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RECUSAL <br />Commissioners Balch and O'Connor recused themselves from participating in Item 6.b. due to <br />economic conflicts and left the Chambers at 8:30 p.m. <br />b. Downtown Specific Plan — Draft Environmental Impact Report <br />Public hearing to receive comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the <br />Downtown Specific Plan Update (SCH #2001032014), which was published on <br />February 1, 2019. <br />Planning Consultant Richard Patenaude presented the specifics of the item in the Agenda <br />Report. <br />Commissioner Ritter referred to the adoption of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and <br />asked if there were any Housing Element components to ensure they are being included with <br />this item. <br />Mr. Beaudin responded that the alternative reviewed included reducing development and <br />removing residential from the Civic Center site. The Housing Element itself does not have <br />housing element opportunity sites in the downtown area and staff is continuing to allow for <br />infill development in the rest of the downtown. <br />Commissioner Brown referred to the alignment between the Environmental Impact Report <br />EIR) and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and asked if the reference being made <br />was to the recommendation for a raised bicycle path on Peters Avenue, which he was not <br />sure was currently included in the approved Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. <br />Ms. Clark said this is correct; staff would go back and update the Bicycle and Pedestrian <br />Master Plan to reflect the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP). <br />Commissioner Ritter said at the Bicycle, Pedestrian, Trails Committee (BPTC) meeting they <br />discussed the corridor on First Street and the attempt to establish a parking lot in that area. <br />He said that he didn't remember seeing two lanes for bicyclists and pedestrians in the EIR, <br />which is how the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan was written, however, the BPTC <br />committee wasn't favorable to the fact that this didn't connect. <br />Mr. Beaudin responded that the DSP currently allows for this connection. The goal of the <br />transportation corridor is to have a corridor through the downtown similar to what is behind <br />the Firehouse Arts Center. They are trying to replicate this based on the dimensions through <br />the corridor and staff has conducted analysis which is included in the Bicycle and Pedestrian <br />Master Plan; this document is specific to the improvements and modifications discussed <br />through the task force process. The on-going improvements in the transportation corridor <br />have been covered in other documents and are not specifically mentioned here. <br />Commissioner Brown inquired, as it relates to the corridor, whether the proposed mixed-use <br />path is on the east or west side. <br />Planning Commission Minutes Page 12 of 18 March 13, 2019 <br />ROLL <br />CALL VOTE:AYES: <br />Commissioners Allen, Balch, Brown, O'Connor, Ritter NOES: <br />None ABSENT: <br />None Resolution <br />PC-2019-06 recommending approval of Case P18-0314 was adopted as motioned.BREAK <br />Chair <br />Allen called for a brief recess at 8:30 p.m., and thereafter reconvened the meeting at 8: <br />35 p.m.Planning <br />Commission Minutes Page 11 of 18 March 13, 2019 tes <br />to State law and the Municipal Code in regard to compliance, in order to make any <br />recommendations considered fair and just.Commissioner Brown continued by saying when he reads <br />the State code, <br />the degrees of freedom relate to space, concentration, traffic, parking and noise control. He <br />did not hear much Planning Commission Minutes Page 10 of 18 March 13, 2019 hould <br />be something of more importance.Planning Commission Minutes Page 7 <br />of <br />18 March 13, 2019 m a head start.Their two-year-old tested highly in <br />both English and Spanish when they began kindergarten which was a huge benefit.Planning <br />Commission Minutes Page 6 of 18 March 13, 2019