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Commissioner Nibert asked if the City would require copies of the lease agreements, and <br /> discussed the provision in the draft materials, indicating the "Director may request a dimension <br /> or floor plan along with a copy of lease agreement." Ms. Bonn explained the City Council <br /> discussion regarding lease agreements in order to verify leasable square footage. She <br /> suggested the financial terms or other private matters in the lease agreement could be <br /> redacted. <br /> Commissioner Pace thanked staff for its presentation and the community for its feedback. He <br /> inquired how staff reached the 60-percent mark rather than a smaller percentage. Ms. Clark <br /> explained the City Council wanted a substantial portion of the tenant space dedicated to the <br /> active use and staff felt 60/40 was appropriate to retain a useful inactive portion. <br /> Commissioner Pace discussed other cities' efforts and the goal to continue to support and <br /> encourage a vibrant downtown with opportunities for those who would visit and use downtown. <br /> He inquired about the effort to determine the economic impact of increased square footage or <br /> the impact seen by other cities with similar requirements. Ms. Clark stated other cities had <br /> successfully implemented similar policies, some had rolled back requirements due to impacts <br /> of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were more opportunities with more downtown demand. <br /> She stated there was no specific metric, rather staff had researched what other cities had done <br /> to establish the recommendation. <br /> Commissioner Morgan referenced the appeal heard at the February 10, 2021, Planning <br /> Commission meeting and the underlying tone of determining whether a business was <br /> legitimate. He requested information on whether there was discussion on the pros and cons of <br /> broadening the overlay and excluding personal services from active use. Ms. Clark stated it <br /> was not discussed at the most recent City Council or Planning Commission meetings but was <br /> discussed when the item was considered by the Chamber of Commerce and PDA. She stated <br /> other cities had allowed and some had excluded personal services. She summarized the <br /> discussion regarding massage businesses that arose during the Downtown Specific Plan <br /> (DSP) update, and concerns then about an overabundance of personal services. She <br /> discussed the gyms, existing salons, and other personal services, stating the recommendation <br /> prohibited new businesses of that type. <br /> Chair Brown inquired about Page 4 of the agenda report regarding "vacancy" being replaced <br /> with "abandonment" and expressed concern that it went against the intent of the DSP update. <br /> Ms. Clark explained the purpose of alignment and consistency with the Non-conforming <br /> chapter of the Code and that the recommendation was based on practical experience related <br /> to the existing vacancies around the Downtown. Chair Brown inquired whether abandonment <br /> was at the time the lease expired or was forfeited, or if the property owner was still receiving <br /> revenue. Ms. Clark discussed the practices of landlords to allow flexibility of tenants vacating <br /> the premises. Chair Brown stated he was trying to understand the intent of the policy and <br /> whether it was based on not creating an undue hardship of property owners in order to meet <br /> the City's active ground floor use requirement. <br /> THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPEN <br /> Erica Jasso, owner of Sculptsations, provided public comment regarding her business as a <br /> mixed use with part service and part retail. She stated she originally mapped out 15-percent of <br /> her business, but she had remodeled to be compliant to the 25-percent requirement and <br /> questioned why her permits and business license were denied. She discussed the previous <br /> Excerpt: Approved Planning Commission Minutes, July 28, 2021 Page 2 of 6 <br />