Item 34 - Public Hearing - Appeal Application No. 2024-01 for Construction of a 23’-4” Tall Accessory Building (2221 N Heliotrope Drive)

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Exhibit 6 - Response to Appeal Comments Appeal Application No. 2024-01 for Maharajah House Moon Pavilion (2221 N. Heliotrope Drive) subject to the requirements outlined in Section 41-638 of the SAMC. Moreover, any accessory structure, whether administrative or discretionary (i.e., requiring review and approval of the Planning Commission and/or City Council) is reviewed against the relevant development standards, City design guidelines, and historic compatibility (as appropriate). C. Appellant Statement — Architectural Compatibility: After several years of energy and expense, Floral Park was recently designated a National Historic District. Residents of this special neighborhood were drawn here because of the historic integrity of the homes and strive to maintain that integrity. With its historic status and storied history, The Maharaja House played a key role in obtaining the National Historic District status. The structure added in the past and the addition of this 23'-4" structure are not consistent with the Art Modern style and detract from the historical designation of the home and the neighborhood as a whole. Analysis of Issue: The installation of the pavilion would not result in any physical alterations to the historic structure. As such, the historic Maharajah House will continue to retain all of its character -defining features. Moreover, the proposed structure would not impact any of the view sheds to the Maharajah House, along any public perspectives. The pavilion would be located approximately thirty feet to the east of the house, and approximately fifteen feet from the rear (east) property line, behind an existing six foot high stucco wall and behind existing mature landscaping (e.g., 25-foot tall mature tree and mature bamboo). Therefore, all views of the historic structure along Heliotrope Drive and Santa Clara Avenue would remain unimpaired. A review of the developmental history of the Maharajah House's back yard shows the area has continually evolved since the property's original construction in 1938 and 1939. Available sources, including building permit records and historical aerial photographs, show there were no notable changes to the backyard until the late 1980s or early 1990s. In 1989, a permit was issued for the construction of a new six -foot -tall wall. While the location of the wall is not indicated in building permit information, a 1991 aerial photograph suggests the wall was then erected at its current location, tracing the north property line, approximately 10 to 20 feet north of the wall's apparent historical location. By the time the current owners acquired the property in 2000, the back yard had already undergone substantial alterations to its plan and design. Since around 2003, when the property's current owners received a permit to demolish the swimming pool, there 0