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• Steven Meyers, Hummingbird Lane, said that any comments hinting at racial prejudice among the Birdland community are both disgusting and undignified. Setting aside the issue of privacy, he concurred with Commissioner Piper's comments that the design of rear-facing balconies simply does not fit with the Monterey colonial style homes found within Birdland. He said he personally found the proposed dormers to be garish and overbuilt but that he could accept them in the spirit of being a good neighbor. He empathized with the Cummings, noting that he has 2 rear facing neighbors with reverse pie-shaped lots. If they were to have something similar to the proposed balcony, his neighbors would have an unhindered view into his rear yard and home. He asked the Council to uphold the Planning Commission's action. Vice Mayor Brown asked if he felt there was any relationship between rear yard privacy conditions and the home one selects to purchase. Mr. Meyers said "yes," though admitted he would not run around his backyard in the nude. If his rear neighbors had such balconies, he might have felt differently about wanting to own his home. Michael Smith, Hummingbird Lane, said he felt the design of the proposed project was completely out of character with the surrounding neighborhood. More importantly, the proposed balcony would negatively affect neighbors' privacy and the resulting precedent could potentially affect the entire neighborhood in a similar manner. He asked the Council to uphold the Planning Commission's ruling. Don Hague stated that he is the applicant's neighbor on the opposite side of the Cummings. He explained that he has no objection to the scope of the project with exception of the balcony, which he said serves no purpose other than to infringe on neighbors' privacy. He said that the photos presented by the applicant show views from the first floor, which vegetation will obviously obscure, and do not address view impacts resulting from the proposed balcony. He said he also has concerns with project construction, specifically the lack of plan to address the staging of materials, dumpster parking and construction vehicle parking and would really like to know what to expect as this moves forward. Vice Mayor Brown asked Mr. Otto to address Mr. Hague's concerns. Mr. Otto explained that the actual staging of a residential addition is not something that staff would normally review. Typically, dumpsters will be parked in the driveway or an encroachment permit is obtained to allow its temporary location on the street. Shelby Ferrari explained that she moved from Burlingame to her home on Hummingbird Lane 5 years ago. She acknowledged the right and desire to make improvements to the older homes that make up Birdland but said that any improvements should be done with a conscientious eye towards the potential impact on neighbors. She said her own young girls play in the Cummings' backyard and she agreed that privacy is a major concern with the proposed project. She said the Cummings have already made significant compromises by not disputing such a sizable residential addition and related construction impacts. With that mind, it seems quite reasonable that the applicant could compromise the balcony. Mr. Ferrari said that while he thinks the proposed project is beautiful the right of privacy, even subjectively, should take priority over architecture and aesthetic beauty. He stated his support for the Planning Commission's decision. Wahida Noorzad, the applicant's sister, questioned how important privacy truly is to the Cummings and other neighbors. She said that when visiting the applicants' home, it is very common for the Cummings to enjoy their evenings with their windows and curtains open and interior lights on despite the fact that one can then easily see them moving about their home. Furthermore, the applicants already have an unobstructed view of the Cummings' property and the balcony will make no material difference. She also questioned the statements about being a good neighbor, stating that her sister has been intentionally excluded from neighborhood activities and told to sell her home. She said she was present City Council Minutes Page 8 of 14 August 18,2015