Guest opinion: Another look at city's substandard lots Guest opinion: Another look at city's substandard lots (August 10, 2005)

By Don Lowry

As a member of the Residential Review Task Force for over two years I am concerned over the misconceptions and misunderstandings of the existing zoning ordinance in Menlo Park as it pertains to residential property.

Roughly one-half of the lots in Menlo Park are what are termed "standard lots" and the other half are termed "sub-standard lots" (principally caused by the annexation of lots from the county to the city over the years). What is involved with the distinction between the two? Let me use an example to explain.

Two properties exist on the same street, side by side, in a zoning district designed R-1-S that states the minimum lot area is 10,000 square feet, the minimum lot width is 80 feet, and the minimum lot length is 100 feet ( 29 percent of all lots in Menlo Park are in this district).

Let us assume Lot No. 1 meets all of the requirements. The owner can obtain a building permit from the city so long as the building meets all of the requirements of the zoning ordinance. Neither the Planning Commission nor any citizen of Menlo Park can comment on the plans or the building.

Let us assume Lot No. 2 is either one square foot short of the required area, one foot short in width or one foot short in length. The owner in this case must obtain a "use permit" and submit his plans to the Planning Commission for review where any member of the community has a right to comment. Unfortunately, backlog at the Planning Commission has at times caused a delay of five to seven months before the permit is considered. Input from the commission or the community will take time and cause delay as plans must be altered to meet the objections of the commission and the public. If the plans are approved by the commission any community member can object and have the project submitted to the City Council for final determination. Unfortunately this process has at times taken over one and a half years for a building permit to be issued. Building on Lot No. 1 will long be completed while Lot No. 2 is still in the permit process. Obviously such a situation is unfair.

After nearly 10 years of discussion it is time that a balanced citizens committee be appointed of reasonable members of the community to revise the zoning ordinance to bring fairness and equity to the guidelines for all new and remodeled homes. Don Lowry lives on Hallmark Circle in Menlo Park.

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