03-09-2015 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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A #14-3686 Northern Oaks March 5,2015 Page 2 proposed lowest level floor was to be as much as 3' above existing grade at its NE corner. On Lot 4,more than half of the lowest level floor was above existing grade Story Determination. In order for the lowest level of a home to be considered as a basement and not a story, City code requires that no more than 50% of the perimeter of that lowest level can be exposed more than 6 feet below the main floor level, based on pre-existing grades. If more than 50%is exposed,the lowest level is considered to be a story. In both Lots 3 and 4,based on pre- existing grades, the lowest levels are stories, not basements,by definition. See Ezhibit C. Furthermore, even if the applicants had chosen to grade the proposed building pads as part of the site improvements, based on the approved final grading plan both homes proposed for Lots 3 and 4 would have been defined as three stories,where only 2-1/2 stories are allowed. It is worth noting that conceptual house footprints were provided by the applicants at the time of subdivision in order to show how the site grading and drainage could be accommodated on these relatively narrow lots. However, at the subdivision stage staff does not attempt to determine whether a given homesite might or might not accommodate a specific home or number of stories, as invariably any house plans presented at the subdivision stage will change by the time building permits are requested. In reviewing the subdivision file, it appears that no proposed house plans or elevation views were presented from which any assumptions might have been made. Potential Measures to Resolve the Issue. In initial discussions this winter with the developer, Todd Holmers and his builder, Jamison Kohout, staff indicated that the homes should be re- designed to make the upper levels into half-stories. In later discussions it was also suggested that a partial solution would be to lower the basement ceiling heights by 1-1.5 feet, which would assist in reducing the magnitude of non-compliance with the height requirement. The applicants have now requested that the City approve revisions to the grading plans for Lots 3 and 4 to allow for additional fill beyond that contemplated in the approved grading and drainage plans, in order to accommodate homes with a basement and two stories. The revised grading/site plans for Lots 3 and 4 (Ezhibit D)require from 3' to 7' of fill in the front yards, lesser amounts between homes,to result in homes that based on added fill,will be considered as having a basement and two stories rather than three stories. Impacts of Proposal. While the overall drainage scheme is accommodated without re-directing drainage to locations other than as previously intended,there are two potentially significant impacts of the plan: 1) The swales between the homes become more pronounced, essentially by piling up soil next to the foundation to artificially raise the grade abutting the house to a level whereby the lowest story is buried enough to be considered as a basement. The code does not allow filling above the existing grade of more than one foot next to the foundation to create a basement situation. 2) Visually, a low bowl-shaped area of the property will be filled to allow homes that will be 2 full stories above a full basement rather than visually appearing as 1-1/2 stories above a full