WALNUT CREEK, CA
EXISTING SINGLE-STORY HOME renovation & new adu
RESIDENTIAL
ARCHITECTURE
The owner of this property asked us to come up with a design to modernize her existing 1,670 square-foot 1952 single story Ranch style home by undertaking a substantial renovation including changing the entire appearance and style of the structure. She also wanted to expand the rear of the home approximately 660 square feet in an effort to increase the interior room dimensions however, she also wanted to keep the existing inground swimming pool, which restricted this expansion, in addition to adding a new detached 1,000 square foot Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to the property.
One of the first challenges we immediately faced with the City of Walnut Creek, was the existing building front yard setback, and the existing garage overall dimensions, which did not meet the minimum zoning standards required by the city. The owner's lot was part of the Orchard Glen subdivision that had been approved by Contra Costa County back in 1951, and our client’s home was constructed the following year, in 1952, which was long before this subdivision was incorporated as part of the City of Walnut Creek. Under the jurisdiction of the County when the home was constructed, the County had different zoning regulations that were in conflict with the current city adopted zoning regulations for this district.
After pointing out this out to the city, and that these existing nonconforming conditions not only impacted this property, but also adversely impacted the other neighboring properties located within this same subdivision, the city sided with our argument; allowing us to keep the nonconforming zoning anomalies, and move forward with our clients’ renovation and transformation of her existing Ranch style home into a new Contemporary style residence.