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that of the Task Force, and were not discussed by the Planning Commission (please <br /> refer to Table 1 in Attachment 5 for details regarding these two topics). <br /> The following provides some brief context for each of the three topics noted in the table: <br /> Ground Floor Residential Uses <br /> The 2002 Downtown Specific Plan includes two land use designations, "Downtown <br /> Commercial" and "Office" that allow both residential and commercial uses (and are thus <br /> considered mixed-use districts). Policy language in the 2002 Specific Plan references <br /> "upper-floor" and "above-ground" residential uses, and existing Specific Plan Land Use <br /> Policy 12 states: "Prohibit new housing on the first floor of buildings located in the <br /> Downtown Commercial area in order to protect land designated for commercial use <br /> from being displaced by residential development." In recent years, the City has <br /> approved a number of mixed-use development projects in the downtown area, some of <br /> which have included a ground floor residential component, but which have also carefully <br /> protected land designated for commercial use. <br /> The draft DSP has three land use designations (including one existing, and two new <br /> designations) that would permit both residential and commercial uses: <br /> • Downtown Commercial District (Downtown Commercial land use designation in <br /> the existing Specific Plan) which applies to Main Street and the surrounding <br /> areas; <br /> • Mixed Use-Downtown District (Public land use designation in the existing <br /> Specific Plan) which applies to the existing Civic Center site and former SFPUC <br /> property; and <br /> • Mixed Use-Transitional District (Office land use designation in the Specific Plan), <br /> which applies to the properties on the north side of Old Bernal Avenue and the <br /> east side of Peters Avenue. <br /> Property Owner Initiated Requests <br /> During the course of the DSP update, two separate property owners (i.e., owners of <br /> 4212 First Street and 475/493 St. John Street), expressed interest in residential <br /> development on their properties. The properties currently have commercial land use <br /> designations. <br /> Development Standards <br /> The Task Force and the Planning Commission provided recommendations related to <br /> height and maximum floor-area-ratio for the MU-T, MU-D, and Downtown Commercial <br /> specific plan land use designations, and City Council provided its direction on this topic <br /> at its April 16 and May 7 meetings. <br /> Table 1 provides a summary of the recommendations from the Task Force and Planning <br /> Commission, combined with the direction provided by the City Council to-date on these <br /> three key topics. <br /> Page 9 of 18 <br />