The Planning Commission on Monday, April 1, unanimously approved a minor use permit for a roof access structure on a house to be built in Surfside Colony. The new home will be three stories high and include a golf simulation room. The April 1 meeting was short. The video lasted just short of 20 minutes. No one spoke during the public comment segment of the meeting.
Planners had to review the project because the structure would be 6 feet 1 inch above the 35-foot height limit for most Seal Beach properties. According to the staff report, the Seal Beach Municipal Code allows Surfside homes to have non-habitable features up to 7 feet above the height limit.
Public hearing
District Five Commissioner/Vice Chair Margo Wheeler said she had some questions for the architect.
She asked architect Steven Sennikoff if he had done other buildings in this area.
Sennikoff said he had.
Wheeler asked, “What on earth is a golf room,” apparently referring to part of the project.
“It houses a simulator,” Sennikoff said.
“Like a big screen and then you can come back and hit balls into it,” he said, gesturing as though he was swinging a golf club.
“Following this theme, the golf room is on the first floor and, if I’m reading properly, the golf closet is on the third floor,” Wheeler said.
“The golf closet is more for clothing and extra clubs, things like that,” Sennikoff said.
“There’s only one actual bedroom,” she said. She asked if that was unusual for the area.
“It meets the needs of our client,” Sennikoff said.
District Three Commissioner/Chair Richard Coles asked where they would discharge the stormwater.
“We’re going to come up with a drainage plan that will be submitted to the Coastal Commission,” Sennikoff said.
“There will be French drains on each corner of the property that will take the water down and filter it into the ground,” Sennikoff said.
He also said there would be gravel along the sides to percolate the water.
“So you’re just going to try percolation with that,” Coles said.
“We’ve done that successfully many times in the area and the Coastal Commission approves of that,” Sennikoff said.
Sennikoff said they would have a grading plan that would be submitted to Public Works for approval.
“Does this residence have an elevator?” asked District Four Commissioner Patty Campbell.
“It does not,” Sennikoff said. “It has a dumb waiter.”
Coles closed the hearing.
“I’m pleased with the fact that our code only allows this permit for non-habitable structures and also requires a compatible roof pitch,” said Wheeler.
She moved to approve the application. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
Background
“The architect, Steven Sennikoff, on behalf of the property owner, Kevin Talbot, (‘the applicant’) is proposing to demolish an existing one-story residence on a 1,615.75- square-foot parcel located in the A Row of Surfside Colony,” according to the staff report prepared by Assistant Planner Samuel Funes.
“Construction of a three-story, single-family residence is the proposed replacement,” Funes wrote.
The property is surrounded by residential users, according to Funes’ report.
“This request by itself only requires administrative review by staff, which is being done concurrently with this MUP application,” Funes wrote.
“However, as the request entails adding a covered roof access structure to the rooftop deck that will exceed the maximum roof height (35 feet) by 6 feet 1 inch, an MUP must also be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission for that height deviation,” Funes wrote.
“The covered stairwell will be comprised of roofing materials consistent with the remainder of the roof deck and proposed new structure,” Funes wrote.
“The location of the covered access is located along a peripheral exterior wall of the structure as required. The structure occupies a minimal proportion of the roof deck,” Funes wrote.
“Primary views from properties on B Row will remain unobstructed while the properties on C Row face to the north and away from the project,” Funes wrote.
During the meeting, District Four Planning Commissioner Patty Campbell disputed that, pointing out the difference between the existing one-story building and the proposed three-story building.
