Commission OKs one two-story home, denies another
By Kara Chalmers
In rural Saratoga, perhaps more than other nearby cities, views are all-important. Whether or not a house is located on the hillsides, a view of the city's hills can be the reason a property is purchased. And, once they have one, residents are loath to give it up.
Two plans recently came before the Saratoga Planning Commission; both involved demolishing a one-story home to make room for a two-story home. One was on Lomita Avenue, above the village and one was on Seagull Way, in a primarily one-story residential neighborhood near Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road. One was denied and one was approved.
"The view we have of the mountains from our house is real precious to us," said John Purvis, a neighbor who lives near the planned two-story home at 20550 Lomita Avenue. At the March 8 meeting, he told the commission he had concerns with the plan.
"It would be an unacceptable impairment of our view of the mountains," he added. "Their view would be purchased at our expense."
The commission ended up unanimously approving the home, which will be approximately 1,300 square feet larger than the home there now. However, the new home's height will be compatible with other residences in the neighborhood, according to the planning department's staff report.
The second story is planned to be 600 square feet, which is a small proportion of the total area of the house. The home's architect, who spoke at the meeting, said he felt that the place he chose to put the second story was the least intrusive to the neighbors, and it overlooks a cemetery, not another house.
The commissioners said that the designer did the best he could with what he had and said they believed the addition is compatible, in general, with the neighborhood.
The other two-story property was not so fortunate. On Feb. 23, the commission unanimously denied a plan for a two-story home at 20297 Seagull Way.
The plan called for a new home to be constructed that would be 2,200 square feet larger than the home now there. But, the main reason the commission denied the plan was that the Seagull Way neighborhood near Blue Hills Elementary School and Azule Crossing, where the property is located, mainly consists of one-story homes.
"Going to two-story houses would change the character of the neighborhood," planning commissioner Cynthia Barry said. "And neighborhood preservation is something the city sees as a value."
Neighbors submitted several letters of opposition and a few showed up to speak against the home at the public hearing. One letter, from Angela Frazier at 20308 Knollwood Drive, stated the property behind the planned home is a single-story neighborhood as well. She wrote, "We decided to purchase our home in Saratoga, above all other cities in the Bay Area, because of its unique character and strict standards of physical development. It seems that there is a trend on Seagull Way to tear down existing structures and rebuild massive homes in their place. This would irreparably change the look of the 'country' feeling that this area has."
When the applicant's representative, architect Charles Brown, spoke at the meeting, it was clear he had not spoken to any of the neighbors.
"It appears there was no move to make sure it fit in," said commissioner Margaret Patrick.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
