HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC Agd Pkt 2013-10-02 (3)APPELLANT(S)
(Attach additional pages ifnecessa ),0
Name: di
_ 4+ h md: �
Mailing
JUL 2 9 2013
TOWN OF TIBURON
NOTICE OF APPEAL
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920 Phone 415.435 -7373
www.ci.tiburon ca us
Telephone: qp — L4> r 1jLO � }�,J Home)
FAX and/or e-mail (optional): !q , %Ccps ,�j ecry, 4 "7 � CE 4:�e4s s i , G a, •�j
ACTION BEING APPEALED
Review Authority Whose Decision is Being Appealed: !✓ �' f�
L
Date of Action or Decision Being Appealed: 2!-N %f
Name of ,
Type of Application or Decision: ,g- -PP/1 =V "Q'
GROUNDS FOR APPEAL
(Attach additional pages if necessary)
q STAFF USE ONLY BELOW THIS LINE 2
Last Day to File Appeal: Date Appeal Filed:
Fee Paid:_ Receipt No. / O (P/ C Date of Appeal Hearing:
NOTE: Current FSling Fee is $500 initial deposit for applicant and $300 flat fee for non - applicant
SaAdminiatrationkForwWonce of Appeal farm revised 3.9.2010.doc Revi Iq March 2010
EXHIBIT NO.
I OF (3
600 Ridge Road
Tiburon, CA 94920
July 29, 2013
Tiburon Town Council
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Re: Appeal of DRB Decision re 510 Ridge Road Project
Dear Dan:
Phone 415/435-4506
Facsimile 415/435 -7483
This project remains so impactful on my home at 600 Ridge Road that I must appeal the
DRB decision of July 18, 2013. While progress was made, it did not reach a point of
compliance with the findings for Site Plan and architectural review.
Very minor changes would go a long way in mitigating the nighttime light issues which
have been raised. There are three absolutely crucial elements that need to be
addressed.
The grounds for appeal are as set forth in letters from my attorney Riley Hurd, my
architect Michael Heckmann and myself, which are already part of the administrative
record and are attached to this letter for your convenience. This appeal may be further
supplemented.
The three crucial issues are the following:
1. North- facing entry windows shown on sheet DR9. This is an area of the existing
home where there is currently no glazing. These windows should be made
clearstory or screened. if they aren't addressed, all of the gains made in regard
to the dining room window would be completely undone and my night sky view
compromised. I really don't think the plan would be compromised if these
windows were raised or screened.
2. Dining room window. I would ask that applicants simply utilize the louvers they
originally proposed to screen just the north - facing portion of this window, as it
EICHIBIT NO I_
P. z. op 3
Tiburon Town Council
Attn: Daniel M. WatrOLIS
July 29, 2013
Page 2 of 2
will still be very bright for me even though it is reduced in size from an earlier
proposal. They would still enjoy sweeping views while protecting those uphill.
3. Lower hallway windows wood screen. I am comfortable with this screening
solution, but would simply request that the applicants provide me with detailed
and specific specs of the slats such that we may independently confirm their
efficacy for this application. This detail should be such that the light will not be
seen from my home at 600 Ridge Road.
A letter with the same three concerns was sent to Architect Swatt on July 19, 2013. He
replied that he sent it to his client for response. I did not hear from his client and so I
phoned Paul Wong and requested a meeting to discuss these issues. Mr. Wong refused
to meet with me and has never been to my house to see what I am talking about, even
though I made numerous requests that he visit my home so he can see the view from
my home. Because Mr. Wong refuses to meet with me or my representatives, I am left
with no choice but to appeal the DRB decision. I believe my remaining requests are fair
and reasonable and should be approved on appeal. I still welcome a meeting with the
applicants at my house with Mr. Swatt attending.
Very truly yours,
Z-� /," --
Bruce Breitman
encl: Check for $300
Letter from architect Michael Heckman to Robert Swatt dated July 11, 2013
Letter from attorney Riley Hurd to DRB dated July 13, 2013
Letter from Bruce Breitman to DRB dated July 15, 2013
cc: Michael Heckman
Riley Hurd, Esq.
Robert Swatt
Miya Muraki
Paul Wong
Julie Huh
IBIT To, EX-H
T?. 0OF13
July 11, 2013
Swatt -Miers
5845 Doyle St. #104
Emeryville, CA 94608
Attn: Bob Swatt
RE: 510 Ridge Rd.
After my review of your revised plans dated 718113, it is clear that many of the changes you have
made to the project show progress on the problem areas of the previous design. It also helps to
have a landscape scheme with clearer concepts and graphics. However, there are still some
remaining issues that need attention in order for my client to be able to support this project.
These issues are as follows:
The new home design has documented that much of the existing foundations and wall
framing are to be integrated into the new structure, thereby claiming the existing floor
levels as benchmarks for the new house. It is extremely unlikely that a new home of this
quality will recycle 50- year -old building components and, certainly, the old foundations
cannot be used for new shear walls or moment frames. Since this is essentially an all -
new house, the entire structure can be lowered 2 -3 feet, still maintain the critical view
elements for your clients, and thereby eliminate most of the objections of the neighbors at
600 and 601 Ridge Rd.
2. The proposed wood screen for the lower level bedroom hall exterior glazed wall might be
a viable solution to the light spill from these windows. However, we will need an actual
detail showing all component sizes and finishes and an installation system that is
permanent so that the screen is not easily removed.
3. The main entry north windows and glass door will still be visible from the residence at 600
Ridge Rd. A size reduction, clearstory -type windows, or the wood screen system used
elsewhere needs to be incorporated in this area.
1680 Tiburon Boulevard, Suite 7 Tiburon, CA 94920
Tel 415.435.2446 Fax 415.435.2875
heckmannarchitects @earthlink.net
www.heckmannarchitects.com
vj_�MIBIT NO.
P S 6 F Cf)
4. The reduction in the size of the north dining windows is a good improvement. However,
since the remaining window will still be quite visible from 600 Ridge Rd. at night, an
exterior wall or screen needs to be incorporated. This would extend out perpendicular to
the window from its western jamb for a length of about 3 feet and would shield the
window completely.
5. We would request actual samples of the garage door panels and frame to confirm that
they are matte finish and are non - reflective, as even an opaque glass can be very
reflective in sunlight.
The landscape plan shows 3 new California bay laurel trees at the uphill property corner.
If these grow to a height of 40 feet, they will cause view blockage from 600 Ridge Rd.
They need to be eliminated and a lower- growing substitution made. There is also an
existing redwood tree shown on the plan that is about 40 feet from the street near the
new fire pit. Redwoods are well -known to be fast- growing and causing view blockage.
This tree needs to be removed or a lower- growing substitution made.
Also, note that the changes to the north dining windows are not properly reflected in the lighting
plan /Sheet DR15 and that drawing, therefore, needs to be revised.
It would certainly appear that addressing these remaining elements is possible prior to next
week's DRB meeting. If this can be achieved, we could then come to the hearing in support of
the amended project, and not be left to try and resolve these issues during a hearing and /or
appeal process. I will make myself available to meet with you and discuss these issues at your
convenience so that we may hopefully resolve this matter.
'-•..
Michael Heckmann
Cc: Dan Watrous /Tiburon Planning Dept.
E HIBIT NCB. I
P & o f= 0
ILF
Ragghianti i F rei tas LLP
RILEY F. HURD III
RHURD @RFLAWLLP,COM
July 15, 2013
Via E -Mail Only
(dzoatrousOtozimoftiburon.org)
Members of the Design Review Board
Town of Tiburon
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Re: 510 Ridge Road; File #21304
Dear Members of the Design Review Board:
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
874 FOURTH STREET, SUITE D
SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901-3246
TELEPHONE 415.453.9433
FACS I M aE 415.453.8269
WWW.RFL WLLP.COM
Our office continues to represent Mr. Bruce Breitman in connection with the above -
referenced application. Mr. Breitman is the owner of the home at 600 Ridge Road, which
is uphill from the proposed project, and which has primary views directly over the
subject property. We are pleased to report that, since the last hearing on this matter,
significant progress has been made by the applicants in mitigating the impacts on Mr.
Breitman s property. It is our position that with a few, relatively minor, additional
changes, findings for approval of this project could be made, and a prolonging of the
review process avoided for all involved.
Light Pollution
A distinguishing feature of Mr. Breitman s home, and the neighborhood in general, is a
completely dark night sky, which allows for amazing nighttime views of San Francisco
and the Bay. Tiburon's Design Review findings specifically address light pollution and
afford protections to surrounding properties. Section 16- 52.020(H)(8) states that the
DRB should consider the following:
"Proposed lighting, insofar as it should not invade the privacy of other
properties, or produce glare or light pollution; yet provide adequate
illumination for safety and security purposes."
7oF13
Ragghianti �Freitas LLP
Tiburon DRB
July 15, 2013
Page 2 of 4
In response to the direction of the DRB and neighbor comments, the applicants have
proposed changes in an attempt to address light pollution from their project. With the
following modifications, we believe the required finding under 16- 52.020(H)(8) could
appropriately be made:
1. Dining Room Window - The reduction in the size of this window is a vast
improvement, however, given its location directly in the lower - middle of the 600
Ridge Road viewshed, even this smaller window will be very visible at night.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution, with little to no impact on the applicants,
but great improvement for the uphill neighbors. The installation of an exterior
wall or screen that extends out perpendicular to the window from its western
jamb for a length of 3 feet would shield the window completely, while still
providing the applicants with unobstructed views in all relevant directions. Of
all the changes requested herein, this small component would have the most
significant effect.
2. Lower Level Bedroom Hallway - The applicants propose to keep this massive
expanse of glazing, but to incorporate a vertical wood screen. Such screening can
be effective when designed properly and installed in a permanent fashion. We
would request a condition requiring a more detailed design of this screen, and
measures that prevent its easy future removal.
3. Main Entry Windows and Door - The main entry windows and glass door will
still be very visible from the residence at 600 Ridge Rd. A size reduction,
clearstory -type windows, or the wood screen system used elsewhere should be
required to be incorporated in this area.
These three minor changes will go a long way in preserving the dark night sky that
currently exists in this neighborhood.
Landscaping
Significant opportunities exist for mitigating the effects of this project through careful
and effective landscaping and the applicants' new landscape plan makes progress in
this regard. The following issues remain:
1. Bay Laurels - The southeast corner of 510 Ridge is a key area for vegetative
screening. The new landscape plan proposes the planting of Bay Laurel trees in
this area, which are stated on the plan to grow to 40 feet in height. Utilizing this
species would undo all of the gains achieved by the redesign, as 40 -foot trees
,e rds4..S3TT NO.— L
'p.. 9 oP 13
OLF
RagghiantiiFreitas LLP
Tiburon DRB
July 15, 2013
Page 3 of 4
would obliterate the views from 600 Ridge. A tree species that grows to a
maximum of the height of the approved residence should be substituted.
2. Trees at 601 Ridge Road - An aged grove of pine trees exists on the property at
601 Ridge Road. At this time, these trees serve as an uphill visual screen,
however, due to the age of these trees and their poor health, it is not anticipated
they will survive much longer. Accordingly, these trees should not be relied
upon as a screening mechanism, and other methods employed. (See Bartlett Tree
Service analysis submitted by Mr. Breitman),
3. Cedar/Fir Tree - There is a currently existing large Cedar tree at the front of the
applicants' property that screens much of the existing home at 510 Ridge. Taus
tree was previously misidentified on the plans as a "fir," and is apparently now
proposed to be removed (Plan Ll does not specify which trees are being taken
out, but does not show the retention of this tree.) This tree should be required to
remain as an important screening element.
These landscape edits will supplement the design changes made thus far, and those
proposed above, and will help the project comply with the Town's design guidelines.
House Elevation
A large component of neighbor complaints regarding this project has been view
blockage. According to the applicants, the elevation of the proposed home is
supposedly constrained by their desire to utilize the existing foundation. It strains
credulity to suggest that 50 -year old foundations will be salvaged to try and support an
expensive new home like this one. In fact, from an engineering perspective, the old
foundations cannot be used for new shear walls or moment frames. Given the high
degree of probability that the foundations will be found to be unusable, the home could
simply be lowered 2 -3 feet into the hillside, which would still provide the applicants
with all desired views, while greatly improving the view of uphill neighbors. Since the
design does not utilize a stepped approach as set forth in the Hillside Design Guidelines
(See Sheet DR -12), this lowering of the home could result in the same net effect while
not requiring a major design change.
Conclusion
While it is unfortunate that the applicants and their team have refused to engage Mr.
Breitman since the last hearing, or even visit his property, progress has been made.
Addressing the issues herein will go a long way in mitigating remaining impacts and
P- � of 0
R.agghlantijFre.ltaS LLP
Tiburon DRB
July 15, 2013
Page 4 of 4
bringing closure to this application. Thank you for your attention to these important
matters.
CC: Bruce Breitman
Michael Heckman
Very Truly Yours,
�.I
Riley F. Hurd III
EXHIB-IT NO.
P to o !3
600 Ridge Road
Tiburon, CA 94920
Via Email: dwatrous @ci.tiburon.ca.us
July 15, 2013
Office of Design Review
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
Tiburon Town Hall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Re: 510 Ridge Road
Dear Design Review Board Members:
Phone 415/435 -4506
Facsimile 415/435 -7483
This letter is in regard to the revised plans for the above captioned project dated July 8, 2013. I
was pleased to see the proposed changes which have taken into consideration some of the
issues earlier raised. I believe with a few more minor changes I could support the project.
Although the dining room window was reduced in size, it nevertheless remains in place, albeit
smaller than originally proposed. My concern is the light pollution will still emanate from the
smaller window, which is in the very center of my nighttime view. The solution to this issue is
easy. A small narrow wall perpendicular to the window would block the light and solve the
problem of continuing nighttime light pollution. With a small wall they can have their window
and I can have my nighttime view. This is very important to me.
With regard to windows in the hallway leading to the master bedroom, it is crucial to see the
detail for the proposed screening in order to be certain the screening will shield light from the
hallway windows. I am hoping we can see the detail prior to the July 18 hearing.
The front door, which is glass, will contribute to the light pollution emanating from the house
and will be visible from 600 Ridge Road. The windows at this entryway will contribute light
pollution which will also be visible from 600 Ridge Road. To avoid additional light pollution,
the front door should not be glass and the windows at the entryway need to be screened.
Currently there are trees on the McDermott property at 601 Ridge Road that block a portion of
the existing 510 house. Bartlett Tree Experts, through Art Tyson, a Board Certified Master
Arborist, advises these trees are now beyond their usual life span and within five years these
trees will likely require removal. Attached is a letter from Mr. Tyson. When those trees are
removed, they will no longer shield the new 510 Ridge house from 600 Ridge Road, and
therefore should not be relied upon in this process for screening.
E-17LHIEIT NO,- L
P. 1/ 6P43
Office of Design Review
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
July 15, 2013
Page 2 of 2
There is now a large cedar /fir tree on the 510 Property that needs to be retained in order to
continue to shield a significant portion of the proposed house from 600 Ridge Road. I
understood this tree would be retained: however, I cannot confirm retention from the July 8
landscape drawing. Please require retention of this tree as earlier agreed.
I am surprised and disappointed that the applicant and Bob Swatt have ignored many offers
conveyed by me and architect Heckmann to view their project from my house. They have
never come to my house throughout the entire process to see how my view will be impacted by
their project.
I am hopeful the above suggested changes can be incorporated which would allow me to
support the project.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
lsl F14wz 5aelSaxcua
Bruce Breitman
Enh Letter from Bartlett Tree Experts
cc: Riley Hurd, Esq. via email RHurd@rflawllp.com
Michael Heckmann, Architect Consultant via email HeckmannArchitects @earthlink.net
Paul Wong and Julie Huh via email mingwong888 @gmail.com
Miya Muraki, Architect via email mmuraki @swattmiers.com
Robert Swatt, Architect via email rswattodswattmiers.com
tai HIBIT N
R 1Z0> /S
My 1.0, 2013
A.rlr. Bruce BmArrian
600 Ridge. Rd.
Tiburon, CA 94920
RE: Pine Tree's on IvicDorniott Property, 601 Ridge Rd., Tilaumm, CA 94920
To Whorn It May Concern,
Bartlett Tree Experts has been caring for the Pine trees ai the front Ieft comer of the
Nit.Deancat property (viewed facing the front of the house from tire: street) for the past 5 years.
At the request of Ivir, Ehuce Breitr ran I have recently inspected the Pine trees mentioned
above. The Phe tree, are older that the average expecaed lire span for Pine species_ In addition,
the Pines are infected with Pine Pitch Canker as are many Pines in our area. Pine Pitch Canker is
a disease that has killed thousands of Pine trees in Northern California and there is no
treatment available to suppress or prevent the disease.
Mr. McDermott has authorized Bartlett Tree Experts over the recent years to try to keep the
referenced Pines hecafthy and safe as possible. The general health of the Pure.: is poor to fair like
must of the older Pines found in our area. For the above mentioned reasons, i do not expect
the Pines referenced on the McDermott property to survive long term and in fact I would not
be si•rprised to see some or all die withiri then next 5 Vatic. These Pares are not native to this
aria and as mundoned above, have health challenges.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
-7.a
Art Tyson
Board Certifies! Master Arborist
VV E -3174 B
f'o H z ai, n�: raur.. tits• �taCacl. ¢: �. �r4vu t
7 I�., s,nia<
115 172-4j(H)
-1 1 5-17D
O
My 1.0, 2013
A.rlr. Bruce BmArrian
600 Ridge. Rd.
Tiburon, CA 94920
RE: Pine Tree's on IvicDorniott Property, 601 Ridge Rd., Tilaumm, CA 94920
To Whorn It May Concern,
Bartlett Tree Experts has been caring for the Pine trees ai the front Ieft comer of the
Nit.Deancat property (viewed facing the front of the house from tire: street) for the past 5 years.
At the request of Ivir, Ehuce Breitr ran I have recently inspected the Pine trees mentioned
above. The Phe tree, are older that the average expecaed lire span for Pine species_ In addition,
the Pines are infected with Pine Pitch Canker as are many Pines in our area. Pine Pitch Canker is
a disease that has killed thousands of Pine trees in Northern California and there is no
treatment available to suppress or prevent the disease.
Mr. McDermott has authorized Bartlett Tree Experts over the recent years to try to keep the
referenced Pines hecafthy and safe as possible. The general health of the Pure.: is poor to fair like
must of the older Pines found in our area. For the above mentioned reasons, i do not expect
the Pines referenced on the McDermott property to survive long term and in fact I would not
be si•rprised to see some or all die withiri then next 5 Vatic. These Pares are not native to this
aria and as mundoned above, have health challenges.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
-7.a
Art Tyson
Board Certifies! Master Arborist
VV E -3174 B
TOWN OF TIBURON
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
To:
From:
Subject:
Reviewed By:
PROJECT DATA
Members of the Design Review Board
Planning Manager Watrous
Design Review Board Meeting
June 6, 2013
Agenda Item: 8
510 Ridge Road; File #21304
Site Plan and Architectural Review for the Construction of a New Single -
Family Dwelling, with Variances for Reduced Front Yard Setback and
Excess Lot Coverage
ADDRESS:
51.0 RIDGE ROAD
ASSESSOR'S PARCEL:
059 - 091 -24
FILE NUMBER:
21304
PROPERTY OWNERS:
PAUL WONG AND JULIE HUH
APPLICANT:
SWATT /MIERS ARCHITECTS
LOT SIZE:
20,647 SQUARE FEET
ZONING:
RO -2 (SINGLE - FAMILY RESIDENTIAL -OPEN)
GENERAL PLAN:
MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL
FLOOD ZONE:
X
DATE COMPLETE:
MAY 8, 2013
PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Town Plamzing Division Staff has made a preliminary determination that this proposal would be
exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as specified in
Section 153031
PROPOSAL
The applicant is requesting Design Review approval for the construction of additions to an
existing two -story single - family dwelling on property located at 510 Ridge Road. As more than
50% of the existing dwelling would be demolished as part of this project, the application is
classified as the construction of a new single- family dwelling. An existing detached accessory
building will also be demolished as part of this project.
The upper level of the house would include a living room, dining room, kitchen and a powder
room. The lower level would include a master bedroom suite, three additional bedrooms, three
more bathrooms, and a family room. A two -car garage would be situated at the upper level. The
Ir
driveway would be reconfigured and a new yard and play area would be installed in the location
of the existing driveway and accessory building.
The floor area of the proposed house would be 4,002 square feet, which would be 6' ) square feet
less than the 4,065 square foot floor area ratio for a lot of this size. The house would cover a total
of 3,343 square feet (16.2 %) of the site, which would be greater than the 15.0% maximum lot
coverage permitted in the RO -2 zone. A variance is therefore requested for excess lot coverage.
A portion of the proposed house would be situated within 27 feet, 6 inches of the front property
line. As a 30 foot front yard setback is required in the RO -2 zone, a variance is also requested for
reduced front yard setback.
The exterior of the proposed house would include grey stucco and clear finished wood siding
with aluminum trim. The flat roof would utilize tar and gravel roofing materials. A color and
materials board has been submitted and will be present at the meeting for the Board to review.
ANALYSIS
Design Issues
The subject property generally slopes down from Ridge Road. The lot has a triangular shape and
narrows downhill toward the rear of the site.
The proposed house would be situated in generally the same location as the existing house. Tile
new house would replace the pitched roofs of the existing structure with flat roofs that would
generally be at lower elevations than the existing roof ridgeline. However, the proposed plans
include aparapet -type screen around several upper level skylights that would extend 2.5 to 3.5
feet above the surrounding flat roof areas. This screen would be lower than the existing roof
ridgeline, but would appear to extend unnecessarily above the roofline into the view for the home
at 601 Ridge Road.
The proposed house would be primarily viewed from the home across the street at 601 Ridge
Road and the residence to the northwest at 600 Ridge Road. The following principles of the
Hillside Design Guidelines should be used in evaluating the potential view impacts from these
neighboring homes:
Goal 1, Principle 7 (A) of the Hillside Design Guidelines states that "view protection if
more important for the primary living areas of a dwelling (e.g. living room, dining room,
family room, great room, kitchen, and decks associated with these rooms) than for less
actively used areas of a dwelling (e.g. bedroom, bathroom, study, office, den)." The
proposed house would intrude into the views from the kitchen, dining room and adjacent
deck of the home at 610 Ridge Road and the primary living areas of the home at 600
Ridge Road. A portion of the views from 600 Ridge Road are currently blocked by trees
and shrubs on the subject property that will be removed as part of this project.
TowN OF TYBURON PAGE 2 OF 3
°�IIBI'� NO. 2 i
y
Goal 1, Principle 7 (C) of the Hillside Design Guidelines states that "blockage of center of
[the] view [are] more damaging than blockage of [the] side of [the] view." The proposed
house would intrude into the center of the view from the residence at 601 Ridge Road and
the lower portion of the center of the view from the home at 600 Ridge Road.
r�
Goal 3, Principle 7 (D) of the Hillside Design Guidelines states that "blockage of
important object in the view (Golden Gate Bridge, Belvedere Lagoon, Sausalito, Angel
Island) is more difficult to accept than blockage of other, less well -known landmarks."
The proposed house would not intrude into the views of Angel Island from either
neighboring home, but would extend into portions of the views of Raccoon Straits.
i'owq OF TaeuRoN Papa 3 of 9
I-' °'!
Goal 3, Principle 7 (E) of the Hillside Design Guidelines states that "a wide panoramic
view can accept more view blockage than the smaller slot view." The home at 601 Ridge
Road has views of Angel Island and San Francisco that are broad, but not necessarily
panoramic in nature. The home at 600 Ridge Road has a more panoramic view that
extends toward the Golden Gate Bridge. The proposed house would block only a small
portion of the larger views from these neighboring homes.
E �
The proposed house would extend to the east further into the lower portion of the views of
Raccoon Straits from the home at 601 Ridge Road. If the skylight screen was eliminated or
greatly reduced in size, the proposed house would open up a portion of view of Raccoon Straits at
the base of Angel Island. This roof modification would make the encroachment into the existing
views by other portions of the proposed house more palatable as a tradeoff for this neighboring
dwelling.
The proposed house includes upper level windows that would be visible from the homes at 601 &
600 Ridge Road. The upper level entry and dining room windows would appear to be in the line
of sight from the residence at 600 Ridge Road and could affect nighttime views toward San
Francisco from this neighboring home. The proposed plans also include glass garage doors which
would be more visible from the home at 600 Ridge Road. The Design Review Board should view
the story poles from the homes at 601 & 600 Ridge Road and determine whether modifications
need to be made to the proposed glazing for the house to address these concerns.
TOWN OF TEBURON PAGE 4 OF 9
i7- IBIT NO. 2---
Zoning
Staff has reviewed the proposal and finds that it is in conformance with the development
standards for the RO -2 zone, with the exception of the requested variances for reduced front yard
setback and excess lot coverage.
In order to grant the requested variances, the Board must make all of the following findings
required by Section 16- 52.030 (E) of the Tiburon Zoning Ordinance:
1. Because of special circumstances applicable to the property, including size,
shape, topography, location, or surroundings, the strict application of this
Ordinance will deprive the applicant of privileges enjoyed by other properties in
the vicinity and in the same or substantially the same zones.
The subject property slopes down from Ridge Road and has an unusual triangular
shape. These physical characteristics create special circumstances that would make
it difficult to design a home on this site difficult without substantially intruding
into the views of neighboring residences and without pushing the building away
from the slope, and would deprive the owners of this property of development
privileges enjoyed by other properties in the vicinity to create similar designs on
sloping lots.
2. The Variance will not constitute a grant of special privileges, inconsistent with
the limitations upon other properties in the vicinity and in the same or
substantially the same zone.
Numerous other properties in the RO -2 and similar zones have been granted
variances for reduced front yard setbacks and excess lot coverage, particularly on
steeply sloped sites.
3. The strict application of this Zoning Ordinance would result in practical
difficulty or unnecessary physical hardship. Setf- created hardships may not be
considered among the factors that might constitute special circumstances. A
self-created hardship results from actions taken by present or prior owners of
the property that consciously create the very difficulties or hardships claimed as
the basis for an application for a Variance.
The strict application of the front yard setback requirement would push the
proposed house away from the hill, resulting in a practical difficulty in
constructing a dwelling with a garage that would easily connect to the adjacent
street level. The strict application of the maximum lot coverage requirement for
this property would cause the house design to become more vertical and intrude
further into the views for other homes in the vicinity.
4. The granting of the variance will not be detrimental to the public welfare or
injurious to other property in the vicinity.
TOWN OF TZBURON n PAGE 5 OF 9
As described above, the proposed house could potentially project into the views
fi•om the primary living areas of the homes at 601 & 600 Ridge Road. However,
the granting of the variances would likely lessen the view impacts on these homes,
as a house with less lot coverage and pushed further back on the site would likely
block more of the views from these nearby homes.
Frorn the evidence provided, Staff believes that there is sufficient evidence to support the findings
for the requested variances.
PUBLIC COMMENT
As of the date of this report, the Town has received one letter of support from the property owner
at 623 Ridge Road.
RECOMMENDATION
The Board should review this project with respect to Zoning Ordinance Sections 16- 52.020 (H)
(Guiding Principles) and determine that the project" is exempt from the provisions of the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as specified in Section 15303. If the Board wishes
to approve the project and can make the findings "necessary to approve the requested variance, it
is recommended that the attached conditions of approval be applied.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Conditions of approval
2. Application and supplemental materials
3. Letter from Scott Woods, dated March 12, 2013
4. Submitted plans
TowN OF ve 2BURON { rrt �,Y(''p, � PAGE 6 OF 4
E1 siiMI A`d,
Boardmember Tollini said that he was also looking at the project from a fresh perspective. He
said that he really appreciated when neighbors worked together to resolve disputes. He said that
there were no variances requested and he did not find the house to be impactful on the
neighborhood. Be stated that the regulations allow this property to count the entire lot toward
their FAR and he did not understand the objections to the project based on numbers alone. He
said that he did not see any impacts on the neighbors and he was ready to support as proposed.
Chair Emberson said that the new design was so much better than the old one and showed what
good architecture could accomplish. She thought that the project was nicely situated on the lot
and would be a fine addition to the neighborhood. She said that the design issues seemed to have
been resolved and she was comfortable approving the project.
Boardmember Kricensky asked about the feeling of the other Boardmembers about the 9'6"
ceiling height issue brought up by Boardmember Cousins, adding that if it were brought down,
he did not think that it would have an impact on the neighborhood. Vice Chair Chong said that
he was less concerned with the actual height and more concerned that an agreement had been
reached with the neighbors.
Planning Manager Watrous recommended an additional condition of approval that the
application, as approved, would reflect that the master bathroom has been pulled back 3 feet and
that the roof had been lowered six inches as shown on the plans as submitted at the meeting.
ACTION: It was M/S (Cbong /Kricensky) that the request for 40 Del Mar Drive is exempt from
the California Environmental Quality Act and approving the request, subject to the attached
conditions of approval, with revised plans indicating the master bathroom had been pulled back 3
feet and that the roof had been lowered six inches, as shown on the plans submitted at the
Vote: 4 -1
9. 510 RIDGE ROAD: File No. 21304; Paul Wong and Julie Huh, Owners; Site Plan and
Architectural Review construct a new single - family dwelling, with Variances for reduced
front yard setback and excess lot coverage. The new two -story dwelling would result in
and a total floor area of 4,002 square feet and lot coverage of 16.2% which is greater than
the 15.0% maximum lot coverage in the RO -2 zone. The house would extend to within
27 feet, 6 inches of the front property line, which is less than the 30 foot front yard
setback required in the RO -2 zone. Assessor's Parcel No. 059- 091 -24.
The applicant is requesting Design Review approval for the construction of additions to an
existing two -story single - family dwelling on property located at 510 Ridge Road. As more than
50% of the existing dwelling would be demolished as part of this project, the application is
classified as the construction of a new single - family dwelling. An existing detached accessory
building will also be demolished as part of this project.
The upper level of the house would include a living room, dining room, kitchen and a powder
room. The lower level would include a master bedroom suite, three additional bedrooms, three
more bathrooms, and a family room. A two -car garage would be situated at the upper level. The
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #9
6/6/13
EXHIBIT PTO.
]7
driveway would be reconfigured and a new yard and play area would be installed in the location
of the existing driveway and accessory building.
The floor area of the proposed house would be 4,002 square feet, which would be 63 square feet
less than the 4,065 square foot floor area ratio for a lot of this size. The house would cover a total
of 3,343 square feet (16.2 %) of the site, which would be greater than the 15.0% maximum lot
coverage permitted in the RO -2 zone. A variance is therefore requested for excess lot coverage.
A portion of the proposed house would be situated within 27 feet, 6 inches of the front property
line. As a 30 foot front yard setback is required in the RO -2 zone, a variance is also requested for
reduced front yard setback.
Paul Wong and Julie Huh, owners, thanked everyone for working with them over the past two
years on their plans for their home. Mr. Wong said that they had reached out to and met with as
many neighbors as they could, including planners and architects, in order to be sensitive and fair
to those impacted by their project. He said that they spent several years looking for the right
neighborhood for their young family and they were anxious to settle in. He said that they chose
this architectural firm that was very well known with a lot of experience in developing and
designing hillside homes. Mrs. Huh thanked the neighbors for their patience, support and
cooperation and said that they looked forward to being good neighbors.
Bob Swatt and Miya Muraki, architects, expressed interest in saving time and went right to the
most important issues. Mr. Swatt explained that the project started two years ago and went
through 9 different iterations. He described the numerous outreach efforts that were made to the
most affected neighbor, Mr. McDermott, who was presented with numerous schemes over the
course of two years in order to satisfy his objections. Mr. Swatt stated that other neighbors have
had legitimate concerns that were being addressed and mitigated through landscaping, louvers
and sloped skylights that had been dramatically reduced in their diameter. He said that the
owners were also willing to have opaque glass in the garage door so that light would not seep
through in order to mitigate light concerns. He said that the owners have worked for two years to
make dramatic, substantial changes to the design and worked very hard to accommodate the
neighbors' concerns. Mr. Swatt stated that that there would be a slight loss of view from Mr.
McDermott's residence but more view would be gained in other areas.
The public hearing was opened.
Michael Rex, architect representing Bruce Breitman, said that the project would impact multiple
neighbors as referenced in the staff report. Mr. Rex stated that the project did not conform to the
Town's design standards and was not ready to be approved. He presented photos of the area and
highlighted the loss of view from his client's home, including potential light intrusion. He said
that they were also concerned regarding the removal of vegetation that currently screens the
existing home. He proposed five changes: reduction in glass, removing skylights, a better
landscaping plan and evidence of proper screening of the home, darker colors and a rethought
palette, and reconsider down lights in the eaves. He stated that they were willing to work with
the applicant and requested direction from the Board that the applicant work with them to resolve
these issues.
k'HIBIT NO.--E
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #9 18
6/6/13
Riley Hurd, attorney representing Bruce Breitman, spoke in regard to the light pollution issue.
He referenced the section of the zoning ordinance stating that proposed lighting should not
invade the privacy of other properties or produce glare or light pollution. Mr. Riley stated that
light would escape the proposed louvers and be in their view. He urged the Board to consider
other solutions such as using warmer color tones, architectural changes and landscaping. He
stated that the project was not ready to be approved and needed to be continued to address these
issues.
Bruce Breitman stated that he has lived in his home for more than 24 years and has enjoyed the
nighttime view for alI those years without interference. He stated that the applicants never
approached him and he had invited them to come up and see his view. He said that every primary
living space of his home would be affected by this new project and this would be an extreme
invasion of his nighttime view. He said that he felt threatened to the point of hiring an attorney,
an architect and a landscape architect in order to protect his nighttime views. He said that he
would like to work with the owners on a friendly basis to reach a solution.
Bob McDermott stated that he had not met with the owners until 2012 and was unaware of prior
design iterations. He said that he bought his home 29 years ago and intended to live there forever
and enjoyed by his extended family. He wished the owners all the best and said that he only
wanted to resolve the issues. He stated that the existing home was built higher than would be
approved today and does not justify a new project that would be as tall. He said that he would
lose some view from his living room and gain some view in other areas but was concerned.
Paula Little said that the applicants have gone out of their way to incorporate the neighbors in
every step of the project. She said that the architect was outstanding and known throughout the
world. She felt that residents cannot get everything they want, as things change over time. She
believed that the light pollution issue had been addressed. She encouraged the Board to approve
the plan.
Anne woods stated that she has known the applicants Julie since they bought the house and said
that they communicated extensively throughout the process. She looked at the plans and liked the
house. She also felt that the owners showed integrity in working with the neighbors who would
be affected by their project.
Pam Peterson stated that she used to live at 510 Ridge Road where her family had built the
existing house. She said that the applicants encouraged her to be a part of the process as she had
a long history with the neighborhood. Ms. Peterson stated that you could not please all the people
all the time and there would always be some issues as it was not possible to completely hide the
house. She encouraged approval of the project as the owners have worked hard over the past two
years at being great neighbors.
Mr. Swart stated that they plan of reusing the foundation and footprint of the existing building so
that was why it was located where it was and required a variance. He said that the skylights
would not be seen by anybody and were important to the design. He provided samples of
products to be used and photos of buildings with the same colors as proposed for this project to
NO.
� �
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #9 �HIBT ' 19
6/6/13
address questions about the colors from some of the neighbors. In his opinion, views would be
improved, enhanced and a "win" for Mr. McDermott.
Ms. Huh clarified that they purchased the home in 2010 and it would be three years in November
that they have been working on the project. They wanted to keep the existing foundation in order
to limit expenses and add just a little more space to the living areas including two additional
bedrooms. The current plan's roofline is below the roof of the existing home and that the existing
roof was much taller than what they were asking for.
The public hearing was closed.
Boardmember Tollini said that for Mr. McDermott, the issue appeared to be more of a view
blockage than a light pollution issue and required a give and take. He said that Mr. McDermott's
point that the old house would not be approved by today's guidelines struck a chord with him,
but the Town also often presumes that a new home would be approved if the project stays within
the existing building boundaries. He did not necessarily agree with Mr. Swatt that the view
would be better for Mr. McDermott, but he did feel that it would essentially even out. He was not
sure whether the parapet wall was justified. He felt that light pollution was the bigger issue,
particularly from the proposed dining room. He said that the upper level would be wrapped in
glass and highly visible from Mr. Breitman's home. He was not comfortable relying on louvers
to cut off the light pollution, but noted that there is existing glazing in that part of the house. He
noted that the house is not lit up at night now because no one is living in the house. He said that
he was still uncomfortable with the light pollution and felt that it was problematic. He said that
the other light pollution would most likely be minimal due to the parapet wall and the sloped
skylights that were a nice part of the design but not a necessity.
Boardmember Cousins doubted whether light would not emanate from the opaque garage glass
door. Boardmember Tollini stated that opaque glass would not allow light to pass through.
Plarn ing Manager Watrous stated that opaque glass should not allow any light to shine through,
and if there were any question, there could be a performance standard added requiring zero light
emanation.
Boardmember Cousins said that there would be a lot of glass on the uphill side of the house,
including the dining room, from which light could emanate. He stated that louvers can be
effective. He believed that Mr. Breitman would lose more view than he gained. He proposed
eliminating the long parapet and tilting the skylights to gain back some view.
Vice Chair Chong said that the project was a handsome design and be liked the colors and
materials. He appreciated the outreach toward the neighbors but thought that there was still
potential for more work to be done, specifically, in regard to the excess glass and nighttime light
pollution. He said that lie is not a big fan of louvers to solve light problems and he thought that
the view would be somewhat improved for Mr. McDermott. He was not sure if the new design
should have to correct the mistakes of the existing house, but he felt that there was a great
opportunity to open up a new view. Overall, he thou gh t that this was a good design but that there
may be some more work to be done. He also voiced concern over some of the suggestion for
changes from the neighbors, noting that residents do not get to design their neighbors' homes.
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #9 EXHIBIT NO. �
) 20
6/6113
Chair Emberson said that she was concerned about the light color of the roof and its reflectivity,
but noted that it did not look too light in the photograph of material samples. She said that a
house with a light color on a side of a hill could stick out and maybe should be darker. She did
not think that that much glass was needed in the dining room and the windows could be reduced.
She agreed with Boardmember Cousins that the removal of one skylight could open up a new
view corridor.
Boardmember Kricensky asked the architect about the reason for the two -foot change in floor
level from the living room to the dining room. Mr. Swatt advised that it was for the homeowner
to enjoy the view, as she was not very tall.
Chair Emberson said that there was a big light pollution issue as Mr. Hurd stated. She suggested
dropping the floor, with other little tweaks, in order to reach a consensus.
Boardmember Kricensky agreed with the light pollution issue and thought that it was substantial,
but could be fixed. He said that they could not design a home with no windows, noting that the
Hillside Design Guidelines were not a law and were subjective as to what works. He said that the
main concern was the dining room windows, with lights looking out to the neighbors. He said
that the windows for the lower level hallway shine light from an active corridor and could
possible be mitigated with landscaping. He said that the skylight, tinted and tilted at 30 degrees,
would not be an issue. He said that the windows in the hallway and the north side of the dining-
room need to be mitigated.
Boardmernber Tollini said that Mr. Breitman's home has more light pollution issues. He said that
the applicant would have a personal incentive to mitigate the view into, and light emanating
from, the lower hallway as it was a private space and a bedroom hallway.
Chair Emberson said that her main concern were the dining room and the skylight that may not
be necessary.
Boardmember Kricensky added that it was a very nice design and he liked the materials and
colors. He felt that the roofing color was not too light.
Chair Emberson thought that it would be a lovely house and that they were very close with just a
few tweaks to the design. Boardmember Tollini said that specifically, the tweaks were related to
glazing, concerns about the dining room, the parapet /skylight and the bedroom hallway. Chair
Emberson agreed and said that the louvers were not acceptable and there was a definite need for
a reduction in glazing.
Boardmember Kricensky said that in terms of height, he felt that the previous home did not set
the precedent. Chair Erberson concurred, and said that the Board would continue to protect
views and follow the current guidelines.
Planning Manager Watrous said that the meeting would need to be continued to the July 18`x',
2013 meeting because the first meeting in July would be cancelled.
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #9 E-.,'HIBI ' NCB. 21
6!6/13
ACTION: It was MIS (Chong/Krieensky) to continue the application for 510 Ridge Road to the
July 18, 2013 meeting. Vote: 5 -0.
G. APPROVAL OF MINUTES #S OF THE MAY 2, 2013 DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
MEETING
ACTION: It was MJS (Chong/Kricensky) to approve the minutes of the May 2.2013 meeting, as
written. Vote: 4 -0 -1. (Tollini abstained).
H. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 p.m.
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #v EXHIBIT IBI 3 NNO._ :3 12
6/6113
TOWN OF TIBURON
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
To:
From:
Subject:
Reviewed By:
BACKGROUND
Members of the Design Review Board
Planning Manager Watrous
Design Review Board Meeting
July 18,201,
Agenda Item: i
510 Ridge Road; File #21304
Site Plan and Architectural Review for the Construction of a New Single-
Family Dwelling, with Variances for Reduced Front Yard Setback and
Excess Lot Coverage (Continued from June 6, 2013)
The applicant is requesting Design Review approval for the construction of additions to an
existing two -story single- family dwelling on property located at 510 Ridge Road. As more than
50% of the existing dwelling would be demolished as part of this project, the application is
classified as the construction of a new single - family dwelling. An existing detached accessory
building will also be demolished as part of this project.
The application was first considered at the June 6, 2013 Design Review Board meeting. At that
meeting, several neighboring residents raised concerns about potential view blockage and lighting
impacts from the proposed project. The Design Review Board shared some of these concerns,
particularly with the amount of glazing on the house and issues of visual mass of nighttime light
pollution. The applicant was directed to prepare revised project plans and the application was
continued to the July 18, 2013 Design Review Board meeting.
The applicant has now submitted revised plans that include the following changes to the previous
project design:
The skylights have been reduced in depth to 18 inches and been angled 30 degrees
away from the properties uphill from the site.
The parapet that was situated between the skylights and the front of the house has
been eliminated.
The north - facing dining room window has been reduced in width from 13 feet; 8
inches to 3 feet, 8 inches. Vertical wood screens are proposed in front of the lower
level corridor windows. The garage door has been changed to a "back- painted,
etched (opaque and non - reflective) glass" material.
..
PAGE 1 of 6
The revised plans would increase the floor of the proposed house by 6 square feet to be 4,008
square feet, which would be 57 square feet less than the 4,065 square foot floor area ratio for a lot
of this size. The house would still cover a total of 3,343 square feet (16.2%) of the site, which
would be greater than the 15.0% maximum lot coverage permitted in the RO -2 zone. A variance
is therefore still requested for excess lot coverage.
The revised house design would be situated within 27 feet, 6 inches of the front property line. As
a 30 foot front yard setback is required in the RO -2 zone, a variance is also still requested for
reduced front yard setback.
ANALYSIS
Design Issues
The revised project design appears to respond to most of the concerns raised at the June 6, 2013
Design Review Board meeting. The side windows for the upper level dining room have been
substantially reduced in size. The wood screens for the lower level corridor windows should
reduce light impacts from most angles. The change in the garage door design should reduce light
impacts from the garage itself. The angled skylights and their reduced size should eliminate any
light concerns for uphill neighbors.
The elimination of the parapet would slightly reduce the visual mass of the roofline. However, the
back side of the angled skylights essentially replaces the parapet as a visual obstacle that would
be 3 feet taller than the roof at the front of the house. The revised project design would only
minimally change the overall visual volume of the proposed house.
Zoning
Staff has reviewed the proposal and finds that it is in conformance with the development
standards for the RO -2 zone, with the exception of the requested variances for reduced front yard
setback and excess lot coverage. As noted in the June 6, 2013 staff report, Staff believes that
there is sufficient evidence to support the findings for the requested variances.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Since the June 6. 2013 meeting, the Town has received letters regarding the revised plans from
the property owners at 600 & 601 Ridge Road.
RECOMMENDATION
The Board should review this project with respect to Zoning Ordinance Sections 16- 52.020 (H)
(Guiding Principles) and determine that the project is exempt from the provisions of the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as specified in Section 15303. If the Board wishes
to approve the project, it is recommended that the attached conditions of approval be applied.
TOWN OF TiBUROM PAGE 2 OF 6t
EXHIBIT I�7Q.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Conditions of approval
2. Supplemental application information
3. Design Review Board staff report dated June 6, 201' )
4. Minutes of the June 6, 2013 Design Review Board meeting
5. Letter from Michael Heckmann, dated June 26, 2013
6. Letter from Robert McDermott, dated July 9, 2013
7. Submitted plans
'F oWN OF SZBURON gg q��p 9 q, PAGE 3 OF 6s
py�
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL
FILE #21304
(AS AMENDED AT THE JULY 18, 2013 DESIGN REVIEW BOARD MEETING)
This approval shall be used within three (3) years of the approval date, and shall become
null and void unless a building permit has been issued.
2. The development of this project shall conform with the application dated by the Town of
Tiburon on February 5, 2013, or as amended by these conditions of approval. Any
modifications to the plans of February 28, 2013 must be reviewed and approved by the
Design Review Board.
Plans submitted to the Building Division for plan check shall be identical to those
approved by the Design Review Board. If any changes are made to the approved Design
Review plans, the permit holder is responsible for clearly identifying all such changes
when submitted to the Building Division for plan check. Such changes must be clearly
highlighted (with a "bubble" or "cloud ") on the submitted plans. A list describing in
detail all such changes shall be submitted and attached to the building plans, with a
signature block to be signed by the Planning Division Staff member indicating that these
changes have been reviewed and are approved, or require additional Design Review. All
changes that have not been explicitly approved by Staff as part of the Building Plan Check
process are not approved. Construction that does not have Planning Division approval is
not valid and shall be subject to stop work orders and may require removal.
4. If this approval is challenged by a third party, the property owner /applicant will be
responsible for defending against this challenge. The property owner /applicant agrees to
defend, indemnify and hold the Town of Tiburon harmless from any costs, claims or
liabilities arising fi-om the approval, including, without limitations, any award of
attorney's fees that might result from the third party challenge.
The applicant must meet all requirements of other agencies prior to the issuance of a
building permit for this project.
6. All exterior lighting fixtures other than those approved by the Design Review Board must
be down light type fixtures.
7. All skylights shall be bronzed or tinted in a non - reflective mamrer (minimum 25 %) and no
lights shall be placed in the wells.
8. A construction sign shall be posted on the site during construction of the project, in a
location plainly visible to the public. The sign shall be 24" x 24" in size and shall be
TOWN OF TieuRON E-6K Silk€ i NO. PAGE 4 OF 6
made of durable, weather - resistant materials intended to survive the life of the
construction period. The sign shall contain the following infomlation: job street address;
work hours allowed per Chapter 13 of the Tiburon Municipal Code; builder (company
name, city, state, ZIP code); project manager (name and phone number); and emergency
contact (name and phone number reachable at all times). The sign shall be posted at the
commencement of work and shall remain posted until the contractor has vacated the site.
9. The project shall comply with the requirements of the California Fire Code to the
satisfaction of the Building Official. The Tiburon Fire Protection District recommends the
flowing conditions of approval:
a. The structure shall have installed throughout an automatic fire sprinkler
system. The system design, installation and final testing shall be approved
by the District Fire Prevention Officer. CFC 903.2
b. Approved smoke alarms shall be installed to provide protection to all
sleeping areas. CFC 907.2. 10
C. The vegetation on this parcel shall comply with the requirements of the
Tiburon Fire Protection District and the recommendations of Fire Safe
Maria. CFC 304.1.2
d. Pressure regulators are not allowed on fire sprinkler lines. If a pressure
regulator is needed for the domestic water line, it shall be located on the
domestic line only.
10. All requirements of the Marin Municipal Water District shall be met.
11. The applicants shall obtain any necessary sewer permits from Sanitary District No. 5 and
pay all applicable fees prior to construction of a side sewer and connection to the sewer
main. After connection to the sewer main but prior to commencement of discharge and
prior to covering of the pipe, the District shall be contacted and allowed to inspect the
connection for conformance to standards.
12. All requirements of the Town Engineer shall be met, including, but not limited to, the
following, which shall be noted on building plan check plans:
a. All encroachments, such as driveway approaches, sidewalks, mailboxes,
small drainage facilities and short- height landscaping, need to be processed
through a standard Public Works encroachment permit application with
plans or schematics for review. Unless the encroachment is minor or
routine in nature, a permit shall be accompanied by a Memorandum of
Encroachment that must be recorded by the property owner with the
County of Marin. The new driveway approach shall comply with Marin
County Uniform Standard drawing #130. The proposed Acacia longiflora
landscaping is not permitted in the public right -of -way. The water meter is
TOWN OF TIBURON EXHIBIT NO, PAGE 5 OF 6
permitted within the right -of -way, but the backflow and pressure regulator
must be located on private property.
b. The public right -of -way shall be protected from damage during
construction, or repairs shall be made to the satisfaction of the Tiburon
Public Works Department.
13. The Bay Laurel trees on the approved landscaping plan shall be replaced with a different
species that will grow more quickly to a maximum height of 20 to 25 feet. Planning
Division staff shall review and approve the replacement tree species prior to issuance of a
building permit for this project.
14. The redwood tree on the property shall be removed prior to issuance of final building
certificate of occupancy.
TOWN OF TiBURON EXHIBIT NO.___1_- PAGE 6 OF 6
MINUTES #11
TIBURON DESIGN REVEW BOARD
MEETING OF JULY 18, 2013
The meeting was opened at 7:07 p.m. by Chair Emberson.
A. ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Emberson, Vice Chair Chong, Boardmembers Cousins, Kricensky and
Tollini
Absent: None
Ex- Officio: Planning Manager Watrous, Assistant Planner O'Malley and Minutes Clerk
Rusting
B. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None
C. STAFF BRIEFING
Planning Manager Watrous recommended that applicants' presentations be limited to 10 minutes
and public comments to 3 minutes due to the length of the agenda.
D. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
ACTION: It was M/S (Emberson/Tollini) to nominate Vice Chair Chong as Chair of the
Planning Commission. Motion carried: 5 -0.
ACTION: It was M/S (Emberson/Kricensky) to nominate Boardmember Cousins as Vice Chair
of the Planning= Commission. Motion carried: 5 -0.
E. OLD BUSINESS
510 RIDGE ROAD: File No. 21304; Paul Wong and Julie Huh, Owners; Site Plan and
Architectural Review construct a new single- family dwelling, with Variances for reduced
front yard setback and excess lot coverage. The new two -story dwelling would result in
and a total floor area of 4,002 square feet and lot coverage of 16.2% which is greater than
the 15.0% maximum lot coverage in the RO -2 zone. The house would extend to within
27 feet, 6 inches of the front property line, which is less than the 30 foot front yard
setback required in the RO -2 zone. Assessor's Parcel No. 059 - 091 -24.
The applicant is requesting Design Review approval for the construction of additions to an
existing two -story single- family dwelling on property located at 510 Ridge Road. As more than
50% of the existing dwelling would be demolished as part of this project, the application is
classified as the construction of a new single - family dwelling. The application was first
TIBURON D.R.A. MINUTES #11 EXHIBIT NO._
7/18/13
considered at the June 6, 2013 Design Review Board meeting. At that meeting, several
neighboring residents raised concerns about potential view blockage and lighting impacts from
the proposed project. The Design Review Board shared some of these concerns, particularly with
the amount of glazing on the house and issues of visual mass of nighttime light pollution. The
applicant was directed to prepare revised project plans and the application was continued to the
July 18, 2013 Design Review Board meeting.
The applicant has now submitted revised plans that include the following changes to the previous
project design:
The skylights have been reduced in depth to 18 inches and been angled 30 degrees
away from the properties uphill from the site.
The parapet that was situated between the skylights and the front of the house has
been eliminated.
The north - facing dining room window has been reduced in with fi-om 13 feet, 8
inches to 3 feet, 8 inches. Vertical wood screens are proposed in front of the lower
level corridor windows. The garage door has been changed to a "back- painted,
etched (opaque and non - reflective) glass" material.
The revised plans would increase the floor of the proposed house by 6 square feet to be 4,008
square feet, which would be 57 square feet less than the 4,065 square foot floor area ratio for a
lot of this size. The house would still cover a total of 3,343 square feet (16.2 %) of the site, which
would be greater than the 15.0% maximum lot coverage permitted in the RO -2 zone. A variance
is therefore still requested for excess lot coverage. The revised house design would be situated
within 27 feet, 6 inches of the front property line. As a 30 foot front yard setback is required in
the RO -2 zone, a variance is also still requested for reduced front yard setback.
Bob Swatt, architect, described the issues raised at the June 6`h meeting and explained the project
changes. He said that the skylights were reduced in size to 18 inches wide and would now be
sloped so they cannot be seen. He said that the skylight shroud was reduced in height by 6
inches. He said that they added a wood screen at the lower level to reduce the visibility of the
windows, and now glazing would not be seen due to the depth and angle of the wood screen. He
said that they reduced the width of the dining room window to 3 feet, 8 inches, which would be
roughly the size of the existing window in that location. He showed photos of views from 601
Ridge Road and noted that the view that would be gained would be 3 times the size of the view
that would be lost. He said that the base of Angel Island would now be visible, as well as Ayala
Cove, each of which are not currently visible. He showed some photos of views from 600 Ridge
Road and stated that there would not be much of a change in those views. He showed the front
elevation at night currently and proposed and noted that the lighting would actually be less in the
proposed front elevation. He said that there are significantly more windows facing the neighbors
currently than there will be after the building is constructed. He said that they propose to reuse
the existing foundation to save money and is also more sustainable. He said that they could add a
wing wall to the side of the building to prevent glare to 600 Ridge Road, but this would reduce
the views somewhat for 601 Ridge Road.
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #11
7/18/13
EXHIBIT NO. � ��
The public hearing was opened.
Miles Berger said he was asked to take a look at the design of this house by a neighbor. He said
that his client's home is quite a bit higher than others and the skylights and lighting were their
main concern. He said that the applicant had completely solved all of the issues with lighting and
skylights and the skylights would be completely invisible to neighbors. He stated that the design
would lower the overall height of the existing house, which would further enhance the views of
the neighbors. He believed that the design was beautiful and urged an approval of the project. He
said that reusing existing foundations is one of the first things he looks at when talking to his
own clients.
Bruce Breitman said that the project sits in the center of his view of San Francisco. He was
concerned that the nighttime lighting would interfere with his view. He thanked the applicant for
making the changes to the plan and noted that they had partially addressed his concerns. He said
that there were only a few more issues to deal with and his attorney and the architect would
address these issues. He pointed out that the applicant never came to his home to see the view,
but he could support the project with the changes he requested tonight.
Michael Heckman, architect representing Mr. Breitman, said that the proposed landscaping still
presented some issues for his client. He stated that the three California Bay Laurel trees would
grow too tall and would block the view from Mr. Breitman's home. He stated that the existing
redwood tree could become a view blockage issue and requested a lower - growing substitution
for those four trees. He said that the existing 30 inch fir tree provides some screening of the
existing house and he did not think that it should be removed. He showed an aerial photo of the
neighborhood and pointed out pine trees that have gotten very close to their complete life teen
and need to be removed within five years, which would completely expose the house to Mr.
Breitman and he was concerned about light pollution. Mr. Heckmann stated that there were also
concerns that the house does not conform with the hillside guidelines and he recommended
lowering the entire structure, which could be done and still accomplish the applicants' goals.
Riley Hurd, attorney representing Mr. Breitman, asked that the wing wall be added to the project.
He said that they also request a screen for the lower window, but the slats need to be specified to
have a 3'h inch gap. He said that the front entry windows also must be addressed and he
suggested clerestory windows and if that cannot be done, he requested another screen in that
area. He said that he was shocked by the nighttime photos of the view from Mr. Breitman's
home and said that they are not a realistic representation because his clients viewed a contractor
installing bulbs and taking photos of the area from a ladder.
Bob McDermott said that he had four- issues with the project: noncompliance with hillside
guidelines, encroachment of his view of Raccoon Straits, excessive light from the windows that
would impact nighttime views and too many tall trees that could grow into views and lead to
disputes in the future. He said that he did not understand why an application for a new house
would not conform to the hillside guidelines. It seemed very strange to him to retain the existing
foundation. He understood that the applicants would like a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and
lowering the home would compromise that, but he felt that the Golden Gate Bridge was
incidental to their panoramic view. He said that the lot is challenging but he thought that the
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #11
7/18113
r
E ETBI T NO. `�
owner knew that and should not expect exceptions to be granted to the hillside guidelines. He
said that he would like to see the profile of the house lowered. He said that the skylight over the
living room could be removed, the skylight over the stairwell be reduced, and the ceiling heights
reduced.
Pam Peterson said that the Golden Gate Bridge was not incidental to the view but was a very big
part of the house's planned view. She said that it is not easy to spend hundreds of thousands of
dollars to lower the house. She felt that the applicants were trying to be sustainable and reuse and
had done an excellent job of trying to accommodate everyone. She pointed out a Japanese maple
tree, which is between the houses and is 20 feet tall, that blocks the view from Mr. McDermott's
house for the most of the year. She encouraged the Design Review Board to approve the project.
Paula Little said that life changes and pointed out that this area used to be cow pasture and is
now full of beautiful homes. She said that it is delightful to see different houses come into the
area, and it is incredible that they would use the same foundation. She said that the applicants
have tried to accommodate neighbors for the past two years and that is a long time and a lot of
money to be put into a project. She asked the Design Review Board to let them build the home.
Mark Swanson said that he has worked with Swatt Architects and they spend a lot of time
studying the neighborhood before building a project. He said that lie has built projects in the area
on existing foundations and that removing foundations creates a huge burden on a neighborhood.
He said that the wood screens were similar to something he is doing on two projects and he said
that he was surprised to see the large amount of light reduction that they created.
Scott Woods said that he cannot see the house from his home but he thought that it was a
beautiful design and would be a great addition to their neighborhood. He thought that everything
has been addressed, concessions had been made, and the project should be approved.
Jim Bradanini, landscape architect, agreed that the three proposed bay trees are tall and said that
they are rethinking those trees and considering olive trees as a lower canopy tree for that corner.
Boardmember Emberson asked what the height would be for those trees. Mr. Bradanini said that
the serpentine soil would not allow the trees to reach their mature height, but he expects olive
trees to reach about 20 feet in height. He said that there are two fairly significant pittosporum
trees that they would like to retain and supplement with additional plantings, and his client would
be happy to remove the redwood tree. He noted that the two existing cedar trees have been
proposed to be removed because they have no long ternn value and with their new plantings they
would establish a denser screening in that area.
Paul Wong, owner, said that they have adhered to the hillside guidelines and would not interrupt
any significant or iconic landmark views because the neighbor has a panoramic view. He said
that he could not understand what significant view his neighbor has that would necessitate
lowering the house.
Julie Huh, owner, said that they started working on the project two years ago and the original
design had been whittled down. She said that frustration and disappointment had been created at
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #11 NCB.
7118/13
each change and they have worked with their neighbors to mitigate concerns. She said light is
very important in their home for her family.
Mr. Wong said that if the proposed garage was moved to any other location it would block the
neighbor's view of Ayala Cove. He said their existing building pad is so far low below the road
that if they lowered it more the hours would be much lower than the existing homes.
Chair Chong asked if the large tree in the corner would be removed. Mr. Bradanini said that the
cedar tree would be removed and replaced with more plantings further up the hill. He noted that
the further they move the plantings up the hill the more effective the screening would be.
The public hearing was closed.
Boardmember Kricensky said he thought that the project was in compliance with the Hillside
Design Guidelines, as it would be cut into the hillside considerably and lowering it would be an
unnatural thing to do if they are going to use the existing foundation. He said that lowering the
house would impede the view of the Golden Gate Bridge and he did not believe that it was
equitable to trade their view of the Golden Gate Bridge for a neighbor's view of Raccoon Straits.
He thought that some minor things could be addressed such as the screening walls and nighttime
views. He did not trust the nighttime view photos because they are too easy to manipulate. He
pointed out this is a town and there will be some light from side windows and the side windows
can be seen now. He thought that the proposed louver detail would work to shield the light, but
he would like to know the measurements and the materials to be used. He said that the views of
Ayala Cove would be unproved from Mr. McDermott-s house and he did not think that anyone
would see the skylights.
Boardmember Tollini said that at the last review of this project he had moderate concerns that
could be addressed, primarily the dining room window and light pollution affecting neighbors'
views. Most changes were needed on the dining room glazing, and that was addressed by a
substantial reduction in glazing. He agreed with Boardmember Kricensky's skepticism about the
photos showing nighttime lighting. He appreciated the wing wall idea but did not think that it
was a reasonable compromise as it would adversely affect Mr. McDermott's view. He said that
substituting olive trees concerned him because olive trees are slow - growing and do not fill in
quickly. He agreed that the bay laurels would have been too tall but he was not thrilled with the
choice of olive trees. He agreed that the redwood tree could be removed and seemed to be a good
solution. He visited the McDermott and Breitman homes twice each, and he felt the project
would result in fairly minor intrusions on the views of those houses. He supported the application
and said that he might suggest some conditions of approval regarding the landscaping. He said
that he really liked the house and felt that the applicants had done a very thoughtful job to design
a house that would work for the neighborhood.
Boardmember Emberson said that she was surprised when she visited the site to see that the
owners have more of a slot view and therefore cannot lower the house. She said that the
foundation was already lowered and was dug into the hillside when the house was first built. She
agreed that the bay laurels would be too tall and the olive trees might not fill in well, and thought
that staff could suggest another tree choice. She said that this is suburbia and not Wyoming and
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #11 EXHIBIT NO
7/18/13
that there would be less light intrusion than the neighbors expect, along with a lower roofline.
She voiced support of the application with the minor change in the landscape plan. She said the
applicant had done everything they were asked to do and cannot be asked to do more.
Vice Chair Cousins agreed with the other Boardmembers. He said that it is an excellent idea to
reuse foundations and that lowering the floor levels would be very detrimental to the view. He
said that the design meets the hillside guidelines and is stepped into the hillside. He said that the
house would improve the views from Mr. McDermott's house. He said that the reduction of the
dining room window was substantial. and the depth of the louvers would provide substantial
screening from the lighting.
Chair Chong agreed and said though that when the construction was over the home would be
much better looking and the view will be improved from Mr. McDermott's house. He said that
the applicant made a very good effort to reduce light pollution from Mr. Breitman's house and he
supported letting staff make suggestions for landscape changes.
Boardmember Kricensky asked about the materials to be used for the louvers, and Mr. Swatt said
that the louvers would be made of wood and the same material as the siding.
ACTION: It was M/S (Emberson /Kricensky) that the request for 510 Ridge Road is exempt from
the California Environmental Quality Act and to approve the request, subject to the attached
conditions of approval, and the additional conditions of approval to remove the redwood tree and
replace the bay laurels at discretion of staff with a species that will grow quickly to about 20 -25
feet and provide better screening than olive trees. Vote: 5 -0.
2. 545 SILVERADO DRIVE: File No. 713029; Brian and Sue Peery, Owners; Site Plan
and Architectural Review to construct additions to an existing single- family dwelling.
Additions would be made to the upper and ground levels of the house, with raised
rooflines and a new garage at the front of the property. The floor area of the house would
be increased by 564 square feet, resulting in a total floor area of 2,222 square feet, with
an additional 504 square feet of garage space, and would increase the lot coverage on the
site by 561 square feet to 2,118 square feet (19.3 %). Assessor's Parcel No. 055 - 082 -23.
The applicant is requesting Design Review approval for the construction of additions to an
existing two -story single - family dwelling on property located at 545 Silverado Drive. The
original project design proposed to expand an upper level master bedroom suite to add closet
space, a larger bathroom and a deck off the front. A bridge was to connect the rear of the upper
level to the upper portion of the rear yard. An existing carport on the lower level was to be
removed and replaced with a new garage closer to the street, connected by a new driveway. A
new family room was to be added to the front of the ground floor and a new bedroom would be
added to the rear of that level. The rooflines of the house were to be modified, most notably the
steeply pitched upper level roofline that would be changed to a shed roof sloping upward toward
the front of the site. An existing chimney was to be removed and a new level rear yard area was
proposed to the rear of the site.
ry \a IM ICI( .
TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #11
7118113
RESOLUTION NO. 17 -2010
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF TIBURON
ADOPTING AN AMENDED POLICY FOR THE PROCESSING, SCHEDULING,
RECONSIDERATION, AND STORY POLE REPRESENTATION OF APPEALS, AND
SUPERSEDING EXISTING POLICIES
WHEREAS, the Town receives and hears appeals from decisions of various
commissions, boards and administrative officials from time to time, and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has adopted various policies over the years with
respect to appeal procedures, scheduling, and reconsideration, including Resolutions Nos. 2878
and 3218 and Town Council Policy Nos. 95 -01 and 2002 -01; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has determined that it is timely and appropriate to
update and consolidate these policies regarding appeals; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has held a public meeting on this matter on March
17, 2010 and has heard and considered any public testimony and correspondence; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Town Council Resolution No.
2878, Town Council Resolution No, 3218, Town Council Policy 95 -01, and Town Council
Policy 2002 -01 are hereby superseded by this Resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Council of
the Town of Tiburon does hereby adopt the following general policy with respect to processing,
scheduling, and reconsideration of appeals and for story pole installation for appeals.
APPEAL PROCEDURE
The Municipal Code sets forth instances when persons may appeal a decision by a review
authority (e.g. Town official, Design Review Board or Planning Commission) to the
Town Council. Any person making such an appeal must file a completed Town of
Tiburon Notice of Appeal form, available on the Town's web site and at Town Hall, with
the Town Clerk not more than ten (10) calendar days following the date of the decision
being appealed. Shorter time fi-ames for filing an appeal apply to certain types of permits.
If the final day to appeal occurs on a day when Town Hall is closed for public business,
the final day to appeal shall be extended to the next day at which Town Hall is open for
public business. Appeals may not be revised or amended in writing after the appeal
period filing date has passed.
Tiburon Town Council Resolution No. 17 -2010 0311712010
2. The appellant must submit filing fees with the Notice of Appeal form. Filing fees are set
forth in the Town's current adopted Fee Schedule.
(a) If the applicant is the appellant, the remainder of the filing fee (if any) will be
refunded following completion of the appeal process. Additional staff time or
costs to process an applicant's appeal is the financial responsibility of the
applicant and will be billed per the Town's current hourly rate schedule and/or at
actual cost if outside consulting is required.
(b) If the appellant is not the applicant, then a fixed amount filing fee is required with
no refund or additional billing required.
In the appeal form, the appellant shall state specifically either of the following:
(a) The reasons why the decision is inconsistent with the Tiburon Municipal Code or
other applicable regulations; or
(b) The appellant's other basis for claiming that the decision was an error or abuse of
discretion, including, without limitation, the claim that the decision is not
supported by evidence in the record or is otherwise improper.
If the appellant is not the applicant, the Town Council need only consider on appeal
issues that that the appellant or other interested party raised prior to the time that the
review authority whose decision is being appealed made its decision.
4. The appellant must state all grounds on which the appeal is based in the Notice of Appeal
form filed with the Town Clerk. Neither Town staff nor the Town Council need address
grounds introduced at a later time that were not raised in the Notice of Appeal form.
5. The procedure for presentation of the appeal at the Town Council meeting is as described
below. hi cases where the applicant is the appellant, paragraphs (c) and (f) below would
not apply.
(a) Town Staff may make a brief (approximately 10 minute) presentation of the
matter and then respond to Town Council questions.
(b) Appellant and/or appellant's representative(s) may make a presentation of no more
than twenty (20) minutes and then respond to Town Council questions. Appellant
may divide up the twenty (20) minutes between various speakers or have only one
speaker, provided that the time limit is observed. Time devoted to responding to
Town Council questions shall not be included as part of the twenty (20) minute
time limit.
(c) Applicant and/or applicant's representative(s) may make a presentation of no more
than twenty (20) minutes and then respond to Town Council questions. Applicant
may divide up the twenty (20) minutes between various speakers or have only one
speaker, provided that the time limit is observed. Time devoted to responding to
Tiburon Town Council Resolution No. 17 -2010 0311712010
1,1�,HIMT NO. & .
Town Council questions shall not be included as part of the twenty (20) minute
time limit.
(d) Any interested member of the public may speak on the item for no more than
three (3) minutes. A speaker representing multiple persons (e.g., homeowner's
association, advocacy group or official organization, etc.) may speak on the item
for no more than five (5) minutes, at the discretion of the Mayor.
(e) Appellant is entitled to an up to three (3) minute rebuttal, if desired, of any
comments previously made at the hearing.
(r) Applicant is entitled to an up to three (3) minute rebuttal, if desired, of any
comments previously made at the hearing.
7. The testimony portion of the appeal hearing is closed and the Town Council will begin
deliberations on the appeal. There will be no more applicant, appellant, or public
testimony accepted unless requested by the Town Council,
8. If, following deliberation, the Town Council is prepared to make a decision on the appeal,
it will direct Town staff to return with a draft resolution setting forth the decision, and the
findings upon which it is based, for consideration at a future Town Council meeting. The
decision of the Town Council is not final until the resolution is adopted. Alternatively, if
the Town Council is not prepared to make a decision on the appeal, it may:
(a) Continue the appeal to a future date;
(b) Remand the item to the review authority from which it was appealed for further
hearing, review and action, with a specific description of the outstanding and
unresolved issues and appropriate direction thereon; or
(c) Refer the item to another review authority for its review and recommendations
prior to fin-ther Town Council consideration.
9. Following a final decision by the Town Council, Town staff will promptly mail a Notice
of Decision to the applicant and appellant.
RECOnSWEIR.4TlON
if, after the Town Council has voted to direct staff to prepare a resolution of decision, significant
new information comes to light, which information was previously unknown or could not have
been presented at the appeal hearing due to circumstances beyond the parties' control and not due
to a lack of diligence, the Town Council may entertain a motion to reconsider its direction to
prepare a resolution of decision. Any such motion to reconsider must be made prior to adoption
of the resolution of decision, and the motion must be made by a Councilmember who voted on
the prevailing side in the vote sought to be reconsidered. Any Councilmember may second the
motion. The Town Council may consider and vote on the motion to reconsider at that time, and
if the motion carries, the matter shall be placed on a future agenda for further notice and hearing.
Tiburon Town Council Resolution No. 17 -2010 0311712010 �Ly; ggip g �7 y
SCHEDULING OFAPPEALS
The Town's policy is to schedule and hear appeals in an expeditious manner. Appeals
will generally be heard at the first regular Town Council meeting that is at least fifteen
(15) days after close of the appeal period. At the sole discretion of the Town Manager,
the Town may schedule the appeal for a subsequent Town Council meeting based on the
complexity of the matter, availability of key Town staff members and Councihnembers,
agenda availability, or unusual circumstances. Town staff will make reasonable efforts to
establish the hearing date for the appeal within three (3) working days of the close of the
appeal period. The Town Clerk, in coordination with appropriate Town staff, will
promptly advise all parties to the appeal of the selected hearing date.
2. The Town Manager will grant requests for continuances from the date established above
in the event that all parties to the appeal agree in writing to a date specific for the
continuance and that date is deemed acceptable by the Town Manager.
3. Attendance of parties to an appeal at the hearing is desired, but not required. The Town
Council will consider written comments or representation by others in lieu of personal
appearance.
ST'ORYPOLES
For appeals where story poles were erected for review of the original decision being appealed, a
story pole representation shall be required for the Town Council's appeal review process, as
follows:
1. A story pole plan showing the poles to be conmected, including location and elevations of
poles and connections, shall be submitted, reviewed, and accepted as adequate by
Planning Division Staff prior to installation of the poles and connections.
2. Critical story poles, as determined by Staff, must be connected by means of ribbons,
caution tape, rope or other similar and highly visible materials clearly discernable from a
distance of at least tbree - hundred (300) feet in clear weather, to illustrate the dimensions
and configurations of the proposed construction.
Story poles and connecting materials must be installed at least ten (10) days prior to the
date of the Weal hearing before the Town Council.
4. Failure to install the poles and materials in a timely manner may result in continuance of
the public hearing date.
Tiburon Town Council Resolution No. 17 -2010 0311712010
Story poles must be removed no later than fourteen (14) days after the date of final
decision by the Town Council.
APPLICABILITY
This policy, while primarily written for use by the Town Council, is intended to apply to the
extent practicable to Town decision - malting bodies, other than the Town Council, which may
hear appeals from time to time. Be advised that certain types of appeals, such as appeals of staff -
level design review application decisions to the Design Review Board, may have different
deadlines for filing of the appeal than the ten (10) calendar days specified above.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town
of Tiburon on March 17, 20101 by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL-MEMBERS: Collins, Fraser, Fredericks & O'Donnell
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Slavitz
RICHARD COLLINS, MAYOR
TOWN OF TIBURON
ATTEST:
DIANE CRANE IACOPI, TOWN CLERK
Tiburon Torn Council Resolution No. 17 -2010 0311712010
M1 � F:Yfpy�2
n
yrx as
I
LAND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
• Conditional Use Permit
• Precise Development Plan
• Secondary Dwelling Unit
• Zoning Text Amendment
• Rezoning or Prezoning
• General Plan Amendment
• Change of Address
• Design Review (DRB)
• Design Review (Staff Level)
• Variance(s) #
• Floor Area Exception
• Tidelands Permit
• Sign Permit
• Tree Permit
I
i
• Tentative Subdivision Map
• Final Subdivision Map
• Parcel Map
• Lot Line Adjustment
• Condominium Use Permit
• Certificate of Compliance
• Other
SITE ADDRESS: 510 Ridge Road PROPERTY SIZE: 20,647 $r
PARCEL NUMBER: 059 - 091 -24 ZONING:
PROPERTY OWNER: Paul Wong and Julie Huh
MAILING ADDRESS: 775 24th Avenue, San Francisco 94121
PHONE/FAX NUMBER:
APPLICANT (Other than Property Owner):
MAILING ADDRESS:
PHONE/FAX NUMBER:
ARCHITECUDESIGNERIENGINEER Swatt I Miers Architects
E -MAIL: mingwong888 @gmaii.com
MAILING ADDRESS: 5845 Doyle Street, Suite 104, Emeryville, CA 94608
PHONE/FAX NUMBER: (510) 985 -9779 E-MAIL: Miya Muraki mmuraki @swattmiem.com
Please indicate with an asterisk (*) persons to whom Town correspondence should be sent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT (attach separate sheet if needed):
Addition and remodel to an existing 2 -story home, including removing an existing detached garaged and attaching the garage to the main house.
I, the undersigned owner (or authorized agent) of the property herein described, hereby make application
for approval of the plans submitted and made a part of this application in accordance with the provisions
DESIGN REVIEW APPLICATION FORM —NEW RESIDENCE OR MAIN BUILDING REv 7/11 r ;�,�
rot,-V —LI1t .t� 1A NO
S.�L12
i CC 3)
of the Town Municipal Code, and I hereby certify drat the itiforuration liven is true and correct to the best of my
knowledge mid belief,
I understandthat t1w requested approval is for my benefit (or ihat ofmy princilaal), Therefore, ifflieTown grants the
approval, with or without conditions, slid that action is chaticng�d by a third party, i will be responsible for
defelidiligagain tthis chatletige, I tllerefore up-ce to accept this reslaonsibiliity for
defense at the request of the Tom and also agree to defend, indemnify mid hold flit Town harmless franc any costs,
cla ims or liabllities ari'shig from the approval, including, wMiout Iimi tat Ion, any awardofattorney's fees that miVAI
result from the "j"v cliultellpe.
Sinshire: " mate: o
*If rather tlxotn rrse+ner, naust h alT as aud.imiTration letter frons the momer ear esidence rule facto control ref tlae
aramr�t }� r+r lrrc�nifces faar,�aterlanses of jlYttg tiatr ralrlallrrttirrn
i~ MCE TO APP UCANTS
1'ursuamlio Cali foams Govoaistncul CW& Section 05945, aipnlicmis au p ectucm to Tmcivc itoolicc frown tisc Towit or rilmm ofmyyouxul
imrazy>siccl�irw), TSOIaatalsioaatio torttrncsa% llwcGcrrcr4TlaanTrzraiazg43rrEiacusc¢ SlzccificPisa• ,oraasordi=Wcuf'%tiitgbuitiiatg
or;��tiugpaauuis.
if youvvisbisorccciv si�isicoticc,tlialyontaeeuganal awxiiicmaoucaliRiltet* cv imsacCoizunuaely% 3avclonnleullolzwilw:latdxtolaa
a miliug liar for cucb truTmkc;, u u t aantsi sf Py wlziclz aylxx of garo{Krsnls vcou wiclz i <? xc civ ixotio ulaoaz. Tl c waiiidz xoncct inusiulso
sitwify utc lcngilz or iiim yooit wisit io acaaiw such anoli.-on` {s }, anzd you =W lnoi ide to ilw Towit a suplsiy of staunlX4 selrc ddresrsd
caovelsalacs i;? f�ilitutc atoiiiicaiion. AlOalicaips xlssll i>e icz€lxsr�iloie for iziuiutiitznzg ilr :zat�laly orsuclz sasv�cl�;`s ito Orc'Sown for Ilue
due ttionz or ow; iinic psTW rCquestoxt for aoccivh% sitclz a miccs
,nw iwtiuc will also pTov°i& tltc status: ortw propoal maul alts; date. ofuity public 1s aTiop itmto t wliclt leavctmcn sol, The Town will
dc^tcumiazc wlwcilter a proiloocai is nasooiwvbly aclutol ioyour psxactiIW ul*nli"ion, anhi wlvj ilw 3KAI x= on ilea basis,
Suclznoticcmmitbe111XIM ctallcimevcoysixwxt,l; sum zlmllKacisawckutgctolin eosiucutc000ftheazo OC*Awmldrsasluzalolycafrcxiyou
zwlicatiorc.
Rcotuxxis s1widd In aaiui loa ua:
Town or'"burou
Community Oct-elotauiast Mpartnwal
I'iannt,ag Oh- on
ISMIS Tiburon Ikmlevard
Tgaurota, CA 94920
is tst A.if. -7390 (TO) (415) -0 lH2431grux)
5
1'aiicitwRnmir7w rr»cnllcrl= ouiallavcan natru,roxat i+atnt;uria iuw7 +11
, -< HIB T CIO.
510 Ridge Road, Tiburon
APN: 059 - 091 -24
DESIGN REVIEW SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION FORM
FOR NEW RESIDENCE OR OTHER MAIN BUILDING
Please fill in the information requested below (attach separate sheet as needed):
Use of Site (example: single family residential, retail, office, service, etc.): f
Existing: There is an existing 2 -story home with a steep driveway leading to a detached: garage.
Proposed: This application is to remodel and add square tootage to the existing nouse. I he new garage
would be attached to the house, but would require a corner of the garage to be in the front setback.
Square Footage of Landscape Area: 6048 SF
TO BE COMPLETED
BY APPLICANT
STAFF USE
ONLY
ITEM ..
EXISTINO
PROPOSED
CALCULATED
PER ZONE
(Wpxistirlg ,' .
(reflects- proposed
building is to be
construction)
demolished)
Yards
(Setbacks from property
2T -6"
line)(Section 16-
(22' -8 1/2" with
100.020(y)`
43' -1" ft.
the overhang) ft.
Front
Rear
N/A ft.
Right Side
43' -11" ft.
15' -1/2" ft.
ft.
ft.
Left Side
151-9" ft
15'-7" ft.
ft.
ft.
Maximum Height
30' -9"
28' -6"
ft
(Section 16- 30.050)`
ft.
ft.
ft.
Lot Coverage
1657
3343
(Section 16- 30.120(6)'
sq.ft,
sq.ft.
sq.ft.
sq.ft.
Lot Coverage as
Percent of Lot Area
8 %
16.2 %
%
%
Gross Floor Area
(Section 16- 100.020(F)`
2515 sq.ft.
4438 sq.ft.
sq.ft.
sq.ft.
Net Floor Area
(if office building)
(Section 16- 32.040
Sq.ft.
Sq.ft.
Sq.ft.
Sq.ft.
Number of Parking
Spaces Provided
4 spaces
4 spaces
spaces
spaces
"Section numbers refer to specific provisions or definitions in the Tiburon Municipal Code, Chapter 16 (Z
TIBURON DESIGN REVIEW CHECKLIST
DESIGN REwew APPucanoN FoRm - NEW RESIDENCE OR MAIN BUILDING REv 7/11 PAGE 5
EXHIBIT NO.
ee'I oF-31
)ting).
510 Ridge Road, Tiburon
APN: 059 - 091 -24
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Planning Division (415)- 435 -7390
www.d.fiburon.ca.us
0=111414041111 111161ZATIA ce'.+ 11 04Z
A Variance is a form of regulatory relief available when a strict or literal application of zoning development standards would
result in practical difficulties or unnecessary physical hardships for an applicant. These difficulties and /or hardships must
be caused by physical conditions on, or in the immediate vicinity of, a site. Please refer to Section 16 -4.3 of Chapter 16
(Zoning) of the Tiburon Municipal Code for additional information regarding Variances.
WHAT VARIANCE(S) ARE YOU REQUESTING?
This Magnitude
Zoning Existing Application Of Variance
Condition Requirement Condition Proposes Requested
30' -0" 43' -1" 27' -6" (22' -8 112" with 2' -6"
Front Yard Setback the overhang)
Rear Yard Setback
Left Side Yard Setback
Right Side Yard Setback
Lot Coverage 3097 SF 115.0% 1657 SF / 8.0% 3343 SF / 16.2% 1.2%
Height
Parcel Area
Per Dwelling Unit
Usable Open Space
Parking
Expansion of
Nonconformity
Other (Please describe):
APPLICATION FOR VARIANCE
TOWN OF TIBURON
Rev, 08/06
Page 1
Pt H Crr 31
SWATT I MIERS ARCHITECTS
Z _ #
DATE: January 22, 2013
PROJECT: Wong / Huh Addition and Remodel - 510 Ridge Road (1114)
SUBJECT: Application for Variance
TO: Town of Tiburon
CC:
Miya Muraki at Swatt I Miers Architects has prepared the following Memorandum. Please notify Miya Mur aki via email at
mmuraki(dswattmiers.com or by phone at 510- 985 -9779 for any corrections or clarifications to the information noted
below.
We are proposing a remodel and addition to an existing 2 -story home at 510 Ridge Road. We are requesting a variance to
exceed the lot coverage of 15% by 1.2% to a total of 16.2% and a variance to reduce the required front setback from 30' to
27' -6" (22' -8 1/2" with the overhang).
Our responses to the variance application statements regarding LOT COVERAGE are as follows:
510 Ridge Road is almost a triangular site, narrowing towards the rear. The lot is steep, dropping an average of
approximately 46' from the property tine at Ridge Road to the eastern tip of the lot, for an average slope of 202%.
To preserve the views of the uphill neighbors, we are proposing a design that has most of the floor area on the
lower level, resulting in more lot coverage. The proposed design keeps most of the upper level mass of the existing
house, and the total floor area is within the allowable amount. A terrace has been designed on the eastern side of
the house to allow the family to enjoy the outdoors from the public level of their home.
2. It is our understanding that sites with similar characteristics within the same zone have been granted variances for
lot coverage, including 440 Ridge Road to 17.6% and 490 Ridge Road to 15.6 %.
3. We have worked closely with the uphill neighbor for over a year and have tried to minimize the impact to their
views by adding square footage to the lower level. This has resulted in a larger building footprint, increasing the lot
coverage.
4. In order to provide our clients, a young family, with the square footage they desire while preserving views of others,
we have expanded the house in areas that affect the neighbors the least. Most of the addition is below the level of
Ridge Road, and we believe the proposed design is in keeping with the massing of other homes in the area. We
believe the remodeled home will become a wonderful addition to the neighborhood.
Our responses to the variance application statements regarding the REDUCED FRONT SETBACK are as follows:
1. The current driveway leading to the detached garage is very steep, and our client has difficulty navigating it. We
would like to attach the garage to the existing home and create a driveway with a more subtle slope. Due to the
orientation of the current house to the front property line, adding a legal sized garage results in the building
encroaching on the front setback by 2' -6" at the southwest corner.
2. It is our understanding that 347 Ridge Road was granted a reduced front setback to 28' -8" and also got a variance
to exceed the 15% lot coverage.
i, b E BIT i.`d li, ^_�!__ - --�-
'p` J Ot✓3 1
5845 DOYLE STREET SUITE 104, EMERYVILLE, CA 94608 T: 510.985.9779 F: 510.985.0116 wwwswattmiers.com
SWATT I MIERS ARCHITECTS
Memorandum
Page 2 of 2
3. The existing driveway is extremely steep, having a 30% slope for a majority of its length. At our clients'request, the
proposed design has an attached the garage with a shorter, more manageable driveway. By adding the garage to
the footprint of the existing house, we have to encroach on the front setback in the southwest corner. The new
garage is at a higher level of the existing upper level of the house and the driveway has a 5% slope for the first 15
feet outside the garage and has a 14% slope at the steepest point.
4. We believe the proposed design will result in safer access for vehicles entering and exiting the property at 510
Ridge Road.
P• Cc OF:�i
Dan Watrous, Planning Manager July 7, 2013
office of Design Review
Tiburon Town Nall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Re: 510 Ridge Road
Dear Design Review Board ( "DRB ") Members and Mr. Watrous,
Thank you very much for your time and consideration. As you know, we presented our proposal for a
new home on 510 Ridge Rd. on June @. The Board had concerns over light pollution stemming from the
proposed dining room and the parapet, amongst other items.
As we stated, we have been working closely with our neighbor, Mr. Bob McDermott, for approximately
two years. We proposed multiple iterations of a design and made numerous concessions to him,
Unfortunately, we could not agree on the final height of the proposed home, although we had reduced
it to provide Mr. McDermott better views of the coastline and Ayala Cove, We ultimately had to submit
our proposal to the Board. We would like to add seven additional feetto the upper level of the north
side of the home (not ten feet, as mentioned in his letter). In this space, there exists a large tree with
leaves that bloom at least eight months out of the year, which already blocks a part of his Raccoon
Straits view. In requesting to extend our home this amount, we made a concession to Mr. McDermott:
to lower the proposed height of the home, so that he might have a better view of Ayala Cove and the
coastline. We felt this would be an equitable trade off. As mentioned at the last meeting, in surface
area, what is lost versus what is gained appears equal.
When we purchased the home two and half years ago, we were impressed with the strong presence of
this home, and we assumed, like many people would, that we could add to the home or construct a new
home whose height was at least the height of the existing house. We understood the 31 -foot height
limit, and we have kept our design within this requirement. Afterthe last meeting, we reviewed
multiple minutes of the DRB meetings. There were several projects requesting a second, third, or fourth
story addition, from one or two -level homes, which passed. We even read a proposal requesting a
height variance for a 54 -foot home, with the architect agreeing to lower the height by three feet, and
this proposal passed. Recently, the proposal for a new four -story home at 1940 Straits View passed,
despite a couple of neighbors voicing concerns with the height increase of the garage, compared to the
original garage. We understand each proposal has its own unique qualities and circumstances which
may not render it possible for comparison to our project; however, we just want to reiterate that we are
not asking for additional height in our proposal, but rather, we are reducing it. We do not understand
the rationale for opening a new or greater view corridor for a neighbor, at our cost. it would be unfair
and would penalize us.
In his letter, Mr. McDermott mentions the necessity of the skylights. We feel as much light as possible,
emanating from multiple directions, is important to our family's physical and mental health. The
proposed house has minimal windows on the east side and skylights would provide additional ambient
P.-? OT I/
lighting to the living room and stairwell. Due to concerns of light pollution affecting our uphill
neighbors, we tilted the skylight at an angle, as recommended by Mr. Miles Berger. We proposed a
"Shroud" to cover the skylights, which would help reduce light pollution somewhat and camouflage the
skylights.
We understand Mr. McDermott has owned his home for over twenty years and that he is respected in
his position as a Tiburon Commissioner. We are newcomers and are not yet affiliated with the town. It
is our intention to become good neighbors and a productive member of the community. We know the
Board faces many challenges and we have every expectation that they will be objective and fair in their
decision. We hope the Board will be supportive of our proposal.
Again, thank you very much for your time and your consideration.
Sincerely,
fdiie Huh and Paul Wong
%1 HIM NCB.
`v v`F3 i
Dan Watrous July 18, 2013
Planning Manager LATE MAIL#
Tiburon Town Hall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Jul- 1 / 2013
Re: 510 Ridge Road
Dear Design Review Board and Mr. Watrous,
This letter is in response to the letter written by Mr. McDermott, dated July 16, 2013.
Mr. McDermott states that the revised design does not comply with the Town of Tiburon's
Guidelines for hillside dwellings. We believe our design adheres to these guidelines more so
than most other homes for these reasons: when the existing house pad was built, the builders
cut into the hillside as much as ten feet to reduce effective visual bulk. As a result, we're
hampered by a very steep driveway and our house sits lower relative to the road than all the
other houses on Ridge Rd., relative to the sloping road. Clearly our design conforms to Goal 1,
Principal 1, to "Cut building into hillside to reduce effective visual bulk ".
Goal 1 Principle 2: "Terrace building using the slope. Use roofs of lower levels for the decks of
open spaces of upper levels." Our proposed home does in fact terrace using both the side and
down slope. Our design does use roofs of lower levels for the deck open spaces of upper
levels. Our terraced decks do not increase building bulk when seen from nearby and the
building correctly fits into the ground, which minimizes the effect on the hillside.
Goal 1 Principle 3: "break up masses of building with horizontal and vertical elements ". If one
examines our plan elevations it can very clearly be seen that we've broken up each exterior
elevation, in order to reduce visual bulk. It is not possible for us to build further downhill
because of the lot's eccentric shape. In addition, if the house is lowered further by building a
deeper foundation, we would lose the slot view of the Golden Gate, because our neighbor's
home at 500 Ridge Rd (which runs parallel to our lot) blocks this view. Since our existing house
is already cut into the hillside once very deeply, if we were forced to dig deeper a second time,
we would be penalized twice. This would not be fair. If each successive rebuilding would to
require further cuts into the hillside newer houses would sit at subsequently decreasing levels
relative to the road.
Mr. McDermott claims that a 43 year old foundation cannot be reused. Our architects have
reused old foundations successfully in their designs, and these projects have been published.
K I�BIT NO. ,7- --
?: C4 cf�- 3►
In fact, we have a letter from a well- respected Marin County fou. dation engineer who reports
that our foundation can be reused.
Guideline G1 P4 which states "angularforms which slope in opposite direction to slope of hill
destroy relationship of hillside and building and increase the effective bulk." Roof forms which
"slope approximates that of hillside and follows its direction. Building hugs the ground form
better ". Our proposed roof hugs the ground, as it is flat, further in conformance of this
Guideline.
We conform to Goal 2, Principal 10: "Remotely located outbuildings are discouraged ".
We are proposing to relocate our detached garage to be attached to the house, which will
further reduce the effective bulk.
Goal 2 Principle 13 "Limits for heights of dwellings above grade are strictly adhered to"
Mr. McDermott desires an even better view than he already has. Our house is at least five
feet lower than the permitted height, created from the excavated reduced grade. In addition
it is lower than the existing home's ridge line by at least six to eight inches. We're at least six
feet lower than the existing home's clerestory.
We have clearly designed this project to Goal 3, Principal 1, which seeks to preserve existing
views as much as possible and allow new dwellings access to views similar to those enjoyed
from existing dwellings. The "slot view" from 601 Ridge Rd of Raccoon Straights is greatly
improved on the left -hand side of the existing clerestory as our proposed roof has been
pushed much lower than our existing roof and our neighbor will enjoy of the iconic Angel
Island coastline on the right -hand side, which he has never had. Mr. McDermott claims that
our proposed design would take away a "significant portion of the 'slot' view of Raccoon Strait,
but does not mention that this slot view has for many decades been blocked approximately
75% by a large tree.
Our neighbor suggests we lower our ceiling height from 10 feet to 9 feet in the dining area,
which he insinuates is excessive. But he fails to disclose that his own living room and dining
room ceiling soars to nearly 16ft while the rest of his home ceiling heights are at least 9 to
loft. The lower level ceiling height of our proposed home is only 8ft in height. For a custom
designed home, it is not unusual to have ceiling height at a minimum of 10 feet. Mr.
McDermott continues to contend that he owns -100% of the views across our lot, towards
Angel Island and Raccoon Straights. Goal III, Principal 8, states that a view across a vacant lot
is often considered to be a "Borrowed " view, which is likely to be compromised by the
eventual development of the vacant lot. Consideration may be given to preserving portions of
a borrowed view if this is the only substantial view for a neighboring home"
2 E -_H1BT`I` NO. `7
to OF2)1
Mr. McDermott has enjoyed views of Raccoon Straits which if our lot was considered vacant
would need at least to be shared. From his home and viewing deck he is able to enjoy
panoramic views from the Golden Gate Bridge to far north as well as views of Raccoon Straits.
Since the Guidelines clearly state that "Consideration may be given to preserving portions of a
borrowed view IF THIS IS THE ONLY SUBSTANTIAL VIEW FOR A NEIGHBORING HOME" and our
proposed home boosts his view of a known landmark, Ayala Cove, and Angel Island coastline
we in effect are increasing his substantial view. It should be quite obvious that we do not need
to offer this increase in view to our neighbor especially at an unequal detriment to our family.
Although it was suggested by Mr. McDermott that our proposed design does not conform to
Hillside Design Guidelines from the analysis of our design one can see that we have gone very
much out of our way in attempts to satisfy the endless demands of one neighbor and that
definitely our proposed home conforms to the Guidelines very effectively.
Mr. McDermott reports that our skylights are not necessary. Our updated design has greatly
reduced the size of our proposed skylights. These skylights are not worsening his view more
than his existing view and many homes in our neighborhood have larger skylights. But most
importantly, we find our skylights to be essential because we desire an abundance of day and
night natural light from the ceiling, throughout this central and most important part of the
house (an area that will be used by all our family members). In addition, we understand the
health benefits of natural light, the design considerations of ambient light and the soothing
effects of the moonlight. Mr. McDermott suggests that he and his "immediate neighbors"
would rather not have views of the parapet /skylight. We are not aware of any other neighbor
who has concerns over the height of our proposed house.
Mr. McDermott also expresses concerns about light emissions from windows. Our existing
home has 16 windows facing uphill. Our proposed plan has eight, the largest of which, will be
covered by a fixed wooden screen, landscaping and cannot be seen by Mr. McDermott from
his property as it is both screened and tucked into the hillside in accordance with Hillside
Design Guidelines G1 P1,4,8,9.
We are disappointed that Mr. McDermott has not acknowledged the time and effort we
committed in the past years and the multiple height reductions we've made to please him. In
his recent letter, he makes numerous suggestions regarding the design of our home, that
make us feel that he wants to be in control of the design , leaving us with no sense of control
of the outcome of our family home. His suggestions only better his situation more than what
he now enjoys while only unfairly penalize us.
In addition we would like to point out that in order to understand the full nature of our
proposal one must walk around our site to recognize that during the original construction it
3 L` -KHI l E A NO.__ C
p- [,t ��!
of the outcorne of our family home. His only better his situation more than what
he now enjoys while only unfairly penalize us.
it
In l
addition we would i:.a to point out that in order to understand the full nature of our
proposal one must wall" around our site to recognize that during the original construction it
was cut substantially in deference to uphill neighbors' views and to reduce effective bulk. Also
the shape of the lot does not allow the proposed home to be sited in other layouts or
locations; we are already designing to the front and sideyard setbacks. If we were to mote the
house further downhill the proposed roof would further impact the views of uphill neighbors.
harik you very much for your time and attention.
Sincerely
t�
Julie .Huh and Paul Wong
of
r.
Qj
W
W�
NI
4
21
o
o,
O
t!
O
hl
Y�
Si
N�
O
NI
I
t�
S
N�
ciI
4
�i
d�
N
z�
K'
Ui
�i
U)
u
w
F—
v
Q
V)
Z
00j
w
Z'n[�
V ry
V),6
w Z
0 0
n�
w
E
�3
§9
41
o�
w�
V
rI
3i
0
0
0
9_
(7i Z
ts�
S
�s
s�
�a
ax
ymG
aa�
Ys
wSS
a
3�
a
3
v�
e�
0
0
c�
z
z
w
m
0
U
w
C)
t!)
Z
Q
J
O
t1)
uj
N
0
a-
0
06
V)
Z
LLI
Z
O
U
w
0
m
T M
V O
N
W W
Z�
d
C
r
E-+
AM�Yy
P-W
U
LU
U
Cf)
ui
LL
t
C5
z
E-1
P-4
r4
�
-
_
\
\
%
m
\
$
0
\
/
\
\
ƒ
0
\
\
m
\
>
\
0
0
»
\
%
Lu
y
@
\
3,
$j
\\
Of)
%
e
�
6
7
�
d
�
V)
-r
E
/
7
-
/
0 co
<
LLJ
,
/
®
e
\
\
/
/
0
#
_
0
/
/
Q
/
0
±
LU
E
<
i
CO
\
of
/
/
J
�
/
<
< ±
4
CO
Z
E
\
\
/
\
LLI
u
@
2
z
u
\
=
0
2
u
U)
E
LLJ
U
/
>
/
LLI
g
Q5
>- /
/
<
�
/
'
u
,
�
-
_
\
\
%
m
\
$
0
\
/
\
\
ƒ
0
\
\
m
\
>
\
0
0
»
\
%
Lu
y
@
\
3,
$j
\\
Of)
%
e
�
6
7
�
d
�
i
■
O
Q
J
J
Q
U)
z
O
0
W
r
H
O
W
M
Q
W
W
ILLI
ry
UJ
O U
O M
s 0
W
Q W
0
J
Q
W
z m
w
v -
v)
e C, 4. GI U. ,a .
e � i
t
o
i0 e
- -c
e --
v
_w
T_
U
Of
Q
U)
W
C7
z
Q
U,
z
c�
W=
o�
rn
tt�
rzr_�,
l__'
H�
�d
PEI
(5
z
W
<
ui
CO
w
U)
U)
z
<
0
R
_j
LU
LLJ
0
W
t- u
M
R
U
<
z
U)
9
z
0 Z
uj
LLJ
(Y
LU
�aJ
u
U)
Z
n
0
0
LU
U
D
LU
<
z
0
LU
uj
LU
F-
Lr)
LLJ
oto:
Cf)
u
L'i
u
[if
(n
LLJ
0
z
ul
zo
(D ".5
U)
ui
M
LL
16
z
E-1
mil^
` <#
``�``�`
Vv
�.,
�-®i
h�i
F--/{
F+-d
�C
u
Lu
u
v
�i
O
z_
O
a
w
O
0
E;
0
O
K
W
W
O
W
0
O
a
0
a
y
�
0d
i
°o
r
z
3
a
�Q
0
0 o
e cn
z
o
®fy
ww
w
U
z �2
>— z
�—
0 �
w
U N
®
u>
! WJ
c
h�y°yi
F-�-i
h!E
r+
UL
c
g:
w
0
Q
O
w
O
K
O
N
E
O
LL
LU
W
0
w
y
O
a
0
a
W.
3
U
W
O
Q
� M
W K
O <
O �
K p
O Z
0 H
O
LL O
W�
> Z
2
W �
K
U �
U)
U
U
W
H
T
U
Q
Cl)
Z
W
U
Z,
Oo
UN
R
W
0
z
F� -•t-t
Y�
:J
M
Y
U
W
O
O
Q
O
K
w
0
0
a
LL
w
z
w
K
v
Y
V
W
a
O
Q
O
K
W
O
a
0
0
LL
W
0
0
a
a
i
E--
U
W
H
T
U
4
Z
W
v
(0 E;
p
w j
+li
c ti
r--a
all,
r-- a
�y
.1
ti
O
U'
Z
J
O
Q
O
C
W
w
O
O
O
O
W
3
w
0
w
ti
O
a
0
a
0
0
C
z
J
Q
C
W
'V
D
6
O
O
O
C
w
3
W
Z
W
C
7
U
U)
U
U
Li
U
U
Q
U)
Z
x
W
v
z
O p
u N
W J
rw
h-t
r�4
p 7�
n�
z
0
Q
J
W
H
Z
O
LL
LL
O
W
H_
U'
Z
O
w
N
O
LL
O
C
a
z
O
Q
w
J
W
H
Z
O
LL
LL
O
w
2
c�
z
H
z
U
U)
LU
W
Of
Of
z
W
U
z
O
U?
9
W_
J
W
Fo
S �
C7 �
z �
r�
u
m
(1)
z
ry,
ui
u
z
0
u
3
LU
LLJ
O.
z; D
U
LLJ
u
<
YY
(1)
z
ry,
ui
u
z
0
u
3
LU
LLJ
O.
z; D
0 E
LE
0
Itu
LIJ
U
W
z
Z
:D
C
❑
0
Z
F—
(n
X
uj
(D,--
K 2
00 W
D
LU
ON
CCU
c
Mi hill!!Will 1
Hit 1 !Ay
it a 1 1 5
A 1-1
LA
a 7 4 1
SWEA
THIMIT2
Ti 1— 1 2 �ji
Rs
1,
V)
T
sit
1 HI j 1 A 1
0 E
LE
0
Itu
LIJ
U
W
z
Z
:D
C
❑
0
Z
F—
(n
X
uj
(D,--
K 2
00 W
D
LU
ON
CCU
c
z
cr-
0
1
LU
U
z
LU
0
F/i
LU
z
Cl)
i--
u
LLJ
U
U)
Z
0
z
Z)
0
U-
0
z
F—
V)
X
Z oN
U) w
LU
D
M
io
-j
uj
Ln
z
z
kn
I
LU
V
z
LLJ
r')
FA
LU
z
0
1.0
71-
cr-
0
0
O
z
71-
0
V
z
LLJ
n
V)
LU
z
(D
z
Lij
U
LLJ
U
cn
z
0
!;E
0
z
:D
0
LL
(D
z
�5
X
Lij
(!) m
Z0
LLJ
0
z
E--q
pq
W
d
p
O
Q
O
K
ii
U
U
a
u
o
<e
F
0
S
try
W3
V
U
z
?�
M
>
®per
Q
Jo
r° M O
O
`y
W
V.
p
0
0
.o
W
J
W J
>3
F
2 ()
Z
Z 3
z
p
W O
O n
a =
0,
a3
N
W
d
p
O
Q
O
K
w
a
<e
s
J
�
® Q
try
W3
V
Z
p �
M
O
®per
O =
LL
r° M O
W-i
ryi
u.
to
-J7-.7-
r.
2
O
r.
fp
U
R
0
®R
1�1
rn
z E--1
WT
4
510 RIDGE ROAD J
0
JULY 18th, 2013
r-
(�°
O
m
Q
LLJ
W
E
Aio
r
U
Lo
®
Q
F
Z
i
O
W
[ j
i
O
Z
W
UJ
Q
U
Q
z
U)
Z
z
()
W
LIJ
LIJ
1 ✓
u
U)
Le I
<
O
3:
D
0
�
Q
uj
U
G W
O
LL
r
J
Q
W
0
z
m
W
E
cr-
U
Lo
Vii:? tiX> -)So
i
e
Z
P°
�
16
Cti
9
C :1;1 D.'i:J
u
U
u
Df
4
U)
W
Z
Q
2
U
Z
C7 ro
Wes+
2
t—t
W
W
Dvvyi
P,ot
L ',-N0,'
4 2m
PL �NN4-
-j
wed m 7 ora;
ol
EXIII-ITBT
IT NO
Date:
From: Scott Woods
Address: 623 Ridge Rd.,
Tiburon CA
To: Town of Tiburon
Planning Department
Dear Design Review Board,
MAR 12 i0i";
i have met with Paul Wong and Julie Huh to review the Swatt/Miers architectural
plans dated Feb 51h 2013. These plans are for the remodel / addition to their
home at 510 Ridge Rd., Tiburon, CA.
i hereby approve of this design.
Sincerely,
Scott Woods
EIIHIBIT ISO,
May 26, 2013 ( J 1
U! MAY 3 0 2013
Office of Design Review
PLAI1!tvIR�G DIVISION
Tiburon Town Hall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Re: Wong /Huh, 501 Ridge Road, Assessor's Parcel No. 059- 091 -24
Gentlepersons:
We write to support approval of the application filed by Paul Wong and Julie Huh to
construct a new single - family dwelling with Variances for reduced front yard setback and
excess lot coverage.
This couple has met with us on several occasions to show us the plans for their home at
the location above. We believe that they have sustained considerable expense and time
delays in attempting to satisfy neighbor's concerns regarding the plans and have done all
that they could.
Please accept their proposal and welcome them to our community.
Cordially,
Ly mUUUE.�Spitler, 1\ D
i 1
l'
Edmond I Eger, M.D.
Tiburon Design Review Board
Attn: Dan Watrous
1505 Tiburon Blvd
612 Ridge Road
Tiburon
CA 94920
May 29'h 2013
Dear Dan Watrous,
Design Review Meeting: 510 Ridge Road
� U JUN 03 2013 J
PLANNING DIVISION
I would like to comment on the proposals for this property which is to be reviewed by the Design Review
shortly. Overall, I support the building plans and am pleased that the new house will be a positive
addition to the neighborhood.
The particular point that I want to raise is regarding the amount of light visible from the property at
night. Over the years, night views have been enhanced by active efforts to eliminate light pollution. In
particular many homeowners have agreed to avoid skylights, north facing windows and large amounts
of landscape lighting. This has meant that looking down the hill towards the Bay and the City at night
there are very few lights visible.
The plans for 510 Ridge Road include large north facing windows from the proposed dining room, two
skylights and a significant amount of outdoor lighting.
My request is that the property owners and their architects are asked to mitigate these light sources —
and where feasible remove them. A combination of landscaping or other features to hide the lighting
are needed. There are other lighting features that can be downsized or removed. I would ask the
Design Review Board to take this into account and agree changes to the plan that achieve this goal.
Regards
Geoffrey Fletcher EX I IT NO
Robert M. McDermott
601 Ridge Road
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Dan Watrous, Planning Manager
Office of Design Review
Tiburon Town Hall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Attention: Members of the Design Review Board
Subject: Proposed New House at 510 Ridge Road
LATE MAIL# r
MAY 3 0 2013 1L)
PLANI`_INIG DIVISION
May 30, 2013
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the subject proposed house. I have met with the
applicants, Paul Wong and Julie Huh, with their architects several times over the past year and
they have been most gracious in keeping me abreast of developments in their design and have
taken some of my concerns on board. There are, however, several unresolved issues which I
address here for your review and, hopefully, favorable resolution. These concerns are:
1. Significant encroachment into my view of Raccoon Strait;
2. Roof design that does not adequately compensate for loss of view of the Strait;
3. Garage door and north side windows which wilt create tight pollution at night.
My wife, now deceased, and I bought what we considered to be our dream house at 601 Ridge
Road 29 years ago. We were attracted by the peace and quite of Httt Haven with its views of
the city, the bay, and especially Raccoon Strait with its own special "jewel', Ayala Cove. Ever
since this has been home for us and our our two sons, although they are now grown up and
have left the nest. After living abroad for a number of years we returned to our home six years
ago when t retired. My wife, unfortunately, passed away from Myeloma four years ago, but I
intend to live here, sharing the pleasures of this lovely location with my fiancd, our family and
our friends as long as possible.
My house is a rather unique as it has a linear configuration with all the rooms laid out in a line,
one after another. This layout suits the lot and provides nice views of Raccoon Strait and Ayala
Cove from every room. The views from inside the house are most relevant with regard to the
proposed house at 510 RR since these are our primary viewing areas. See attached photos_
510 Ridge Road is located directly across the street and has always prevented us from having a
superb view of nearly the whole of Raccoon Strait, but we have lived with that situation since
that was the view we accepted when we bought the house. We do have, however, a very
special. "slot view" of the Strait and Ayala Cove provided by the gap between 510 RR and 1910
Straits View. This provides a lovely, natural view of trees and water, undisturbed by any
buildings. We were always concerned that, one day, 510 RR would be sold, torn down and a
much larger house would be built on that site, disturbing or potentially eliminating that very
special view. That dreaded day occurred about 18 months ago when Paul and Julie bought 510
RR. Since then I have studied very carefully the plans and drawings provided by Paul, Julie and
their architects, even creating a 3D model of the proposed house using SketchUp software so l
feel that I know very well what the impact of this design would be on my views, and
consequently on the the value of my property.
Page 1 of 3
Ex
F, i ot=
They chose a difficult, triangular, hillside lot on which the existing house is hemmed in by large
homes on both sides. The existing house is quite high, higher than most others in the
neighborhood, in order to gain views over neighboring houses, to the detriment of our view of
the Strait and Cove. According to my neighbor, Trudy Taich, who has lived at 1905 Straits View
Drive for over 50 years, the house at 510 RR was built (in 1970) without proper consultation with
or consideration for the views of Mr and Mrs Edgar Brand, the previous owner of my house (built
in 1957). As a result, the Brands were forced to build a "crow's nest ", a large, 12' x12', deck
raised some 10 feet above the ground, to regain some of their lost views.
The best solution for the new house at 510 RR, from my point of view, would be for the new
house to be recessed into the hillside and each level terraced in order to keep the overall height
of the house at a level that would not encroach on my views or those of my neighbors and more
in keeping with the adjacent houses. This is the solution recommended by the Town of Tiburon's
Design Guidelines for Hillside Dwellings. Paul and Julie, presumably to qualify their project as
consisting of "additions to an existing house ", have chosen to retain the existing foundation and
a few partitions which does not lend itself to a terraced approach. Now that the Town has
declared that their application is a request " to construct a new single - family dwelling ", it would
seem appropriate to evaluate their proposed design with closer regard to the Town's Guidelines.
While a redesign, following the terraced approach, would be most welcome and would seem to
be the most appropriate action given the recently announced decision to consider this
application as being for a new dwelling, I shall hereafter make comments on the design as
submitted to the Town on May 16, 2013.
In order to have ten foot high ceilings and good views of the City, the Bay and the Golden Gate
Bridge, as welt as to obtain the maximum allowed floor area, the proposed design encroaches
significantly into my "slot" view which is clearly seen in the attached photos. The second (main)
level extends 10' to the north into the "slot" and extends to the east by about 15' (including the
roof overhang). In addition to the large roof overhangs, there is a "pop -up" roof over the living
room and a very tall (3'6"), large (?8'x 26'x 9') L- shaped box on the roof which is designed to
hide two large skylights from the view of the neighbors.
I seriously question the need for these skylights. One, 20'x 3', is over the living room, which will
be very welt tit by floor -to- ceiling windows across the entire 50' width of the house plus a 23'
expanse of windows on the south side of the living area. These windows will receive sunlight
from sunrise to sunset, probably bringing in more light than is actually welcome and will end up
being covered much of the time. A skylight over this area simply does not make sense.
The other skylight (9'x 4') is over the stairwell which will be adequately lit from the adjacent
hallway windows on both levels as well as by interior electric lights. if those skylights were not
present there would be no need for the L- shaped box other than serving as an architectural
"signature" which, to me, does not have a place in a residential neighborhood, especially where
such a "feature" is to the detriment of the neighbors' views. 1, my family and our friends are
primarily the ones who would see this "feature ", and we would much prefer to see the waters of
Raccoon Strait.
The "pop -up" ceiling and roof over the living area adds another 1 foot to the height of the house
due to the decision to make the tiving area one foot higher than the dining area white retaining a
Page 2 of 3 E_""UBIT NO J
P- 2 oo
10' ceiling height. They actually have designed a 10'6" ceiling in the living area by reducing the
thickness of the roof by 6" compared to that over the kitchen and dining area. After our
discussions, the overhangs in the kitchen /dining area have been modified somewhat, but there
is still scope to further reduce the width of the overhang in the dining area and the thickness of
the roof. If the floor in the living area were kept at the same level as that in the dining area,
there would be no need for the "pop-up" roof. Alternatively, if the floor level in the living area has
to be V above that in the dining area the living area ceiling could be dropped to 9'6".
While the "slot view" is very precious to us, and we really should not have to lose any of it, I
have proposed that encroachment of the new house into that space would be acceptable if the
height profile of the entire house were kept at a low enough level. This could be achieved by
reducing the overhangs, lowering the roof line and eliminating the skylights and their protective
box. The design as submitted does not meet these objectives.
Turning to other aspects of the design, I also have concerns over the amount of light which will
be emitted from the windows on the north side, next to the entrance hallway and in the dining
area. This is will illuminate the area within the "Slot" which will disturb our night -time view of the
Straight_ This side of the proposed house will be more open to view when the existing trees and
shrubs are removed and the prosed landscaping plan is implemented.
Another concern is the garage door which, in all the drawings and renditions I saw earlier,
appeared to be made of solid panels. According to the note on drawing DR8, however, this door
will consist of an aluminum frame with glass panels over the entire surface area. Many garage
doors have no windows at all and those with windows usuatty have only a single row near the
top. t think that a wooden door (or even two doors separated by a narrow post), of style similar
to the adjacent wood panel watts, would be much more attractive, be more secure and would
not give off any Ught at all.
My final point is on the color of the walls and roof. I am not clear as to what color is actually
proposed for either, but would not tike pure white or unfinished concrete grey. A beige, sand
color would be most appealing for the plaster walls. The roof treatment is said to be pebbles,
but the color is not specified. Light brown or beige would again be best, perhaps with several
colors used to break up the monotony of the large roof area.
I invite all of the members of the Design Review Board to visit our home as soon as practical to
see for themselves the situation we are in and to discuss alternative solutions for the design of
Paul and Julie's house. I know that several of my neighbors, some of whom were not advised
of the application or the meeting on June 6th, have concerns about various aspects of the
proposed design so, especially given the very recent decision to classify this application as
being for a new dwelling, it would seem totally reasonable to postpone the DRB meeting now
planned for June 6th, in order for all of us to study the plans more carefully and submit our
comments.
SincreI
Robert M. McDermott
Page 3 of 3
EMEBITNTO
0
hh��q
lv
3
M�
Fl
0
L
b
cn
a
q
3
r—
M I
�x3
E
MICHAEL REX ASSOCIAT GS
ARCHITECTURE & DESIG;:
1 7 5 0 B R I D G E W A 1'
5 U I T E 8 2 1 1
S A U S A L I T O
C A L I F O R N i A 9 4 9 6 5
T 4 1 5 3 3 1 1 4 0 0
F 4 1 5 3 3 1 5 4 6 3
MICHAELREXASSOCIATES.COM
May 30, 2013
Members of the Design Review Board
c/o Dan Watrous, Planning Manager
Planning Division
Town of Tiburon
1505 Tiburon Blvd.
Tiburon, CA 94920
RE: NEW WONG/HUH RESIDENCE AT 510 RIDGE ROAD, TIBURON
Dear Members of the Design Review Board,
mil►
4
} MAY 30 2013 1
U
P L A 1R1G D V'S 10N
On behalf of Bruce Breitman, owner of the property at 600 Ridge Road, uphill of the proposed
Wong /Huh Residence at 510 Ridge Road, I am writing to express concern about the design proposed by
Swatt/Miers Architects shown on plans having a revision date of 4/09/13 and stamped, "Received" by the
Town on May 16, 2013. I have personally visited Mr. Breitman's home to observe the existing story
poles and have reviewed the set of submittal plans. This last Tuesday, May 28, Mr. Breitman and I met
with Miya Muraki from Swatt/Miers Architects, my first meeting with a representative of the Project; a
meeting Mr. Breitman requested. From this investigation, it's conclusive that if the proposed Project is
approved as currently submitted, the new home will significantly diminish the use, enjoyment and value
of Mr. Brietman's property.
Significant Impacts
1, Alight time Glare and Light Pollution from windows and skylights:
Large, floor to ceiling windows and excessively long rooftop skylights facing uphill towards Mr.
Breitman's home will glow like a beacon at night from interior lighting that will forever distract from
and compete with the lights of the San Francisco City skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. Currently,
as the attached photo shows, these important features are framed by darkness, which greatly enhances
the quality of the fine central views Mr. Breitman enjoys from all of his primary indoor and outdoor
living spaces.
2. Lack of adequate landscape screening:
Landscape Plans call for the removal of a large existing fir tree and all the existing understory plant
material that currently screens the new build's location. New plant material proposed will be lower
and ineffective in screening the new home and the large expanses of glass that are proposed.
3. View Impairment:
A central portion of Mr. Breitman's Bay water view and the Tiburon shoreline will be blocked by the
second level of the proposed home. Through much of Mr. Breitman's water views will remain, the
portion that will be blocked is important to him, because handsome boats often traverse through this
portion of the Bay. E B T 11 f
1 ? � I vF-,�;
4. Exterior Lighting:
While exterior down lights proposed to be recessed in the roof overhangs have a light source that will
be directed downward, we're concerned that light spill onto the home's exterior walls may tend to
illuminate the building envelope and thus contribute to night time glare and light pollution.
Conflict with Section 4.02.07. Guiding Principles
The Project as currently proposed is in conflict with the following Guiding Principles that are to be
considered for Site Plan & Architectural Review applications:
(b) Site Layout in Relation to Adjoining Sites: The location of proposed improvements on the site,
specifically portions of the building mass, windows, skylights and landscaping are in poor relation
to the location of improvements on adjoining sites.
(e) Grading & Tree Removal: The proposed Landscape Plan calls for the removal of existing trees and
plant material necessary to screen the new home from neighboring properties.
(g) Landscaping: Proposed landscaping will not mitigate the visual impacts of the proposed
development.
(h) Lighting: Proposed lighting on the interior visible at night through large expanses of glass facing
neighboring properties produce glare and light pollution. Exterior down lighting may illuminate and
reflect off of exterior walls and surfaces.
Conflict with Design Guidelines for Hillside Dwellings
The Project as currently proposed is in conflict with the following Goals and Principles of Tibu ron's
Hillside Guidelines:
Goal 2: The designer of the newest house on the block to avoid conflicts with neighbors. The current
design creates the conflicts summarized above.
Principle 1: Do not use colors, textures, materials and forms which will attract attention by not
relating to other elements in the neighborhood. Illumination of the large expanses of windows
and skylights at night will attract significant negative attention when contrasted against the
predominantly dark foreground of Mr. Breitman's primary views.
Principle 2: Do not use large expanses of a single material on walls, roofs and paving areas. No
to `large glass areas." This Principle has been ignored.
Principle 6A. Avoid large expanses of floor to ceiling glass. This Principle has been ignored.
Lack of Neighborhood Outreach
Though Mr. Breitman personally requested and was assured by Mr. Wong and his Architect over a year
ago that he'd be kept informed of the proposed improvements at 510 Ridge Road, he was never contacted
by either party. Neither the Project's owner, nor its Architect ever visited Mr. Breitman's home until just
last Tuesday to understand his needs or assess the impact of the proposed design. Therefore, one must
conclude that the current design was prepared somewhat out of context with the neighborhood, thus
leading to the conflicts summarized above. While the Applicant may have reached out to some neighbors
during the Project's planning stage, they overlooked others, like Mr. Breitman, who their design
significantly and negatively impacts.
z' -vim r7? �' � �.
2 ��s >_:'iL � T .__�
Continuance of Hearing and Need for Revisions
For the good reasons summarized above; because the current design proposed for a new house at 510
Ridge Road is in conflict with the Guiding Principles and Hillside Guidelines; because the house as
submitted will have a serious and negative impact on the neighboring property at 600 Ridge Road, we ask
that the Design Review Board continue the hearing that is Currently scheduled for June 6, and direct the
application to revise the home's design and landscaping to address the concerns raised in this letter in
order to mitigate the negative impacts it will cause on others.
Conclusion
Mr. Breitman asks that prior to the June 6 hearing, each member of Tiburon's Design Review Board visit
his home at 600 Ridge Road, so you can see for yourself the reasons for the concerns expressed in this
letter.
Thank you for giving our concerns your full consideration.
Sincerely, f
Michael Rex, Architect
Copy: Bruce Breitman
P, a OF J
!�
"�- ] �
. ��
��� :t1y
R`—� �=
��
h�a
��
�4
600 Ridge Road Phone 415/435 -4506
Tiburon, CA 94920 Facsimile 415/435 -7483
Via Email: dwatrous @ci.tiburon.ca.us '
May 30, 2013 uu riAY 30 20 13
Office of Design Review Pi ANN11�Ir ,;wS;OP,I
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
Tiburon Town Hall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Re: Project at 510 Ridge Road — Design Issues
Dear Design Review Board Members:
I have lived at 600 Ridge Road for over 24 years and during this time I have had
unobstructed spectacular views during the day and at night of the San Francisco Skyline,
San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Design Review Board ( "DRB ") has
done a remarkable job in restricting extraneous light from shining in the view from my
house and from neighbor's houses throughout our neighborhood and elsewhere. In the
Tiburon website it says Tiburon by the Bay - Near Perfect. The reason it is Near Perfect
is because of the great job done by the DRB in maintaining the views treasured by each
resident. Living in Tiburon is very special because of the exceptional world class views
which every home owner enjoys. When I look out at the nighttime view, thanks to the
good work of the DRB, I do not see lights from other houses in the view of the San
Francisco Skyline and San Francisco Bay as well as the Golden Gate Bridge.
The project at 510 Ridge Road, as presented, if allowed to pass would significantly
change the nighttime views by allowing large windows facing uphill which include,
among others, windows from the dining room, windows in a hallway leading to the
master bedroom, a glass front door and a glass garage door. Given Swatt Miers
experience in Tiburon they must be well aware of these issues and know that light
pollution is unacceptable.
Over one year ago I met Paul Wong and his architect out on the street in front of my
house when they were meeting with Bob McDermott, my neighbor at 601 Ridge Road.
Bob introduced me to them. I asked them to contact me to discuss the project as it moves
forward. They assured me they would do so. I never heard from them and as of the date
of this letter Paul Wong has never returned my phone calls seeking a meeting with him.
It is my understanding that developers of projects and their architects reach out to
Office of Design Review
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
May 30, 2013
Page 2 of 4
neighbors that may be affected by the project in an effort to learn if there are any
concerns or issues. I am surprised that this did not happen in my case.
On May 20, 2013, 1 received a Courtesy Notice of a public meeting scheduled for June 6,
2013. Attached to the Courtesy Notice was a Notice of Public Hearing for
"...construction of additions to an existing single - family dwelling." This Notice stated
that variances will be sought for this project. On May 24, 2013, 1 received a Corrected
Notice of Public Hearing which revised the earlier Notice to now change the project to
construction of a new single- family dwelling. There was no change in the date of the
hearing in the Corrected Notice. There is insufficient time to analyze the revised Notice
which now involves construction of a new single - family dwelling. I wonder if this timing
confirms to what is legally required? For this reason and other reasons set forth below I
requested Miya Muraki, the associate at the firm of Swatt Miers to ask the owner Paul
Wong and Julie Huh to reschedule the hearing so I could have adequate time to address
negative impacts to my property that have been identified.
Miya Muraki the Associate at the firm of Swatt Miers first met with me and my Architect
Consultant Michael Rex at my house on Tuesday May 28, 2013 at 4:00 PM to discuss the
project. Miya told me that she could see that the windows would generate excessive light
and seriously interfere with the nighttime view. She said she would ask Paul Wong and
Julie Huh to consider a continuance and she promised to get back to us by 11:00 am the
next day, May 29, 2013. That never happened.
Michael Rex phoned Bob Swatt Wednesday, May 29, 2013, early afternoon to request a
continuance of the DRB meeting so we would have reasonable time to access the project
and work with the project architects to mitigate the various issues. As mentioned above
Miya agreed there were serious view issues from light pollution impacting the nighttime
view. Bob Swatt sent an email to Michael Rex around I pin Wednesday stating, "Thanks
for the call. I've sent an email to our clients regarding your request, and Miya is meeting
with them this afternoon to discuss this and other issues. I'll let you know when we know
something..." As of today there has been no response.
During the meeting at my house Miya also said that the landscape plan needs to be
revised. This is another important reason to postpone the DRB meeting to a future date.
There is one large Fir tree which shields a large portion of the existing house from my
view and I urge that this tree remain in place. The current plan is for that tree and all
other greenery to be removed and replaced with lower growing less dense foliage.
During our meeting Miya told us the story poles as they existed may not be correct and
there would be someone coming to the property on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, to correct
the story poles. Miya said those story poles have been in place over one year.
Miya said that Paul Wong went to a neighborhood holiday party to show the neighbors
what he intended to do and that this party was at a time before the story poles had initially
E WHIT NO. % 5
Office of Design Review
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
May 30, 2013
Page 3 of 4
been erected. She seemed to think that this so- called presentation at a neighborhood
party would suffice as his efforts to reach out to neighbors regarding his project. I was at
that party and never observed or heard any presentation. This so- called presentation
occurred over 18 months ago according to what Miya told us. 1 am surprised at the lack
of effort by Paul Wong and Julie Huh and their architects to reach out to me to discuss
the issues in this matter. Their failure to do so should be reason enough to postpone the
DRB meeting to allow me and my Architect Consultant to meet with the project
architects so Swatt Miers can come up with a solution to the problems and issues which
are now in the existing proposed plan.
In addition to the lights emanating from the glass windows and garage and front door
there is also an issue with regard to the outdoor lighting plan. As we all know there are
very few outdoor lights in Tiburon and the proposed plan is unacceptable as it will
generate unacceptable light pollution in my nighttime view.
The house as proposed blocks an important portion of the view of Raccoon Straits from
my house. A number of times each week the Hornblower Yacht which is lit up with
incredible lights sails along Raccoon Straits and each time I look forward to seeing it
each day that it sails. It appears to be close to the shore and the proposed house will
significantly lessen and block my viewing of this spectacular ship.
To summarize, the issues for me which exist in the project at 510 Ridge Road include,
among others:
1. There is an excessive amount of large windows facing uphill toward my home
and others resulting in nighttime glare and light pollution including,
a. The windows in the dining room;
b. The windows in the hallway leading to the bedroom;
c. An additional window in a hallway;
d. The glass front door;
e. The glass garage door;
f. Large windows in the stairwell and foyer.
2. The outdoor lights;
3. The necessary modifications to the landscape plan;
4. The importance of retaining the large tree that shields much of the existing house;
5. The blockage of my important view Raccoon Straits.
Because of these significant and important issues I respectfully request that the DRB
meeting be continued to a future date to allow necessary revisions to the proposed plan.
Should the hearing occur on June 6, 2013, I request you direct the applicant to revise the
drawings to address my concerns.
Please consider this to be a formal request that each member visit my house in advance of
the June 6 meeting. I am available on Saturday, Sunday or most any other day. The
DRB member should phone me at 415- 435 -4506 to set up a time to visit.
E a-11TITBI ' NO, [ J
Office of Design Review
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
May 30, 2013
Page 4 of 4
Finally, 1 wish to advise that I have engaged the services of attorney Riley Hurd to
represent me in the event it becomes necessary to enforce my legal rights as a long term
resident of the Town of Tiburon.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
/s/ &'w S"a¢ttsseasL
Bruce Breitman
cc: Riley Hurd, Esq. via email RHurd @rflawllp.com
Michael Rex, Architect Consultant via email rex @rexassoc.com
Paul Wong and Julie Huh via email mingwong888 @gtnail.com
Miya Muraki, Architect via email mmuraki @swattmiers.com
Robert Swart, Architect via email rswatt @swattmiers.com
6.1.2013 510 RIDGE ROAD - nRB HEARING SKYLIGHT REVISION REQUESTED Page 1 of 2
Dan Watrous
From: Miles Berger Architect, AIA [miles @mb- aia.comj
Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2013 10:38 AM
To: Dan Watrous; Scott Anderson JUN 03 2013
i
Cc: Miya Muraki; Jay Venkatesan; Donna Louizides I PL AANNINIG D(VISIQI�
Subject: 6.1.2013 510 RIDGE ROAD - DRB HEARING SKYLIGHT REVISION REQUESTED
Attachments: 6.1.2013 SKY LIGHT REVISION CONCEPT .pdf; Venkatessan View of SF .jpg
Dear Dan and Members of the Design Review Board,
The new residence at 510 Ridge Road looks as though it will be an excellent
addition to ridge Road and Tiburon.
My clients lay and Donna Venkatessan at 616 Ridge Road have only one
reservation that while serious for them and the enjoyment of their home,
can be easily mitigated by some minor changes to the design.
The skylights proposed appear to be visible from the residences up hill. The house
across the street has a rather low angle of view but those further up Ridge, such
as 616 at the Venkatessans deck have a much steeper angle of view as illustrated
in the attached photograph. The skylights would appear to be very prominent and
directly in line with Angel Island and San Francisco Nighttime views.
The measures suggested to screen the skylights do not appear to be sufficient to
cut off views of the skylight shaft and inner shaft surfaces. In the evening, when
lights in the house are on (even if the lights are not in the shaft or even if the
skylight is tinted) the skylight makes a very bright point of light in the dark night
sky view in front of very dim SF lights beyond. This will glare out the views.
If the skylights are sharply tipped as I suggest in the PDF sketch in red, which I
have attached, or have a very tall buffering screen that will shield a 45 degree
view down to the roof, this problem can be avoided.
I have sent this sketch to the very good architectural firm who is doing the project
and I have no doubt they can integrate controls such as these, and make the
skylights shielded from high views above. The shielding can not be a close angle
such as is shown in the drawinas, as manv houses well above this proiect have
much sharper angled views down on the new roof than the angle suggested. I
have also included a photo of the Wong roof from the Venkatessan residence
showing the roof where the new skylights will be, the steep angle of the view lines
and the SF City views directly across the view.
If these changes are made or other measures used is we have no other objection
to the project, in fact wholeheartedly support the design.
Please ask to have the architects modify the skylight design and show the
E L TBTTT.
6/10011 P, 1 0F2-
6.1.2013 510 RIDGE ROAD - nRB HEARING SKYLIGHT REVISION REQUESTED Page 2 of 2
methods that they propose. We would have no objection if the project receive
conditional approval and final changes re: the skylights are submitted to us and
the DRB staff for a staff review.
Sincerely,
a
MILES BERGER.AIA
14 RACCOON LANE
TIBURON, CA, 94920
4 5 5 9 3 5 4 6 6 's
NMLES @ aMB- AIA.COM
WEBSITE MB- AIA,G0M
E- IM NO. f
P. 2- or- 2--
Aiv1)rn
LATE MAIL #_8
Trudy Taich <trudytaich @ sbcglobal. net>
New 501 House Project
June 4, 2013 11:55 AM
June 4, 2013
Town of Tiburon
Design Review Board
New Construction 510 Ridge Road
Dear Mr. Watrous:
If!i JUN 04 2013'
PLF,IVw ?:G i'!VfSiOf.
This letter is in regard to the construction of a new house at 510 Ridge Road.
We are pleased with the design of the new house, and find the Wong family to be very
friendly and respectful to the neighbors.
The only problem we have is the size and height of the house, and the disadvantage it has
to neighbors across the street.
We have been residents here at 1905 Straits View Dr. for 57 years.
When the first house was built on that lot, the neighbors had no control of hight or
obstruction of view, as it was still under County control.
The house at 601 Ridge lost about 3/4 of the view of the Straits and Angel Island.
It was very damaging and distressing to the neighbors at that time, and still is.
Now we are presented with the building of another new house in the same spot, and
removing the same view area.
We are now blessed with having our own city planning committee that can oversee our
concerns regarding past mistakes, and ask for you to use your good judgement
and protect 601, The McDermott family and the Hill Haven neighborhood and our land
values.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lewis J. Taich and family
5,HIBTT PTO.
June 4 2013
JUN 05 2013
Mr. Dan Watrous
Planning Manager
Town of Tiburon
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
RE: Proposed Wong /Huh Residence, 510 Ridge Road
Dear Mr. Watrous,
I am writing on behalf of Mr. Bruce Breitman, 600 Ridge Road. Mr. Breitman is extremely
and correctly concerned about several aspects of the proposed new house. Two
specific aspects that he requested my comments on are:
• A proposed skylight approximately nineteen feet long by four feet wide, on the
south end of the house;
• The large expanse of floor to ceiling glass windows on the northeast corner of the
upper floor of the house.
Both the skylight and the windows will emit a great amount of light where there was
previously none in Mr. Breitman's view shed. The visual impact of the light emissions is
particularly significant as it will compete with, and detract from the view of the city
lights in the distance.
The glass window expanse at the southeast corner of the house extends into Mr.
Breitman's existing view of the water. The floor to ceiling glass expanse is prominent, as
shown by the architect's own photomontage. Even a 50 percent reduction in the glass
area would allow extensive light spillage. Mr. Brietman currently enjoys a night time
view entirely unobstructed by lights between his house and San Francisco.
Screening, or "covering up" the proposed architectural problems with plant material is
much less desirable than thoughtful consideration in the planning stages. It also cannot
be guaranteed to succeed over the long term. Landscape solutions have many
variables that architectural solutions do not have, and often do not have the longevity
of architecture.
EKHT MIT NO,
4 5 2
After looking at the proposed house from both 600 Ridge Road, and 601 Ridge Road,
we have concluded that it would not be possible to screen the skylight and associated
parapet without impacting the view from Mr. McDermott's house at 601 Ridge. The
proposed parapet on the uphill side of the skylight does, itself, impact the McDermott's
view; and the "assumed view angle" as shown on Section 1 /DR 12 of the submitted
plans seems very shallow. Additional tree planting would cause further loss of the water
view. The existing Deodar Cedar (labeled "Fir Tree" on the plans) is at the maximum
height acceptable for the McDermott's.
Possibly, to address Mr. Breitman's concerns, a recent revision on the topographical
Survey shows the proposed addition of three Strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo) , or
Laurels ( Laures 'Saratoga') at the north end of the property. These trees are not
located on the plan accurately. As proposed , they will have no screening effect. Also,
both of these species are extremely slow growing, and will likely not be available in the
size required to be effective. A prior proposal added three pine trees in the some
location. In general, pines are not a desirable screening tree for the following reasons:
• Ultimately, they will require constant pruning to maintain the desired height without
blocking views, and;
• Pine trees are prone to pine pitch canker, and to turpentine beetle infestation, both
of which cause death to pine trees. Pines are particularly susceptible where
stressed, and where wounds from pruning occur.
In addition to architectural solutions for the light spillage and view blockage, we would
recommend that at least three large specimen non - deciduous trees be planted along
the Ridge Road frontage, to the east of the existing Deodar Cedar. These specimens
should be twenty -five feet tall at the time of planting to be even partially effective. The
closer to Ridge Road and the higher up the slope they are planted, the more effective
they will be. It would also be prudent to plant a tall hedge of Podocarpus or similar
plants along the road frontage, and allow them to achieve a substantial height.
Unfortunately, I cannot attend the meeting on Thursday evening; however, I am happy
to answer any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Warren Simmonds
Simmonds & Associates, Inc.
Landscape Architect Lisc. #2452
Cc: Bruce Breitman, Riley Hurd, Michael Rex
E-K&HIM NO.
Ragghianti` i�'SIlLP
RILEY F. HURD III
RHURD @RFLAWLLP.COM
June 5, 2013
Via E -Mail Only
(dzoatrous@ tozzlnoftiburon. org)
Members of the Design Review Board
Town of Tiburon
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Re: 510 Ridge Road, File #21304
Dear Members of the Design Review Board:
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
874 FOURTH STREET, SUITE D
SAN RAFAEL, GA 94901 -3246
TELEPHONE 415.453.9433
FACSIMILE 415.453.8269
W W W.RFLA W LLP.COM
i
(' JUN 05 2013
PL ANNA IPdG DMSION
Our office represents Mr. Bruce Breitman in connection with the above - referenced
application. Mr. Breitman is the owner of the home at 600 Ridge Road, which is uphill
from the proposed project, and which has primary views directly over the subject
property. The purpose of dds letter is to request that the DRS require amendments to
the currently proposed plans such that light pollution is minimized or eliminated, view
obstructions are minimized, and the design is made to conform to the Towri s Hillside
Design Review Guidelines.
Relevant Project Data
The applicants seek to build a new home utilizing 98% of the allowable FAR for the lot,
along with variances for setbacks and lot coverage. Components of the home's modern
design relevant to this correspondence include the following:
1. Two very large skylights
2. A large glass wall forming the northeast corner of the dining room
3. A long glass- enclosed hallway facing uphill
4. A materials board showing light gray stucco walls and a parry pebble roof
5. A constantly changing, but inadequate, landscaping plan
EXIHIBIT N039-
W L&
RagghlantI I1 i'r.'iU S LLP
Tiburon DRB
June 5, 2013
Page 2 of 5
Project Setting
The property at 510 Ridge Road is surrounded by mature foliage and is framed by the
San Francisco Bay when viewed from uphill. Mr. Breitman's home at 600 Ridge Road
enjoys views of San Francisco, Angel Island, Raccoon Straits, and the Golden Gate
Bridge. The proposed new residence will be sited directly in the lower middle of this
viewshed and, as demonstrated by the story poles in the photo attached as Exhibit A,
will further block views of Raccoon Straits.
A distinguishing feature of Mr. Breitman's home, and the neighborhood in general, is a
completely dark night sky, which allows for amazing nighttime views of San Francisco
and the Bay. This lack of light pollution is not an accident. Designs for new and
updated homes in the area have been carefully scrutinized to protect this unique
neighborhood characteristic. A photo of the nighttime view is attached as Exhibit B.
601 Ridge Road is across the street from Mr. Breitman's home and looks directly over
the project site. The interplay and competing interests of the three properties will need
to be balanced by the DRB.
Light Pollution
Tiburon s Design Review findings specifically address light pollution and afford
protections to surrounding properties. Section 16- 52.020(H)(8) states that the DRB
should consider the following:
"Proposed lighting, insofar as it should not invade the privacy of other
properties, or produce glare or light pollution; yet provide adequate
illumination for safety and security purposes."
It appears components of the proposed project would unreasonably produce glare or
light pollution. Specifically, the glass wall forming the northeast corner of the dining
room, the two large skylights, and the long glass- enclosed hallway facing uphill (in
addition to the numerous uphill windows and foyer lighting). While there may be
screening options for addressing some of the light produced by these elements,
architectural solutions should be implemented first, with screening used as a secondary
measure.
The applicants' architects first offered a de minimis reduction in the length of the glass
wall in the dining room. This reduction would have produced very little net reduction
in light pollution, and the northeast corner of the new structure, which is the most
EXHIBIT No. I q
�e
Ragghianti
Tiburon DRB
June 5, 2013
Page 3 of 5
visible part of the house from Mr. Breitman's living room, would remain as glass. One
day before the hearing (i.e. today), the architects are now proposing some type of a
louver system. Given the proximity of the hearing date, there is not time to
meaningfully analyze this proposal and its effectiveness. It appears there needs to be a
significant reduction in glazing, and /or a relocation of this part of the floor plan in
order for there to be a meaningful effect.
The large skylights appear to be a standard design element for the project architects.
The DRB recently considered a project at 116 Lyford designed by the same firm. After
serious concerns were expressed about the size and location of the skylights in that
project, the DRB required the applicants to significantly reduce the skylights' size, to
apply a tint, and to erect a permanent screen. These conditions tracked Section 16- 30.070
of the Town Code, which includes the following requirements:
"C. All skylights shall be bronzed or tinted and shall not utilize
frosted glass, and no lights shall be placed in or directed up into
the wells.
D. Baffles, shields or other structural elements may be required to
limit light pollution from exterior lights and skylights."
Here similar solutions exist for mitigating the proposed skylights, and some are already
proposed in the plans (such as the rooftop parapet walls). However, the staff report for
this project suggests a reduction in parapet height, or even complete elimination, in
order to benefit the view from 601 Ridge Road. (Staff Report, Page 4.) Unfortunately,
this would come at the expense of the dark night sky enjoyed by so many in the
neighborhood, and would create a beacon of light in the foreground of Mr. Breitman's
otherwise dark nighttime view. Again, a day before the hearing, the architects are now
proposing to reduce the skylights sizes, which is a step in the right direction, but these
openings will still need to be screened, and time is required to review what is
essentially a new plan. A balance should be struck between parapet sizing, views, and
light.
In regards to the hallway framed entirely by glass, this is an unnecessary design
element that should not be granted at the expense of the uphill neighbors' nighttime
views. Adequate lighting solutions exist for a hallway with an opaque wall.
M14..ndd. s
Rtl
Raggl,ia7�ti rI i T i11 LLP
Tiburon DRB
June 5, 2013
Page 4 of 5
Views and Colors
The view from Mr. Breitmari s living room over the project site is protected via
Goal 3, Principle 7(A), of the Hillside Design Guidelines. Goal 3, Principle 7(C)
also notes that blockages of the center of views are more damaging than side
blockages. The proposed home sits in the center of Mr. Breitmari s view corridor
and also will block more of Raccoon Straits, which is a protected landmark under
Principle 7(D). Perhaps a home with less FAR would help to mitigate this issue.
In any event, a design that takes into account the sensitive location of the home
should be utilized.
The intrusion into the view corridor is exacerbated by the colors and materials
selected for the project. Specifically, the light gray stucco and pamy stone roof
fail to appropriately blend into the vegetated hillside or the backdrop of Angel
Island and the Bay waters when viewed from above. The applicants should be
directed to select warmer and darker tones for the stucco and roof, such that they
better blend into the natural surroundings. (This was also required of this
architectural firm at the DRB hearing on their recent Lyford Drive project.)
Landscaping
Significant opportunities exist for mitigating the effects of this project through
careful and effective landscaping. A combination of appropriate tree and hedge
species at or near the Ridge Road frontage could serve to greatly screen not only
the structure, but any remaining light sources as well. Species selection,
placement, and maintenance considerations are important factors given the view
concerns from 601 Ridge Road.
As of today, the architect's have now proposed a completely different landscape
plan, which contains the following major flaws:
1. The applicants now propose to remove a crucial "fir" screening tree from
in front of the home. This tree must be retained, as all other plantings will
be immature and take years to grow.
2. The new proposed screening trees are shown in the far North corner of the
property, which will not accomplish their intended purpose. They need to
be moved southwest along ridge road.
Elite BIT NO.
Ragghlantl
Tiburon DRB
June 5, 2013
Page 5 of 5
3. The proposed screening trees are inappropriate specimens for the location.
Strawberry trees are incredibly slow growing and a nursery size will be
about 10 feet, which will do nothing. Grecian Bay Laurels are too small,
need too much water, and host sudden oak death. Please refer to the
forthcoming letter from architect Warren Simmonds for additional
information.
Any trees should be evergreen, as opaque as possible, and should quickly reach an
elevation of at least 104.1' pursuant to the submitted plans.
Conclusion
This application is not ready for DRB review. The story poles, plans, and even the
noticing, have been a moving target for those interested in analyzing the project, with
plans being significantly changed as late as today. The DRB should direct the applicants
to come back with a redesign that responds to, and addresses, the concerns set forth
herein. Specific attention should be paid to architectural solutions, with landscaping
used to address impacts that may remain.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters.
CC: Bruce Breitman
Michael Rex
Warren Simmonds
Very Truly Yours,
Riley F. Hurd III
E-KETIM No,
Page I of 1
Dan Watrous
From: Michael Heckmann [heckmannarchitects @earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2013 11:48 AM
To: Dan Watrous
Cc: 'BBG, Ltd.'
Subject: 510 Ridge Rd.
Dan,
The applicants have installed several story poles about 16' tall to indicate some landscaping they propose near
the street. The purpose was to screen the windows affecting the home at 600 Ridge.
However, since they clearly fail to solve the problem (I sent a letter to Swatt informing him of this), Bruce
Breitman would like you to extend an invitation to all DRB members to visit his home prior to the next meeting. I
would guess this could occur any day from Sat /July 13th until the day of the meeting. Bruce wants me to meet
them there and I can be reached by cellphone at 307 -2446 or by email. It seems late afternoons give the best
light (and less fog) to see the project.
I could tentatively plan for the afternoon of July 10th and 11th. However, if they need another time, even if the
weekend prior, I could be available.
You might also arrange a visit to the Breitman house soon and assess the situation yourself. If you judge the
landscaping to be ineffective, it would give the applicant time to modify their proposal prior to new
submittals being filed in the planning dept.
Regards,
Michael D. Heckmann
Architect - Planner
1680 Tiburon Boulevard, Suite 7
Tiburon, CA 94920
Tel: 415 -435 -2446
Fax: 415 -435 -2875
heckmannarchitects65 earthlink net
www.heckmannarchitects.com
E HIMT NO,
7/10/2013
Robert McDermott
601 Ridge Road
Tiburon, CA, 9492C
--
!U!_ 0 G 2O J3�b
July 9, 2013
Design Review Board
Town of Tiburon
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Attention: Dan Watrous, Planning Manager and Members of the DRB
Subject: Application for New Single Family Dwelling at 510 Ridge Road
Dear Dan and members of the Design Review Board
As a follow -up to the DRB Meeting on June 6, 1 would like to add some comments and
make some additional observations for your consideration prior to the next meeting on
July 18.
1. Views of 510 Ridge Road from 601 Ridge Road
I would like to elaborate on the importance of the views I have enjoyed for 29 years,
especially the "slot" view through the gap between 510 Ridge Road and 1910 Straits
View Drive. I have copied into this letter the images which I attached to my letter to the
DRB dated May 30th and have added a few others. In order to insert large images and
text on the same page I have had to adopt a rather disjointed format. Please bear with
this.
Pane l of 16
This is the principal view we have from our home, looking out on Racoon Strait and over
the water to Ayala Cove and Angel Island. The existing house at 510 Ridge Road
obstructs a large portion of what could be an fabulous view, but, according to long time
residents of the neighborhood, when it was built in 1970, there was not the same
degree of consultation and design review that Tiburon has today. It would seem that if
this design were submitted for approval today, it would not meet the criteria established
by the Town according to their "Guidelines for Hillside Dwellings ". Nevertheless, there is
a "slot" view of the Strait and Ayala Cove which is enjoyed from every room in our
house. This view is a major feature of my property and the encroachment of the
proposed new design would detract considerably from the value of my property. I have
concentrated my comments on the impact of the second floor, but even the first floor,
which extends across the full width of the lot, would obstruct a lovely view of bushes,
trees and water which are much preferred to any new structure.
EY,HIBTIT NCB. 2 � _.
Zooming into the "Slot" one can see the impact the proposed new structure would have
on my view during the day and at night. Note that the tree just to the left of the chimney
only occupies a portion of the space which would be taken by the new house. This tree
has been allowed to grow into the view and should have been trimmed back some time
ago.
Even with the tree there, one can see the water and boats through the branches. Of
course there are no !eaves at all on the tree for 4 or 5 months of the year!
Page 3 of 16
3. View from Entrance Hall/Dining Room
When one enters my home the immediate view is of the "slot' between 510 Ridge Road
4. View from Dining Room
As one moves to the water -side of my house, the impact of the present house at 510
Ridge is clearly seen. The intrusion of the proposed left side into the "slot' is clear as is
the impact of the proposed parapet over the right side. Since my main floor is about 50
feet higher than that of 510 Ridge the impact of the proposed ceiling heights and roof
overhangs on the water side are also in play but cannot be seen in these photos.
E17xHIBIT NCB. 2. (_
)uilt on grade, which is about 2 feet lower than the rest of the house.
n and at this angle the impact of the proposed house on the "slot'
,t. About 40% of the view between the two houses would be lost.
proposed parapet is also clear as it would be at about the same
i W
ita'HIB1.f NO._ -Zl
Page 5 of 16
6. View from Kitchen /Breakfast Room
The view from the kitchen /breakfast area is similar to that from the dining area. It is in
these two rooms that we spend the majority of our time and, being retired, we are at
home most of the time.
.Z,HIBIT NO, 2
7. View from TV Room /Bedroom 3
From the two smaller bedrooms (one is now used for TV) the view is restricted by other
parts of the house, and the "slot" view is the most essential part of the view. To the left
one can see the spiral staircase leading to the "Upper Deck" which the previous owners
built to regain the views lost when 510 Ridge Road was built in 1970.
E C3..LTS..i..BTT NO, 21
Page 7 of 16
B. View from Master Bed Room
From the master bed room we get our first views of Racoon Strait and Angel Island
each day, blocked considerably by the house at 510 Ridge Road. Here the impact of the
proposed parapet is shown very clearly as is the cedar tree on the left which has been
allowed to grow up into the view of Racoon Strait, and is planned for removal.
E]K' HTBTT NO,
II. Views along Ridge Road from 510 to 440
As mentioned in my letter of May 30th and stated at the DRB meeting on June 6th, the
existing house at 510 Ridge was built without sufficient consultation and review and is
out of character with the others along the water side of Ridge Road, especially those
which have been constructed in the past few years. These new houses were built after
demolition of the existing structure and the new houses were built into the hillside in
conformance with the Town's Guidelines for Hillside Dwellings. The images that follow
clearly show that the most recently approved designs for houses along the water side of
Ridge Road are much lower than either the present house at 510 Ridge or the proposed
Wong -Huh design.
1. 510 Ridge Road: Built in 1970. Story poles show outline of proposed house.
Page 9 of 16 E- HIBI T NO. 2-1
2. 500
e Road: Built in 1973
10 EXHIBIT 1\10.
Page 17 of 16 IIIBIT NO. 2
4. 480 Ridge Road: Built in 1955
EXITHIBIT t
12
E1Ti IBIT N0C
Page 13 of 16
q-v
14 ".z IHIBIT
7. 440 Ridge Road: Construction began in May 2013
8. 1925 Straits View Drive: Built in 2009
Page 15 of 16 E117HIBI T N Z t
111. Other comments on the application:
1. Just for the record I would like to set out my view of the chronology of the interaction
I have had with applicants for new house at 510 Ridge Road:
At the DRB meeting on June 6, 1 erroneously stated that Paul Wong and Julie Huh had
purchased 510 Ridge Road in the autumn of 2011. 1 was incorrect, as Julie pointed out
later: They purchased this property in October 2010. 1 apologize for my error and can
only think that I was thrown off by Bob Swatt's statement that he had been working on
this project for 2 1/2 years. That surprised me since I know for certain that I was not
shown any design by Swatt/Meier before April 2012, just over one year ago. Prior to
that it was Howard Blecher who was introduced as the Wong /Huh architect and Howard
showed me his first design in April 2011. Later on, in April 2012, he presented the first
Swatt/Meier design,a three story house. These early designs were clearly unacceptable
in terms of height and mass. It was not until August 2012 that the Swatt/Meier two story
design appeared and with it the parapet which at that time was described as being a
clerestory, designed to bring light into the living room area and the stairwell. The design
with the parapet shielding two large skylights, did not appear until the version that was
presented to the Town of Tiburon on May 16, 2013.
2. Another item of concern is the amount of glazing on the north - facing walls of the
proposed house and the proposed glass panels in the garage door. Due to the acute
viewing angles from my home, the impact of the large glass walls on the north side of
the dining area may not have a huge detrimental impact on my views but I know that
there will be considerable impact on the views of my uphill neighbors. The proposed
glass panels on the garage door, however, will certainly emit light into my view at
night. If, as was mentioned at the DRB meeting on June 6th, these panels are
"opaque" (i.e. emitting no light at all) it actually makes no sense to have them made of
glass. I spoke to a person at Northgate Garage Doors a while ago and he agreed
with me that one would not choose glass if one does not want any light to pass
through the panels. There are many alternative solutions which would be truly
opaque and could be very attractive to the external viewers.
3. As I write this I realize that a modified design has been submitted, but my points are
general enough to the proposed new house that I want them considered as soon as
possible. I will review the latest plans as soon as possible and revise the photos and
comments if I believe there is a material change from the above.
:ertMt�M truly urs,
Z c ermott
Iri
SJILHIBi i NO. ` L
10, In .
x�f Polt , : , K�, di PC q ;!!, Wil Huhic Rd , fluml 0^19pi
� �Vh-��, : ��� � , , ] �, � n,
16 PPWIP, - M W WWI my ,cw"q CA 01'.
W� �wnqj
0,11 WSHWOWN100 100P 1"MY&OHI
1 R 1 c'il t'iw( iC,O Ow h1 t, o
I h,li I w IV.,i trip p", !"d 111(i p frl h); in ,iddmol)
111 11 Cofll. t I "i', alv MnOy PI M ih 14H P,W PH"2 PRO h
Ji, i 1 ra pow ?I q- HI Nin Him a c Alo"Un oW Qpq " in 1":
la -, '"MOTO Wi,winy"i wun takinTOw
!)d h x i ;hk ilit iw,111!1,11 110, Mkon low win" Oh.
f 1
K.A U7711 111TI IT NT O,
LATE MAIL #_ t
July 11, 2013
Swatt -Miers
5845 Doyle St. #104
Emeryville, CA 94608
Attn: Bob Swatt
RE: 610 Ridge Rd.
Li JUL 12 ? j
After my review of your revised plans dated 7/8113, it is clear that many of the changes you have
made to the project show progress on the problem areas of the previous design. It also helps to
have a landscape scheme with clearer concepts and graphics. However, there are still some
remaining issues that need attention in order for my client to be able to support this project.
These issues are as follows:
The new home design has documented that much of the existing foundations and wall
framing are to be integrated into the new structure, thereby claiming the existing floor
levels as benchmarks for the new house. It is extremely unlikely that a new home of this
quality will recycle 50- year -old building components and, certainly, the old foundations
cannot be used for new shear walls or moment frames. Since this is essentially an all -
new house, the entire structure can be lowered 2 -3 feet, still maintain the critical view
elements for your clients, and thereby eliminate most of the objections of the neighbors at
600 and 601 Ridge Rd.
2. The proposed wood screen for the lower level bedroom hall exterior glazed wall might be
a viable solution to the light spill from these windows. However, we will need an actual
detail showing all component sizes and finishes and an installation system that is
permanent so that the screen is not easily removed.
3. The main entry north windows and glass door will still be visible from the residence at 600
Ridge Rd. A size reduction, clearstory -type windows, or the wood screen system used
elsewhere needs to be incorporated in this area.
1680 Tiburon Boulevard, Suite 7 Tiburon, CA 94920
Tel 415.435.2446 Fax 415.435.2875
heckmannarchitects @earthlink.net V
www.heckmannarchitects.com �t�.. IBIT mR
�O °--- °"°'°°"'
P, i C>t- 2—
4. The reduction in the size of the north dining windows is a good improvement. However,
since the remaining window will still be quite visible from 600 Ridge Rd. at night, an
exterior wall or screen needs to be incorporated. This would extend out perpendicular to
the window from its western jamb for a length of about 3 feet and would shield the
window completely.
5. We would request actual samples of the garage door panels and frame to confirm that
they are matte finish and are non - reflective, as even an opaque glass can be very
reflective in sunlight.
The landscape plan shows 3 new California bay laurel trees at the uphill property corner.
If these grow to a height of 40 feet, they will cause view blockage from 600 Ridge Rd.
They need to be eliminated and a lower- growing substitution made. There is also an
existing redwood tree shown on the plan that is about 40 feet from the street near the
new fire pit. Redwoods are well -known to be fast - growing and causing view blockage.
This tree needs to be removed or a lower- growing substitution made.
Also, note that the changes to the north dining windows are not properly reflected in the lighting
plan /Sheet DR15 and that drawing, therefore, needs to be revised.
It would certainly appear that addressing these remaining elements is possible prior to next
week's DRB meeting. If this can be achieved, we could then come to the hearing in support of
the amended project, and not be left to try and resolve these issues during a hearing and /or
appeal process. I will make myself available to meet with you and discuss these issues at your
convenience so that we may hopefully resolve this matter.
Regards,
Michael Heckmann
Cc: Dan Watrous/Tiburon Planning Dept.
E iHIM NO, Z-3
Y_ Z. 0 F2
LATIE MAIL #4
- IO2L13
Bruce Breitman P! ANIS;lVG D.'`!i`S10N
600 Ridge Road Phone 415/435 -4506
Tiburon, CA 94920 Facsimile 415/435 -7483
Via Email: dwatrous@ci.tiburon,ca.us
July 15, 2013
Office of Design Review
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
Tiburon Town Hall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Re: 510 Ridge Road
Dear Design Review Board Members:
This letter is in regard to the revised plans for the above captioned project dated July 8; 2013.1
was pleased to see the proposed changes which have taken into consideration some of the
issues earlier raised. I believe with a few more minor changes I could support the project.
Although the dining room window was reduced in size, it nevertheless remains in place, albeit
smaller than originally proposed. My concern is the light pollution will still emanate from the
smaller window, which is in the very center of my nighttime view. The solution to this issue is
easy. A small narrow wall perpendicular to the window would block the light and solve the
problem of continuing nighttime light pollution. With a small wall they can have their window
and I can have my nighttime view. This is very important to me.
With regard to windows in the hallway leading to the master bedroom, it is crucial to see the
detail for the proposed screening in order to be certain the screening will shield light from the
hallway windows. I am hoping we can see the detail prior to the July 18 hearing.
The front door, which is glass, will contribute to the light pollution emanating from the house
and will be visible from 600 Ridge Road. The windows at this entryway will contribute light
Pollution which will also be visible from 600 Ridge Road. To avoid additional light pollution,
the front door should not be glass and the windows at the entryway need to be screened.
Currently there are trees on the McDermott property at 601 Ridge Road that block a portion of
the existing 510 house. Bartlett Tree Experts, through Art Tyson, a Board Certified Master
Arborist, advises these trees are now beyond their usual life span and within five years these
trees will likely require removal. Attached is a letter from Mr. Tyson. When those trees are
removed, they will no longer shield the new 510 Ridge house from 600 Ridge Road, and
therefore should not be relied upon in this process for screening.
Zq
EXrHIBIT CIO,-
P
t ot- -Z_
Office of Design Review
Attn: Daniel M. Watrous, Planning Manager
July 15, 2013
Page 2 of 2
There is now a large cedar /fir tree on the 510 Property that needs to be retained in order to
continue to shield a significant portion of the proposed house from 600 Ridge Road. I
understood this tree would be retained; however, I cannot confirm retention from the July 8
landscape drawing. Please require retention of this tree as earlier agreed.
1 am surprised and disappointed that the applicant and Bob Swatt have ignored many offers
conveyed by me and architect Heckmann to view their project from my house. They have
never come to my house throughout the entire process to see how my view will be impacted by
their project.
I am hopeful the above suggested changes can be incorporated which would allow me to
support the project.
Thank you very much
Best regards,
/s/ Su"c &eCtcsccuc
Bruce Breitman
Enl: Letter from Bartlett Tree Experts
cc: Riley Hurd, Esq. via email RHurd @rflawllp.com
Michael Heckmann, Architect Consultant via email HeekmannArchitects @earthlink.net
Paul Wong and Julie Huh via email mingwong888 @gmaii.com
Miya Muraki, Architect via email mmuraki @swattmiers.com
Robert Swatt, Architect via email rswattnswattmiers.corn
.i�.a.
ENIM-IB T INTO. Z 1
Ia.s9.
.i.
-P, 2 OF Z.
Olt
LATEMAIL Rat)ID ti �.l,P UJI JUL 1 6 ?013 RILEY F. Huao III
RHUROQRFLAWLLP.COM D, L I `,; "' ^ 31 ;N
July 15, 2013
Via E -Mail Only
( dzoatroats @toeuiToftibtcroii.org)
Members of the Design Review Board
Town of Tiburon
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Re: 510 Ridge Road; File #21304
Dear Members of the Design Review Board:
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
874 FOURTH STREET, SUITE D
SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901 -3246
TELEPHONE 415.453.9433
FACSIMILE 415.453.8269
WWW.RFLAWLLP.COM
Our office continues to represent Mr. Bruce Breitman in connection with the above -
referenced application. Mr. Breihnan is the owner of the home at 600 Ridge Road, which
is uphill from the proposed project, and which has primary views directly over the
subject property. We are pleased to report that, since the last hearing on this matter,
significant progress has been made by the applicants in mitigating the impacts on Mr.
Breitran's property. It is our position that with a few, relatively minor, additional
changes, findings for approval of this project could be made, and a prolonging of the
review process avoided for all involved.
Light Pollution
A distinguishing feature of Mr. Breitman's home, and the neighborhood in general, is a
completely dark night sky, which allows for amazing nighttime views of San Francisco
and the Bay. Tiburon's Design Review findings specifically address light pollution and
afford protections to surrounding properties. Section 16- 52.020(H)(8) states that the
DRB should consider the following:
"Proposed lighting, insofar as it should not invade the privacy of other
properties, or produce glare or light pollution; yet provide adequate
illumination for safety and security purposes."
ffiffilm "I'm
Fy
-Sa
ti
RagghI ant i ta;,I.I.P
Tiburon DRB
July 15, 2013
Page 2 of 4
In response to the direction of the DRB and neighbor comments, the applicants have
proposed changes in an attempt to address light pollution from their project. With the
following modifications, we believe the required finding under 16- 52.020(H)(8) could
appropriately be made:
1. Dining Room Window - The reduction in the size of this window is a vast
improvement, however, given its location directly in the lower- middle of the 600
Ridge Road viewshed, even this smaller window will be very visible at night.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution, with little to no impact on the applicants,
but great improvement for the uphill neighbors. The installation of an exterior
wall or screen that extends out perpendicular to the window from its western
jamb for a length of 3 feet would shield the window completely, while still
providing the applicants with unobstructed views in all relevant directions. Of
all the changes requested herein, this small component would have the most
significant effect.
2. Lower Level Bedroom Hallway - The applicants propose to keep this massive
expanse of glazing, but to incorporate a vertical wood screen. Such screening can
be effective when designed properly and installed in a permanent fashion. We
would request a condition requiring a more detailed design of this screen, and
measures that prevent its easy future removal.
3. Main Entry Windows and Door - The main entry windows and glass door will
still be very visible from the residence at 600 Ridge Rd. A size reduction,
clearstory -type windows, or the wood screen system used elsewhere should be
required to be incorporated in this area.
These three minor changes will go a long way in preserving the dark night sky that
currently exists in this neighborhood.
Landscaping
Significant opportunities exist for mitigating the effects of this project through careful
and effective landscaping and the applicants' new landscape plan makes progress in
this regard The following issues remain:
1. Bay Laurels - The southeast corner of 510 Ridge is a key area for vegetative
screening. The new landscape plan proposes the planting of Bay Laurel trees in
this area, which are stated on the plan to grow to 40 feet in height. Utilizing this
species would undo all of the gains achieved by the redesign, as 40 -foot trees
ENHIBIT NO
Ragghiantil, ir;111)LLP
Tiburon DRB
July 15, 2013
Page 3 of 4
would obliterate the views from 600 Ridge. A tree species that grows to a
maximum of the height of the approved residence should be substituted.
2. Trees at 601 Ridge Road - An aged grove of pine trees exists on the property at
601 Ridge Road. At this time, these trees serve as an uphill visual screen,
however, due to the age of these trees and their poor health, it is not anticipated
they will survive much longer. Accordingly, these trees should not be relied
upon as a screening mechanism, and other methods employed. (See Bartlett Tree
Service analysis submitted by Mr. Breitman).
3. Cedar/Fir Tree - There is a currently existing large Cedar tree at the front of the
applicants' property that screens much of the existing home at 510 Ridge. This
tree was previously misidentified on the plans as a "fir," and is apparently now
proposed to be removed (Plan L1 does not specify which trees are being taken
out, but does not show the retention of this tree.) This tree should be required to
remain as an important screening element.
These landscape edits will supplement the design changes made thus far, and those
proposed above, and will help the project comply with the Town's design guidelines.
House Elevation
A large component of neighbor complaints regarding this project has been view
blockage. According to the applicants, the elevation of the proposed home is
supposedly constrained by their desire to utilize the existing foundation. It strains
credulity to suggest that 50 -year old foundations will be salvaged to try and support an
expensive new home like this one. In fact, from an engineering perspective, the old
foundations cannot be used for new shear walls or moment frames. Given the high
degree of probability that the foundations will be found to be unusable, the home could
simply be lowered 2 -3 feet into the hillside, which would still provide the applicants
with all desired views, while greatly improving the view of uphill neighbors. Since the
design does not utilize a stepped approach as set forth in the Hillside Design Guidelines
(See Sheet DR -12), this lowering of the home could result in the same net effect while
not requiring a major design change.
Conclusion
While it is unfortunate that the applicants and their team have refused to engage Mr.
Breitman since the last hearing, or even visit his property, progress has been made.
Addressing the issues herein will go a long way in mitigating remaining impacts and
KUHM NO.
z�
hagghlantI I F LLP
Tiburon DRB
July 15, 2013
Page 4 of 4
bringing closure to this application. Thank you for your attention to these important
matters.
CC: Bruce Breitman
Michael Heckman
Very Truly Yours,
Riley F. Hurd III
Robert McDermott
601 Ridge Road
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Design Review Board
Town of Tiburon
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA, 94920
Attention: Dan Watrous, Planning Manager
t; n,
J JUL 10 2013 U
PLA NIING DIVISION!
July 16, 2013
Subject: Application for Construction of a New Single - Family Dwelling at 510 Ridge
Road
Dear Dan and Members of the Design Review Board
I have reviewed the plans submitted by the applicants on July 8th and commend them
and their architects for the modifications they have made to the amount of glazing in the
dining room and the shielding they have proposed to reduce light emissions from some
of the other windows. There has been, however, no lessening of the intrusion the
proposed house would make into the views of Racoon Strait that I and my family have
enjoyed for 29 years and plan to enjoy for many, many years to come. My position
regarding the importance of these views as well as my other concerns has been
expressed to you in my letters of May 30 and July 9 as well as in my comments made at
the DRB hearing on June 6th. I reiterate them here as briefly as possible.
1. Non - compliance with the Town of Tiburon's Guidelines for Hillside Dwellings
Nothing in the revised design addresses the need for this application to conform with
the Town's Guidelines, in particular measures to meet Goal 1: Reduce Effective Bulk by
cutting the building into the hillside and terracing the building using the slope. Since this
application has been deemed by the Town to be one for the Construction of a New
Single - Family Dwelling, surely the Town's Guidelines should be respected. This has
been the case for all the homes built in Hill Haven in recent years as I tried to
demonstrate in my letter of July 9th. The existing house at 510 Ridge Road is already
more dominant in its height and bulk than its neighbors and the proposed new house is
even more prominent. At the hearing on June 6th, Architect Bob Swatt stated that the
house is not designed to be terraced and built into the hillside because the owners have
chosen to retain the existing foundation. This does not seem to be a valid argument for
not complying with the Guidelines. Especially since this 43 year old foundation has
probably exceeded its useful life and should be removed for safety reasons. In any
case, all the other applicants for building new homes in this neighborhood have had to
accept the consequences of choosing a hillside lot in Tiburon. Why should this case be
different from those of others who have purchased existing homes, torn thergdown and
built new houses within the Town's Guidelines? EX�HIBTT NO,
1of4
2. Loss of "Slot" View between 510 Ridge Road and 1910 Straits View Drive
Nothing in the revised design addresses my concerns over the loss of views of Racoon
Strait. The only relevant change is a reduction of the height of the parapet which has
been lowered by six inches. That is to say it is now six inches lower than the existing
roof line whereas previously it would have been at exactly the same height as the
existing roof. As I have illustrated through the photos attached to my two letters and as
you have all seen in person, the proposed design would take away a significant portion
of the "slot" view of Racoon Strait we enjoy between 510 Ridge Road and 1910 Straits
View Drive. The proposed design does not provide sufficient compensation for our loss
of this "slot" view with an improved view of the water above the house.
The main issue is the heights of the ceilings and resulting roof lines, including their
overhangs, plus the addition of a "parapet" surrounding the proposed skylights. The
Dining Room has a 10' high ceiling and the Living Room has a 10' 6 "' high ceiling above
a floor which is 1' higher than that of the Dining Room. The impact of these ceiling
heights on my views is compounded by the addition of a 3'6" high "parapet" intended to
shield the neighbors' night time views from light emanating from two large skylights.
One skylight is 20' long over the interior wall of the Living Room. The other skylight,
about 9' long, is over the stairwell next to the entry hallway.
I maintain that these skylights are not necessary at all thus negating the need for the
parapet. There will be a massive amount of daylight coming in through the floor -to-
ceiling windows of the 50' long Dining /Living Room area. This flood of day light will be
augmented by 20' long floor -to- ceiling glass windows on the south side of the Living
Room, immediately adjacent to the interior wall, which is meant to be illuminated by the
skylight above. The NE -SW orientation of the proposed house is such that there will be
light streaming into the Dining Room /Living Room area from the rising sun early in the
morning until the sun sets on the south end of the Living Room in the late afternoon. I
believe that there will be so much sunlight coming into this house that screens will be
needed to prevent Ultra Violet damage to floors, furniture, art objects, etc. All of the
daylight which will be coming into the Living /Dining area will also provide light in the
stairwell which will also be lit from light coming in from the front door and the entry
hallway immediately adjacent to the stairwell.
I contend, therefore, that the parapet is not needed other than to provide aesthetic relief,
through the use of wooden siding, to the otherwise plain, flat roof line. While this
"attribute" may be appreciated by some, it is we, the residents of 601 Ridge Road as
well as our immediate neighbors, who will be looking at this "attribute" 2417 and we
would much rather have better views of Racoon Strait. A sensible alternative to the
skylight parapet providing aesthetic relief would be to have the very wide (24 ") edges of
the garage /entry way roof paneled with the same 1 x 6 T &G wooden siding which is
proposed for the parapet as well as for several of the house's main exterior walls. This
wooden treatment is already planned for the thinner roof edges of the Dining /Living
Room areas.
EIT'HIBI-T No
2of4
Elimination of the parapet, while essential, is not sufficient in itself since the roof line,
including the overhang on the water side, would come into play and have to be reduced.
While we would have to work out exact dimensions I believe that reducing the ceiling
height in the Dining Room to 9', eliminating the 1' step up from the Dining to the Living
Room area, and reducing the Living room ceiling height to 9'6" should bring sufficient
water views above the house to compensate for the loss of the "slot" view on the north
side.
3. Light emissions from windows:
It is in the area of light emissions that the revised design has made a number of
significant improvements. The large reduction in the amount of glazing along the north
wall of the Dining Room is clearly a step in the right direction, although I still feel that
there is no need for any windows at all on that wall. The views of Racoon Strait, San
Pablo Bay and the East Bay would not be effected if this wall were completely solid. In
fact, having no windows there could be a benefit since the views of the adjacent houses
along Straits View Drive would be blocked.
The proposed wooden screens along the bedroom corridor would clearly be beneficial
for shielding up -hill neighbors from the inevitable night lights in this area and are
therefor a welcome change. What I do not understand, however, is the lack of similar
screening or reduction in glazing in the north facing walls of the entrance way and the
stairwell area on the lower floor. This concern should be addressed by either wooden
screens and /or reduced amount of glazing. Windows can surely be designed to provide
light to the hallway and stairwell without causing problems for the neighbors' night time
views.
The garage door is still shown as being aluminum with glass panels, although it is said
that the glass will be painted on the back (i.e. inside) side. This "solution" seems
strange since the purpose of glass is to let light through. If the owner does not wish to
have light come through the garage door a solid construction would be more sensible.
An attractive solution would be to have wooden panels on the garage door similar to the
1 x 6 T &G wooden siding proposed for several walls of the main house and mentioned
above for the roof edges.
4. Landscaping:
A new landscaping plan was included with the revised drawings submitted on July 8th.
Some very large trees are proposed, some as tall as 30' or 40', which, if allowed to
reach these heights, would intrude significantly into what would be left of my "slot" view
of Racoon Strait. It does not make sense to plant trees that are able to grow to such
enormous heights since, in order to comply with the Town's Ordinance on Trees and
Views, they would have to be constantly trimmed. Even the "large shrubs" which are
proposed along the edge of the property as a sort of hedge would, if left to grow to their
mature height of 20 feet, be too tall and not in keeping with the rest of the
neighborhood. At the meeting on June 6th here was discussion about the existing 30'
cedar tree. This tree has been allowed to grow to a height which has been disturbing
my view of Racoon Strait for several years and it should be removed. It makes sense to
3 of 4
me to remove most of the existing vegetation and implement an agreed landscaping
plan. The proposed plan is a good basis for discussion.
I look forward to discussing these concerns at the meeting on July 18 and hope that we
all can reach a mutually acceptable solution so that we can allow Paul and Julie to get
on with completing their new home.
Sincer
R6ert cD ermott
cc. Paul Wong & Julie Huh
4of4
ENIHIBIT 11 .
Date: _July 16' 2013 jtl I JUL 11U l f
I
From: Jaime and Carolyn Cohan CLfjNN 11
Address: 604 Ridge Rd
Tiburon CA
To: Town of Tiburon
Planning Department
1- t- •
I /We have met with Paul Wong and or Julie Huh to review the Swatt /Miers
architectural plans which were submitted for Design Review this month. These
plans are for the remodel / addition to their home at 510 Ridge Rd., Tiburon, CA.
I /We hereby approve of this design.
Sincerely,
Jaime and Carolyn Cohan
Paula Little
420 Ridge Road
Tiburon,Ca. 94920
July 16, 2013
To: Town of Tiburon Planning Department
RE: 510 Ridge Road
Residence of Paul Wong and Julie Huh
Dear Design Review Board Members,
Ilij j 7 I f013` ! it
PLl-,NN�!NG D!%ISION
I am writing to offer my full support of the revised plans for 510 Ridge Road. Over the
past two (2) years, I have met with Julie and Paul regarding the plans for their new
home. It is a stunning design created by the renowned Swatt/Miers Architects. During
this period of time, Julie and Paul with their architects have made numerous iterations of
their design to accommodate the concerns of their immediate neighbors. Some of these
changes include:
1) Lowered the ridge line of the existing house
2) Drastically decreased the amount of glazing
3) Shifted, reduced, and lowered the skylight
4) Eliminated the parapet
5) Downsized the master suite and placed it from the upper to the lower level
We live in Tiburon because it is one of the most beautiful places to call "home." The
original houses in Hill Haven were built in the 50's and 60's. Many of the older homes
have been renovated and/or replaced. It's quite remarkable and unusual that the Wong-
Huh home is being built on the original owner's "footprint."
During the 25 years I have lived in Hill Haven, I have seen many changes in home
styles..... from Cape Cod to Contemporary. Each one is unique but fits right into the
neighborhood. The newly completed contemporary home at 460 Ridge Road just sold
close to $9 million within a few days of the opening and with multiple offers.
Julie and Paul have been active members of the Hill Haven Property Owners'
Association since they purchased their home. We so enjoy that they,with their delightful
children have attended so many of our social and business functions.
EXHIBIT NO>
PC6rZ.
It is my sincere hope that the Wong -Huh revised plans be accepted in their entirety. It's
time they get to build their "dream home" and move in!
Most sincerely,
KHIBIT NCB. 2-
-'. Z. Or- 2
Scott and Annie Woods
623 Ridge Road
Tiburon, Ca 94920
To: Town of Tiburon Planning Department
JUL RE: 510 Ridge Road
i ; LU I J
Dear Design Review Board,
We are writing to give full support for the revised plans
at 510 Ridge rd. We are residents of Hill Haven just up the
road from Paul Wong and Julie Huh's residence. We met
Paul and Julie two years ago when they purchased 510
Ridge. Since becoming members of our community Paul and
Julie have been nothing but gracious and inclusive in the
design and development of their property. They invited us
as well as numerous other neighbors to review their plans.
There have been many changes made to appease
neighbors who are in closer vicinity to their property (which
include reducing glazing, lowering of the roofline which
actually improves neighbors views from the current
views, eliminated the parapet, downsized the master -
suite and moved from upper to lower level etc...) and we
feel strongly that they have made enough changes to the
design and it should now be approved. It is a wonderful
contemporary design by well -known and respected
architects, Swatt /Miers and will be a fantastic and
aesthetically pleasing addition to the neighborhood.
E-KiHIM NO,
P. i 6;=z
We feel very strongly that while it is important to listen
and consider neighbors concerns in the development of new
homes, it is not the business of neighbors to have a hand in
designing other people's homes to their taste. Paul and Julie
have gone to great lengths to address all valid concerns.
The design of 510 Ridge is appealing and well within
building code and standards for the area and should be
approved.
Sincerely,
,,Scott and Annie Woods
E1 H IBIS' NO,
1)< 2 e�— Z-
July 1.8, 2013
Office of Design Review
Tiburon Town Hall
1505 Tiburon Boulevard
Tiburon, CA 94920
Re: Wong/Huh, 501 Ridge Road, Assessor's Parcel No. 059 - 091 -24
Gentlepersons:
AP. 1 8 21,13
PLAN' d%1! G DJV131ON
We write to support approval of the application filed by Paul Wong and Julie Huh to
construct a new single - family dwelling with Variances for reduced front yard setback and
excess lot coverage.
This couple has met with us on several occasions to show us the plans for their home at
the location above. We believe that they have sustained considerable expense and time
delays in attempting to satisfy neighbor's concerns regarding the plans and have done all
that they could.
Please accept their proposal and welcome flier to our community.
Cordially,
Lynn E. Spitler, MD
EXHIBIT NO. 3 C)
I
�
cS�
E
p
U
=
p
0
O
U
_
CIO
Cf)
„
U)
c�
t1i
ti
Q)
p
Q)
p
O
�
to
ry—
U
CIO
+--
?�
E
Cll
p
p
p
p
Cl)
p
cz
j
p
o
C-
Q)
U)
co
�,
M.(D
m
U
s
p
N
co
U'
Z3
E
N
U
c-
U
pU
Z
ui
rr
W
J
U)
0
0
C: (2)
0
0
0
0
C/)
0
D
C)
(-
1
0
Q)
n
0
2)
CO
co
0
Cl)
(1)
t
_0
m
CZ
0
_0
u)
C6
0
0)
0
C
co
Q)
0
0
-0
z
Cf)
Q)
0-
rr
'10
=
u)
,
(3)
E
I
.;'
(3)
0
Q.
C1-
l)
T
O-J
o
—
0
>1
—
3�
CD
Q)
U)
-0
(2)
0-
Q-
E
0
0)
c
co
0
0)
0
0
o
0
0
-o
--
(D
0)
0
C:
co
(D
0
C:
0
3 :
:3
0
I
CO
0
—
Q) Q)
c :D
0
0.
=
Cf)
0
n
o
0
co
(D
U)
:3
-0
Ln
C)
E
U)
I
co
_0_0
0
c—
-
>
o
z
�5
:3
1
yi
O
O
O
O
a
0
0
rr
0)
0
E
0
0
rr
co
O
O
O
O
1
W
0
Q)
Q)
c
FE
a�
0
c-
C)
0
C)
64-
0
0
z
U
rn
U)
CIO
w
0
U)
Q)
0
CIO
0-
E
0
z
s
wil
0
cz
a
0
{�
0
0
c
e
0
4
Im
Nit,
AN,
2]
05
co
0
.C-
T
C-L
4�J)
c
C5
E-�
m
z
O
U)
U)
(D
N
0
Q
—
o
��
a
O
c-
4�
N
o�
M
n�
®
E
O
0
vi
v
—°
-0
Q)
Q
>
—U)
ua
�
o
°)
�
a)
O
O
>
N
0}
(1)
o
-
°
_
C/)
�
o
U
U
cz
>1
N
C-
c
N
CO
U)
00
.D
0
0
4-4
N
O
O
Q�
-U)
cz
oo
D
�o
0
0
�
°
O
cv
z
cn
U)
m
z
•
•
CO N
co
o
c CO
co O
0 0
O
C
N
O
m
C-
a
C5
4--
ISO
0
•
•
•
co
O
E
co
O
Q)
> C
.>
K
6
N
C-
co C—
U 2
N
N >
cn _
O
O
Q CO
N tll
+� Q)
_c-
0
4
O U
C Q�
O
z m
•
N
cn
cn
co
O
co
O
i�
L
O
c�
O
O
Z)
X
cz
E
O
Q77
O
N
O
A
O
O
c�
O
O
O
m
U
co
co
O
i-�
CD
•
•
c�
O Q..
� N
O
N j=
CU (D
cn P
Q) Co
Q �
O CO
> -O
(ll co
O�
Q)
N
CO
k
s
cn
U
cn
Q.
O
Q.
O
Li
c`(? �I
z
/� \��
�� � �]
�� ƒ
q
� �
d�
J
Q�
T�
w
h
���
+5
-- -p
z
1
i++