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Commissioner O'Connor stated that he has been on the Commission long enough to <br /> say that the hardest thing to deal with is neighborhood disagreements and disputes, and <br /> the Commission cannot always make everyone happy, and sometimes it doesn't make <br /> anyone happy. He indicated that when he looks at the building envelope for this <br /> specific site, he does not see another solution without reducing the house even further. <br /> He pointed out that rotating the house clockwise would end up with a lot more grading, <br /> and moving it to the right would take out the natural landscape. He noted that even <br /> though the City did not have all of the original designs, staff provided the Commission <br /> with a whole list of things that took place with the HOA: the original house was <br /> 800 square feet in 1997; it had a lot more massing in the front; and it has been pushed <br /> back. <br /> Commissioner O'Connor stated that when he drove through this neighborhood, it looked <br /> to him like many of the houses seem similar to this proposal or had a lot more massing <br /> forward. He noted that the real kicker for him is the HOA Board's letter dated March 19' <br /> 2015 saying that it approved this house and this grading the way it sits today. He added <br /> that while the HOA Board would prefer not to have more than 20,000 square feet of <br /> grading, he does not see how the Commission could get around it: if the house were <br /> pushed back, it would be outside of the building envelope and also in the higher <br /> retaining walls; and it the house were pulled forward, it would block views even more <br /> than it does today. He then asked staff if there are any vested rights of views in the City <br /> or easements that staff is aware of. <br /> Ms. Wallis replied that she is not aware of any in the City and that there are none in this <br /> area. <br /> Commissioner O'Connor reiterated that he does not see any solution without making <br /> the house even smaller than this, and the HOA Board did approve what is here and it <br /> did meet the guidelines. He added that the applicant has made a lot of modifications <br /> that have reduced the size of the house, and he believes this is a project he can <br /> support. <br /> Commissioner Balch agreed with Commissioner O'Connor and this is actually probably <br /> the hardest thing in terms of trying to address Mr. Monzo's concerns. He disclosed that <br /> he knew both parties and that he met with Mr. Monzo and the applicant quite a long <br /> time ago. He indicated that when he looks at the building envelope, it looks awfully hard <br /> to pivot or rotate on that back corner as suggested or requested, and he does not know <br /> if a reduction of the second story to the first story to preserve their view would be an <br /> option. He stated that the house is beautiful and designed very nicely. <br /> Commissioner Balch noted Commissioner Nagler's statement that the Commission did <br /> not see what it started with. He stated that part of his strategy is that sometimes the <br /> Commission does not want to see how everything is made because it would bog down <br /> City staff, and City staff has been involved with how it's been made, so he trusts that <br /> they helped ease it into this envelope. <br /> EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES, March 25, 2015 Page 7 of 12 <br />