Descanso residential project OK’d

Descanso Gardens will soon welcome a new neighbor. City officials unanimously approved the construction of a two-story, traditional-style house on Descanso Drive at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting.

The 6,495-square-foot residence is to be built at 1304 Descanso Drive, between Encinas Drive and Padres Trail, according to a city staff report. The first floor, in the shape of an “L,” will make up about 75% of the total floor space, while the second floor will make up the remaining 25%. A porte-cochere, detached gym and detached three-car garage were also part of the proposal.

City planner Chris Gjolme, who presented the staff report to the city commissioners, said the size of the proposed house is appropriate for the 23,730-square-foot lot. Further, the property is heavily shielded from public view by mature oak trees.

“An ample 44-foot front setback would be provided, visually augmented by the 12-foot parkway and aforementioned oak trees,” Gjolme said. “First floor side setbacks of 12 feet are proposed to the north and south as required based on the lot’s 130-feet width. Second-floor setbacks well above the 20-foot code requirement are also proposed.”

The architectural design of the proposed house integrates well with already existing homes on the street, Gjolme said. Homes on Descanso Drive are primarily single-story, he said, but have steep pitched roofs that make them taller than the average single story structure. Further, the traditional design of the house fits in well with the traditional and ranch-style homes in the neighborhood.

“The traditional-style home is generously articulated and presents a ‘rambling’ form consistent with both one and two-story homes in the area More importantly, the modest size of the second floor combined with the subtle ascension of the roof structure ensures presentation of a linear building profile that would blend well with the Descanso Drive streetscape,” Gjolme said.

The owners of the property, Tim and Judy Smith, and the architect, John Vandevelde, were present at Tuesday’s meeting. Vandevelde said the design was inspired in part by Cape Cod, and provided the commissioners with samples of some of the building materials to be used in the house.

Commissioners questioned Vandevelde on the landscaping of the property, and requested that a formal landscaping proposal be submitted to the city. The commissioners then approved the project unanimously.

Tree removal on Oxford

Also before the commission at Tuesday’s meeting was an appeal to an application for a tree removal permit from La Cañada property owner Edwin Kent. Kent originally submitted the application in August 2007, requesting permission to remove one sycamore tree from the front of his residence at 1023 Oxford Way.

The roots of the tree, he contended, were causing damage to a walkway and could damage the home itself sometime in the future.

In September 2007, the city hired an arborist to asses the site. The arborist ruled that the roots did not pose any immediate threat to the primary structure and therefore did not warrant the removal of the entire tree. The tree removal permit was denied at that time.

At Tuesday’s meeting, however, a staff report included photos that showed the roots had indeed raised a cement walkway by more than an inch, leaving the path uneven. Another photo showed thick roots encroaching on the foundation of the house.

While he likes the tree, Kent told the commissioners, he is concerned that the uneven walkway could be a safety hazard.

Further, pruning away the offending roots could leave the tree unstable and even cause it to topple over. Kent said he disagreed with the findings of the city-hired arborist.

The commissioners said they would be inclined to approve the tree removal permit if a professional assessment so dictated. They voted to continue the request, and encouraged Kent to bring in an independent arborist and structural engineer to offer a second and third opinion.