Commission declines discretionary review request for 1 Castaneda and approves project amid ADU debate

The Planning Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 8 not to take discretionary review (DR) for a proposed three-story house with an accessory dwelling unit at 1 Castaneda Avenue and approved the project as submitted.

Staff presented the public-initiated DR request summarizing neighbor concerns about hillside excavation, slope stability, storm-drain impacts and visual/ privacy effects. The department reported there were no letters for or against the proposal in the file and that detailed geotechnical and storm-drain review ordinarily falls within Department of Building Inspection jurisdiction during permit review.

The project sponsor and owner, architect Strachan Vorgen, described multiple design concessions made to address privacy and light concerns, including reducing footprint, limiting side windows (using etched glass), increasing setbacks of outdoor spaces and providing a skylight and wall-color agreement for the neighbor. The sponsoring team said the proposal remained within zoning limits and that the ADU/accessory unit was designed to be separable in the future (separate meters and the option to lock off access).

Commissioners debated whether to characterize the lower unit as an ADU or as a multi-unit project; Deputy City Attorney Austin Yang reminded the panel that as proposed the project constitutes a two-unit project and that state law limits the city's discretion for projects with two or more units. Because the doctor requester who raised concerns did not appear, several commissioners indicated that the staff recommendation and the lack of an in-person requester weighed against taking DR.

A motion not to take discretionary review and to approve the project as proposed passed 5-0. Commissioners directed staff to record the agreed modifications and noted that DBI would address engineering and slope/storm-drain details during building-permit review.