Commission continues controversial oversized-home CUA at 4020 First Street to allow review of ADU option

The Planning Commission on Feb. 22 voted to continue consideration of a conditional use authorization at 4020 First Street after substantial public opposition and a split among commissioners over whether the project as proposed was "necessary and desirable." The continuance gives the project sponsor time to work with staff and neighbors on a revised plan that could include a second unit, which would reduce the primary dwelling’s gross area below the 3,000-square-foot threshold that triggers a CUA in the Central Neighborhoods Large Residence special-use district.

Project sponsor Radu Roman and project architect Ryan Nock presented plans for a vertical addition that would expand the building’s gross floor area from roughly 2,579 to 3,707 square feet, adding a new family room and bedrooms. Neighbors testified at length about construction impacts, potential undermining of foundations, loss of daylight to existing units and long-term light/quality-of-life effects. Adjacent owners Steve Bain and AJ Gard said construction would remove sunlight to bedroom windows and risk structural impacts; they also said outreach and pre-application notification had been inadequate.

Commissioners disagreed on the project’s merits. Commissioner Moore moved to deny the project based on excessive size and the policy direction to increase density in the RH2 district; other commissioners said they preferred to allow the sponsor to revise plans to include an ADU or other changes. Commissioner Braun proposed and the commission adopted a motion to continue the item to March 14 to allow staff time to prepare a motion and to let the sponsor explore an ADU option. The continuance passed unanimously, 5–0.

Planning staff noted that if the sponsor adds a second unit in a way that brings the primary unit under 3,000 square feet, a CUA would no longer be required. The commission asked staff to work with the sponsor on designs that better mitigate neighbor impacts and to return with updated findings or motions for the commission to consider on the continued date.

The continuance preserves neighbors’ ability to press concerns about scale and construction methods while giving the applicant a narrow window to propose changes that could remove the need for a commission-level conditional-use decision.