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Demolition Definition Some members of the public were concerned that the proposed demolition definition would prohibit the replacement of windows and doors. While the definition was not written with the intent to prohibit the replacement of windows and doors, staff acknowledges that someone might interpret the definition that way. In order to clarify that the replacement of windows and doors would not be considered a demolition, staff recommends the definition be modified as shown below (new language is underlined): Demolition of a residential building for purposes of historic preservation shall be defined as the removal of the front façade or the most visible façade from the street, including changes to the roof and roof line, but excluding the replacement of windows and doors. The front or most visible façade shall be considered the forward most ten feet of the structure. If the portion(s) of a building that is(are) required to remain as described above are later determined by the Director of Community Development to be unusable (e.g., due to dry rot, termite damage, etc.), then said portion(s) may be removed and reconstructed provided the new exterior construction matches the original in material, composition, design, color, texture, shape, and dimensions. This change has been incorporated into the draft amendments (Attachment 2). Changes to Address Elimination of the Mass and Bulk Compatibility Policy If the Council supports the Planning Commission's removal of the proposed new residential mass and bulk policy, the current Specific Plan policy addressing this issue would be retained with some minor revisions. In addition, an existing Design Guideline should be modified to be consistent with the language of this new Specific Plan policy. These changes are shown in Attachment 6. Another Option for Consideration Some members of the public have requested that no compatibility standard be used regarding mass and bulk (i.e., eliminate the existing Specific Plan policy and Design Guideline without adding new language) and only require compliance with the FAR standard of the zoning district that the property is located in. For the residential districts Downtown, the FAR standard is 40% for the R-1-6,500 and RM-4,000 Districts and 50% for the RM-1,500 District. The FAR is calculated using the gross floor area of the home and accessory buildings excluding space used for off-street parking divided by the lot area. Other Items for Possible Future Consideration Based on the feedback from the City Council at the June check-in, the Task Force is not recommending that the City Council require Design Review for modifications to the first floor (i.e., 10 ft. or below in height) of single-family homes or establish a Mills Act Program as part of this package of amendments. However, some Task Force members felt that expanding design review authority to the first floor of homes in the Downtown is critical to ensure that changes are consistent with the Downtown Specific Plan and Downtown Design Guidelines. In addition, some Task Force members believe that the Mills Act is a useful economic incentive to help property owners preserve historic Page 9 of 11