Three Homes Proposed On Lafayette Corner Parcel

LAMORINDA, CA —A vacant 2.56-acre property at the corner of Withers Avenue and Pleasant Hill Road could be divided into three home sites under a proposal headed to the Contra Costa County Zoning Administrator on Monday.

Applicant Pallav Chatterjee, representing the Jeanette Sorensen Trust, is seeking county approval to split the property into three residential lots served by a new private road from Withers Avenue. The land is designated for low-density single-family housing, and county planners concluded the proposal fits within the number of homes allowed on the site.

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The project would require removing 20 protected trees and moving about 1,200 cubic yards of soil to prepare the building sites and roadway.

The applicant is also asking county officials to waive or modify several standard development requirements because of the property's steep terrain.

Those requests include allowing existing overhead utility lines to remain instead of burying them underground, permitting part of the private road and a stormwater treatment basin to be built closer to a creek than county rules normally allow, and exempting the project from building sidewalks and widening Withers Avenue along the property's frontage.

County staff said the steep hillside along Withers Avenue makes some of those requirements difficult to meet. According to staff, burying the utility lines would require either a retaining wall about 20 feet high or extensive grading while removing only one utility pole.

Staff also found the site's steep slopes leave no practical alternative location for the new access road and stormwater basin. Moving those improvements outside the creek setback would require much more grading and a mechanical pump to move stormwater uphill. Engineers concluded the proposed location would not place buildings in the creek setback and could improve stability along the creek bank.

Public Works staff recommended approving the requested exceptions, saying sidewalks and road widening would require major excavation or a tall retaining wall that would significantly change the character of the semi-rural street.

An arborist surveyed 147 trees on the property and determined that 20 protected trees would need to be removed for the subdivision and road construction. County conditions would require replacement trees, protection for trees that remain, and financial guarantees to ensure the mitigation work is completed.

County planners also concluded that, with required environmental protections in place, the project would not create significant environmental impacts.

If approved, the project would still need to satisfy numerous conditions before construction could begin, including final engineering plans, stormwater permits, utility approvals, and grading and building permits. Monday's hearing would approve only the subdivision plan, not the construction of the homes themselves.

Also on the agenda, Crown Castle USA is seeking county approval to continue operating an existing wireless telecommunications facility at 3800 Arthur Road in the unincorporated Martinez area. The facility, located on property owned by the Mt. View Sanitary District, was originally approved in 2015 and is currently used by T-Mobile to provide wireless service.

The application does not propose any changes to the site. No new antennas, equipment, or other modifications are planned. Instead, the request is to allow the existing cell facility to remain in operation under a new land use permit.

The Contra Costa County Zoning Administrator is scheduled to consider the proposal during a public meeting beginning at 1:30 p.m. Monday at 30 Muir Road in Martinez. The meeting will also be available remotely.