Planners delay, continue talks on Mediterranean-style home

By Kara Chalmers

The Saratoga Planning Commission heard a proposal on April 12 for a 6,296-square-foot Mediterranean-style house that a property owner, Perry Taormina, wants to construct on the hillsides. The owner's architect even projected a three-dimensional, computer-generated plan of the two-story residence on a movie screen during the meeting.

But the Planning Commission voted 4-0 (Commissioners Kurasch, Patrick, Jackman were absent) to continue the hearing on the proposed house till a later meeting. The commissioners had multiple concerns with the plan's design.

The contemporary home would have light beige stucco walls with white trim and a red and brown mission tile roof. The size of the proposed structure is within four feet of the maximum 6,300 square feet permitted by city law. Its height of 26 feet is the maximum permitted by law.

According to community development director James Walgren, the particular hillside lot had never been developed, and for the past year the city geologist has studied the site to assure the land is stable. The geologist recently gave the project clearance.

In order to build on the site, the architect's plan would include a retaining wall for a driveway wide enough to enable a fire truck to turn around. But the site's topography is so steep that a five-foot wall, the maximum allowable height for retaining walls in the city, would not be high enough in some places. The property owner would have to obtain a variance from the commission to construct the planned retaining wall, which would vary from 2 to 12 feet.

Commissioners seemed to agree that the bulk of the proposed home would have to be minimized in order to grant the home's design review. Commissioner Cynthia Barry said at the meeting that the home is bulky and not rural in character. She questioned whether or not it would fit in well with the wooded hillside.

Commissioner Chuck Page suggested a more earthy, dark color for the home than the light beige color, and Barry added that more natural looking materials might be used rather than stucco. Commission chairwoman Mary-Lynn Bernald noted that the proposed architecture makes the front walls look flat and unarticulated.

The commissioners also had concerns about how construction vehicles would affect nearby Kittridge and Quickert roads, where the house would be located. According to Walgren, the city will survey Kittridge Road before construction and repair any damage done by construction vehicles.

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