PC 071316 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commissioner Nagler: If we move the curb cut, are we losing a parking spot on the street? Amos: There's no designated striping in that area. It's unlikely that you'll lose a spot if you're moving the curb. Commissioner Allen: Okay, so that's where I come out on parking. And I know if we go the parking way it impacts density and the layout, but then I come back to the one issue that I'm really struggling with this on this whole project, and that is compatibility with the neighborhood. I've been reading these design guidelines and thinking about them. New construction needs to be especially sensitive to surrounding structures. There's a lot of discussion about massing, about paying attention to what's there. I know this is an older neighborhood and that doesn't mean we need to build single story homes. That's not what we're trying to do. We're trying to upgrade a neighborhood, but I really, really think that whether you call it a multi -use building or what, this building that's on a setback of one foot that's 30 feet high and three - stories is just not a fit with this little neighborhood. I asked Natalie how many projects have we approved that are 30 feet, three - stories and a one -foot setback and there were none. I mean, we had a challenge with Mike's project on Peters Street and you know, with needing a 20 foot setback; now those buildings are a little taller but it was a 20 foot setback and Mike said to us the reason I'm going 20 feet is I've done other projects that people have complained about because they had an 8 or 10 foot setback and the 30 feet was a little overpowering around smaller homes, and so I am fundamentally not feeling like I can find this project is compatible today with this neighborhood at this massing and I wish I asked and I'm sorry I didn't, and I'll bring up later but I think for some of these projects, story poles are going to be critical; that sometimes you don't know how something's going to look until it's built and anyway, so I couldn't find for this being compatible without me personally seeing story poles and if I saw them I'm afraid it would be a problem. Beaudin: Commissioner Allen, can I just ask? The one foot setback; is this the mixed use building that's of concern? Commissioner Allen: It's mainly the mixed use building, one foot on Bernal. You know, and Bernal homes have setbacks; even the business building does, and I believe also Augustine I think has a pretty narrow setback. All the other homes on Augustine are required to have 15 feet. The building next door is 16 feet and I think this is less than that. Beaudin: I'm not going to dispute the ground level setback, but on Sheet A -1, there is a one -foot setback and the first floor of the building is at that setback. The building changes angles on the second floor and actually does step back and the roof does come down at that corner and so where it does get taller there is the setback from the Augustine frontage. So I wanted to share that corner with you so it's clear that it's not 30 feet straight up. Commissioner Allen: I knew it wasn't straight up but I'm just still thinking it's still massive and it starts at one foot. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, July 13, 2016 Page 24 of 38