Attachment C
Applicant’s Request
15-27
12/17/2024
City of Newport Beach – City Council
RE: 3601 Lake Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92663
Subject: Waiver of City Council Policy L-2
Formal Request for Waiver
Dear City Council Members,
As owners of the property at 3601 Lake Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92663, we are writing to formally request a waiver of City Council policy L-2. The facts and circumstances supporting this waiver are outlined below.
The proposed design aims to replace the current single-family home with two separate units. The existing driveway for one unit will remain unchanged, ensuring that there will be no loss of on-street parking or modification to the current curb.
Notably, the entire side of 36th St. is marked with a red curb, meaning that the closure of the driveway will not create new parking spaces due to existing restrictions.
Furthermore, there is a power pole and down wires located in the alley, obstructing garage access for one of the units. We have engaged with SCE, AT&T, and Spectrum to obtain estimates for the removal of the power pole and down wires. Despite our discussions with Assistant City Engineer Michael Sinacori, our request for removal was denied. We were informed that undergrounding the pole would need to coincide with the city’s planned utility construction in the alley. This involves additional work, including the removal of a second power pole, underground utility vaults, requiring approximately 500 feet of extensive trenching with subsequent dewatering of the alley during such work. In addition to the above it would require us to underground utilities for four existing homes, and installing new house panels to each of these homes. The financial burden of this scope of work, required by the city, is prohibitive for us.
Currently, the location of the power pole and associated down wires, does not permit the addition of an extra parking space. The pole is positioned centrally on the property, with one garage on either side, making it impossible to create additional parking due to the blockage caused by the pole.
In light of these circumstances, we respectfully request a waiver of the City Council policy L-2 to facilitate the proposed design and address the unique challenges we face.
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Steven Bast, SARNS Intl LLC
John Christian, DDCFRJ Investments LP
15-28