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Area recommended by the Task Force, the EVC, and the PDA was essentially one property wide, especially along Peters Avenue. She added that to balance the desire for additional commercial activity on the side streets with the understanding that residents have this quality of life standard they want to achieve, staff is recommending that the Transition Area on the Peters Avenue side be increased to be approximately two properties wide, with the exception of Fernando's Mexican Restaurant, the only business with an existing entertainment approval that would be entirely in the Transition Area. She noted that staff's noise level recommendation is the same as that of the PDA and EVC except in the Transition Area. Commissioner O'Connor noted that one of the residents had written a letter specifically about a building on First Street where Sendo Sushi used to be located and inquired if that that building was included in the current Transition Area now going two properties deep. Ms. Ott replied that the building is in the Core Area. She added that the other properties along First Street are the park and the transportation corridor, which are both in the Transition Area. Commissioner O'Connor requested clarification that staff's recommendation is to reduce the decibel level to 60 dBA at the residential plane in the Transition Area as opposed to the residential plane itself. Ms. Ott replied that was correct. She noted that this was the Task Force's recommendation and that staff is supporting that recommendation. Commissioner O'Connor inquired if the 60 dBA level at the residential plane would be met if the Transition Area were to remain at 70 dBA. He noted that during the field trip, he believed 60 dBA was met where the residential plane started. Ms. Ott replied that was correct. Commissioner O'Connor inquired why the noise level would be reduced to 60 dBA in the Transition Area if it 60 dBA is acceptable at the residential plane, however it is measured. Ms. Ott replied that this was staff's perspective in the process of trying to find that balance between the commercial activity and the resident's quality of life and wanting to support all of the work and all of the discussion that the Task Force had arrived at as a collective agreement. He noted that Peter MacDonald suggested that he personally wanted to see it back up at 70 dBA because he thought the Commission was lowering the standard that already exists in the Downtown. Commissioner O'Connor inquired if the decibel level in the existing Transition Area is being lowered. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, November 14, 2012 Page 6 of 31