INSIDE CITY HALL Here are a few...

INSIDE CITY HALL

Here are a few of the items commissioners decided Monday:

PRINCE OF PEACE

The commission considered adding three conditions to the Prince of

Peace Church’s master plan: one that would hold the city blameless

for any damage caused by the ficus trees on the church property; one

that would set a maximum number of 315 students for the school,

without limiting the number of preschool versus elementary school

students; and one that would allow use of a walkway next to the Baker

Street driveway.

WHAT HAPPENED

The commission approved the changes, 4-1 with Commissioner Katrina

Foley dissenting. It also directed planning staff members to inspect

the root barriers that church officials have already had installed to

make sure they were put in properly. And it asked staff members to

work with church officials and neighbors to resolve some neighbors’

concerns with a dawn-to-dusk light on the church property.

WHAT WAS SAID

“I am concerned that if we don’t have the trees removed, that

while the indemnity condition prevents the city from having to pay

for a lawsuit, ti doesn’t prevent the public health and safety

problem that’s more than likely to occur as a result of the ficus

trees being planted so close to the sidewalk,” Foley said.

APPEAL OF EXPANSION DENIAL

The commission heard an appeal from Doyle Forth, representing

property owners Tim and Liz Kuhlmann, who want to expand the second

floor of their house at 3379 Fuchsia St.

On Oct. 30, zoning administrator Perry Valantine denied the

expansion. Mayor Gary Monahan appealed that decision to allow the

commission to review the project in accordance with the new

residential design guidelines.

Valantine denied the project because it did not meet two criteria

of the new guidelines, which became effective Oct. 2. Those criteria

are a 10-foot second-story side setback and a

second-floor-to-first-floor ratio of 80%.

WHAT HAPPENED

The commission reversed Valantine’s denial and approved the

expansion, 4-1 with Commissioner Bill Perkins dissenting.

WHAT WAS SAID

“We felt that the modification that they were proposing to make

met the intent of the zoning code and guidelines and was consistent

with the prevailing style of homes in the neighborhood,” Planning

Chairman Bruce Garlich said.

The Kuhlmanns also agreed to additional improvements to soften the

side elevation of their home, Garlich added.

PLANNING APPLICATION

The commission considered a request from Tim Roberts, representing

the Lissoy Family Trust, which owns properties at 168, 172 and 178 Merrill Place. The Lissoy family wanted to build a five-unit,

two-story project with an exception to average individual lot area

requirements.

Each lot contains a single-family residence. The existing

residences would be demolished and the lots combined to construct the

five-unit project.

WHAT HAPPENED

The commission approved the request.

WHAT WAS SAID

“We felt the project they proposed was consistent with the intent

of the small-lot development guidelines that the city has worked on a

couple of times over the last few years,” Garlich said. “By all

means, it would improve the neighborhood by replacing some of the

older homes that would be taken down to make room for this project.”

ST. JOACHIM PLANNING APPLICATION

Kluger Architects, representing the Roman Catholic Bishop of

Orange for St. Joachim Church at 1943 and 1964 Orange Ave., requested

permission to renovate.

The bishop proposed to renovate what is now a convent to include

living quarters for priests and associates upstairs with community

service and meeting facilities downstairs.

The bishop is also requesting a permit to allow use of off-site

church parking by people attending meetings across the street on the

convent site.

WHAT HAPPENED

The commission approved the request. One of the conditions of

approval was that the city will be exempted from any liability

regarding property damage, injuries or death from people crossing the

street to the off-site parking.

WHAT WAS SAID

“The main thing was some folks were concerned about the crossing,

but this usage they wanted to legalize hasn’t been a problem and

there was a hold harmless agreement that everyone was comfortable

with,” Garlich said.

-- Compiled by Deirdre Newman