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DISCUSSION Planned Unit Development Requirement The materials prepared for the May 28, 2019, Task Force meeting included a recommendation that any project in the Downtown Commercial and Mixed Use-Transitional districts which includes residential uses, be subject to approval of a Planned Unit Development development plan. This approach allows for additional review and scrutiny, including configuration and quantity of commercial space, site plan and parking, and off-site visual impacts for new residential uses. The materials also included a recommendation that any project within the Mixed Use-Downtown District (existing Civic Center and adjacent City-owned (former SFPUC) parcel) that would represent a change in use from those existing today require a PUD development plan (or similar legislative approval, such as a Master Development Plan) to be approved prior to development. The Task Force recommended the requirement for a PUD with a residential project be removed, as several Task Force members and members of the public indicated the PUD process would result in additional cost and time. Alternative Approach for Commission Discussion In acknowledgement that a PUD may not be the ideal process to review small additions or minor residential projects, staff has outlined alternatives to a PUD requirement for residential projects that otherwise meet the development standards in the Downtown Commercial and Mixed Use-Transitional Districts. Currently, projects that meet the development standards, Design Guidelines, and policies in the General Plan and Downtown Specific Plan are subject to Design Review approval by the Planning Commission. One option would be to maintain this approach. Additional options for residential projects that otherwise meet the standards and requirements may include any of the following (or any combination thereof): • Requiring a PUD for projects that include new ground-floor residential (i.e., projects with proposed residential on upper-floors only would go through the standard Design Review process but not require a PUD). • Requiring a PUD if residential does not already exist on the site (e.g., if the site already has a unit, adding an additional unit or doing an addition to the unit would not require a PUD). • Requiring a PUD for proposed residential (mixed-use or solely residential) with a redevelopment area of a certain size (e.g., if the subject site(s) is 0.75-acres or more) or include a certain unit increase (e.g., net increase of three new units or more). Examples of project sites over 0.75-acres include: 475/492 and 497 St. John (Barone's), 652 Main St. (True Value), 530 Main St. (Inklings), and 337 Main St. (Bank of America). Residential Visibility The topic of residential visibility and compatibility as it relates to the commercial streetscape in the downtown has been discussed, particularly from the pedestrian point of view. There are policies in the draft specific plan, existing General Plan, and Design Guidelines which speak to compatibility and scale. Examples of policies in the draft specific plan include the following: • LD-G.2 Retain the small-town scale and physical character of the downtown through the implementation of appropriate land use and development standards, including infill development that is sensitive to the context, scale, and character of existing neighborhoods. Downtown Specific Plan Planning Commission 6 of 15