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6. PUBLIC HEARING AND OTHER MATTERS a. P15 -0290, Alok Damireddy Ventures, LLC Application for Design Review approval to construct three apartment units and related site improvements behind the existing dwelling located at 4745 Augustine Street. Zoning for the property is RM -1,500 (Multi - Family Residential), Downtown Revitalization, and Core Area Overlay District. Jennifer Wallis presented the staff report and described the scope, layout, and key elements of the proposal. Commissioner Balch inquired if the window that will remain as shown in the revised place for the first building will be a frosted window. Ms. Wallis replied that it is a window for the restroom, which is typically at a higher level so people are not going to be looking down and out of it. She added that it is currently not required to be frosted but could technically be frosted. fli :l�l�l= i>�[a:l�_1:1IiIH`P!_14 • - � Alok Damireddy, applicant, stated that he is the President of this company and would like to defer his comments to after hearing the opposition's testimony. Ed Cintrone, neighbor, stated that he is the third generation of the family who has lived in the next -door house that has been there for 100 years, and they have always had a view of the ridge. He indicated that the he is not opposed to the back unit of the proposed project, but the two -story front unit is an eyesore that eliminates quite a bit of light, looks down at the two bedrooms and a bathroom of his house, and completely blocks his view of the ridge. He noted that this huge unit is so close to the back of the existing house and inquired what the distance between the two structures is, adding that there are no other units fronting the street that are that close. He indicated that there are only two homeowners on this whole street and he is one of them; all the others are renters who come in and out and will not always be looking at this big structure 24/7. Dana Cintrone, neighbor, stated that the privacy issue is one aspect, but the fact that they are being enclosed and their view that has been there forever is being obscured are a little hard to handle, based on the fact that this new building was never meant to be there. She noted that another aspect is parking in one's own designated parking spot. She pointed out that theirs is a unique little street on which even renters park and which has no street parking available during the Alameda County Fair or some other special events. She added that parking would then be on Old Bernal Avenue which has only a few spots, so parking will become a hardship with this proposal. She suggested that there be only two instead of three structures and that they be placed in the back. Finally, she stated that there is talk about renting to low- income people, but she pointed PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, July 22, 2015 Page 4 of 15