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subject parcel given the intent/goal to extend commercial uses typically found on Main <br /> Street onto the side streets within the Downtown, several of the proposed uses would <br /> be infeasible or undesirable due to the typical building area required or would potentially <br /> create adverse impacts (noise, odors, etc.) on the adjacent and surrounding uses, <br /> particularly the residential uses to the west across Peters Avenue. These uses include <br /> coffee roasting, motorcycle sales, and game arcades. Additionally, since this proposal is <br /> intended to be a mixed-use project, staff would not support allowing the proposed <br /> commercial building to be occupied with residential uses in the future. Such a residential <br /> use would compromise the desired commercial character of the side streets extending <br /> east and west from Main Street. The applicant expressed a desire to allow residential <br /> uses within the proposed commercial building; however, the Planning Commission <br /> agreed with staff that as a mixed-use project, a residential use within this building would <br /> not be appropriate. Please see Attachment 6 for more details related to this discussion. <br /> Accordingly, staff is recommending a revised list of uses in Exhibit B, Attachment 1, <br /> which was also recommended for approval by the Planning Commission. <br /> Downtown Hospitality Guidelines <br /> The subject parcel is located within the Downtown Hospitality Transition Area (i.e., the <br /> area in closest proximity to existing residential neighborhoods) and thus would be <br /> subject to Downtown Hospitality Guidelines that are slightly more restrictive than in the <br /> Central Core. The Downtown Hospitality Guidelines are intended to ensure that uses <br /> involving entertainment, music, and bars are encouraged in the Downtown, but operate <br /> with sensitivity to surrounding uses. Amplified indoor music is only permitted until <br /> 9:00 p.m. (compared to 11:00 p.m. in the Central Core), and the allowable noise <br /> standards of 70 to 60 A-weighted decibels (dBA) are slightly reduced compared to the <br /> Central Core (where noise standards range from 74 to 60 dBA). These more restrictive <br /> standards would ensure that the proposed commercial use on the subject site would not <br /> adversely affect nearby residential occupants. <br /> Building Height and Design <br /> In response to staff comments on the initial project application, the applicant revised the <br /> plans multiple times to improve the project's design quality (adding enhanced building <br /> materials, articulation, and overall architectural interest). Additionally, the applicant <br /> reduced the height of the proposed new single-family residences to approximately <br /> 34 feet, eight inches, which is taller than what is considered acceptable in most <br /> residential zones within the City (30 feet), but is less than the maximum height allowed <br /> by the current underlying Central Commercial zoning (40 feet). <br /> The Downtown Specific Plan contains a policy that states: "Initiate an amendment to <br /> Municipal Code Chapter 18.84 to limit building height in all residential zoning districts in <br /> the Downtown (including future Planned Unit Development Districts) to not more than <br /> two stories and not more than 30 feet." The City has not yet initiated such an <br /> amendment to the Pleasanton Municipal Code (PMC). In the absence of such an <br /> amendment, staff evaluated the project in the context of urban design principles and the <br /> site's relationship to the Downtown commercial corridor to determine whether the <br /> project is designed appropriately and is consistent with its surroundings. In the context <br /> of taller commercial buildings nearby, the relatively wide width of Peters Avenue <br /> Page 9 of 11 <br />