| | Published January 25th, 2017
| Large Home Finally Approved On Rheem Boulevard
| | | By Sophie Braccini | | |
Two years ago a family living on a small ranch house at 287 Rheem Blvd. filed an application to remodel. After several approvals, appeals, and new designs they finally received a final authorization from the planning commission, after having reduced the size of their home, moved the garage from one side to the other, and removed the second story.
When the family first applied, their project was a two-story over-5,000-square-foot Spanish-style home. Over the course of the two years, the planning commissioners highlighted and refined what rules property owners should follow when proposing a large remodel and new development in an existing neighborhood.
The proposed home did not exceed the maximum size determined by the Moraga code, simply because there was no rule at the time for parcels over 20,000 square feet. However, the commissioners considered guidelines in the code that require development to minimize visual impacts on scenic corridors: that Rheem Boulevard is one of these, that the new structure be compatible with neighboring residences, that the project not affect the property values of neighboring residences, and for this specific location that it would limit shading and privacy impacts to the neighboring homes.
The neighborhood of the proposed residence is made of ranch style homes in the 2,000-square-foot-range, all of them one-story. The proposed two stories would have obscured the view of the Campolindo ridge while traveling on the boulevard, and the way the home was designed, its neighbors to the east would have lost their privacy and several hours of afternoon sun with the two stories and garage looming over their property.
The owners of the potential remodel tried different iterations and alterations, but it was not until they got rid of the second story, moved the new garage to the west, and reduced the size of their house to just over 4,000 square feet that they received their approval.
Some neighbors still complained that the Spanish-style and size was out of character with their neighborhood. But the commissioners were pleased with the changes and simply asked that the house be painted in a beige color so as not to stand out.
The most impacted neighbor voiced his satisfaction over the changes, and expressed compassion for the family that had to go through such a long process. He regretted that the rules and guidelines had not been made clear to them from the start.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA