HomeReal Estate NewsLorain Road Development Project Is Center Stage at Latest DRC Meeting

Lorain Road Development Project Is Center Stage at Latest DRC Meeting

The Design Review Committee held a second hearing on the proposed design of 2630 Lorain Road at its April 6 meeting. The applicant, Francis Tang, presented altered plans to develop one of his two lots.

The current one-story 2,005 sq. ft. home sits on two lots. Tang’s proposal to create a Cape Cod style 3,086 sq. ft. two-story home on the western 12,440 sq. ft. lot of the parcel created continued concern from committee members and members of the public. City staff found the project compatible with the neighborhood.

Concerns extended beyond this one project, but DRC Chairman Bharat Patel explained the constraints on the committee to address the larger concerns.

“Our hands are tied because we have been asked to just review one house on that segmented lot,” he said “we just have to concentrate on the drawings.”

Patel conceded that great improvements have been made from Tang’s first proposal, but that did not stop the committee from sharing a new list of concerns.

DRC Member Kevin Cheng expressed concern regarding the possible trend towards a neighborhood of two-story homes that could result from approving this project.

“You’re going to let one go then when do you stop,” said Cheng, based on his observations that all homes west of the Rubio Wash to Del Mar Avenue are one-story homes.

Cheng asked of the applicant that he “replicate his own iteration of a good example of a Cape Cod,” noting that there are many such examples in the City.

Alternate Member Corinna Wong had a more favorable tone towards the proposal. She thought that the proposed home, given the lot size, is “not exceedingly big.” Wong also praised the applicant’s cooperation with City staff to address many of the committee’s initial concerns, such as reducing the height of the home.

Addressing her fellow committee members’ concerns about the home standing out from the other homes in the neighborhood, she added, “compatible doesn’t mean identical.”

All members agreed that the house should be set back further than currently proposed.

Alternate Member John Dustin concurred with his colleagues regarding the setback concern, but thought the proposed square footage was not compatible with the rest of the neighborhood.

He noted that this home would be the only other home over 3,000 sq. ft. in the neighborhood, with the other home sitting on a lot that is more than 8,000 sq. ft. larger.

“This is an extremely vertical project visually and you don’t see that really in that neighborhood,” he added. Agreeing with Cheng regarding the style of the home, Dustin said, “I don’t see this as a Cape Cod style architecturally.”

Other concerns from the committee included the lack of breaks between rear facing windows and a rear facing balcony that looks into the pool/patio area of the property immediately adjacent to the east.

Of the 12 other homes in the legal neighborhood of 2630 Lorain Road, nine approve of the project, one objects, and two did not respond. Nevertheless, three members of the public did express their concerns with the project.

Dale Pederson of 2140 Lorain Road read a letter of opposition to the project from San Marino resident John Ryan. The letter, which was sent to the committee prior to the meeting, looked to the history of the property.

“This parcel was originally built with just one home because it can only conform to our city’s design guidelines of compatibility with just one home,” Ryan wrote.

Shirley Jagels of 1404 Wilson Avenue called attention to the historical value of the property. She said, “I do not believe it was ever the intention of the original developers to have two properties there.”

The committee moved to hold a third hearing for the proposal at its next regularly schedule meeting on Wednesday, April 20 at 7:00p.m.

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