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7. Adding two new windows to the rear elevation to allow for natural light into the study area. November 30, 2011 Planning Commission Meeting At the November 30, 2011 Planning Commission meeting, staff informed the Commission that they could now support the proposal based on the recent revisions to the home design. Commissioner Blank felt that massing had been adequately reduced and noted that the new two-story home would be the same height (i.e., 23 feet) as many one-story homes in the area. Commissioner's Olson and Pentin restated their support of the project and Commissioner Narum felt that her concerns regarding massing have been addressed based on the revisions and could support the application. Commissioner Pearce felt that the project was in conflict with Policy 17 (noted on page 3 of this report) and could not support the project as proposed. Therefore, the application was approved by a 4-1 vote subject to the conditions in Attachment 1. The Planning Commission Meeting Minutes can be found in Attachment 7 for the Council's consideration. DISCUSSION The Bourgs' primary concern with the application is the scale of the proposed home in relationship to its "lot." The subject property has a retaining wall that divides the property with one two-story residence (215 Neal Street) located on the east side of the retaining wall and one single-story residence (205 Neal Street, the subject dwelling) located on the west side of the retaining wall. The proposed home would be located on a lower pad from the house located at 215 Neal Street, approximately 2,808 square-feet in size, which has the appearance of and functions as an independent lot. This issue is discussed further in the floor area ratio (FAR) section below. Neither home (205 or 215 Neal Street) is considered a second dwelling unit and similar to other properties Downtown, the two dwellings that exist on the property are pre-existing legal non-conforming uses in that there are two pre-existing units on one lot zoned R-1-6,500. Therefore, neither house is subject to the Zoning Ordinance provisions for second units (i.e., setbacks, size, etc.); new construction would follow the site development standards of the R-1-6,500 District for a main dwelling unit. With the exception of the front yard setback and parking, the proposed project would comply with all other development standards of the R-1-6,500 Zoning District. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) In the R-1-6,500 Zoning District, the maximum FAR is 40%. FAR calculations are based on gross floor area (habitable space), accessory structures, and garage space that is not dedicated for parking. As proposed, the FAR for the overall subject site is 34.21 percent (1,518 square feet (205 Neal Street) + 1,594 square feet (215 Neal Street) + 114 square feet (accessory structure) = 3,326 square-feet/9,428 square feet (subject lot) = 34.21 percent); which is below the maximum 40 percent. If the two structures (205 and 215 Neal Street) were treated independently, with the retaining wall being the common side property line, the subject house (205 Neal Street) would be Page 5 of 7