Residential on Marathon Road

Single-family residential fire rebuild in Altadena following the Eaton Fire. The 0.1309-acre lot drops 10 feet from street to rear over 114 feet, requiring thoughtful grading to work with the natural slope. We used area drains at the front of the house and a trench drain in front of the attached garage, routing stormwater through gravity pipes into two separate plastic-lined rain gardens at the rear. Keeping slopes at or under 5:1 (20%) meant the project qualified as a drainage plan rather than a full grading plan, simplifying LA County approval. The hydrology report demonstrated that post-development stormwater flow would not exceed pre-fire conditions, eliminating the need for a sump pump.

The rear deck required 11 steps to accommodate the slope, and the design maximized the sideyard setback at 5 feet on both sides to make the most of the available area while meeting code requirements. The new single-story residential ties into the existing driveway which leads to the attached garage.