PC 021214 - Laserfiche WebLink

VACSP also states that'The land use standards are to be applied without variance.' Putting a home on top of a hill in an area designated as Open Space hardly passes the red -face test for appropriate land use." Thank you. Alex Win stated that he moved to Silver Oaks Lane back in 2009 and has the distinct honor of being the first resident on that road. He indicated that one of the main reasons they bought the home was because of the backyard: its natural feel, horses roaming around, the birds, and everything else about the backyard. He stated that they did not like the front yard facing the quarry, and so they did not buy that house. He indicated that he will be concerned, therefore, about anything that visually impacts his backyard, and particularly in this case, the retaining walls of nine feet and four feet tall for a combined total of up to 13 feet meandering through the backyard on the hillside, and how 13 feet of wall can be covered and camouflaged. THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED. Commissioner O'Connor stated that there are a lot of conditions in the Conditions of Approval and that he was trying to find one that talked about somehow camouflaging these retaining walls. Ms. Stern replied that there are conditions related to the landscaping on pages 7 and 8 of the Conditions of Approval, and Condition No. 32 specifically states: "The applicant's landscape plan shall help screen the retaining walls from off -site views." She indicated that the complete landscape plan is going to be required with the improvement plan and subject to the approval of the Director of Community Development. Commissioner O'Connor stated that there also was another quote from the VACSP that talked about homes near the top of a hillside having to be visually screened to be effectively invisible. He noted that that is another landscaping issue. Ms. Stern explained that the Specific Plan really talks about minimizing the visual prominence of homes rather than making them invisible. She noted that staff has illustrated this from the actual EIR, showing a home on a slope that is not a prominent visual feature. She added that the design guidelines do require landscaping. Commissioner O'Connor stated that he does not have that part of the VACSP here but that it was quoted by the Mr. Flashman in his letter. Ms. Stern stated that Condition No. 37 also addresses the front yard landscaping for both of the homes. She noted that since the front yards are going to be facing the neighboring homes, those would be the areas that would be addressed for screening. Commissioner O'Connor stated that the condition just talks about the front yard landscaping having to be installed but does not really talk about visually screening the home or making it invisible. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, February 12, 2014 Page 15 of 38