E-3 C15-2020-0057 PRESENTATION — original pdf

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FOURTH WORKSHOP, LLC  4304 Caswell Avenue  Austin, TX 78751 23 October 2020 Ms. Elaine Ramirez, et. al. Board of Adjustment Austin, TX Re: 901 Terrell Hill Drive Request for Variance from the Land Development code, Section 25-2-492 Dear Members of the Board of Adjustment, Thank you for the second opportunity to speak about the property located at 901 Terrell Hill Drive. We have chosen to focus our efforts on requesting a variance from the Land Development Code, Section 25-2-492 (Site Development Regulations), which reduces the minimum front yard setback requirement from 25'-0" to 15'-0.” We no longer seek a variance that qualifies the garage, below the main level, as a basement. As confirmed by members of The Board in the October hearing, the property suffers from two characteristics that qualify as hardships: (1) a pie shape and (2) a steep slope. The widest portion of the lot occurs at the front of the property; and additionally, the grade slopes ten feet across the width of the lot and twenty-one feet from the rear to the front. The Owners purchased the property in 2014, with an intent to upgrade the existing house to suit their needs. After replacing appliances and cosmetically updating the interiors, the City informed them that the house, as it stood, was not code compliant. The roof structure, foundation, and wiring all needed to be brought up to code before a final CO could be given. As such, no permitted work could be pursued without a structural update and electrical service and wiring update which was not worth pursuing given the other limitations they were already working around and other quality issues they uncovered along the way. Faced with the decision of whether to invest a significant sum toward renovation, or else allocate those funds toward new construction, the Owners chose to remove and donate all of the improvements to Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStore and then demolish the home and design a new one—tailored specifically to them. Seven years and ~$700,000 dollars later, they are now requesting a variance that will deliver a quality design to the site, satisfy their immediate neighbor’s requests, and deliver their usability requirements. The variance is not being requested to maximize size of structure, conditioned space, FAR exemptions or project costs. As the fourth architectural outfit that the Owners have hired, we can speak to the myriad designs that fit on the site. required to negotiate the site (please reference exhibits). All of the designs , to date, have proven to be cost-prohibitive, given the complex foundations ​ In October, some board members raised this question: of the hardships they’d face with this property? The Owners clarified that they were not. If they had ​ understood the amount of time and money they’d spend into trying to make this property viable either via At the time of purchase, were the Owners aware E-3/1-PRESENTATION​ ​ FOURTH WORKSHOP, LLC  4304 Caswell Avenue  Austin, TX 78751 a remodel or new design, while satisfying their immediate neighbor’s requests and code restrictions, they would not have purchased it. The current design was informed by many factors, including the following: - - - - - - - - The neighbor to the east, at 805 Terrell Hill, has specifically requested that the Owners build a driveway off of Terrell Hill Drive and not access any structures from the easement. The neighbors would prefer they avoid a design that pulls vehicles or people access off of the alley easement between the two homes. The home bends slightly to follow the curve of the Right of Way, in an effort to prevent obscuring drivers’ views along the street and as such does not maximize the use of the requested variance. In response to comments from the Board in October: the garage has shifted from directly below the home to east of the main level to reduce the amount of excavation. Leveraging the Board’s feedback in this manner also eliminates our request for the basement exemption of ~450 sq/ft of non-conditioned space that would have been used for garage spaces under the house in the prior design. The home is positioned along the lowest site contours to avoid excessive excavation and allow the house to remain within the scale of adjacent homes in the neighborhood. The house will remain within the max allowable FAR (4116 SF), with 3,544 conditioned SF, and 940 SF for garage and ground floor porch (not including exemptions). The house will remain within the McMansion tents, with a height of 31’-9”. The roof and materials are chosen in an effort to remain timeless and low maintenance, and with regard to the character of the neighborhood. We attempt to use natural materials as much as possible. The design is oriented with respect to the sun, along the widest point of the lot, capturing a backyard for the Owners and their dogs to enjoy with relative privacy. We presented our design to the Galindo Neighborhood Association (GENA) on Monday, October 19th. While Galindo is required to take a neutral stance, in consideration of all neighbors, they’ve written to say that they do not oppose our variance request (please reference attached email correspondence from Monica Guerrero). Lastly, we have discovered that the property three doors down (801 Terrell Hill Drive) is an almost exact mirror of the property in question and the only other pie lot we could find in the surrounding areas. According to GIS, this home benefits from a <15’ setback. The exhibit is attached. Thank you for your consideration. Lauren Jones and Isabelle Bogran, FOURTH WORKSHOP, LLC E-3/2-PRESENTATIONFrom: Monica Guerrero Subject: Re: 901 Terrell Hill Dr. - BOA variance request Date: October 21, 2020 at 11:25 AM To: Isabelle Bogran i Cc: Marshall Davis z Hello Isabelle, , Lauren Jones l , Bryan Mayo The GENA Executive Committee discussed 901 Terrell Hill last night. In these variance situations, the association usually takes a neutral position so as to be considerate of all neighbors in the area. While the association will not offer a letter of support, it will not actively oppose the property owners' variance request. We do suggest that you continue to work with the surrounding neighbors. Best regards, Monica Texas law requires all real estate licensees to give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers, and landlords. 512.944.0101 Direct | 512.944.0101 Direct | On Tue, Oct 20, 2020 at 6:36 PM Monica Guerrero > wrote: Received - thank you. Texas law requires all real estate licensees to give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers, and landlords. On Tue, Oct 20, 2020 at 6:20 PM Isabelle Bogran <i > wrote: Thank you so much, Monica. We totally understand. I’ve attached some quick renderings that are in progress of the current proposed design for your aid. We’ve had to shift a bit from what we originally proposed to the BOA due to the fact that we won’t attempt to count the garage below the main floor as a basement… It is now the concrete volume on the West side, with the door facing the east. As discussed yesterday, a few bullet points are included here: We, Fourth Workshop, are representing the owners of 901 Terrell Hill as their architectural designers. After 4 previous attempts with various architects to design a home on the site, we have decided to apply for a variance to the 25’ setback requirement in the code. We hope they will grant our request for a reduction to a 15’ setback. We are asking for a letter of support from you, the neighborhood association, as we want to be sensitive to the character and value of the neighborhood. The house will have approximately 3600 SF in MLS area (not including garage and porch) on a property with 4116 max allowable FAR. The height will remain within the tent, with a wall plate height of 20’ (10’ ceiling heights on the main floor, and 8’ ceiling heights in the second floor) and a gable roof above. We have attempted to take advantage of the hardship that is the slope of the property by tucking the garage below the level of the main floor, on the low end of the site. This is also in response to a specific request from the neighbor to the east who prefers that the owner use the street to access a garage rather than the easement between the two properties. Concerns about visibility on the street have been raised by the BOA, and we hope to communicate in the images (attached) that the house is shaped in an effort to follow the curve of the street, rather than obstruct the view. Our hope is that the home will sit well with both the traditional and contemporary homes in the area in form and material. We intend to select materials that are long-lasting in style and quality. Commonly, we work with natural materials such as thermally treated wood, concrete, and brick. Lastly, we have discovered that the property three doors down (801 Terrell Hill) is an almost exact mirror of the property in question. According to GIS, this home benefits from a 15’ setback. Thank you so much for you time and consideration, Isabelle Bogran FOURTH WORKSHOP, LLC fourthworkshop.com [713] 516.2999 E-3/3-PRESENTATIONF O U R T H F O U R T H W O R K S H O P W O R K S H O P I I E E C C N N E E D D S S E E R R G G N N N N E E O O H H C C S S O O Y Y A A M M I I 4 4 0 0 7 7 8 8 7 7 X X T T , , n n i i t t s s u u A A . . r r D D l l l l i i H H l l l l e e r r r r e e T T 1 1 0 0 9 9 09.08.2020 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Drawn by: Checked by: Checked by: IB IB LJ LJ Plot Plan Proposed Site Plan E1.00 E1.00 1 Plot Plan Scale: 1/32" = 1'-0" E-3/4-PRESENTATION D r . l l H i l r e l 9 0 1 T e r 5'-0" 2 5 ' - 0 " 6 0 ' - 0 " 0 " 0 '- 1 N 1 Future House with Current Setback Scale: 1/16" = 1'-0" F O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Proposed Site Plan E1.01 5'-0" 901 Terrell Hill Dr. Property with Subchapter F Setback Overlay Total Area: 10290 SF Total Buildable Area: 5681 SF Max FAR: 4116 SF Total SF: 4760 SF Total Exempted Area: 650 SF Total FAR with Exemptions: 4110 SF 1051001101111101091081071061051041031021011009998979695949392919011110910810710610410310210110510011011111010910810710610510410310210110099989796959493929190111109108107106104103102101E-3/5-PRESENTATION D r . l l l H i r e l 9 0 1 T e r 5'-0" 120.00° gas/wood firepit wood storage recessed window treatment housing overhead storage . r o t s garden storage in crawl space 0 R ~ 0 Y 1 8 s f 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. 9 E T 1 N ~ 0 O R O 1 H 1 0 s f 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. C 4 4 O U P O D R 1 T ~ O C 2 s a ri e T A 0 S 1 2 s f c l g h t v 1 1 0 5 s f A I R 1 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. 5 2 ~ 1 S T ~ OFFICE 111 A4.01 ~202 sf 10'-0" clg ht. flr-to-clg millwork , hidden bathroom door CLUB MED 112 96 sf ~10'-0" clg ht. A4.01 new driveway 1 5 ' - 0 " 3 0 G 1 5 s f 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. 5 2 L I V I N ~ 1 ~ s n i n c l g e c r e flr-t o - c l g s s e e l v h wall finish to match millwork r e e d c t o r e v o s s e c p r o j e a b d i s h s t o r . w d recessed window treatment housing 4 0 G 1 0 s f 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. 4 D I N I N 2 1 ~ 2 '- 0 " 1 d n 2 '- 0 " i s l a 1 4 '- 0 " m i e l e d 6 " i n o o c o d n c ti o u p + k t o d r a ft w n 3 4 ' - 0 " tr a h / c s r e m i e l e s l g d r w r + m i c r o 5 0 E N 1 0 s f 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. 6 2 H ~ C K I T ~ 1 4 . 0 1 A w d 1 4 . 0 A 4 '- 0 " h u t c h L L A H 1 9 0 0 s f ~ 3 1 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. 1 1 4 . 0 A m i e o v l e e 3 + n 0 s s t ( " w o x r . 2 a ) l l 1 T 6 R 0 Y 1 6 s f 0 '- 0 " c l g h t. 7 ~ 4 . 0 N A A P 1 ~ f z r . r e f . u n c e r- n t e r e r e f. d u o w i n r e f/fr g r e n g g e e e ll e w w tr e e n existing live oak trees to be preserved 7 0 ' - 0 " 0 " 0 '- 1 N 1 Future House with Proposed Setback Variance Scale: 1/16" = 1'-0" 5'-0" 901 Terrell Hill Dr. Property with Subchapter F Setback Variance Overlay Total Area: 10290 SF Total Buildable Area: 5681 SF Max FAR: 4116 SF Total SF: 4484 SF Total Exempted Area: 400 SF Total FAR with Exemptions: 4084 SF F O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Proposed Site Plan E1.02 1051001101111101091081071061051041031021011009998979695949392919011110910810710610410310210110510011011111010910810710610510410310210110099989796959493929190111109108107106104103102101E-3/6-PRESENTATIONSF-3 Minimum Buildable Area Footprint Re: Table 25-2-492 Minimum Buildable Area: 3200 SF Minimum Buildable Length: 80'-0" Minimum Buildable Width: 50'-0" 901 Terrell Hill Dr. Property with SF-3 Minimum Lot Dimensions Overlay Total Area: 10290 SF Total Buildable Area: 5681 SF Total Buildable Area > 40' wide: 5129 SF Total Buildable Length: 88'-3" Average Buildable Width: 69'-9" " 0 - ' 0 8 40'-0" 1 4 ' - 9 " 7 ' - 9 " 0 " 0 '- 8 0 " 0 '- 4 2 2 ' - 1 3 / 8 " 0 " 0 '- 1 N 1 Minimum Buildable Area Diagram Scale: 1/16" = 1'-0" F O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Zoning Regulations E1.03 1051001101111101091081071061051041031021011009998979695949392919011110910810710610410310210110510011011111010910810710610510410310210110099989796959493929190111109108107106104103102101E-3/7-PRESENTATIONHighest Elevation Proposed FF above Basement Req'd FF above Basement 111' - 0" 108' - 6" 103' - 6" Lowest Elevation 90' - 0" 1 ' - 9 " " 0 1 - ' 5 " 9 - ' 6 1 Site Section with Tent Scale: 1/16" = 1'-0" F O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Drawn By Checked by: CS Site Grade + Tent E1.04 E-3/8-PRESENTATION1 4 ' - 0 " 9 ' - 0 " 1 1 ' - 0 " alley adjacent to property 0'-0" 4 0'-0" 2 38'-0" 8'-0" 2 2 ' - 0 " 2 2 ' - 0 " 10'-0" 28'-0" 44'-0" 15'-0" 1 Terrell Hill GIS Map Scale: 1" = 50'-0" F O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Adjacent Setbacks E1.05 E-3/9-PRESENTATIONF O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Neighbor Streetfronts E1.06 E-3/10-PRESENTATIONT.O. Ridge 135'-0" Top Plate 128'-6" FF Second Floor 120'-6" B.O. CLG 118'-6" F.F. First Floor 108'-6" F O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Variance Request E1.07 1 West Elevation Scale: 1/8" = 1'-0" E-3/11-PRESENTATIONT.O. Ridge 135'-0" Top Plate 128'-6" FF Second Floor 120'-6" B.O. CLG 118'-6" F.F. First Floor 108'-6" F O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Variance Request E1.08 1 Front Elevation Scale: 1/8" = 1'-0" E-3/12-PRESENTATIONF O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Variance Request E1.09 1 Northwest Perspective Scale: Actual Size E-3/13-PRESENTATIONF O U R T H W O R K S H O P I E C N E D S E R G N N E O H C S O Y A M I 4 0 7 8 7 X T , n i t s u A . r D l l i H l l e r r e T 1 0 9 09.08.2020 Drawn by: Checked by: IB LJ Variance Request E1.10 1 Northeast Perspective Scale: Actual Size E-3/14-PRESENTATION901 Terrell Hill Owner packet and clarifications AUSTIN RESIDENT FOR 22 YEARS, PURCHASED 901 TERRELL HILL IN 2014 E-3/15-PRESENTATIONOwner Points Clarified Setbacks & Tent Owner did NOT know McMansion codes, tent limits imposed by this lot shape and slope when purchasing or prior to tearing down previous structure. Would any non-architect without AutoCAD skills and city code study be able to fully understand impact of lot’s shape and topography? (2/4 prior architects made significant FAR and tent mistakes during design that the city had to correct. Professionals struggled to apply city code to this site.) East Neighbor Alley easement of 15’ across east neighbor’s lot is allowed by deed. However, neighbor is strongly opposed to us leveraging easement in our design for house, garage, or guest house access because of car noise, lights, and general privacy loss to their home. Our lot’s most buildable, flat area, with best views is orientated along easement. (More details in appendix) FAR exemptions Our design only leverages 200 sq/ft parking and 200 sq/ft patio FAR exemptions for a 10,000 sq/ft lot. Homes all around have entire 3rd story levels exempt along with 400-800 sq/ft of garage and patio exemptions on smaller lots applied. E-3/16-PRESENTATIONOVER 7 YEARS DAYS RENTED/OCCUPIED 4 Prior Designs $100K in original remodel costs $300K in design/city fees $250K in mortgage costs $65K in property taxes 0 Days E-3/17-PRESENTATION4 Prior Designs F.Gomes East Neighbor Concerns Addressed Non-protected oak trees NOT removed Cost to Build (structure and hardscaping) $600 sq/ft Multi-gen, Live-in care D1 No Yes No D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 Alter StudioD.HarrisFourth Design 1Fourth Design 2aFourth Design 2bE-3/18-PRESENTATION4 Prior Designs Alter Studio East Neighbor Concerns Addressed Non-protected oak trees NOT removed D1 D1 No Yes D1 D2 No Yes Cost to Build (structure and hardscaping) $600 sq/ft $800 sq/ft Multi-gen, Live-in care No Yes D1 D3 D1 D4 D1 D5 D1 D6 F.GomesD.HarrisFourth Design 1Fourth Design 2aFourth Design 2bE-3/19-PRESENTATION4 Prior Designs D.Harris East Neighbor Concerns Addressed Non-protected oak trees NOT removed D1 No Yes D2 No Yes D3 No Yes Cost to Build (structure and hardscaping) $600 sq/ft $800 sq/ft $300 sq/ft Multi-gen, Live-in care No Yes Yes D4 D5 D6 F.GomesAlter StudioFourth Design 1Fourth Design 2aFourth Design 2bE-3/20-PRESENTATION4 Prior Designs Fourth Design 1 East Neighbor Concerns Addressed Non-protected oak trees NOT removed D1 No Yes D2 No Yes D3 No Yes D4 No No D5 D6 Cost to Build (structure and hardscaping) $600 sq/ft $800 sq/ft $300 sq/ft $600 sq/ft Multi-gen, Live-in care No Yes Yes Yes F.GomesAlter StudioD.HarrisFourth Design 2aFourth Design 2bE-3/21-PRESENTATION4 Prior Designs No variance needed for this design, but east neighbor not happy and non-protected oak trees removed for structure, garden or pool. This design provides ~650 sq/ft more conditioned FAR exemption as attic over the back unit garage and ADU and 450 sq/ft more non-conditioned parking FAR exemption space than “Design 2b” with a 15’ setback. Fourth Design 2a East Neighbor Concerns Addressed Non-protected oak trees NOT removed D1 No Yes D2 No Yes D3 No Yes D4 No No D5 No No D6 Cost to Build (structure and hardscaping) $600 sq/ft $800 sq/ft $350 sq/ft $550 sq/ft $500 sq/ft Multi-gen, Live-in care No Yes Yes Yes Yes F.GomesAlter StudioD.HarrisFourth Design 1Fourth Design 2bE-3/22-PRESENTATION4 Prior Designs Fourth Design 2b East Neighbor Concerns Addressed Non-protected oak trees NOT removed D1 No Yes D2 No Yes D3 No Yes D4 No No D5 No No D6 Yes Yes Cost to Build (structure and hardscaping) $600 sq/ft $800 sq/ft $350 sq/ft $550 sq/ft $500 sq/ft $400 sq/ft Multi-gen, Live-in care No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes F.GomesAlter StudioD.HarrisFourth Design 1Fourth Design 2aE-3/23-PRESENTATIONHardship based on irregular shape Shape irregular compared to others in area, only 1 other “pie” in area. 801 Terrell Hill “pie” lot has a front setback of 9ft-16ft as measured online and onsite. E-3/24-PRESENTATION801 Terrell Hill (other area “pie”) front setback 9-16ft E-3/25-PRESENTATION15’ Front Setback Variance Request If granted our design can meet the requests of our east neighbor, align with the only other “pie” lot front setback, meet our desired livability features; • Neighborhood association discussed and not opposing request • Immediate neighbor prefers variance vs alley easement access • Aligns with only other “pie” lot setback in the area (<15ft setback) • Non-protected oak trees will remain onsite E-3/26-PRESENTATIONThank you for your consideration E-3/27-PRESENTATIONAppendix East Neighbor Easement Views E-3/28-PRESENTATIONEasement Details in 1950 Deed E-3/29-PRESENTATIONEasement on East Neighbor’s Lot and Entries Neighborhood deed allows access via 15’ alley across neighbor’s lot which simplifies and maximizes possible designs. They would prefer a design that does not leverage this easement since our lots are directly connected and they want to maintain as much privacy and reduced traffic and noise as possible. E-3/30-PRESENTATION