Condos approved for downtown San Carlos

The 15 condominiums will be built at 1383 Laurel St. and will include eight one-bedroom units, six two-bedroom units and one three-bedroom unit. Of those units, two will be listed at below-market rate. 

About 1,200 square feet of the 31,656-square-foot building will be used as retail space on the ground floor. Another 5,500 square feet will make up the parking area with 16 car stalls and seven bike spaces, and trash and storage areas. 

Commissioners lauded the project design and how the developer team broke up the massing of the building with changes in textures and balconies. The building design includes neutral colored brick and cement plaster with black metal detailing. Ron Grove with Grove Construction is the owner of the site and worked with Robert Sauvageau with Rys Architects, landscape architect Tom Holloway with KLA Inc. and MacLeod and Associates on the project. 

“I liked the design a lot. I think it’s a very attractive building,” said Commissioner Ellen Garvey, adding that the building will serve as a nice transition between others in the area and will help make that block of Laurel Street into more of a mixed-use corridor. 

Currently on the site is a one-story multi-tenant commercial building partially occupied by an auto repair shop. Surrounding the site is a Walgreens, La Hacienda Restaurant and Cafe, White Oak Cleaners, an engineering company and single-family and multifamily residences. 

Commissioner David Roof also praised the developers for incorporating into the project BMR units that will be listed at very-low income levels. Staff noted the state density bonus helped the project pencil out. Under city zoning code, the 8,316-square-foot site would only be allowed to house 10 units but an additional five units were permitted. 

ADUs

The commission also held a study session on updates city staff is proposing to make to the city’s accessory dwelling unit ordinance. The changes are largely meant to clarify what’s already in the city’s ADU and junior ADU ordinance and have been influenced by both updates in state law and conversations with the public, particularly those who have run into complications while seeking to build an ADU. 

The amendments include expanding where an ADU can be built on a site, clarifying design requirements both inside and outside of the unit, removing redundant building code standards, standardizing height limits and other clerical edits. 

Commissioners share their support for the proposed changes. Some also encouraged staff to revisit some issues like whether a property owner should have to live on-site to build an ADU and potential changes to how sizing of units is determined. 

“I’m concerned that it could be inhibitory to building an ADU,” Commissioner David Roof said, raising questions about whether a tenant would be evicted if property owners, like empty nesters, move away. 

No formal action was taken on the issue Monday. Instead, staff will draft updated language and bring back more information at a later date. At that point, the commission will be asked to make a formal recommendation to the City Council.