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Project Title: |
Small Lot Design Review Development Plan for a New Single-Family Residence |
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County File(s): |
CDDP25-03021 |
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Applicant Owner: |
Sabino Urrutia, Elevation Design + Consulting Kulwant & Major Gill |
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Zoning/General Plan: |
A-2 General Agricultural District, / Agricultural Lands (AL) |
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Site Address/Location: |
5980 Camino Tassajara Road, Danville APN: 206-200-002 |
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California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Status: |
The proposed project is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15303(a) New Construction - One Single Family Residence. |
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Project Planner: |
Adrian Veliz, Senior Planner (925) 655-2879 adrian.veliz@dcd.cccounty.us |
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Staff Recommendation: |
Approve (See Section II for Full Recommendation) |
I. PROJECT SUMMARY
The applicant is seeking approval of a Small Lot Design Review Development plan for a proposed 32’ 6” tall two-story single-family residence and attached garage having an approximate gross floor area of 13,832 square feet on an agricultural-zoned parcel of substandard area. The project includes driveway, and septic tank improvements, as well as +12,000 square-feet of vegetated dispersal areas for managing stormwater roof runoff from the project. The project would be accessible from Camino Tassajara, a public right-of-way abutting the eastern boundary of the project site, via a proposed 20-foot-wide driveway. The project includes a request for an Exception to Division 914 (Collect and Convey) of the County Ordinance to allow on-site stormwater treatment where collection and conveyance to an adequate storm drain system or adequate natural watercourse is required.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Department of Conservation and Development, Community Development Division (CDD) staff recommends that the Zoning Administrator:
A. OPEN the public hearing on the Development Plan for the proposed single-family residence, RECEIVE testimony, CLOSE the public hearing;
B. FIND that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15303(a);
C. APPROVE Small Lot Design Review Development Plan #CDDP25-03021 to allow the development of a new single-family residence, based on the attached findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval;
D. DIRECT staff to file a notice of exemption.
III. BACKGROUND
This Small Lot Design Review Development Plan application was considered by the Zoning Administrator during a noticed public hearing held on March 16, 2026. During the meeting, the Zoning Administrator opened the public hearing and heard testimony from the applicant in support of the project. Additionally, numerous neighboring property owners appeared, indicating concerns with the scale of the proposed home, its appearance, site drainage concerns, and concerns over the availability of ground water to serve the project. After discussion, the Zoning Administrator raised aesthetic concerns relating to the project compatibility with the rural character of the Tassajara Valley and determined that revisions to the proposed residential design were necessary to establish neighborhood compatibility. The Zoning Administrator continued the item as an open public hearing to the hearing scheduled for April 20, 2026, to allow additional time for the project proponent to consider potential project revisions. On April 8, 2026, a revised plan was submitted for CDD staff review. At the continued public hearing held on April 20, 2026, the Zoning Administrator advised that the item would be continued again to allow sufficient time for CDD staff review of the revised submittal and the preparation of this report.
IV. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant is seeking approval of a Small Lot Design Review Development plan for a proposed 32’ 6” tall two-story single-family residence and attached garage having an approximate gross floor area of 13,832 square feet on an agricultural-zoned parcel of substandard area. The project includes driveway, and septic tank improvements, as well as +12,000 square-feet of vegetated dispersal areas for managing stormwater roof runoff from the project. The project would be accessible from Camino Tassajara, a public right-of-way abutting the eastern boundary of the project site, via a proposed 20-foot-wide driveway. The project includes a request for an Exception to Division 914 (Collect and Convey) of the County Ordinance to allow on-site stormwater treatment where collection and conveyance to an adequate storm drain system or adequate natural watercourse is required. Lastly, the project includes landscape screening in the form of uniformly spaced trees planted around the entirety of the subject property.
V. STAFF ANALYSIS
A. General Plan Consistency: The subject property is located within an Agricultural Land (AL) General Plan Land Use designation. Single-family residential development is permissible within the AL designation up to a maximum density of one unit per ten acres. The AL designation is applied to agricultural areas primarily composed of soils rated Class 3 or lower per the National Resources Conservation Service (NCRS) Land Capability Classification. Most areas within this designation are non-irrigated, rural lands that may support grazing and dryland farming, though it also includes non-prime productive agricultural lands. Other types of agricultural, open space, and non-urban land uses may be consistent with the AL designation when conducted in accordance with County’s policies pertaining to agricultural areas. These land uses include limited opportunities for recreation, lodging (farm stays, bed and breakfast, etc.), food services (farm-to-table dining, farm stands, etc.), special events, and similar activities that support the County’s agricultural economy. The proposed project involves the development of one single-family residence on a presently vacant AL-designated parcel. Thus, the project is consistent with the AL designation.
The Land Use Element of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan includes goals for specific land uses within the County, including Goal LU-10, which specifies the County’s goal to maintain “rural, agricultural, and open space areas that provide scenic value, support Delta ecosystem health, and meet the needs of the agricultural industry.” The General Plan further lists the following four policies, LU-P10.1 through LU-P10.4 enacted by the County in furtherance of Goal LU-10:
• LU-P10.1: Encourage consolidation of agricultural parcels not meeting the minimum acreage requirement for the applicable zoning district.
Project Consistency LU-P10.1: The subject property is substandard with respect to the five-acre minimum parcel size applicable to the A-2 zoning district, however, since all adjacent parcels are under separate ownership consolidation of parcels encouraged under policy LU-P10.1 does not appear possible. Thus, the applicant is seeking to establish a single-family residence on the subject property pursuant to the Small Lot Occupancy ordinance (Section 82-10.002(c)) of the County ordinance code.
• LU-P10.2: Ensure all former Williamson Act parcels are rezoned from Agricultural Preserve District to an agricultural zoning district appropriate for the area.
Project Consistency LU-P10.2: The project is not located upon a former Williamson Act parcel, nor is the subject property within an agricultural preserve district. Therefore, this policy does not apply.
• LU-P10.3(b): Preserve the rural character of the Tassajara Valley. Pay special attention to potential aesthetic impacts in these areas and ensure that such impacts are adequately mitigated.
• LU-P10.4: Maintain agricultural preserves in the Briones Hills and Tassajara Valley areas through agreements with adjacent cities to retain these areas for agricultural, open space, and other non-urban uses.
Project Consistency LU-P10.3(b), LU-P10.4: The subject property is located within the Tassajara Valley Agricultural Preservation and Enhancement Area (TVAPEA), as depicted on Figure LU-6 (Rural and Agricultural Areas) within the Land Use Element of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan, an area directly referenced by policies LU-P10.3(b) and LU-P10.4. The TVAPEA includes well over 10,000 acres of unincorporated land area in southern Contra Costa County, predominantly consisting (in terms of acreage) of agricultural/open space grazing lands within an A-80 Exclusive Agricultural District having minimum parcel size of 80 acres. The project is in a northwesterly area of the TVAPEA along Camino Tassajara right-of-way. Existing rural residential development within the TVAPEA, including the project site, is predominantly concentrated in areas zoned A-2 General Agricultural District that are located along Camino Tassajara, south of Finley Road and north of Highland Road. The project is located outside of the urban limit line (ULL) and does not involve any urban land uses that conflict with permitted uses in rural areas. The project would not extend infrastructure to the site which could indirectly encourage urban development outside of the ULL. The project does not affect any existing preservation agreements on nearby properties, including +609 acres of land immediately west of the site preserved as open space in perpetuity as part of the County’s recent approval of the Tassajara Parks project.
The project does not demolish or obscure views of any existing agricultural buildings, or any other weathered rural structures, which are mentioned and depicted in the General Plan as examples of elements contributing to the rural character within the TVAPEA. Additionally, there are no scenic resources such as trees, rock outcroppings or ridgelines on the subject property which would be obstructed from view as a result of the project. Considering that the proposed development activities are limited to a portion of a small 2.5-acre agricultural parcel located along the western periphery of the TVAPEA, the project would seem to have relatively little potential for aesthetic impacts affecting the established rural character within the greater TVAPEA.
At the public hearing held on March 16, 2026, the Zoning Administrator noted that the height and scale of the proposed project raise aesthetic concerns based on policy LU-P10.3(b) and advised that the project may be revised to address these concerns via modifications to the height and scale of the project, landscaping, or a combination thereof to establish neighborhood compatibility. The project proponent subsequently submitted revised project plans on April 8, 2026, featuring a redesigned home exterior and landscaping plan. The revised project maintains the same square-footage and proposed two-story design but has a redesigned pitched hip roof over most of the building with a large open gable over the front entryway. The revised roofline results in an approximate nine-foot increase in building height relative to the original proposal. However, the Zoning Administrator may find this to be an improvement as it incorporates more traditional architectural elements relative to the prior design in an effort to improve neighborhood compatibility. Additionally, the project now includes landscape screening proposed around the entirety of the perimeter of the subject property, consisting of trees intended to obscure views of the home from the Camino Tassajara right of way, as well as from neighboring parcels. As discussed in more detail in the below small lot design review analysis, the revised project is consistent and compatible, in terms of size, bulk, and height, with several large estates existing nearby within the TVAPEA.
The Conservation, Open Space, and Working Lands Element of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan includes additional policies applicable to development in agricultural-designated lands. Collectively, these policies support the preservation of open space, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and protect prime farmland within the County’s agricultural core. Most of these policies are not applicable to the development of a single-family residence on agricultural lands within density ranges permissible in agricultural designations and therefore do not apply to this project.
According to County GIS data, the project site and surrounding lands along Camino Tassajara are identified as areas exposed to a Day/Night Average Sound Level (DNL) in excess of 65 decibels (dB). Although such noise levels are typical for agricultural areas, they exceed levels considered normally acceptable for residential land uses. Policy HS-14, within the Health and Safety Element of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan, includes measures intended to provide an acceptable noise environment in all areas of the County. The project is conditioned to restrict construction activities to weekdays and non-holidays between the hours of 7:30am to 5:00pm, consistent with the requirements of Policy HS-14. The applicant’s compliance with all project conditions ensures that the project will be consistent with all applicable Health and Safety Element Policies.
B. Zoning Consistency: The subject property is located within a General Agricultural (A-2) Zoning District. Generally, the intent of the A-2 Zoning District is to promote all types of agriculture and compatible land uses, on lands suitable for the production of food and/or fiber. Pursuant to County Ordinance Article 84-38.4 (Uses) a detached single-family dwelling on each parcel and the accessory structures and uses normally auxiliary thereto are permitted by right within the A-2 zoning district. The proposed project involves the construction of a single-family dwelling, consistent with permitted uses in the district. As shown in the table below the project is compliant with all development standards for the A-2 district.
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A-2 Development Standard |
Proposed Project |
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Front Setback (Min) |
25 feet |
+190 feet |
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Side Yard (Min) |
20 feet |
20 feet |
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Aggregate Side Yard (Min) |
40 feet |
+52 feet |
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Rear Yard (Min) |
15 feet |
+30 feet |
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Building Height (Max) |
35 feet |
23.5 feet |
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Building Height (Max) |
2.5 stories |
2 stories |
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Off Street Parking (Min) |
1 Space (9’ x 19’) |
6-car garage |
The project is proposed on a legal lot +1.945 acres in area where 5 acres is the minimum parcel size in the A-2 district. Although section 84-38.608 specifies that the land uses permissible in the A-2 district pursuant to Article 84-38.4 of the County Ordinance are allowable only on lots equaling or exceeding 5 acres in area, County Ordinance Section 82-38.610 specifies that any legal lot having at least 40,000 square feet of area and established prior to November 29, 1973 may be used as provided in Article 84-38.4. The subject property consists of “Parcel B” as shown on the Record of Survey Map for Minor Subdivision #MS56-64, recorded on April 22, 1964. Thus, the +1.945-acre subject property may be used as provided in Article 84-38.4. Thus, the proposed land use is consistent and compatible with permitted land uses within the A-2 district.
The project will not conflict with agricultural land uses permissible within the A-2 district and the development generally exceeds the minimum setback and yard requirements applicable to structural development within the district. Therefore, the project is considered consistent and compatible with all provisions of the A-2 district.
C. Small Lot Design Review: Pursuant to Section 82-10.002(c) of the County Ordinance Code, a legal lot of less area or width than required by Divisions 82 and 84 may be improved with a single-family dwelling meeting yard and setback requirements “unless the zoning administrator determines that the proposed dwelling appears not to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood”. In making this determination, the zoning administrator (ZA) may schedule a public hearing to review the proposed dwelling’s impact on the surrounding neighborhood in terms of its location, size, height and design. Based on the substandard area of the 1.95-acre subject property (where 5-acres is the minimum required), the proposed residential development is subject to design review. In evaluating the proposed project, CDD staff finds the project to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, based on the following:
1. Location: The project involves the construction of a new two-story single-family residence meeting all development standards for the A-2 district in which the project is located. The building pad is oriented toward a rear (northwestern) corner of the subject property. Similarly, existing homes on parcels in the immediate vicinity tend to be oriented towards the rear of their respective lots, typically providing much more than the minimum 25-foot front setback required in A-2. The project site is abutted to the rear by a large parcel consisting of roughly 250 acres of unimproved rolling hillsides within an exclusive agricultural (A-80) zoning district. The project site and adjoining parcels west of Camino Tassajara are essentially surrounded to the north, west, and south by the open space hillsides consisting of nearby hilltops having elevations ranging between one to two hundred feet higher than that of the proposed building pad.
The immediate project vicinity consists of agricultural-zoned land in a rural-residential area within the Tassajara Valley Agricultural Preservation and Enhancement Area (TVAPEA), as identified by the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan. Existing residences on adjoining parcels include single-story ranch homes on the northern and southern adjacent parcels. The southerly adjacent residence, addressed 5890 Camino Tassajara, is located at least 200 feet south of the project and overlooks the project site from land situated approximately 15 to 20 feet higher in elevation than that of the building pad. Thus, given the degree of separation, the project location would not affect the privacy or enjoyment of the southerly neighboring residence. The northern façade of the proposed residence would be 20 feet away from the northern side property line, consistent with the 20-foot minimum side yard requirement for the A-2 district. The existing residence on the northern adjacent parcel is located approximately 40 feet beyond the common property boundary, providing a typical separation of at least 60 feet between residences on adjoining parcels. The building separation is consistent with A-2 minimum development standards and far exceeds the building separation that are typical within residential zoning districts. Additionally, the project includes landscape screening around the entirety of the project, which will preserve privacy between adjoining residences by substantially obstructing views of the project from neighboring properties. Furthermore, views of the project from the west, north, and south are substantially screened by topographical features, existing homes, and mature trees, such that distant views of the project site from Camino Tassajara would not exist even absent the perimeter landscape screening. Thus, the project location amongst the surrounding natural and built environment, combined with the project landscaping will prevent the project from having a substantial adverse aesthetic effect on the rural character established within this area of the TVAPEA.
Considering that the project complies with all development standards applicable to residential development within the A-2 district, and the fact that the project will be surrounded by dense landscape screening consistent with nearby large estate development within the TVAPEA, the project is at an appropriate location upon the subject property that is consistent with the surrounding development pattern.
2. Size: The project includes a two-story, seven-bedroom residence consisting of 11,354 square feet of conditioned living area split about evenly between two-stories. Additionally, the residence includes an attached six-car garage and a 932-square-foot rear covered patio, resulting in a gross floor area of 13,832 square feet within an 8,264-square-foot building footprint. The Contra Costa County Ordinance does not place an upper limit on lot coverage, floor area ratio, or area for single-family residences in A-2 (or within residential zoning districts), and large custom-built estates are prevalent in similarly zoned (A-2) lands within the TVAPEA located along Camino Tassajara between Finey Road and Highland Road. County Assessor’s data indicates that within one mile of the project site, there are at least 10 properties improved with existing two-story custom homes within A-2/TVAPEA featuring between 6,021 to 8,690 square feet in living area. In many cases, the aforementioned 10 properties are also improved with large, attached garages and/or detached accessory buildings, which combine with the living area to result in building bulk that is comparable to this project.
For example, the property addressed 1046 Country Lane (APN 204-070-032), approximately 0.85 miles north of the project, is extremely comparable to the proposed project. County Assessor’s data indicates that the existing residence on this 2.25-acre (substandard) parcel consists of 7,971 square feet of living area. At face value, the Assessor’s data would suggest that this home is considerably smaller than the subject residence. However, when including approximately 2,381 square feet of attached first-floor garage and storage areas, this home actually has a reported building footprint of 8,529 square feet, exceeding that of the current project. At 34’ 9” in height, this existing residence exceeds the current project in terms of both height and building bulk despite having less conditioned living space. There are multiple examples of additional two-story homes on Bruce Drive having apparently similar bulk/height as the proposed residence. One additional example of a large-scale residence in the area is the residence addressed 8650 Camino Tassajara, which is outside of the immediate project vicinity but within the TVAPEA and consists of 29,291 square feet in living area. Thus, although the project results in a larger home than those on adjoining parcels and many others in the area, the project is of a bulk and scale consistent with existing development in the project vicinity, including lands within the identical zoning district and within the TVAPEA.
3. Height: Pursuant to County Ordinance section 84-38.802, building height within the A-2 district is limited to a maximum of 2.5 stories and 35 feet. The residence consists of a two-story home with a building height of 32 feet - 6 inches, in conformance with the maximum permissible building height for the A-2 district. There are numerous examples of homes having both one-story and two-story designs in similarly zoned rural residential areas of the TVAPEA. As shown in the image below, amongst developed parcels within +1/4 mile of the site, there is about an even ratio of single-story ranch style homes (yellow squares) to multi-story homes (blue squares). Staff has also noted on the image below the location of two additional single-story homes that differ architecturally from the nearby ranches by incorporating high ceilings, steeply pitched hip roofs, and/or cupolas, resulting in comparatively taller homes than the other nearby single-story ranch homes. These “taller” single story homes are identified with green squares and have building heights of 22 to 27 feet. Further north of the project site on Bruce Drive, large two-story residences are even more prevalent than the area depicted below, if not predominant, on similarly zoned parcels. Furthermore, there are several instances of multi-story homes on parcels adjacent to and visible from Camino Tassajara right-of-way in the project vicinity, including multiple such homes at the intersections of Camino Tassajara at Johnston Road and at Bruce Drive. Therefore, the introduction of a multi-story home at the project site would not be unusual in the context of the Camino Tassajara viewing corridor or within the adjacent rural residential areas located within similarly zoned areas of the TVAPEA. The provision of landscape buffering around the project will reduce aesthetic impacts by limiting distance views of the project site from other areas within the TVAPEA. This type of visual buffer via landscaping, such as that depicted on parcels north of Jonston Road below, is typical for this area.
Figure 1: An image highlighting the location of existing nearby single-story (yellow and green) and multi-story-homes (blue).
4. Design: The residence is a custom design featuring a grand entry foyer with high ceilings, flanked on either side by two-story northern and southern wings extending towards the property frontage. The northern and southern wings converge with the entry to form a large “U” shaped interior courtyard at the front of the home and garage. The exterior of the home would incorporate a combination of stucco, wood paneling, and decorative stonework. The project includes an open-faced gable over the front entryway, meant to resemble the character of the surrounding rural area, with a pitched hip roof covering most of the two-story residence. The two-story design of the home is substantially compatible with other larger estate-style homes in the vicinity, including existing two-story and three-story homes exceeding 30 feet in height prominently visible along the Camino Tassajara right-of-way north of the project.
The project vicinity consists of agricultural lands which are host to a variety of established agricultural, public, commercial, and residential land uses. Development on the nearby properties includes a San Ramon Valley Fire District training facility, a residence/dog training facility addressed 5990 Camino Tassajara, a detached single-family residence addressed 5890 Camino Tassajara, and a residence/swimming school addressed 5800 Camino Tassajara. Nearby development along the eastern side of Camino Tassajara is essentially limited to two equestrian facilities (addressed 5901 and 5959 Camino Tassajara), each of which includes an existing residence on the premises.
Aesthetically, development along Camino Tassajara adjacent to the site reflects an area where land uses are visibly transitioning from primarily agricultural to rural residential in nature. Existing buildings in the area include single-story ranch-style residences, multi-story residences, warehouse-type buildings with roll-up doors, barns, horse arenas, clubhouse, paddocks, stables, etc. The residence would differ in appearance from those existing on adjoining parcels, however, that is generally already the case in viewing existing improvements on nearby properties. Additionally, since surrounding topography essentially isolates views of the project site to those available from adjacent properties, the homes design will not significantly detract from the existing visual character for the greater Tassajara Valley area. Further, with the implementation of landscape screening surrounding the entirety of the development, the project would have minimal potential for the design to conflict with the surrounding rural character. Since the surrounding area is not a residential neighborhood, but rather an agricultural area utilized for varying nonresidential and residential land uses, the effect of varying architecture is considered minimal in this circumstance, especially considering the large parcel sizes involved and the high degree of separation between buildings on adjoining lands. In cumulative consideration of the above, the design of the residence is determined to be appropriate for the subject property, and substantially compatible with the surrounding agricultural area.
VI. CONCLUSION
CDD staff recommend approval of Small Lot Design Review Development Plan #CDDDP25-03021, subject to the attached findings and conditions of approval.
Attachments:
1. Findings and Conditions of Approval
2. Revised Plans (received 04/08/26)
3. 03/16/26 ZA Staff Report