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Mr. Benzel stated that the central massing is that of a square looking onto rear <br />elevations which are visible from the golf course. He noted that it explicitly states on <br />page 33 of the Happy Valley Specific Plan that, although it is recommended to have <br />single-story homes, the massing is such that elevations are single story visible from the <br />porch or front surface as well as the sides. He added that he thinks Ponderosa has <br />tried to implement this but has fallen short. He noted that when he initially met with <br />Ms. Hardy, he presented some alternatives that would change the massing and which <br />would be relatively inexpensive to do from a design and builder’s point of view at about <br />$20,000 for each home, assuming an individual is to do those modifications. <br />Mr. Benzel noted that a question was asked earlier regarding the house on Lot 3, which <br />was designed by Terry Townsend. He stated that the proposed Craftsman-style home <br />is about 3850 square feet and has multiple gable on gable, which the proposed <br />Ponderosa home does not have. He noted that the home on Lot 3 is akin to the Brianna <br />Court home that was approved two years ago but has not yet been built. He indicated <br />that it is a very beautiful home with a very complicated roof style, as opposed to the <br />Ponderosa Home which does not necessarily reflect much gable on gable and is a <br />relatively simple tract style home. <br />Mr. Benzel stated that a lot of time has been spent defining “custom home” and inquired <br />what the definition of “tract home” is. He agreed that Ponderosa Homes is one of the <br />best builders in Northern California, but noted that he thinks what they are arguing is the <br />massing and not necessarily the FAR. He indicated that the FAR ratio on Lot 1 is less <br />than five percent, and the FAR of the typical homes at Mariposa Ranch are in the range <br />of 15–20 percent. He stated that Lot 10 is a very long lot on which a square house in <br />being proposed. He asked that the custom development be kept consistent. <br />THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED. <br />Commissioner Blank stated that because his background is information technology, he <br />tends to think in terms of process and procedure rather than product. He presented his <br />definition of “custom” through an example that if he asked Commissioner Pentin to <br />shoot a film about his life, it would be a custom film because it is an order he is placing <br />that Commissioner Pentin would be crafting specifically for him, as opposed to asking <br />Commissioner Pentin to adapt a specific existing movie to him. He indicated that to <br />him, the first is “custom” and the second is not. He compared it to development in <br />which a person purchases a piece of land and goes to an architect to design a home <br />within the given guidelines, specifically for the property owner. <br />Commissioner Narum acknowledged Commissioner Blank’s remarks, but noted that <br />there is nothing she has seen that would preclude a builder from coming in, buying a lot <br />and building a house. She added that this might have been done in Mariposa Ranch <br />and that she thinks that there is no reason Ponderosa Homes could not come in and <br />buy one lot, build a house, and then come in a week later and repeat the same thing. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, February 24, 2010 Page 13 of 17 <br /> <br />