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necessary to grant an exception to those requirements pursuant to PMC Section 18.81.040: and 2) As a non-active ground floor use, the necessary criteria for granting an exception based on length of vacancy of the space had not been met. PMC Section 18.144 outlines the procedures for appeals, specifically PMC section 18.144.050 describes the administrative appeal procedure. An appeal may be made to the planning commission by any interested party of any administrative determination or interpretation made under Title 18, Zoning. The applicant filed an appeal on January 14, 2021 during the applicable appeal period and therefore the item is before the planning commission. Since the denial was issued, the applicant has made modifications to their proposal. including providing additional specificity as to the dedication of the front portion of the tenant space for retail sales and more detail on how that portion of the business would function. Based on this, there may be sufficient information to now determine the business would meet the definition of an Active Ground Floor Use, and an exception is therefore not required. BACKGROUND The subject site is located within the Downtown and is zoned C-C (Central Commercial) District; it is also located within the Active Ground-Floor Overlay District within the C-C District and DSP. The applicant is requesting the City allow multiple-uses, retail and real estate office, to operate at this location. Pursuant to the PMC, offices (such as a real estate office) are generally not permitted on the ground floor when the property is in the Active Ground-Floor Overlay District within the C-C District and DSP. Although office uses are typically not considered to be "active" uses, and therefore are not. allowed on the ground floor within the overlay district, the PMC provides for some circumstances under which a non-active use can be permitted — including limited conditions under which the requirements for active ground floor uses as outlined in PMC Chapter 18.81 are determined to not apply (meaning, in this case, no exception would need to be granted) If the requirements of Chapter 18.81 are determined to apply to a particular use or tenant space, the PMC specifies the conditions under which an "exception" may be granted to allow a non-active use to occupy a first-floor space. These requirements are discussed in more detail in the analysis section below. On December 17, 2020, the applicant submitted a request to allow her proposed business, outlining characteristics of the real estate business operation that included a limited retail operation in addition to the office use. She also described the circumstances under which she had leased and occupied the space. Upon review of the application and information provided, the Director concluded the use, as described, did not appear to meet the criteria listed in the PMC and DSP to determine it included a sufficient active use component, nor the bases to grant an exception had been met. The request was denied by the Director of Community Development on December 30, 2020. The applicant filed an appeal on January 14, 2021 . P21-0033, 550 Main Street Planning Commission 2 of 8