REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Variance from Parking Requirement for the Property at 417 Maria Street
Report
BACKGROUND
The applicant requests approval of a variance to the covered parking requirement of the R1-6L Single Family Zoning District in order to move forward with a proposed 980 square foot living area addition to the rear of an existing house. The property was originally developed with a house and attached one-car garage in 1951, predating the City's requirement for two covered parking spaces pursuant to Section 18.12.120(a) of the Santa Clara City Code (SCCC).
The proposal is subject to the parking requirements of the Zoning Code unless a variance is granted by the Planning Commission.
Pursuant to Chapter 18.108 of the City's Zoning Ordinance, where practical difficulties, unnecessary hardships and effects inconsistent with the general purposes of the Zoning Code may result from the strict application of certain provisions, variances may be granted.
DISCUSSION
The application proposes to remodel the existing two-bedroom and one-bathroom house, and to add two additional bedrooms, one and one-half additional bathrooms and to expand the kitchen, dining and living room common area of the house. The proposed addition would result in a four-bedroom/two and one-half bathroom house. The project proposes to maintain an existing legal non-conforming one-car garage with substandard inside dimensions of 10'4" in width and 22'4" in depth.
To meet the City's two-car covered parking requirement with the living area addition, a significant alteration to the existing floor plan would be necessary to accommodate construction of a new garage or carport for two-car covered parking. The interior clearance requirements for new garage/carport construction are 20 feet by 20 feet for side-by-side parking of two vehicles. The subject property is a relatively narrow lot measuring 50 feet in width, where properties in R1-6L zoning districts are...
Click here for full text