I think property owners, you know, have some different ideas and concepts, and they come in. And then we have our guidelines and understand that there's some discretionary process, and that's what this is. So I that's why we're here for so I do I do appreciate all that that what goes into this. And I think in this project, I do I do support, what staff's saying about it being consistent with the design guidelines.

And I just from the renderings, I think it's gonna be the project. So with that, I will determine that the the project is is exempt from SQA pursuant to section one five three zero three and then as well as approved architecture review, consistent with findings and conditions of approval. Thank you. So you have an appeal period, and then you can, go ahead and deal with your building permit. So that is the last item on the agenda.

So, we're at the adjournment. I now adjourn the development review hearing at the time of 04:28. The next regular scheduled meeting is on 02/12/2026 at 4PM. So thank you for coming.