Commission approves remodel and minor parking-depth adjustment for 215 Powell Avenue

The Pleasant Hill City Architectural Review Commission voted unanimously on July 2 to approve a remodel and expansion at 215 Powell Avenue, granting a minor adjustment that allows a reduced garage depth.

Staff said the existing house is 2,161 square feet and the proposal would provide about 2,527 square feet of living area and a 422 (as stated in the staff presentation) square-foot garage, and that the applicant requests a minor adjustment to the parking-depth standard to allow a 20-foot-4-inch garage where 22 feet is normally required — a reduction staff calculated at roughly 7.6 percent and well under the 20 percent allowance for minor adjustments. Staff recommended approval if the commission could make the required findings and noted three neighborhood comment cards in support and a letter of support from the project architect.

The homeowners, who identified themselves as Jessica and Colin, told the commission they bought the property to repair an extensively deteriorated house and preserve the neighborhood's character. "We purchased this home last year with the intention of repairing a previously extensively disrepaired home and preserving the character" Jessica said, adding that redesign constraints and a heritage oak tree in the backyard limited options for increasing the garage depth without substantial reconfiguration.

Commissioners asked technical questions about landscaping, roofing materials and whether removing an interior wall could achieve the full 22-foot depth. Staff replied that over 75 percent of the front setback will remain landscaped and that the proposed roof will use standing-seam metal at the covered porch with composition shingles elsewhere. The homeowners said the front porch will have the standing-seam accent and the remainder will be composition shingle.

During discussion the commission and staff agreed to two permit conditions: require front lighting fixtures that provide shielding (up-and-down illumination only) and require the standing-seam metal and composition shingle colors to match so there is no visible color variation between roof materials. A commissioner moved to approve with those conditions; the motion was seconded and the three commissioners recorded "yes" votes.

Two neighbors spoke in favor during public comment. Jessica London Whitman, who said she lives at 216 Powell Avenue, voiced support while noting concerns about the precedent that strict 22-foot garage depths could set for older neighborhood homes; she said many existing neighborhood garages include storage and laundry that make deeper clearances difficult. "I strongly support their design and hope that they can move forward," she said. Neighbor Jeff Kalin (208 Robera) said he had lived nearby since 2003 and welcomed the renovation, adding he appreciated the commitment to preserve the heritage oak tree.

The commission approved the project subject to the identified conditions; staff said any remaining technical items (for example, final plan adjustments and building-permit review of lighting details) will be resolved as part of permit processing.