lately, i've been drafting for an architect with a remodeling project in San Marino, a city known for its "pickiness" when it comes to regulations. A client of mine even asked if it is even possible to remodel in San Marino (i don't know where he got that perception from), but it certainly shows how difficult people think it would be to deal with the city.
I myself is not an expert in this realm. *Of course if you are thinking of remodeling or doing any sort of structural change, you need to contact the city. but i thought i can at least share some of my experiences.
1. Location Location
It is important to get the perimeter of the project right by knowing which district it is in (if your location is on the border, be sure to call Building & Planing. Do not Assume! it would save you tons of time/energy).
2. Calculate the Area
Fill out a plan info form. Knowing how much you can add/how much you can in the first place, so there won't be any surprises. Area calculation might be as simple as it sounds, cos some areas such as bay windows, may/may not be part of living area. Also, i learned that area with 15'+ clearance needs to be calculated twice.
3. Building Style
This is the interesting part, you can go through the design guideline. The moral of the story i learned here is that the city is very strict on the building style. For example, if it's cap cod, then your design must contain the characteristics of a cap cod home... and so on. For the sake of remodeling, the new structure needs to stay consistent w/ the existing one, so that everything looks coherent.
Of course, it needs to do with your surrounding area as well. Of course it's case by case, but i'd say if your proposal makes it really stand out in the neighborhood, it's not likely to go. even if the city passes, the neighbors still might not like it.
4. Old vs. New
Be sure to distinguish the existing structure from the proposed addition on ALL drawings (such as site plan/plans/ elevations).
5. Material
be sure to ask what kind of windows are used in the city of San Marino. Originally we select a brand for our windows, but the city doesn't allow it. so, we need to use another brand...
5. Trees !!!
I find this one really interesting, before submission, the city wants us to locate where the big trees are inside the property line. Not only that, the name of the tree also needs to be noted on the site plan. If you have no idea about plants, you can take a picture and ask a local gardening professional.
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Of course there are tons more to watch out for when making a remodeling project.
The best advice, to save you from all the headache? Hire a local architect who can do the job right. =)
PEACE!
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