PC 052715 - Laserfiche WebLink

Don Henning stated that he and his wife moved to the area and watched their house being built, and it was always set on the idea of what was good for the community and what was good for the individual people on both sides. He noted that this water shortage is going to lengthen the time it will take for trees to grow and provide a privacy screen. He mentioned that the applicant remarked that she wanted to sit on her back yard deck and see the mountains, but building a fence or a screen would block off the very thing she wants. He indicated that he understands how it is with sick children, but could not see what difference there would be with having cold air from the second -story balcony versus a backyard on the first -story. He agreed with the earlier comments regarding setting a precedent, indicating that they were fortunate because they face onto Valley Avenue, but there are those others who may want to put a deck on their backyard as well. He noted that this precedent would cause people to lose control of their privacy, and it is not a good idea for the community. Steven Meyers stated that like what most of the people have said, he has no objections to the plan itself but to the back balcony. He agreed that there is no real guarantee that one's neighbor will be there for life. He indicated that pools are a focal point for the neighborhood, and on any given day, there can be up to ten children ranging from pre - school age to 4th Grade playing together, and on a Friday evening, there would probably be up to 12 children. He noted that it would be a place where people are going to gather, and their privacy would be infringed upon by the ability of someone to sit on a second -floor balcony next door and basically have direct and unfettered access and view into the neighbor's backyard and to these children playing. He reiterated that one cannot control one's long -term neighbors, so privacy is definitely an issue and concern for the neighbors. Bill Foley stated that his concern is not only privacy but that it is out of character for the whole development. He stated that he has seen new construction within the development which had an additional space either on the second story or first story, but all facing the front, and those facing the rear are windows, not balconies. He noted that the balconies on the homes in the area were constructed originally, but this would be different. He stated that this is not necessarily bad, but it is different and poses concerns that have been raised by the homeowners and neighbors as to privacy within their own properties. He pointed out that the neighbors are not asking for the project to stop but to move ahead with the exception of the balcony. He added that he has traveled throughout the area on foot and on bicycle, and he did not see any rear - facing decks. He asked the Commission to consider that in any decisions it will make this evening. Ms. Kiziloglu stated that she had an 18- year -old niece, whose mother died of cancer a year ago, who was driving up Fallon Road to get on the freeway and her car suddenly turned and was hit by an on- coming car, and she died on the spot. She stated that one never knows what will happen, how long one is going to live, so one cannot say what will happen to one's neighbor or who will be one's neighbor; whether she will be staying in that house for 20 years or one year or longer than the Cummings. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, May 27, 2015 Page 9 of 18