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Discussion related to the construction of a solid fence for privacy was <br />supported by the appellants and the Planning Commission. Ultimately, it was <br />not made a condition of approval due to the competing concern for <br />maintaining the open fencing that had been required for the original PUD to <br />maximize the open views both from the residents outward and the public as <br />they look up into the subdivision. The City has made a practice of requiring <br />open fencing in hillside subdivisions so that the hillside is not checkered with <br />terraced solid fencing. Residents of this subdivision have had a strong <br />interest in modifying this requirement to allow solid fencing throughout, which <br />the City has been discouraging to date. <br />/ Mitigate privacy concerns by requiring additional landscaping on the <br />neighbors fenceline as well as on the Bawas' rear property line. <br />It was noted that there is existing landscaping planted along the uphill <br />neighbors fenceline that will grow to a height greater than the ridge of the <br />second unit. The materials are newly planted and need more time to be an <br />effective screen. The PUD restricts the height of landscape materials to <br />12 feet. The Planning Commission considered requiring the Bawas to add to <br />the existing neighbors' landscaping but after further discussion acknowledged <br />that the Bawas would also be planting materials to screen the structure along <br />the rear yard property line. <br />Similarly, to screen the proposed unit at the side yard property line, the <br />Bawas are installing landscaping that will screen the structure when the plant <br />materials mature. <br />The Planning Commission denied the appeal, thereby upholding the Zoning <br />Administrator decision by a 3-2 vote (Commissioners Narum and Fox dissenting), <br />subject to the staff-recommended conditions of approval plus a new condition requiring <br />that an automatic fire sprinkler system be installed in the second unit. <br />Commissioners in support of the project noted that the applicants had made reasonable <br />efforts to mitigate the neighbors' concerns by reducing the massing and height. The <br />dissenting Commissioners indicated they continued to have concerns with the privacy <br />impacts the second unit would create on Mr. Chen and his family and wanted to explore <br />moving the second unit closer to the applicants' home. <br />Prior to the vote on the project noted above, the Commission had considered continuing <br />the item requiring the applicant to return with alternatives depicting how the site would <br />change if the second unit were located elsewhere on the site. A motion to continue <br />failed with those dissenting observing that continuing the item would cause additional <br />delay and may not attain consensus as other neighbors could then be impacted and <br />that the applicant had reasonably tried to mitigate the concerns. The Commissioners <br />opposed to continuing the item further acknowledged that the applicant had been <br />working steadily with the neighbors since 2006 until filing in 2007. They noted that the <br />Page 6 of 12 <br />