Title
PLN180305 - GUNN
Public hearing to consider the construction of a one-story single family dwelling with an attached two-car garage (approximately 3,724 square feet) and the removal of twelve (12) protected trees (12 Pine and 1 Coast Live Oak).
Project Location: 4127 Crest Road, Pebble Beach, Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan, Coastal Zone.
Proposed CEQA action: Categorically Exempt per §15303 (a) of the CEQA Guidelines
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Zoning Administrator adopt a resolution to:
a. Find that the project is limited development consisting of the new construction of a single- family dwelling which qualifies as a Class 3 Categorical Exemption per Section 15303 (a) of the CEQA Guidelines and none of the exceptions under Section 15300.2 apply; and
b. Approve a Combined Development Permit consisting of:
a) Coastal Administrative Permit and Design Approval to allow the construction of a new single family dwelling with attached garage (3,724 square feet);
b) Coastal Development Permit to allow the removal of twelve (12) Monterey Pine and one (1) Coast Live Oak trees.
The attached draft resolution includes findings and evidence for consideration (Exhibit B). Staff recommends approval subject to 12 conditions of approval.
PROJECT INFORMATION:
Agent: Amy Denney
Property Owners: Lezlie Gunn
APN: 008-061-008-000
Parcel Size: 0.22 acres
Zoning: MDR/4-D(CZ)
Plan Area: Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan
Flagged and Staked: Yes
SUMMARY:
The project site is an undeveloped lot located at 4127 Crest Road. It is bound to the west by Crest Road, to the east by Highway 68, and to the north and south by developed residential parcels. The applicant plans to develop the vacant lot with a two-story single family home with an attached garage. The proposed development will be located within the Pebble Beach community, which can be characterized as having an eclectic residential design set among dense pines and adjacent to the Pacific coast. The subject property is located in a wooded residential neighborhood containing one and two-story homes of varying ages, styles and sizes. The site location is populated with native Monterey Pine trees, and this project will require the removal of twelve (12) Monterey Pine trees and one (1) Coast Live Oak tree.
Staff has analyzed the proposed development and found it consistent with the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan and Coastal Implementation Plan Parts 1 (Coastal Zoning, Title 20) and 5 (Regulations for Development in the Del Monte Forest Area). The proposed residential use is consistent with the residential zoning. The siting and design of the residential structure is subject to a Design Approval to ensure that the design will not detract from the character of the neighborhood or adversely affect views in the area, and a Coastal Development Permit is required for removal of trees to accommodate the new construction.
The proposed home is located near the front of the property off Crest Road which is appropriate to protect a large group of trees in the rear of the house and to maintain visual screening from Highway 68, which runs behind the property. In meeting development standards, applicable to the parcel and due to the wooded nature of the vacant lot, it is necessary to remove 10 trees in order to proceed with development. Three additional trees are dead and hazardous and will be removed and replaced to promote forest health and protect people and structures in and adjacent to the site. The home is appropriately sited on the small 0.22-acre lot, has been designed to blend with the neighborhood and maintain forest connectivity in and around residential development, and the project minimizes tree removal to the extent feasible given the heavily forested character of the site.
DISCUSSION:
Design Review:
The Gunn conceptual design is a two-story single family dwelling with a Mediterranean architectural style. The proposed exterior colors, materials and finishes consisting predominantly of brown and caramel stucco walls, dark wood singles for the roof, and copper fascia gutters and downspouts are appropriate for the neighborhood and will blend in with the surrounding environment. Additionally, because the elevation of the home is broken up by varied roof pitches, the bulk and mass of the design are proportionate to the site and do not conflict with the surrounding neighborhood.
The proposed project meets all development standards (height, setbacks, coverage, etc.) for this area:
Required: Proposed:
Front Setback:
First Floor: 20 feet (minimum) 20 feet
Side Setback:
First Floor: 10 feet (minimum) 10 feet
Second Floor: 20 feet (minimum) 20 feet
Rear Setback: 10 feet (minimum) 49 feet
Maximum height: 27 feet 26 feet 10.25 inches
Archaeology
The project site is located within an area of moderate archaeological sensitivity. Therefore, the applicant submitted an archaeological report dated June 2018. The report indicated that archival research showed the parcel had not been previously surveyed and no significant resources have been recorded within or near the project area. The site reconnaissance found no evidence of archaeological materials. Given this information, the project will likely have no effect on significant archaeological resources.
Tree Removal
The project site is a vacant 0.26 acre lot surrounding by developed residential homes sitting between Highway 68 and Crest Road. The site is heavily forested and development on this site will require the removal of twelve (12) Monterey Pine trees and one (1) Coast Live Oak tree. Because Monterey Pine trees are protected in the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan (LUP) tree removal requires granting of a Coastal Development Permit. Standards for granting a Coastal Development Permit for removal of trees are contained in the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan (LUP) and Coastal Implementation Plan (CIP) Part 5 (Regulations for Development in the Del Monte Forest Land Use Plan Area).
In accordance LUP Policy 31, a Forest Management Plan (FMP) was prepared for the project by Thompson Wildland Management (Exhibit E). The FMP identifies the need to remove 9 Monterey Pine trees and 1 Oak tree to accommodate residential development on the heavily forested lot with one of the pine trees being a 48-inch landmark tree that is located in the center of the lot and cannot be avoided. An additional three Monterey Pine trees are proposed for removal because they are dead and hazardous. These three trees are located adjacent to the proposed residential structure and are recommended for removal to improve forest health and minimize hazards. The FMP recommends tree protection measures and implementation of best management practices to protect trees near construction that are to be retained. Additionally, the FMP recommends 18 replacement trees be planted and monitored for one-year in order to comply with tree regulations standards and to support sustained and healthy woodland habitat at the site following construction. Staff has reviewed the FMP and agrees with the conclusions. Recommended conditions have been included as conditions of approval for the project (Exhibit B).
Policy 32 of the LUP emphasizes the importance of preservation of trees to preserve the scenic resources of Del Monte Forest. The proposed project lies within the Huckleberry Hill subdivision and is one of a few remaining vacant lots on Crest Road. The character of the forest in the area includes trees surrounding residential development. The proposed project will continue this pattern. Project plans delineate that only trees necessary for development will be removed from the property - the rest of the trees and proposed landscaped vegetation will lie between the single-family dwelling and Highway 68, protecting visual integrity of the scenic highway as outlined in LUP Policy 32 (Exhibit B).
Due to the wooded nature of the vacant lot, it is necessary to remove 10 trees in order to develop the site with a single-family dwelling. Three additional trees are dead and hazardous and will be removed and replaced to promote forest health and protect people and structures in and adjacent to the site from tree failure. The proposed residence has been designed near the front of the property along Crest Road while maintaining several large pine trees in the front setback to maintain the tree lined street feel and appearance of the neighborhood. Location of the home near the front of the property also maintains forest connectivity and visual screening along Highway 68 in keeping with developed properties in the vicinity.
The project site has also been identified as located within a very high fire hazard zone. Therefore, the applicant included a fuel management notes with the plan set submitted to the County (Exhibit B). Fuel management notes include clearing the property of dead vegetation, trimming tree limbs within close proximity of the chimney, and keeping any non-irrigated vegetation low to the ground at least thirty feet away from the house. Moreover, landscape plans indicate that all new plant material on property will be irrigated with drip irrigation. No turf is proposed and irrigated landscaping will not conflict with the surrounding trees.
As conditioned to protect trees near construction and to replace trees removed on the site, the proposed tree removal is consistent with the applicable standards of the LUP and CIP and removal will not involve risk of adverse environmental impacts.
Pescadero Watershed
The project site is located within the Pescadero Watershed, a designated watershed of the Del Monte Forest (DMF) as shown on the DMF Land Use Plan Figure 2b; therefore, site structural and impervious surface coverage are limited to 9,000 square feet per Policy 77. Plan set reflects a total impervious coverage (structural, driveways, and walkways) of 3,957 square feet (Exhibit B).
CEQA
This project is categorically exempt from CEQA review pursuant to Section 15303(a), Class 3 for limited new development. The project consists of the first single family home with an attached garage. None of the circumstances in Section 15300.2 disqualifying the project form a Class 3 Categorical exemption apply. Other than tree removal, which is addressed in this report, the site is not located in a particularly sensitive environment. It is surrounded on all sides by medium density residential development and/or road ways. Views from Highway 68 (a scenic highway) are protected and development will be screened with trees remaining after construction. There are no significant cumulative effects of residential development on residentially zoned lands, there are no historical resources and no hazardous waste sites involved. The project will not have a significant effect on the environment and qualifies for a Categorical exemption as one residential home on a residential lot.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The following agencies have reviewed the project, have comments, and/or have recommended conditions:
RMA-Public Works
RMA-Environmental Services
Environmental Health Bureau
Water Resources Agency
Pebble Beach Community Services District
LUAC
The proposed project was reviewed by the Del Monte Forest Land Use Advisory Committee on August 16, 2018. The Gunn project as designed received a unanimous recommendation of approval six to none.
Prepared by: Yasmeen Hussain, Associate Planner, x6407
Reviewed by: Brandon Swanson, Acting RMA Chief of Planning
Approved by: John M. Dugan, AICP, RMA Deputy Director of Land Use and Community Development
The following attachments are on file with the RMA:
Exhibit A - Project Data Sheet
Exhibit B - Resolution, including:
• Conditions
• Plans
• Colors and Materials
Exhibit C - Vicinity Map
Exhibit D - LUAC Minutes
Exhibit E - Forest Management Plan
cc: Front Counter Copy; Zoning Administrator; Craig Spencer, RMA Services Manager; Yasmeen Hussain, Project Planner; Lezlie Gunn, property owner; The Open Monterey Project (Molly Erickson); LandWatch (Executive Director); John H. Farrow; Janet Brennan; Project File PLN180305.