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BACKGROUND <br /> After more than two years, the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) update and work of the <br /> DSP Task Force is nearing completion. At its April 16, 2019, meeting the City Council <br /> discussed and provided direction on a series of five policy topics for the DSP Update: <br /> 1) massage regulations, 2) the active ground-floor overlay, 3) ground-floor residential in <br /> commercial and mixed-use districts, 4) land use discrepancies including property <br /> owner-initiated requests for change in land use, and 5) development standards (i.e., <br /> height and FAR limitations). <br /> Additional information on the five topics is provided in the April 16 City Council Agenda <br /> Report (Attachment 1) and the April 16 City Council Draft Meeting Minutes (Attachment <br /> 2). <br /> Summary of April 16 City Council Actions <br /> Based on specific votes taken on each topic and/or consensus among a majority of the <br /> City Council, the Council provided the following direction on four of the five policy topics: <br /> Massage Business Regulations. The City Council supported staff's and the Task <br /> Force's recommendation to strengthen citywide permitting requirements for massage <br /> establishments and technicians, rather than including downtown-specific land use <br /> policies in the DSP. <br /> Active Ground Floor Overlay. The City Council supported staff's and the Task Force's <br /> recommendation regarding implementation of the Active Ground Floor Overlay, <br /> including the exceptions process and criteria. <br /> Ground-Floor Residential. The City Council provided the following direction with respect <br /> to ground floor residential uses in each of the three downtown mixed-use districts: <br /> • Downtown Commercial District: Prohibit new ground floor residential on <br /> properties with frontage on Main Street. Ground floor residential may be located <br /> behind commercial development on properties elsewhere in the district, provided <br /> that: <br /> o Street-fronting commercial space required, of a minimum depth to ensure <br /> viable commercial uses; <br /> o Redevelopment sites have no net loss of commercial square footage; and <br /> o Residential at the rear of a site designed to minimize visibility from the <br /> commercial street-front. <br /> • Mixed Use-Transitional District: Ground floor residential may be located behind <br /> commercial development on properties within the district, subject to the <br /> parameters listed above. <br /> • Mixed Use-Downtown District: Prohibit ground floor residential uses throughout <br /> the district. <br /> The Council also provided direction on a series of related subtopics, including: <br /> Page 2 of 5 <br />