Saratoga News
News
Orphan gets a home in Saratoga, thanks to approval from planning
By Jason Sweeney
The Saratoga Planning Commission approved modifications to a large house that has been unfinished and unoccupied for the last 12 years. The approval allows the house to have occupants.
Angelo Orphan purchased the unfinished house in December 2003 from a couple undergoing a divorce. Orphan explained to the commission at its April 11 meeting that the unfinished house had been tied up in the courts during the divorce until he purchased it.
As the house approached completion, planner Therese Schmidt found modifications had been made to the original design without receiving approval from the city.
The 5,132-square-foot, two-story, single- family residence with attached garage is located on 1.2 acres on Leonard Road. Orphan requested that modifications be allowed to the original design review approval that was granted by the planning commission on June 14, 1995.
Modifications that had been made were the addition of a second-story balcony, changes to exterior architectural features and a change in the proposed square footage of the structure. Those changes required review and approval by the planning commission.
Orphan explained to the commission that when he purchased the home, it was 60 percent complete. He said he didn't realize his contractor had made changes to the original design until after the house was completed.
"Eventually it was all done, and then all of a sudden the house didn't match the plans," he said. "So here I am."
"I am guilty of two things," he said, explaining he had removed exterior columns from the front of the house because he felt they were too big and he feared someone could hide behind them to try to force entry into his home. He also removed cement railings and replaced them with metal railings for aesthetic reasons. His contractor had added an extra 74-square-foot balcony to the house. Orphan said he hadn't realized that the balcony wasn't supposed to be there.
"It's been 12 years since the original authorization," Commissioner Susie Nagpal said. "It sounds like Mr. Orphan has been through quite a bit in going through this process." Nagpal said that no neighbors had expressed problems with the balcony. "Certainly, I appreciate all of the work he's done to try to get this project back on track."
"Mr. Orphan has been through a lot," Commissioner Rishi Kumar said. "I think at this point I'm ready to give my go-ahead with this."
Nagpal put forward a motion to approve the modifications with the addition of a condition to add wrought iron detail to a second-story window in order to make the window consistent with rest of the house. The motion passed 4-0.
Commissioner Joyce Hlava abstained because when she visited the site, the gate was locked and she wasn't able to view the house. Commissioners Manny Cappello and Robert Kundzt were absent.
