Commission approves vertical addition at 615 Sanchez after neighbors challenge scale and privacy

The Planning Commission unanimously approved a vertical addition and ADU modifications at 615 Sanchez following a public hearing that included objections from adjacent neighbors. Staff recommended not taking discretionary review because the proposed addition complies with the residential design guidelines and is within the buildable area; commissioners agreed there were no "exceptional and extraordinary" circumstances warranting discretionary review.

Two neighbors filed doctor-requester appeals (617 and 619 Sanchez). They argued the proposed new fourth-floor massing disrupts neighborhood rear setbacks, reduces privacy and is unnecessary given internal reconfiguration alternatives. One neighbor suggested adding an interstitial floor inside the existing double-height living room; the sponsor's team provided an engineer's letter that made structural and cost arguments against that alternative and noted the proposed addition's vertical alignment with an adjacent approved four-story plan.

Supporters on the block said the sponsor's plan modestly increases bedrooms in a large existing house and that similar construction is common on the street; multiple neighbors submitted letters of support. After deliberation, Commissioner Koppel moved that the commission not take the discretionary review and approve the project; the motion passed unanimously. The Zoning Administrator will make the final variance determination as applicable and the project will proceed to permitting.