The Planning Commission held a meeting on Sept. 12 to review requests for permits on two separate properties and to amend the municipal code to revise the occupancy priority standards for affordable housing. After review and discussion, the commission approved permits for the construction of an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 1020 Ridgedale Drive and for landscaping at 938 Alpine Drive. Following recommendations at the study session on July 11 to revise the priority standards for residents who are applying to affordable housing, the commission added a definition of displacement to the municipal code. This was recommended to better target families who need immediate housing and was inspired by the municipal codes of surrounding cities Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Pasadena.
In continuation of the last meeting, the commission reviewed a presentation on the ADU at 1020 Ridgedale Drive. Crest Real Estate, who is representing the property, and the Kugel Trust, who owns the property, applied for multiple Hillside R-1 permits. These permits request approval for an ADU to exceed 14 feet in height, for a proposed height of 17 feet. They also requested approval of a series of walls that are more than 12 feet high, reaching a maximum of 27 feet, 11 inches although each of the two walls independently is less than 7 feet in height.
