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Published on 04/06/1998 All articles from this issue

Folks on edge over variance

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

In a time of monster remodels, the modest addition planned by Amy Wright and Bill Parkhurst stands out. All they asked of the city was permission to enclose a breezeway between their garage and their 1935-era one-story farmhouse on Edge Lane, so they could add two bedrooms for their two young children.

The remodel was "designed to maintain the farmhouse style and roof design," said David Kornfield, assistant planner with the city of Los Altos.

But to do this they needed a variance because it maintained an existing non-conforming setback of eight feet.

The neighbors, David and Betty Lee, objected strongly, saying it violated "environmental openess," and urged the couple to expand out into the front yard.

City council members granted the variance at their April 7 meeting, but with some modifications.

Council members asked for the removal of a dormer on another part of the house, that faced the Lee's lot, because it interfered with the daylight plane; that the addition have a 10-foot setback, instead of eight, to mitigate setback concerns; and that the planning staff consider asking that the roof height of the addition be lowered from the 19 feet like the rest of the house to 17 feet.

"This is a charming Los Altos farmhouse," said City Councilman John Moss. "The house would be diminished if the Parkhursts were forced to add on in some unnatural way. We could force something here we would like even less."

A 3,900-square-foot, two-story home could be built on the lot without a variance, planning staff said.

Councilman Francis La Poll reminded council members of the variance they denied a year ago to a second living unit on Sunkist Lane, "something that may have looked better," with the variance.

"I'm pleased to see young families who value our heritage and want to remodel in a way that preserves that," said Los Altos Mayor Kris Casto.