REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Action on a Variance (PLN24-00217) to Expand into the Front Setback by 6'-6" to Create Additional Living Space for a Residence Located at 1296 Chapel Drive
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
File No.: PLN24-00217
Project: Variance request to expand into the front setback by 6'-6" to create additional living space, including portions of a bedroom and a new bathroom.
Applicant: Rohit George John
Owner: Rohit George John
General Plan: Very Low Density Residential
Zoning: Single-Family (R1-6L)
Site Area: 7,468 square foot
Existing Site Conditions: The project site includes a 1,742 square foot three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom one-story single-family residence.
Surrounding Land Uses
North: Single-family uses
East: Single-family uses
South: Single-family uses
West: Single-family uses
Issues: Consistency with the Zoning Ordinance
Staff Recommendation: Deny the application for a variance to expand into the front setback.
BACKGROUND
On April 24, 2024, Rohit George John, property owner of 1296 Chapel Drive, filed an application for a Variance to encroach 6'-6" into the front setback towards Harrison Avenue. City records indicate the residence was constructed in 1949, and historical imagery indicates that the exterior has not been significantly altered since 1968. The subject site is a corner parcel and is zoned Single-Family (R1-6L) with a General Plan land use designation of Very Low Density Residential.
Variance
The applicant applied for a Variance to encroach into the Zoning Code required front setback to expand the residence, creating a larger primary bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. The City's Zoning Code requires that single family zoned properties have a twenty-foot front setback measuring from the property line. The Santa Clara City Code (SCCC) states that for a corner parcel, the shorter frontage along a street shall be considered the front yard, and the other street frontage would be considered th...
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