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a Transition Area. She stated that she tended to think of the Transition Area as a buffer <br />zone, and she felt there just was not enough of it, not just to mitigate the noise impacts, <br />but also to create a little separation for the residents to keep out the cars, patrons leaving <br />at 1:00 in the morning, and doors opening and closing. <br />Commissioner Blank asked Commissioner Narum if it was her view that the Transition <br />Area on Peters Avenue was too narrow. <br />Commissioner Narum said yes. Referring to the map, she pointed out that the way the <br />lines were drawn does make some sense, but down Peters Avenue, it is just the first row <br />of property facing the street; but if two -in is considered all the way, it would take in a <br />couple of buildings or properties where there are existing restaurants and businesses <br />and other things that the Task Force is trying to encourage. She indicated that a little bit <br />of gerrymandering would have to be done, which is a negative because a real estate <br />agent who might be interested in selling a property would not easily know if it was in the <br />Core Area or Transition Area, and police would not be able to easily figure out as well <br />who is in violation or not. She stated that just at the time, she was not comfortable that <br />there was not enough of a buffer zone there. <br />Chair Pentin stated that he voted yes and that he does not have a problem with the <br />Transition Area. He indicated that he finds it interesting that one large part of the <br />Transition Area at the end of Peters Avenue is the parking lot for Barone's Restaurant; <br />the Barone's residence is in front but the parking lot is in the back, and there is a lot of <br />car doors opening and closing at that hour. He noted that he would not know how to <br />cherry-pick the buildings going along Peters Avenue, but he honestly thinks that even <br />after this work is done, there will still be individual specific cases of one house across <br />this street and one business across that street, and the Commission will review it one <br />way or the other because it would have to get into all the dBAs. He stated that in trying <br />to do the work of the Guidelines, the Task Force was as fair as it could have been. He <br />indicated that he was happy to see the inclusion of Spring Street as he used to have a <br />business on Spring Street and he knows those businesses want to be part of the <br />Downtown and not in a quiet zone. He stated that it was a good process but there is still <br />some work to do. <br />The Commission then considered the discussion points. <br />• The boundary of the Downtown Hospitality Central Core Area and whether or not <br />it is appropriate. <br />Commissioner Blank stated that the question does not include the Transition Area but <br />that he would take about it anyway. He indicated that he thinks the Core seems like an <br />appropriate work and that he was certain there was compromise and give- and -take all <br />over this. He stated that he appreciates the comments made about the narrowness of <br />the Transition Area on Peters Avenue. He acknowledged that it looks very narrow, but <br />on the other hand, if that is the thread on the Alpaca sweater that pulls the whole thing <br />apart, he did not think it is worth tugging at. He indicated that overall, he is fine with it. <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, September 12, 2012 Page 25 of 35 <br />