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HomeMy WebLinkAbout19920 Pear Tree Ln. RM-2024-030 Action Letter October 16, 2025 Venkata Madan Kameswar Vellamcheti 19920 Pear Tree Lane Cupertino, CA 95014 vvmadan@gmail.com SUBJECT: Minor Residential— Application RM-2024-030 This letter confirms the decision of the Director of Community Development, given on October 16, 2025, approving a Minor Residential Permit (RM-2024-030) to allow for a renovation of the existing rear facing balcony and new front facing balcony at an existing two-story single-family residence. Additional improvements include first and second- floor additions at 19920 Pear Tree Lane, with the following conditions: 1. APPROVED EXHIBITS The approval is based on a plan set entitled “Vellamcheti’s Residence 19920 Pear Tree LN, Cupertino”, consisting of seventeen (17) sheets labeled “A1-0, A1-01, A1-02, A1-03, A1-04, A1-05, A1-06, A1-07, A1-08, A1-09, A1-10, A1-11, A1-12, A1-13, A1-14, A1-15 and A1-16” except as may be amended by conditions in this resolution. 2. ANNOTATION OF THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL The conditions of approval set forth shall be incorporated into and annotated on the building plans. 3. ACCURACY OF THE PROJECT PLANS The applicant/property owner is responsible for verifying all pertinent property data including but not limited to property boundary locations, building setbacks, property size, building square footage, any relevant easements and/or construction records. Any misrepresentation of property data may invalidate this approval and may require additional review. 4. CONSULTATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS The applicant is responsible to consult with other departments and/or agencies with regard to the proposed project for additional conditions and requirements. Any misrepresentation of any submitted data may invalidate an approval by the Community Development Department. RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit 19920 Pear Tree Lane Page 2 of 8 RM-2024-030 5. COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC WORKS CONFIRMATION FORM The project shall comply with the requirements indicated on the Public Works Confirmation form, including, but not limited to, dedications, easements, off-site improvements, undergrounding of utilities, all necessary agreements, and utility installations/relocations as deemed necessary by the Director of Public Works and required for public health and safety. The Public Works Confirmation is a preliminary review and is not an exhaustive review of the subject development. Additional requirements may be established and implemented during the construction permitting process. The project construction plans shall address these requirements with the construction permit submittal, and all required improvements shall be completed to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works prior to final occupancy. 6. EXTERIOR BUILDING MATERIALS/TREATMENTS The final building exterior plan shall closely resemble the details shown on the original approved plans. Final building exterior treatment plan (including but not limited to details on exterior color, materials, architectural treatments, doors, windows, lighting fixtures, and/or embellishments) shall be reviewed and approved by the Director of Community Development prior to issuance of building permits to ensure quality and consistency. Any exterior changes determined to be substantial by the Director of Community Development shall either require a modification to this permit or a new permit based on the extent of the change. 7. PRIVACY TREATMENT Privacy Treatment to obscure off site views from a second story have been provided in the form of high sill windows and/or privacy landscape. a. A 6’ tall privacy wall will be provided along the right (west) facing side of the new second-floor terrace. b. Privacy landscape shall be planted along side property lines to obscure off-site views from rear (south) facing second-story balcony. 8. PRIVACY PLANTING The final privacy planting plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Division prior to issuance of building permits. The variety, size, and planting distance shall be consistent with the City’s requirements. 9. PRIVACY PROTECTION COVENANT The property owner shall record a covenant on this property to inform future property owners of the privacy protection measures and tree protection requirements consistent with the R-1 Ordinance, for all second-story balconies and windows with views into neighboring yards with a sill or privacy wall height that is 5 feet or less from the second story finished floor. The precise language will be subject to approval by the Director of Community Development. Proof of recordation must be submitted to the Community Development Department prior to final occupancy of the residence. RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit 19920 Pear Tree Lane Page 3 of 8 RM-2024-030 10. FRONT YARD TREE The applicant shall indicate on site and landscape plans the location of a front yard tree (existing tree to remain) to be located within the front yard setback area in order to screen the massing of the second story. The front yard tree shall be a minimum 24-inch box and 6 feet planted height and otherwise be consistent with the City’s requirements. 11. FRONT YARD TREE COVENANT The property owner shall record a covenant on this property with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office that requires the retention and maintenance of the required front yard tree. The precise language will be subject to approval by the Director of Community Development. Proof of recordation must be submitted to the Community Development Department prior to final occupancy of the residence. 12. FENCES The location of all fences on the site shall be indicated on building permit plans, comply with Chapter 19.48, Fences, of the Cupertino Municipal Code, and must be reviewed and approved prior to issuance of building permits. 13. STANDARD ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS Prior to issuance of any grading or building permits, the project applicant shall demonstrate compliance with Chapter 17.04 (Standard Environmental Protection Requirements) of the Cupertino Municipal Code, to the satisfaction of the Planning Director or his or her designee. All applicable environmental protection requirement measures shall be included in the applicable construction documents. 14. NOISE AND VIBRATION PERMIT REQUIREMENTS At least 10 days prior to the start of any demolition, ground disturbing, or construction activities, the project applicant shall send notices of the planned activity by first class mail as follows: For projects on sites less than 0.25 acres or one residential unit, the notices shall be sent to off-site businesses and residents within 100 feet of the project site. The notification shall include a brief description of the project, the activities that would occur, the hours when activity would occur, and the construction period’s overall duration. The notification should include the telephone numbers of the contractor’s authorized representatives that are assigned to respond in the event of a noise or vibration complaint. The project applicant shall provide the City with evidence of mailing of the notice, upon request. If pile driving, see additional noticing requirements in subsection 3(b) below. a. At least 10 days prior to the start of construction activities, a sign shall be posted at the entrance(s) to the job site, clearly visible to the public, which includes permitted construction days and hours, as well as the telephone numbers of the City’s and contractor’s authorized representatives that are assigned to respond in the event of a noise or vibration complaint. If the authorized contractor’s representative receives a complaint, they shall RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit 19920 Pear Tree Lane Page 4 of 8 RM-2024-030 investigate, take appropriate corrective action, and report the action to the City within three business days of receiving the complaint. 15. AVOID NESTING BIRDS DURING CONSTRUCTION Prior to issuance of the any demolition, grading and building permit, indicate the following on all construction plans: Demolition, construction, ground-disturbing, and tree removal/pruning activities shall be scheduled to be completed prior to nesting season (February 1 through August 31), if feasible. If demolition, construction, ground-disturbing, or tree removal/pruning activities occur during the nesting season (February 1 and August 31), preconstruction surveys shall be conducted as follows: No more than 7 days prior to the start of demolition, construction, ground-disturbing, or tree removal/pruning activities, in order to identify any active nests with eggs or young birds on the site and surrounding area within 100 feet of construction or tree removal activities. Preconstruction surveys shall be repeated at 14-day intervals until demolition, construction, ground-disturbing, or tree removal/pruning activities have been initiated in the area, after which surveys can be stopped. As part of the preconstruction survey(s), the surveyor shall inspect all trees and other possible nesting habitats in, and immediately adjacent to, the construction areas for active nests, while ensuring that they do not disturb the nests as follows: For projects that require the demolition or construction one single-family residence, ground disturbing activities affecting areas of up to 500 square feet, or the removal of up to three trees, the property owner or a tree removal contractor, if necessary, is permitted to conduct the preconstruction surveys to identify if there are any active nests. If any active nests with eggs or young birds are identified, the project applicant shall retain a qualified ornithologist or biologist to identify protective measures. For any other demolition, construction and ground disturbing activity or the removal of four or more trees, a qualified ornithologist or biologist shall be retained by the project applicant to conduct the preconstruction surveys. If the preconstruction survey does not identify any active nests with eggs or young birds that would be affected by demolition, construction, ground-disturbing or tree removal/pruning activities, no further mitigating action is required. If an active nest containing eggs or young birds is found sufficiently close to work areas to be disturbed by these activities, their locations shall be documented, and the qualified ornithologist or biologist shall identify protective measures to be implemented under their direction until the nests no longer contain eggs or young birds. Protective measures may include, but are not limited to, establishment of clearly delineated exclusion zones (i.e., demarcated by identifiable fencing, such as orange RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit 19920 Pear Tree Lane Page 5 of 8 RM-2024-030 construction fencing or equivalent) around each nest location as determined by the qualified ornithologist or biologist, taking into account the species of birds nesting, their tolerance for disturbance and proximity to existing development. In general, exclusion zones shall be a minimum of 300 feet for raptors and 75 feet for passerines and other birds. The active nest within an exclusion zone shall be monitored on a weekly basis throughout the nesting season to identify signs of disturbance and confirm nesting status. The radius of an exclusion zone may be increased by the qualified ornithologist or biologist, if project activities are determined to be adversely affecting the nesting birds. Exclusion zones may be reduced by the qualified ornithologist or biologist only in consultation with California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The protection measures and buffers shall remain in effect until the young have left the nest and are foraging independently or the nest is no longer active. A final report on nesting birds and raptors, including survey methodology, survey date(s), map of identified active nests (if any), and protection measures (if required), shall be prepared by the qualified ornithologist or biologist and submitted to the Director of Community Development or his or her designee, through the appropriate permit review process (e.g., demolition, construction, tree removal, etc.), and be completed to the satisfaction of the Community Development Director prior to the start of demolition, construction, ground-disturbing, or tree removal/pruning activities. 16. DUST CONTROL The following construction practices shall be implemented during all phases of construction for the proposed project to prevent visible dust emissions from leaving the site: a. Water all active construction areas at least twice daily and more often during windy periods to prevent visible dust from leaving the site; active areas adjacent to windy periods; active areas adjacent to existing land uses shall be kept damp at all times, or shall be treated with non-toxic stabilizers or dust palliatives. b. Cover all trucks hauling soil, sand, and other loose materials or require all trucks to maintain at least 2 feet of freeboard; c. Pave, apply water at least three times daily, or apply (non-toxic) soil stabilizers on all unpaved access roads, parking areas and staging areas at construction sites. d. Sweep streets daily, or more often if necessary (preferably with water sweepers) if visible soil material is carried onto adjacent public streets. e. The applicant shall incorporate the City’s construction best management practices into the building permit plan set. 17. GRADING AND CONSTRUCTION HOURS AND NOISE LIMITS a. All grading activities shall be limited to the dry season (April 15 to October 1), unless permitted otherwise by the Director of Public works. RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit 19920 Pear Tree Lane Page 6 of 8 RM-2024-030 b. Construction hours and noise limits shall be compliant with all requirements of Chapter 10.48 of the Cupertino Municipal Code. c. Grading, street construction, underground utility and demolition hours for work done more than 750 feet away from residential areas shall be limited to Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grading, street construction, demolition or underground utility work within 750 feet of residential areas shall not occur on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and during the nighttime period as defined in Section 10.48.053(b) of the Municipal Code. d. Construction activities shall be limited to Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Construction activities are not allowed on holidays as defined in Chapter 10.48 of the Municipal Code. Night time construction is allowed if compliant with nighttime standards of Section 10.48 of the Cupertino Municipal Code. e. Rules and regulations pertaining to all construction activities and limitations identified in this permit, along with the name and telephone number of an applicant appointed disturbance coordinator, shall be posted in a prominent location at the entrance to the job site. f. The applicant shall be responsible for educating all contractors and subcontractors of said construction restrictions. The applicant shall comply with the above grading and construction hours and noise limit requirements unless otherwise indicated 18. DARK SKY COMPLIANCE Prior to issuance of Building Permits, the applicant/property owner shall submit final plans in compliance with the approved lighting plans to comply with development standards of Cupertino Municipal Code Section 19.102.040 Outdoor Lighting Requirements. In the event changes are proposed from the approved plans, said changes must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Community Development or their designee. The applicant shall provide all documentation required to determine compliance with the Municipal Code. 19. INDEMNIFICATION Except as otherwise prohibited by law, the applicant shall indemnify and hold harmless the City, its City Council, and its officers, employees and agents (collectively, the “indemnified parties”) from and against any claim, action, or proceeding brought by a third party against one or more of the indemnified parties or one or more of the indemnified parties and the applicant to attack, set aside, or void this Resolution or any permit or approval authorized hereby for the project, including (without limitation) reimbursing the City its actual attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in defense of the litigation. The applicant shall pay such attorneys’ fees and costs within 30 days following receipt of invoices from City. Such attorneys’ fees and costs shall include amounts paid to counsel not otherwise employed as City staff and shall include City Attorney time and RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit 19920 Pear Tree Lane Page 7 of 8 RM-2024-030 overhead costs and other City staff overhead costs and any costs directly related to the litigation reasonably incurred by City. 20. NOTICE OF FEES, DEDICATIONS, RESERVATIONS OR OTHER EXACTIONS The Conditions of Project Approval set forth herein may include certain fees, dedication requirements, reservation requirements, and other exactions. Pursuant to Government Code Section 66020(d) (1), these Conditions constitute written notice of a statement of the amount of such fees, and a description of the dedications, reservations, and other exactions. You are hereby further notified that the 90-day approval period in which you may protest these fees, dedications, reservations, and other exactions, pursuant to Government Code Section 66020(a), has begun. If you fail to file a protest within this 90- day period complying with all of the requirements of Section 66020, you will be legally barred from later challenging such exactions. Please note that if this permit is not vested within a year of the approval date on this letter the permit will expire. Staff has made all the findings that are required for approval of a Minor Residential Permit as required by Cupertino's Municipal Code, Chapter 19.28.140 (A). 1. The project is consistent with the Cupertino General Plan, any applicable specific plans, zoning ordinances and the purposes of this title. The proposed project is consistent with the General Plan as the project is within the Low Density land use area. There are no applicable specific plans that affect the project. The project has been found to be consistent with the requirements of Cupertino Municipal Code Chapter 19.28 Single Family (R-1) Residential. 2. The granting of the permit will not result in a condition that is detrimental or injurious to property improvements in the vicinity, and will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare. The granting of the permit will not result in a condition that is detrimental or injurious to property improvements in the vicinity, and will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare as the projects is located within the Single Family Residential zoning district, and will be compatible with the surrounding uses of the neighborhood. 3. The proposed project is harmonious in scale and design with the general neighborhood. The proposed project is located in a residential area consisting of single family homes. The proposed project maintains the single-family home scale found compatible with the general neighborhood. 4. Adverse visual impacts on adjoining properties have been reasonably mitigated. Any potential adverse impacts on adjoining properties have been reasonably mitigated through adherence to the privacy protection measures of the R-1 Ordinance as applicable. RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit 19920 Pear Tree Lane Page 8 of 8 RM-2024-030 Also, please note that an appeal of this decision can be made within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of this letter (October 30, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.). If this happens, you will be notified of a public hearing, which will be scheduled before the Planning Commission. Sincerely, Danielle Condit Associate Planner City of Cupertino Enclosures: Approved Plan Set CC: OR Homes Attn: Shweta Singh, 10080 N Wolfe Road, STE. SWE-200, Cupertino, CA 95014 Ai Zhang and Sheng Guo 19936 Pear Tree Lane, Cupertino, CA 95014 RM-2024-030 10/16/2025 Danielle Condit