By Krista Daly
The applicant for 1649 Banning Way took another shot at a new design for the home, but neighbors and Design Review Committee member were not pleased.
A proposed new two-story single family residence would have been 3,021 sq. ft. with a planned height of 24 feet 9 inches. The four San Marino DRC members present during the regular meeting on Sept. 2 – Kevin Cheng, John Dustin, Frank Hsu and Bharat Patel – unanimously voted to deny the proposal.
The applicant has nearly one more week to appeal the decision, if they choose to do so.
“It’s not compatible because it’s too tall, it’s too boxy and it’s top heavy,” said Vince Farhat, a representative of Robert and Mary Scott, who are neighbors.
“This tall, boxy, top heavy house would stick at like a sore thumb in this neighborhood,” he added. “It would loom over the adjacent houses and not blend in well with the Banning neighborhood.”
Howard Brody, a member of the planning commission, spoke as a neighbor of the proposed project. He stated the applicant was told during a previous public hearing that the lot size could not sustain more than 2,700 to 2,800 sq. ft., but the applicant did not listen with the redesign.
“As a planning commissioner for the last 13 years on the planning commission, we do not tolerate that, and with this new DRC in effect, I’m confident you won’t tolerate it either,” Brody said.
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