Tentative Agenda for August Monthly Meeting of VHCA BOD
Call to Order
Adoption of Agenda
Police and Fire Dept. representatives – Zone 6
City of Atlanta officials; other public officials & municipal representatives
Variances
V-14-141, 885 Adair Ave; zoning is R-4
Applicant and owner Nandita Koehler seeks a variance to reduce the (east) side-yard setback from 7’ (required) to 2.9’ (existing) for the addition of a patio with roof and to raise the roof over the kitchen area.
The existing rear porch will be removed, and the lot coverage will drop to 49.9 %. The appropriate neighbors (884, 892 Highland View; 881, 882, 888, 891, 892 Adair) have been notified; lots behind 885 Adair face Highland View and the lot beside is along Barnett.) A Planning Committee site visit observed no impacted trees and no stormwater issues; the Committee unanimously recommended approval conditioned on a site plan stamped and dated by the CoA on 7-8-14. (Mr. Bullock, who is married to the architect on this project, did not participate in this decision.)
V-14-158; 862 Ponce de Leon Place NE; zoning is R-4
Applicant Dan Hanlon on behalf of owner Adam Bane seeks a variance to reduce the front-yard setback from 35’ (required) to 30’ (existing in part) to allow an addition to a single-family residence.
The house front already sits at 30’ on the north half; the renovation will square off the front (making it 30’ at all points) and provide a second-story addition. A Planning Committee site visit reveals that one tree is impacted; the arborist has approved its removal, as it is very close to the current foundation. The applicant agreed to route the additional stormwater from the 2nd-story to the amply-sized grassed rear yard of the lot.
Notification letters went out on Monday 8/4, and the applicants are speaking to the neighbors. (The required addresses are 856, 866, 863, 857 Ponce de Leon Place NE, 695 Pylant St., and – possibly – 089 Drewry St.)
The Planning Committee recommends approval of V-14-158 conditioned on provision of proof of mailing or other neighbor notification and the site plan stamped and dated 7-23-14, revised to note that the stormwater from the new addition will be discharged in the rear yard of the property.
V-14-153; 700 Park Drive NE; zoning is R4 in the Beltline Overlay District; original variance application was V-12-140
Owner Shannon Gaggero constructed a 52”-high inch solid fence (a wall under CoA Zoning regulations, which requires 50% open space and limits the height to 48”) without a building permit or variance application in the half-depth front yard setback (alongside the Elmwood Drive side of the house.) Assisted by builder Barry Wright, she seeks a variance to make this nonconforming wall legal. The wall consists of alternating 1×6 and 1×4 vertical boards.
After discussion, the applicant agreed to remove every other 4” board from the wall, which will still provide some privacy and allow for the passage of light and air. The Committee agreed to support this modification, conditioned upon submission of a revised site plan.
V-14-117; 1221 Monroe Drive (southeast corner of Amsterdam and Monroe); zoning is R4
Applicant Paul Durick (with designer Mark Knight) seeks a revised variance to reduce the half-depth front yard setback (along Amsterdam) from the required 17’5” feet to 3’ feet (existing) for a rear addition in line with the existing structure.
The applicant’s revised plans change the location of the parking pad and leave the final proposed site coverage at 49.97%. There will be no changes (other than repair of surface deficiencies) to the shared driveway in the existing easement along the south boundary on Monroe. The existing 6’-high solid fence along Amsterdam behind the house will be removed and replaced with a compliant fence that is 3’ ft. back from lot line. Three trees in the buildable area will be removed; one is DDH, and compensation will be paid for the other two. The increased stormwater form the addition (which will flow downhill away from Monroe easterly toward Orme Creek 150 yards away) will be gathered in 4 flow-wells to the east of addition; a Grasscrete©-style hexagonal paver system will used in the new driveway. At the rear of the property, three new trees will be installed suitable for the wet and sunny conditions that exist there, which should support eventual large growth and provide significant storm water absorption capacity. A new walkway shown as pea gravel on the new plans was intended to be mulch; that will be revised and remove that area from the impervious calculations.
The revised plans were submitted to the neighbors the day before the meeting; the rear neighbors to the east and the adjacent neighbors who share the driveway were present at the Planning Committee meeting and found the plans as presented and conditioned acceptable. (Proof of notification is needed for 1222, 1218, 1217, 1229, 1230 Monroe and 633 Amsterdam. )
The Planning Committee recommends approval conditioned on proof of neighbor notification and the following modifications to the site plan stamped and dated 8-5-14: the pea gravel walk becomes mulch, the new fence is specifically marked as no greater than 42” high and 50% open, and the size and species of the new trees are noted. (Mr. Van Horne lives next door and did not participate in this decision.)
Budget: Peggy Berg
Planning Comm: Master Plan update; Monroe Drive traffic calming; Music Midtown; IMS expansion and the Field of Dreams
Safety: Peggy Berg – Sidewalk ordinance; Jack White – SPARK Safe Routes to School
Grants: Peggy Berg, Jess Windham, Lola Carlisle
Parks Committee: David Brandenberger, Lauren Wilkes Fralick, Jack White – John Howell Park construction update
New Business and Announcements: Annual General Meeting – Sept. 18, 2014; 7 PM; Inman Middle School; Lola Carlisle – nominations for 2014/15 VHCA BoD
Adjournment