Building permit for 3616 Bell denied

The City has confirmed that the building permit for 3616 Bell has been denied due to a failure to meet zoning requirements. The city said the developers may either revise the application or appeal the decision to the Board of Zoning Adjustment.

According to a city review, the appearance of the building does not meet the requirement of the development code as it does not “appear as a large detached house having only one entrance visible from the street.”

The property has been the subject of protests from the Volker Neighborhood Association, which objected to the size and scale of the proposed “multi-unit house.” The neighborhood said the building resembled a motel, which was out of keeping with a residential neighborhood.  It was proposed to contain eight separate residential units.

Councilperson Jan Marcason said today that the controversy over the permit shows the need to have another look at the changes to the zoning ordinance the city adopted in 2010. While the city intended to streamline the code, Marcason says it is possible the city went too far. “It’s better to have safeguards than to try to rush things through,” she said today. She said she and Councilperson Glover want to meet with the city planning staff to review all of the changes that were made to the code.