Councilwoman Toni Iseman and Mayor Jane Egly voted against the compromise, which was a foot less than they wanted.
“We would rather have had the two-foot reduction in height that Toni and Jane favored, but we are grateful that the council took the time to come out and see the impact of the proposed plan,” appellant Bari Burns said. “And we are thankful that the council upheld the 2001 landscaping agreement for the perimeter wall between Blue Lagoon and Montage Resort and Spa, to which both parties had agreed.”
Burns appealed the Design Review Board approval of the Atelier plan on behalf of condo owners whose views will be impacted by the 7,700 square-foot residence, attached two-car garage and landscaping.
The council reduced the roof heights of the proposed residence from 16 feet, 6 inches to 15 feet, 6 inches at the highest points. Landscaping was limited to no more than five feet above the block wall, with no hedgerow effect — a foot lower than approved by the board.
Burns still is seeking an official grading plan for the Montage property, a pursuit she said has been thwarted for five years.
“Blue Lagoon has the right to confirm that Athens Group is in compliance with a signed or stamped grading plan for which the city has responsibility,” Burns said. “The grading plans are important to confirm that the elevations of proposed projects are in compliance.”
A city planner said grading plans — designated as final or tentative, not stamped or signed — are approved with the tentative or final tract map. “As-built” grading plans are exactly that, the planner said.
Burns also disputed a claim that a pre-existing agreement on building heights had been struck between Blue Lagoon owners and Athens Group, which built the Montage.
