The Planning Commission this week struck down an appeal brought by Bolinas neighbors to rescind a coastal permit for a proposed residential development. Neighbors were concerned that the Big Mesa project—a two-story, single-family main house and artist studio whose owner said will be rented as affordable housing—could be used as higher-density illegal housing. They also feared the 25-foot tall house, at 555 Dogwood Road, would clash with the neighborhood’s character, obstruct views and introduce increased noise and light impacts.

Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the appeal, saying they could not speculate on future illegal uses and that the project met setback and height standards within a conventional zoning district. 

The appeal—filed by neighbors Donald and Hilary Read, Piro Patton and Lisa Townsend, Lewis and Bobbi Likover, and Phil and Judy Buchanan—contended that the size of the residence was out of step with the neighborhood’s character and could obstruct views for people walking or driving along Dogwood Road. 

(The Community Development Agency’s staff report described the project as “located away from visually prominent areas of Bolinas and the community,” and said that it would not impair or obstruct coastal views from any public street or public viewing location—a condition coastal permits must meet.)

On Monday, the commission heard from owner Arianne Dar, who purchased the Bolinas property in 2010 in an online foreclosure auction. Ms. Dar’s business entity, New Ground, L.L.C., acquired the title from the former owners, brothers Ernest and James Tacherra, in 2013 for rights to the property.

Ms. Dar—who serves on the boards of the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District board and the Bolinas Community Land Trust, of which she has been board president since December—said she plans to rent the property to an artist who can live in the main house and use the studio as a workspace, at below market value. 

She described the project as a new opportunity for affordable housing in Bolinas, and said it would replace several existing structures on the property, some of which she claims were used as illegal housing.

“One of the problems with housing in Bolinas is that people can’t work in Bolinas,” Ms. Dar said. “One of the ways you can attract people to live in Bolinas is to be able for them to work there as well.”

But neighbors wondered whether the property could be rented out to multiple tenants in both the main house and the studio, causing noise nuisances and excessive light. “The Bolinas Big Mesa is generally very dark at night, affording an amazingly brilliant star-studded sky,” they wrote in their appeal. “This new high artificial light in the evenings will destroy that critical environmental attribute.”

Neighbor Piro Patton questioned whether Ms. Dar could make enough money from a single tenant at below market rate to make the development tenable. Still, he said a resolution to the neighbors’ concerns could be reached through compromise. Ms. Dar previously stated that any further revisions to the design plans would be too expensive.

“The intent to build affordable rental units in Bolinas seems noble and we encourage that purpose,” Mr. Patton said. “But to build [the property]…without acknowledging any of our neighborly concerns as tax-paying resident property owners is deeply flawed.”

The project plans call for the replacement of a two-bedroom residence and auxiliary structures with a new 1,080-square-foot one-bedroom residence with an attached garage, a 916-square-foot art studio, also with an attached garage, and a new septic system. Additionally, the garage attached to the art studio includes two large doors that open into the studio and a third, adjacent smaller door, all of which provide direct access between the garage and the studio.

On Monday, neighbors expressed concern that ease of access provided by the doors could encourage the garage to be used as an illegal living space. Commissioner Don Dickenson echoed this concern and questioned whether the garage doors could be opened wide enough to create a second room for use as a habitable space.

“It looks like it easily could be [used as habitable space] with one side double-doors, and the other single doors,” he said. 

Ms. Dar reassured the commission that the double-doors were designed so that an artist could easily transfer and store large work equipment or paintings in the garage. She offered to accept any “restrictions” the commission might place on the doors.

“If you were, say, a painter [you could] pull your table saw into the garage, keep it separate from your clean space,” she said. “But you could do that as well [without the double-doors]. So I don’t have an objection.”

The commission, however, did not make revisions to the permit before approving it.

According to Jeremy Tejirian, the director of the Deputy Zoning Administration, Ms. Dar would have to apply for a second coastal permit as well as a second-unit permit in order to legally convert the studio into a living space. Currently second unites are restricted to 750 square feet, Mr. Tejirian said, though the Community Development Agency may consider proposing an amendment to change this limit in the future. 

The height of the main residence, at 25 feet, was another point of contention for appellants. Neighbors noted that the height could clash with the neighborhood’s character and might present a potential invasion of privacy.

“This house will dwarf and dominate our property,” Mr. Patton said. “Virtually every square foot of our three-quarter acre property will be viewable either from [555 Dogwood’s] windows or deck.”

Ms. Dar stated that one of the windows would be set too high to view down into surrounding properties, and that the other window would be frosted. Likewise, though there are not currently any two-story houses on Dogwood, Ms. Dar’s neighbor and lawyer, John Bryant, pointed out that there are several two-story houses and buildings on surrounding roads.

Commissioner Wade Holland seconded that assessment. While visiting the site, he counted at least nine two-story homes near the proposed residence, and explained that county code does not restrict two-story residences in a conventional zoning district.

“You can’t describe the neighborhood as the four houses that you live in and nothing else,” Mr. Holland said.

Ultimately, the commission ruled unanimously to deny the appeal. Before casting a vote, Mr. Holland praised the project.

“I think this is a commendable project,” he said. “Here is an opportunity Ms. Dar has given to have someone live and work in affordable housing.” 

Mr. Holland also addressed fears that the studio could be used as an illegal second residential unit. “We cannot take action on anyone’s speculation of what might happen in the future,” he said. “If there is an illegal conversion into the second unit, you should pick up the phone and turn them in.”

Neighbors declined to comment following the ruling.