Residential additions and new-home design reviews
Summary
A homeowner wants to add a second floor and expand a 1917 house to bring grandparents into the home. Commissioners said the design looks like two separate houses and urged major revisions — better material transitions, fewer doors and windows, and a unified look. No decision yet; the applicant will return with revised plans.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 8
- Last 30 days
- 2
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Nov 9, 2026.
Impact analysis
No city cost; the applicant was advised to finalize plans before spending on structural engineering.
The Chow family gains space for grandparents and improved living conditions.
Neighbors raised concerns about balconies, window views, and a jacaranda tree, addressed in written correspondence.
Mentions & discussions (8)
Planning Commission — November 9, 2026
Three design-review applications would add new two-story houses on Paloma Avenue, California Drive, and Cabrillo Avenue — routine for the Commission but consequential for the immediate neighbors who live with the new construction.
Planning Commission — October 26, 2026
Three homeowners got the green light to expand or rebuild: additions at 305 Concord Way and 1015 Cortez Avenue and a new prairie-style home at 1228 Drake Avenue. A neighbor letter about window placement at 1015 Cortez prompted extra landscaping, fencing, and driveway conditions.
Planning Commission — August 24, 2026
A homeowner wants to add a second floor and expand a 1917 house to bring grandparents into the home. Commissioners said the design looks like two separate houses and urged major revisions — better material transitions, fewer doors and windows, and a unified look. No decision yet; the applicant will return with revised plans.
Planning Commission — May 26, 2026
Commissioners pushed back on aluminum wood-grain siding at 1150 Vancouver, worried it looks cheap and doesn't fit the neighborhood — especially across from a school. They required natural wood instead.
Planning Commission — April 27, 2026
In both house projects, commissioners pressed on how excavation could damage trees on neighboring properties, and whether parks staff review covers those trees during plan check.
Planning Commission — April 13, 2026
Longtime neighbors say the new home's rear second-floor windows would give a direct line of sight into their backyard, patio and bedroom — the only private outdoor space they have. The commission pushed for landscaping screening and window changes before approving anything.
Planning Commission — February 23, 2026
A downhill neighbor raised concerns about construction drainage and use of the private driveway next door. The city's building department, not the Planning Commission, will manage those issues during construction.
Planning Commission — January 26, 2026
A proposed 3,702-square-foot hillside home was postponed at the applicant's request, so no review happened this meeting.
Related development
Major Design Review and Special Permit at 1150 Vancouver Avenue
Replaces a one-story house near a school with a larger modern two-story home; commissioners shaped the cladding to fit the street.
Major Design Review and Special Permit at 1228 Drake Avenue (DSR26-0009)
A new home in an established neighborhood; commissioners liked the design and asked the owner to chat with a neighbor about overhanging trees.
Major Design Review at 1015 Cortez Avenue (DSR26-0012)
A near-rebuild of a small home; the neighbor who wrote in about window placement was told change is part of neighborhood life, and the city added landscaping and driveway conditions.
Major Design Review at 305 Concord Way (DSR26-0019)
A modest family-home expansion that keeps the existing house and adds privacy trees — little neighborhood impact.
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