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Plan, Downtown Specific Plan, Downtown Design Guidelines, and Pleasanton Municipal Code to modify existing historic preservation policies and design guidelines, implement story pole requirements, and address demolition by neglect. On June 4, 2013, the Task Force updated the City Council on the results of their work and requested direction on specific items the Task Force was considering. One of those items was whether to undertake a professional comprehensive resource survey of the older structures Downtown to determine which structures are considered historic resources. The Council supported completing such a survey. Because the criteria to analyze whether a structure is historic first needed to be determined, the survey could not be started until after the Council took action on the amendments. Another item discussed at the hearing was whether the City's design review authority should be expanded to include the first floor exterior of structures on certain categories of homes—either all homes that are determined to be historic or all homes in a potential Historic District. At that time, the Council indicated that it was not interested in pursuing this item. At its public hearing of January 21, 2014, the City Council approved amendments to the City's historic preservation policies and regulations (please see Exhibit D). Although the adopted amendments did not include any changes to the City's design review authority, the Task Force had recommended that the City Council continue to evaluate this item. The Council agreed to have future discussion of this subject, which occurred at the November 18, 2014 City Council hearing. At that hearing, the Council directed staff to initiate a Municipal Code amendment to expand design review authority to include the first floor exterior of historic homes in residential zoning districts within the Downtown Specific Plan Area. At that same hearing, the Council approved a professional services agreement with Architectural Resources Group, Inc. (ARG) for the preparation of a historic resource survey of the residential structures Downtown that were built before 1942 to determine which are considered historic resources. ARG has completed the historic resource survey which is being presented to the Commission for its review and comment. Staff has also prepared the draft Municipal Code amendment to expand the City's design review authority for historic residential structures. Following review and recommendation by the Commission, the historic resource survey and Municipal Code amendment will be forwarded to the City Council for review and final decision. II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND DISCUSSION Municipal Code Amendment The City's design review authority is established in the Design Review Chapter (Chapter 18.20) of the Pleasanton Municipal Code. The Municipal Code currently requires Administrative Design Review approval by the Zoning Administrator (staff-level approval) for additions to all single-family homes in the City which exceed 10 feet in height—meaning that all changes below 10 feet in height are not subject to design review. Changes 10 feet or less in height (generally the first floor) are often problematic in historic structures because they can affect a building's architectural integrity. The location, spacing, and size of window and door openings, as well as the type of windows and doors, are often significant character-defining features of historic homes. The design of porches and exterior wall and foundation cladding can also be important. Since the City does not currently have design review authority for such changes to historic P15-0384 Page - 2 - October 14, 2015