City Planning, Neighborhood Approval & Compromise
The last week has been extremely stressful, as we've been working through our remodel plans with the surrounding neighbors, architect and the City of Del Mar’s planning department.
When you're building or remodeling within a beach community like we are, it's especially important that your project improves the entire neighborhood (not hard for us, considering what we started with) and that the exterior design doesn't impede on your neighbors ocean views or privacy. If we fail in any way, our project will be completely stopped or delayed.
One of the things that we always do when we're Extreme Remodeling, is add windows, doors and large folding patio doors in order to bring the in light and open up the space. Plus, our Ugly Brown Box as it stands today, looks like a jail without windows, as the picture illustrates. Important Tip: When windows are being added, you've got to be careful of what you'll be looking out (and in) at once the construction is completed.
After meeting with the neighbors (one of them responded to the City about our remodel plan, within the "public comment period") it was in everyone's best interest to make the following changes to our Extreme Remodel:
We're raising the sill height on the downstairs windows in the main room, and we'll use obscure glass on the lower north facing (3) windows, in order to maintain everyone's privacy.
We're moving the windows in the master bedroom upwards, so that they're above the bed, assuring privacy.
We're adding a 6' tall wall to the sides of the back balconies, for added privacy, we’re extending the wall out three feet (in our current ADR submission), then an additional three feet in our upcoming DRB submission (which includes hardscape and landscape design) which we will be doing next month.
We’re adding special clauses into our CC&R’s that assure whoever owns the property maintains our commitments to the neighbors.
These changes require that an updated set of plans be re-submitted to the City for ADR approval and a copy given to the neighbors, which is happening as I write this. This process is required prior to receiving our building permit. Most likely, we’re looking at a three week delay.
Bottom line, it's all about compromise. Sometimes the changes that are needed in order for the project to move forward aren't going to be in the projects best interests, and sometimes they are. The design can get hacked up, and square footage can be lost. Lots of things can happen… but that said, you gotta do what's best for everyone, in order to get your project built.
As an example, our next door neighbor was in the planning process for their new home with the city of Del Mar (and the neighbors) for three years, with many expensive reiterations, changes, inability to come to a quick compromise, and delays. Ouch. They purchased the property in 2008, and construction has yet to be completed. Double Ouch! There's a big price to pay in order to build in Del Mar, but in the end, worth every penny.
We're hoping that with our most recent changes and neighbor approval, we'll get our building permit soon. Fingers and toes are crossed!
Whether it's dealing with the city, the neighbors, the engineers, the architects, the contractors, or the overall design choices and changes, there are always reasons for many sleepless nights. This week, I had seven of those kinds of nights.
