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<br />. construction (City and private), and determine which construction strategy/scenario (one <br />project or phased projects) it wishes to pursue. <br /> <br />Planning Commission Review and Action (February 8, 2006) <br /> <br />The project before the Planning Commission is a design review approval. The Firehouse <br />Arts Center is a project that the City Council wishes to review for final action. Staff <br />requests the Planning Commission consider the proposed design, receive public <br />testimony, take action on the design review proposal, and forward to the City Council. <br />The project is tentatively scheduled for hearing at the City Council on March 7, 2006 to <br />review the design plans and to provide further direction to staff and the consultants <br />regarding the development of the construction drawings for the project in order to meet <br />the November 2006 construction bid date. <br /> <br />NOTICING <br /> <br />The project was advertised in the newspaper for the prescribed time and followed the <br />City noticing requirements. Notices were mailed to property owners and occupants <br />within a 1,000-foot radius of the project site. Throughout the process, the proposed <br />project has had considerable neighborhood outreach and significant community <br />workshop efforts. As of the date of the preparation of this report no correspondence has <br />been received. A copy of the staff report has been provided to each of the Task Force <br />members. <br /> <br />ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT <br /> <br />This project is categorically exempt pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act <br />(CEQA), Section 15331, Class 31, Historical Resources Restoration /Rehabilitation, and <br />Section 15332, Class 32, In-Fill Development Projects; therefore, no environmental <br />document accompanies this report. <br /> <br />CONCLUSION <br /> <br />Staff believes that the proposed Firehouse Arts Center building has been sensitively <br />designed to restore and rehabilitate a historic structure and to create a new addition which <br />will result in an attractive civic facility. The proposal meets the specific functional and <br />operational requirements of an art center and the goals expressed by a citizens' task force <br />representing the community. The plan responds to the site constraints and opportunities, <br />and, similar to other Downtown projects, parking will be deferred and provided with the <br />development of public parking lots expected in the Alameda County Transportation <br /> <br />Case No. PDR-507 <br /> <br />Planning Commission <br /> <br />Page -10- <br />