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Mr. Beaudin stated that the street slopes up, and there currently are buildings proposed at about 30 feet above the existing grade. He indicated that the top of the ridge may be visible but not in the windows; and it will still not be visible from Main Street because of the angles. He added that looking at the retail space and the residential development behind it, the applicant has proposed a design that is consistent with the height of a two -story retail structure, and the retail plates are a little higher. Commissioner Piper inquired if story poles will be required at some point. Mr. Weinstein said yes; staff would require story poles at the Planning Commission's next meeting. Commissioner O'Connor stated that one of the suggestions the architect had brought up was removing the false chimneys that are sticking up. He indicated that it those chimneys came off and the massing was reduced, he would be fine with the height. He recognized that it is just fairly taller than the retail building, and he would be fine with that if the building is tucked farther back and the density was reduced; there would then be some room for a garden. Chair Allen stated that it could all work for her as well if the density is less and they are tucked in the back. She indicated that these are going to be individual parcels, and it was the idea that the density was so high, they were all along the side, potentially having the rooftop showing from Downtown. She added that moving them to the back would also be more consistent with the other homes in the neighborhood where there is a business in the front and a home tucked in the back. Commissioner Nagler agreed that however the buildings are configured on the lot, the windows that create a third story give the building, if it were in a different location, some sort of interesting articulation, but on this site it just makes it too massive. He indicated that the presence of especially the residence in the back dwarfs the rest of the houses on the street. He noted that one of the buildings that was just recently built two doors up is a modern house with a large structure in the back, which is a business of the family that lives there. He indicated that there is a separation between buildings, and it seems to be an appropriate size for the next door neighbors. F. Are the proposed building designs, area, massing, number of stories, heights, and colors and materials acceptable and compatible with the surrounding area? Chair Allen stated that the color white felt a little stark to her compared to the toned -down tans and beiges and light earth tones that all the other homes being remodeled in that area have. She indicated that it felt more Barcelona and Spanish and not more historic, and felt like the wrong category of Spanish for this great professional job. She added that it looked great in a number of places, but just not on that street. Commissioner Nagler stated that this project needs to pencil out in order for it to be built, and there has been some good ideas, but for one reason or the other, they have not been built, and one mostly can assume it is probably not the economics of it. He stated that he hopes the guidance the Commission is providing is towards a project that PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, August 26, 2015 Page 38 of 43