Neighbors praise retention of sandstone wall as HLC asks designers to reduce tower bulk at 128 West Mitchell

The Historic Landmarks Commission reviewed a concept for a new two‑story single‑family residence with a roof tower, roof deck and an accessory dwelling unit at 128 West Mitchell during its April 8 meeting and asked the applicant to return with refinements.

The applicant proposed demolishing a non‑historic house on the lot while retaining a historic sandstone retaining wall along West Mitchell, widening an existing driveway footprint slightly and adding a 250‑square‑foot garage and a 509‑square‑foot ADU under a separate permit. Staff told the commission the current design triggers several discretionary items — an open‑yard modification, at least one minor zoning exception for trellis height, and potentially a mechanical equipment waiver depending on pending Title 30 code updates — and asked for advisory comments on aesthetics before a staff hearing officer review.

Neighbors who spoke at the meeting commended the retention of the sandstone wall but voiced concerns about the bulk and scale of the proposed tower and possible privacy and noise impacts from the roof deck. Douglas Beard, a neighbor, said the stone wall is “a very important aspect of the neighborhood” but suggested the tower’s massing felt “a little overwhelming.”

Commissioners generally found the house livable and appropriate for an urban, infill lot but asked the design team to:

- Reduce the tower’s visual dominance and integrate it more with the rectangular massing, particularly at the corner where large openings make the tower feel less supported; consider reducing the corner opening or other massing moves.
- Simplify and regularize window groupings and consider vertical separation or plaster divisions rather than long horizontal bands.
- Provide three‑dimensional massing and view studies that show how the roof deck will be screened from neighboring yards and detail the proposed planter/trellis screening and solid rail height.
- Return with refined materials, color options and responsiveness to the open‑yard measurement rules (the ADU standard reduces the required open yard to 500 sq ft but the main residence must meet an 800 sq ft minimum unless a modification is granted).

The commission voted to continue the item for an indefinite period so the applicant can address the comments and return with the requested studies.