Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Hi. Good afternoon. I now call to order the development review hearing of 10/15/2025 at the time of 04:00. Good afternoon. My name is Sheldon Aseng, and I am the hearing officer for today's agenda as delegated by the director of community development, Akshad Ahmed. Planner in attendance is assistant planner, Summer Foss. I have some things to mention before we get into some of the general business here. Distribution of the agenda. The agenda is available on the city's website and under the calendar event on the Friday afternoon preceding the meeting. There's no one in attendance today in the chambers.

So, declaration of procedures. The hearing procedure and order of input for this hearing will be as follows. Identify each project as prescribed in the agenda. First items on the consent calendar, I will ask if anyone wishes to speak on the item. If a separate discussion is warranted, I will move the item to the public hearing portion of the agenda.

A separate discussion is not needed. The item will remain on the consent calendar for approval. Those items listed under public hearing, I'll ask staff to provide a brief report. The applicant or their representative will have up to five minutes to speak and should identify themselves by stating their name for the record. After the applicant or the representative has spoken, any member of the public who wishes to speak on the 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 throughout the 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 will 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 the agenda items are final unless appealed within seven calendar days.

Continuances or exceptions. Are there any requests from the applicants or the public for withdrawal, continuance, or exception, or any of the other items on today's agenda? So no one's here in chambers by DC. A person online. It's seen nothing there. Moving on. Consent calendar. There is one item on the consent calendar. Item one is a development review hearing minutes of 10/01/2025. That was a special meeting.

Anyone has any comments on this item, please raise your hand. Say no hands for item number one. It is approved on the consent calendar. So moving on to public hearing items. We have two today.

Item two is action on the architectural review. It's PLN 2500275 for the interior remodel and reconfiguration of a bedroom to a fifth bathroom, closets, and a large living area, an existing 2,234 square foot one story residence located at 2655 Bonnie Drive. CEQUA status is exempt from CEQUA. Summary, you ready?

Yes. Thank you. Development review officer. This is item number 22655 Bonnie Drive. I am Summer Foss, assistant planner.

This is the architectural review request for the reconfiguration of interior space within the existing 2234 square foot single story residence to remove one bedroom, add a fifth bathroom and walk in closets, and enlarge an existing bedroom and living room, resulting in a four bedroom, five bathroom house. The existing site is a 6,000 square foot lot. The surrounding uses are single family to the south, east, and west, and public quasi public to the north. The zoning is r one six l single family residential, which is consistent with the general plan designation of very low density residential. Here's a rendering for the outside of the home.

This area here is being converted to a JADU, but that is not up for review today. So there are changes to the existing home here. However, that is not up for discretionary review at the hearing. Here is the site plan for the proposed developed area of alteration is over here. Again, this is being proposed to be changed to a JEDU, but that is approved through a building permit, not through the discretionary review process.

Here is the floor plan. This is the area of construction over here. We see the extra bathroom we see the fifth bathroom here. And this part is part of the living room and bedroom that is being expanded. It is consistent with the design guidelines because there are no proposed exterior changes subject to discretionary review. The action being considered is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA guidelines section fifteen three zero one e one class one existing facilities.

Staff recommends that we determine the project to be categorically exempt from

the California Environmental Quality Act, formal to pursuant to CEQA guidelines section fifteen three zero one class one existing facilities and approve architectural review for the reconfiguration of interior space within the existing 2,234 square foot single story residence to remove one bedroom out of fifth bathroom and walk in closets and enlarge the existing bedroom and the living room resulting in a four bedroom, five bathroom home. Thank you. Staff has not received any public comments on this project.

Thank you for that. Yeah. I've I've got a view of maybe someone trying to get into the chambers here, up from the outside. So I'm just gonna maybe, yeah, maybe you just check that on the outside doors there, eventually. Hi.

We're sorry sorry about that. Usually, that's that is very strange. Have a seat wherever you you you can be cozy here or you can be over there. Wherever, that's fine. When you are yeah. If if you we just got through the presentation for the project. Maybe just give a really brief Okay. Gooey. It's real brief. Real fast.

It's Sure. We'll do the request It's for architectural review for the reconfiguration of interior space within the existing 2,234 square foot single story residence to remove one bedroom, add a fifth bathroom, and walk in closet, and enlarge an existing bedroom and living room resulting in a four bedroom, five bathroom house. And then here we have the project rendering. We do see some exterior changes here, but that is not up for discretionary review at the hearing today. That will be approved through a separate building permit process.

Here we can see the site plan. The area of work is over here on the left side of the property. And here we can see the floor plan where the additional bathroom is added and the enlarged living room and bedroom. And staff want recommends that we determine this project to be categorically exempt from CEQA and to approve the architectural review for the reconfiguration of interior space.

Okay. Thank you. We're doing that a couple times. So now, the order is we've referred the staff presentation. I I don't have any questions at this time for staff, but, open up to the applicant. If you wanna speak, then please come to the podium. State your name. Okay. Are you the app are you the applicant?

Good evening. Yes. I'm the applicant. Jeff Quinta, Innovative Concepts, thirty five fifty Stevens Creek Boulevard, San Jose, California. So I only have two questions. Thank you for the approval. It was very nice.

I've got there yet. Oh, yeah. We got there yet.

Okay.

Well, recommendation for approval. How's that? To be technically correct. So once approved, is there an appeal period before we can submit to the building department?

Yes. There is. Yeah. There's seven days. Okay. Seven Seven calendar.

Seven days. Calendar or working days? Calendar days. Calendar days. Okay. Second question regarding the conditions of approval. I can see that they need to be signed by the homeowners. So here with me tonight. Is that and it's probably a question for you. I know they have to be affixed to the plans, and they should be signed and affixed. Is that correct?

So prior to the issuance of the planning permit, those will need to be signed and returned to the planning department.

I think the question was the condition approval. Yeah. I think it would be if you put them on within the first couple of sheets of the plans, the work the working center drawings. And that way, when someone's looking at the plans through the building permit, we can check off and anybody else Yes. Yes. Right. See that

What do does do the and they need to sign the conditions. Does the signed copy need to be affixed to the plans?

That doesn't need to happen. We'll have the signed portion of it in record already.

Okay. And will you be sending out an approval letter?

I will issue a permit to you at the end of the seven day appeal period.

And and yes. And then you send out the letter?

I will email you that.

Okay. Yeah. Reason I ask, because when I resubmit to building the plans, they're gonna ask for the approval letter as part of that.

I will also upload it as a document in the ASCELA application. Yes. And I will email it to you as well.

Oh, and the signed conditions of approval should also be uploaded?

Yes. That will also be uploaded to the PLN for in ASCELA, the planning application.

Okay. Oh, to the PLN file. Okay. Alright. Thank you. No more questions.

Thank you. Okay. I don't think we've had a lot of questions from from the applicant before it was. So this is a new thing. It's good. I like it. So next, if we have any public comments, anybody else wants to say anything or looking online? Because sometimes we have people anyone online, if you wanna speak on this item on Bonnie, please raise your hand. Alright. Seeing none.

I have a question just for for you. So if you can bring up the elevation. That's fine. So I know I think this you have this stucco band, I guess, a little where there was Wayne Scott. I think before the project, the property had, like, maybe stone or something like that.

Yeah. I think in the past, it may have been. Specifically, that's the case. I'm not going that direction of the stone, but I'm wondering if the, the owners would be open to I know that the top part is yellow. It's all yellow. If there's a open to having a contrast color below that. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Yes. If you're open to that. Okay. Then that'll be great. That'll just be an added condition. Whatever color you choose is a good contrast, that would be fantastic.

Okay. Thank you. So with that, I'll close the public hearing, and I do agree with staff's recommendation. So and for the findings, so I do, determine the project to be exempt from CEQA, section well, class one existing facilities, and then as well as approve the architecture review for the project. As I mentioned, it's a seven day appeal period.

Thank you for coming. Sorry about the inconvenience. Okay. Thank you. Moving on to item number three, action on the architecture review, PLN 2500150For870 square foot 1st Floor addition and 904 square foot 2nd Floor addition to an existing one story residence, resulting in 3,245 square foot two story residence located at 1783 Berna Street.

CEQA status is exempt from CEQA. It's a class three new construction or conversion of small structures. Summary, you ready for a presentation? No. No. And I see people online. So I saw I see we can just check.

I just wanted to make sure because I don't know how to fix that.

Yeah. I see Deepak and Nalima, and then there's Vicky, which I think is the is the neighbor.

Okay.

So I think we're good.

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. This is item number 31783 Berna Street.

I'm Summer Foss, assistant planner here at the city of Santa Clara. This is the request for the architectural review for an 870 square foot 1st Floor addition and a 904 square foot 2nd Floor addition to an existing one story residence resulting in a 3,245 square foot four bedroom, three bedroom three bathroom, two story residence. The lot is 8,580 square feet, and the surrounding uses are all single family. The zoning is r one six l single family residential, which is consistent with the general plan designation of very low density residential. Here is a rendering of what the proposed project will look like.

We see a new brick entryway here as well as the proposed second story. The chimney here is existing as well as all of this wood siding in the first story here. Here we see the elevations for the project. This would be the right side view, the front view. The left side view here, we can see that there are high sill windows and the rear view with the double bay windows.

This part here is the 1st Floor addition to the home. Here we can see the site plan for the project. It does meet all of our setback and development standards. Here's the area where the new addition is being proposed. And then here we can see the proposed 1st And 2nd Floors.

As you can see, the 2nd Floor is much smaller than the 1st Floor and has a relatively large setback here on the right side. This project is consistent with the City of Santa Clara design guidelines. The front of the home is oriented towards the primary street frontage with an emphasis on the front porch or entry element towards the street by architectural design and landscaping treatment. And the second story front wall is set back 51 feet behind the property line. Staff has received a comment that the neighbor is concerned about potential privacy impacts from the second story addition.

The action being considered is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA, pursuant to CEQA guidelines section fifteen three zero three, class three new construction or conversion of a small structure. Staff recommends that that we determine the project to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA, formal pursuant to CEQA guidelines section fifteen three zero three, class three new construction or conversion of small structures, and approved the architectural review for an 870 square foot first floor addition and 904 square foot second Floor addition to the existing one story residence, resulting in a 3,245 square foot two story residence located at 1783 Berna Street, subjects to the findings and conditions of approval. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. So now I have the applicant. You wanna say anything about your project, just please raise your hand, and we can allow you to speak here. Deepak or Nalima your applicant?

Okay. If you wanna speak on anything, please raise your hand. Alright. I'm not seeing, anybody raise their hand or the applicant. So now I'm gonna open up for the public. If you want to speak, please raise your hand. Okay. Thank you. Vicky?

Hi. This is Vicky. Can can you hear me?

Yes. I can. Go ahead.

Oh, perfect. Yeah. So we just we just have one concern that we have a, like, a big living room window facing the neighbor, and we would like the neighbors, like, 2nd Floor window placement avoid, like, directly facing the living room window for the privacy on both our side both side. I sent the the email with a picture of the window placement to planning department this morning.

Yes. We do have that. So thank you. Is that all that you want to mention?

Yes. Yes.

Okay. Thank you.

Thank

Alright. So, Summer, then just kind of in response, is there a response from staff regarding a concern?

So you are on the north side of this home. The windows on that side are high sill, so there likely would be little to no visibility into your yard from this side of the home.

So if I could ask the questions there to you, Summer. So what is the step back from the 1st Floor wall on that elevation to the proposed 2nd Story?

I believe the 2nd Story is set back 10 feet from the prop side property line where 10 feet is required by code.

So there's a 10 foot step back from that plane on the 2nd Floor, where that window is.

Yeah. I I sent addition to that

if I could just finish my sentence. And then in addition to that, when Summer mentioned high sill window, that means the window, lower sill is placed, I believe, looking at the plans, at four feet eight inches. It's not an egress window or building exiting purposes. So it's at a high sill already, so someone's gotta be pretty pretty tall to to look through that. And then, yeah, that 10 foot step back. And that's pretty common what we would recommend in situations on side yards for these types of conditions. No. Go ahead, Vicky. What what were you saying?

Then I think it's fine. And, also, the, like, the bathroom window is closer to the living room window, which shouldn't have, like, a lot of traffic from neighbors, so it should be fine for for us. Yes.

Okay. Okay. Thank you. And I think the bathroom windows are required to be opaque anyway, so there's to be some op opacity there. Alright. Just checking if there's any other public comment, or applicant rebuttal. Okay. Seeing none, no other hands, then I will close the public hearing. I I think the project has design, meets our design guidelines, step back, the high ceil windows. We have a variety of materials.

So I think that the project is consistent with our our code and design guidelines. So I would then deem the project to be exempt from CEQUA, the class three, as well as approved architectural review for this project. Your project's approved. You have a seven day appeal period, so please work with Summer on that. So no other items. So I now come to the adjournment of the meeting. I I now adjourn the development review hearing at the time of 04:24. So thank you.