SR 06:245 - Laserfiche WebLink

. ~L --- ' .. . . PIr?-1'3>!R A IE C 12) V IE ID ~- /4-:r~ MAY 1 8 2006 May 17, 2006 Natalie Amos City of Pleasanton Planning Department CITY OF PLEASAflTON PLANNING DEPT. Dear Natalie, I am writing this letter in order to express my concerns regarding the two-story remodel at 779 Mirador Court by Stan & Stacey Knight. My husband and I will be unable to attend the June 14'h Planning Commission meeting because our daughter is graduating from high school that day. I have previously expressed my concerns verbally, but feel it is important to have a written record of my objections to this project. The proposed project will negatively affect our property due to the second story blocking sunlight from our side yard and house in the afternoon, especially during the winter months. Story poles were temporarily positioned on the Knight's property in order to show the size and scale of the proposed addition. I took photographs which I shared with you that demonstrate that the proposed second story will block sunlight from reaching our side yard, roof, four bedrooms and two bathrooms that are located on the western side of our house facing the Knight's property for some portion of the afternoon hours. A sun/shade analysis prepared by the architect also confirms the obstruction of sunlight for several hours a day, with the effect being most pronounced in the winter. The consequences of this infringement will include the negative visual impact of decreased light received in our windows during the time of the year when daylight is already at a minimum, increased mold and moisture problems in the rooms directly affected due to increased shading during the wet winter months (this problem already exists and will be exacerbated), and harm to landscaping currently in place which requires a minimum number of hours of sunlight in order to survi ve and flourish. A less serious negative impact from the addition is visual -. we will experience a change in character when occupying our backyard, reducing the spacious, tranquil, seemingly rural and private nature of our backyard. The neighbor directly behind our property, Ron Imperiale, has stated that if the Knights project is approved he intends to build a 7 foot high solid fence where there is an existing five foot deer fence between our properties. This would also cause serious shading of a greater expanse of our landscaping especially during the winter months. Due to the difference in elevation between his property and ours, the net visual effect will seem far worse. A potential harmful effect from the Knight's proposed two story addition is a reduction in efficiency and capacity of solar panels should they be installed on our roof in the future to supply energy. For example, we or future homeowners may wish to install solar panels in conjunction with a swimming pool in our backyard. With gas and electricity costs soaring, solar panel installation is increasingly appealing, but could become economically untenable due to shading. In closing, I would like to express my concern that the story poles and shading analysis were inadequate in revealing the true impact on our property. I believe the story poles did not accurately reflect the true elevations of the proposed addition due to errors on the original architectural plans, as placement of windows in the second story were subsequently changed due to unanticipated privacy infringement upon the Angela Street property directly behind the Knight's. The sun/shade analysis should include a report that shows the percentage of hours of sunlight lost versus the total hours of sunlight received per day for October, December and March.