400 Oakdale redesign, tangled in a neighbor land swap, comes back for a decision

The Planning Commission returns Tuesday to a project that's been in front of it, in one form or another, since 2023: a new 3,046-square-foot two-story residence at 400 Oakdale Avenue, with an attached one-car garage, new driveway, landscaping, and a swimming pool sited less than 10 feet from the east property line. The existing 1920s house on the lot would be converted into an 800-square-foot detached ADU, and the applicant also needs a parking variance to allow the required second, uncovered space to sit in the street-side setback, in tandem with the garage.

The unusual wrinkle is that approval hinges on real estate the applicant doesn't yet own: the project requires the Grabhams, who own 400 Oakdale, to complete a Lot Line Adjustment acquiring about 499 square feet from the adjacent property at 404 Oakdale. That land grab would turn the parcel into a reversed corner lot, letting the new house sit toward the rear — a configuration designed in part to protect the neighbors' views. Staff recommends approval via Draft Resolution 26-014, contingent on that land deal and Lot Line Adjustment closing before any permit is issued.

The 404 Oakdale side of that trade is the Gages, represented by attorney Dana Dean, who has pushed back hard over multiple hearings. In October 2024 she argued the design was too massive and would hurt her clients' views; by September 2025 she was arguing the project — original or revised — still conflicted with General Plan policy and hadn't resolved privacy and view concerns, even while confirming the Gages were in talks to sell the land in exchange for protecting views from their living and dining rooms. Other neighbors have weighed in more narrowly, including one across the street who complained about how long story poles had stayed up and asked that vegetation along the Oakdale frontage be trimmed. The project also has support on record: six residents spoke in favor at the 2024 hearing, with two more submitting letters of support.

Under pressure from neighbors going back to an April 2023 study session, the applicant has already trimmed the design — dropping an upper-level deck, an outdoor kitchen, and a carport, and shrinking the upper floor. Tuesday's hearing is the next test of whether those changes, plus the land swap with the Gages, are enough to get the Commission to sign off.