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Hearing to consider an appeal of the approval of a map amendment for Subdivision Map TM91-1239-C to allow a map correction to the recorded final map for Serrano/Village H, Unit 3, Lot 117, to remove the recorded vehicular access restriction adjacent to Gresham Drive for a secondary driveway on property consisting of 0.95 acres (APN 123-110-22) in the El Dorado Hills area; Appellant: Hannelore and Donald K. Willett. Applicant: John and Patricia Grigsby. (District 1)
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RECOMMENDED ACTION: Planning staff recommends the Board deny the appeal, thereby upholding the action of the Planning Commission on July 12, 2007, conditionally approving TM91-1239-C.
Background: Tentative Map TM91-1239-C, Serrano/Village H, Unit 3, Lot 117, was approved by the Planning Commission on July 12, 2007, and appealed by Hannelore and Donald K. Willett, an adjacent property owner. The Planning Commission approved the map correction allowing the removal of the access restriction from Gresham Drive that is adjacent to the westerly boundary of Lot 117 to allow for a secondary access.
As shown on Attachment 5, the information submitted by the appellant on the appeal form are the italicized words noted below. The points raised by the appellant in the appeal of the Planning Commission's decision to conditionally approve the map amendment are as follows:
1. Impact to enjoyment of use of rear yard.
Discussion: The project site is located in an approved subdivision designed to include the natural topographic features consisting of rolling hills and aesthetic visual values. The project site has been graded, and a single family residence is currently being constructed. The eastern portion of Lot 117 has 0 to 10 percent slopes that increase to approximately 30 percent to the westerly boundary adjacent to Gresham Drive. The driveway proposed to encroach onto Gresham Drive has been graded and graveled and has a less than 20 percent slope. The vehicle access restriction was placed as a strict interpretation of the Design Improvement Standards Manual, Section 2, Subsection B8, which discusses double frontage lots. The proposed driveway has been designed with the intent to avoid visual impacts to adjacent neighboring lots.
The request to remove the vehicular access restriction is consistent with applicable policies in the El Dorado Hills Specific Plan as well as applicable Zoning Code Ordinances and the Subdivision Ordinance, Section 16.72.040.
The County Department of Transportation (DOT) supports the removal of the vehicular access restriction provided the applicant shall place a deed restriction on Lot 117 along the entire frontage of Gresham Drive to maintain a minimum sight distance for access to the site with a height restriction for placement of landscaping, including any other obstructions, to a maximum height of six (6) inches above the existing ground and meet the provisions of El Dorado County Standard Plan 104A-1.
2. Bought our lot, no driveways would be allowed there.
Discussion: The subject property is zoned One-family Residential-Planned Development (R-1/PD). No new conflicts with setbacks or easements relative to the structure under construction or any other development standard or requirements of the Zoning Ordinance would be created by the elimination of the vehicular access restriction. A finding was made and approved by the Planning Commission that the removal of the access restriction would not be detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare and not be injurious to the neighborhood.
The Commission approved this application on a 4-0 vote, with Commissioner Tolhurst being absent. There was no public input at the hearing. A letter was submitted to the Planning Commission objecting to the secondary access. The letter's author is the appellant in this case. There were no new significant issues discussed other than those in the staff report.
Contact: Gregory L. Fuz (5445)/Lawrence W. Appel (7698)/Gina Hunter (3617)