Preserve  Lee  Drive  Presenta)on  to  the  permit  applicant  for  947  Lee  Dr  and  the  Menlo  Park  Planning  Commission  

Respec=ully  submiAed,  Joyce  Dickerson  (943),  Carol  Taggart  (941),  Robert  Taggart  (941),  Susan  Taylor  (935),  Samuel  Wolff  (935),  Anna  McHargue  (949),  Laura  Lane  (937),  Lyndon  Wong  (937),  Mary  Watson  (939)  

Owners  and  residents  of    

Lee  Drive,  Menlo  Park  CA  

May  2012  

At  Issue:  Request  to  the  Menlo  Park  Planning  Commission  to  approve  variances  for  construc)on  of  a  2600  sq  X  home  on  a  substandard  4800  sq  X  lot  at  947  Lee  Drive  

Use Permit, Variances/Whitney Peterson/947 Lee Drive:

“Request for a use permit to determine the Floor Area Limit (FAL) for a lot with less than 5,000 square feet of developable area, and for the construction of a two-story, single family residence on a substandard lot in the R-1-U (Single-Family Urban) zoning district.

In addition, a request for variances for construction of a first story encroachment of approximately five-feet into the required 25-foot 6-inch front yard setback, and 10-feet into the required 20-foot rear yard setback. As part of the proposed development, one heritage Monterey pine tree (58-inch diameter) in poor condition at the right side of the property would be removed.

Item deferred at the request of the applicant.”

Impacts:  947  Lee  Proposal  

1.  Introduces  a  residence  drama)cally  out  of  scale  with  surrounding  homes  

2.  Benefits  from  the  leafy  ambience  of  the  surrounding  proper)es  without  alloca)ng  the  necessary  setbacks  and  air  space  to  contribute  to  this  se]ng  

3.  Creates  a  likely  vehicle  parking  conges)on  problem  with  a  large  residence  in  a  very  compact  neighborhood  that  has  no  street  parking  

Lee  Drive  is  unique  Consis)ng  of  a  cluster  of  small  homes  on  small  lots  nestled  beneath  numerous  heritage  trees  in  a  park-­‐like  commons  

8  Residences  of  Lee  Drive  form  close-­‐knit  community      Small  parcels  situated  around  compact  cul-­‐de-­‐sac  with  no  street  parking  

947  937  

941  

945  949  

939  943  

935  

Prevailing  building  density  

Lee Drive Address Lot Size (Sq Ft) Home Size (Sq Ft) House/Lot ratio

Proposed 947 4792 2600 54%

935 5999 1560 26%

937 5772 1340 23%

939 5772 820 14%

941 5830 780 13%

943 5830 1261 22%

945 6098 1380 23%

949 4792 830 17%

947 Lee Dr permit applicant proposes the largest home (by +60%) on the smallest lot in this community, with 2X to 4X higher building density than the remaining 7 properties on the street.  

The  Joy  of  Lee  Drive  is  small  homes  among  large  trees  

Lee  Drive,  Menlo  Park  CA  

Communi)es  may  choose  alterna)ves…  Different  building  densi)es  generate  very  different  living  environments  

Big  Homes  on  Small  Lots  Permanently  reduce  the  airspace  available  to  accommodate  tree  canopies  

Chateau  Drive,  Menlo  Park  CA  

Small  Homes  on  Small  Lots      are  needed  to  sustain  the  park-­‐like  se]ng  cherished  by  Lee  Dr  property  owners  

Lee  Drive,  Menlo  Park  CA  

947  Lee  proposal  has  2X  to  4X  greater  building  density  than  surrounding    7  homes  on  cul-­‐de-­‐sac  

We  respec=ully  implore  our  prospec)ve  new  neighbors  at  947  Lee  Drive  and  the  Menlo  Park  Planning  Commission  to  pursue  a  floor  area  to  lot  size  ra)o  consistent  with  the  surrounding  proper)es,  preserve  this  unique  se]ng  and  avert  a  tragedy  of  the  commons.  

Thank  you  for  your  considera)on  of  our  mutual  best  interests,  

APPENDIX:    Supplemental  background  

History  of  Lee  Drive:  

The  original  builder  and  subsequent  residents  were  rela4ons  and  associates  of  Dr  Russell  Lee,  respected  founder  of  the  medical  group  known  today  as  the  Palo  Alto  Medical  Founda)on.    

The  original  builder  of  the  neighborhood  respected  the  special  se;ng,  anchoring  the  cul-­‐de-­‐sac  under  towering  heritage  oaks.    

The  Lee  Family  s)ll  owns  narrow  strips  of  land  on  both  sides  of  Lee  Drive,  with  the  intent  to  preserve  the  quaint  country  lane  for  posterity.  

hAp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Alto_Medical_Founda)on  

hAp://www.ny)mes.com/1982/01/29/obituaries/dr-­‐russell-­‐lee-­‐86-­‐physician-­‐a-­‐pioneer-­‐in-­‐group-­‐prac)ce.html  

Every  neighbor  on  Lee  Dr  plays  a  part  The  in)mate  scale,  the  close  quarters  and  the  shared  se]ng  brings  our  neighbors  together,  in  our  homes,  in  our  yards,  and  on  our  street  

Neighbors  celebrate  the  86th  birthday  of  Joyce  Kasson,  previous  resident  and  owner  of  947  Lee  Dr  

941  Lee:  780  sq  X  home  on  5830  sq  X  lot  (13%  home/lot  density)  

937  Lee:  1340  sq  X  home  on  5772  sq  X  lot  (23%  home/lot  density)  

Small  Homes  on  Small  Lots      a  look  around  the  neighborhood  

943  Lee:  1261  sq  X  home  on  5830  sq  X  lot  (22%  home/lot  density)  

935  Lee:  1560  sq  X  home  on  5999  sq  X  lot  (26%  home/lot  density)  

Small  Homes  on  Small  Lots      a  look  around  the  neighborhood  

Replaces  780  sq  X  predecessor  

935  Lee:  1560  sq  X  home  on  5999  sq  X  lot  (26%  home/lot  density)  

947  Lee  proposal:  2600    sq  X  home  on  4792  sq  X  lot  (54%  home/lot  density)  

Small  Homes  on  Small  Lots      a  look  around  the  neighborhood