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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-02-19 Architectural Review Board Summary Minutes City of Palo Alto Page 1 ===============MEETINGS ARE CABLECAST LIVE ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 26================= This agenda is posted in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2(a) or section 54956. Thursday, February 19, 2015, Meeting 8:30 AM, Council Chambers Call to Order Roll Call: Present: Chair Randy Popp, Vice Chair Robert Gooyer, Board Members Alexander Lew, Kyu Kim; Absent: Catherine Ballantyne Staff: Amy French, Chief Planning Official; Russ Reich, Senior Planner; Diana Tamale, Administrative Associate III; Christy Fong, Planner; Rebecca Atkinson, Planner, Margaret Netto, Contract Planner Oral Communications: Members of the public may speak to any item not on the agenda; three minutes per speaker. The Architectural Review Board reserves the right to limit oral communications period to 15 minutes. Agenda Changes, Additions and Deletions: The agenda may have additional items added to it up until 72 hours prior to meeting time. Minutes Approval: None. Public Hearing Items: 451 University Avenue [13PLN-00450]: The hearing of this item was continued from the February 5, 2015 ARB meeting date to this date, but has now been postponed to the March 5, 2015 ARB hearing date. CONTINUED HEARINGS 1. 429 University Avenue [14PLN-00222]: Request by Ken Hayes Architects, Inc. on behalf of Kipling Post LP for Architectural Review of a proposal to demolish two existing one-story commercial/retail buildings with a total of 11,633 sf and construct a 31,407 sf, four-story mixed use building with two levels of underground parking providing 40 on-site spaces on an 11,000 sf site in the Downtown Commercial (CD-C (GF)(P)) zoning district. Environmental Assessment: Initial Study and draft Mitigated Negative Declaration public review period was November 17, 2014 through December 12, 2014. The hearing of this item was continued from the January 15, 2015 ARB meeting to this date. Public Comments Jeff Levinsky: Noted his concerns about loss of retail space in Palo Alto, particularly downtown, and that Finding #4 can’t be made as the project reduces retail area. He commented on a staff report omission regarding existence of a second story architect’s office space within the existing building, the findings regarding the style and size of the building, and its potential to change the character of the street at that specific corner. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD MINUTES City of Palo Alto Page 2 Neilson Buchanan: Cited cumulative negative impacts on the quality of neighborhoods, the housing-job imbalance, a need for smaller residential units downtown, the need to accelerate the traffic management district, the appeals process, and a material drop in the inventory of retail. Stephen Levy: Noted his support of the project, ARB process, staff, and applicant for including rental housing and being responsive in two or three rounds to ARB requests. He stated that the parking, the Transfer of Development Rights and the in-lieu payments are legal for this property, and that the renovation is appropriate, noting that one needs to expect change. He stated that change in the shopping centers and downtown is needed to keep pace with competitive pressures and customers, and implement green building standards. He acknowledged cumulative impacts must be taken into account with cumulative mitigation programs, like the TMA, TDM and other creative proposals to reduce employee use. He noted the difficulty of taking one part of the equation on cumulative impacts and assume we're going to do nothing over time to mitigate them. Michael Harbor (owns 421 Kipling Street): Noted he is impressed with the design and evolution of the building design over time, but concern about its place in context of the neighborhood and the narrow Kipling Street. He noted concerns about accidents, given parked cars forcing drivers into navigating a one-way street where two cars have difficulty going simultaneously. He quoted two pages in the traffic report (page 39 and page 47) regarding the queuing of traffic and that particular narrow streets don't lend themselves to an underground parking lot that's going to have a net 166 new trips. Sam Arsan: Noted that he manages and leases several buildings in downtown Palo Alto, has been in the downtown area for over 20 years, and supports the project to keep the city vibrant, to be competitive with other cities and other retail areas. He noted this is an older building with failing systems and that the new building is well designed, and has gone through several revisions to address several ARB concerns. He stated that we just can't remain unchanged; that we have to move with the times. Architectural Review Board Action: Absent ARB member Ballantyne provided her comments in writing; these were available at places of the voting ARB members. Chair Popp moved, seconded by Vice Chair Gooyer, to approve the project presented by staff, with a condition that the signage, the art placement and light of the art, the glass for the balconies, and the landscape plan should all return to subcommittee for review, and that staff review the photometrics plan to confirm appropriateness (also to fix Plan Sheet A-2.8 images (listed A, B, and C) for the types of light fixtures (as the numbers don't match the legend, which is labeled B, D, and C.) Vote: Approval, 4-0-1-0 (Ballantyne absent) PRELIMINARY REVIEW 2. 3275 El Camino Real - 3275 El Camino Real [14PLN- 00404]: Request by Kevin DeNardi, for Preliminary Architectural Review of a new 7,489 square foot, three-story, mixed-use development on a 7,490 vacant lot. Zone District: Service Commercial District (CS) District. Recommendation: The Architectural Review Board (ARB) was requested to conduct a Preliminary Review of the project’s architectural concepts. No formal action may be taken at a preliminary review; comments made at a preliminary review are not binding on the City or the applicant. Architectural Review Board Action: The board conducted the preliminary review. Board/Staff Announcements, Updates, Reports, and Comments: Members of the public may not speak to the item(s). Adjournment City of Palo Alto Page 3 Subcommittee Members: Randy Popp and Robert Gooyer SUBCOMMITTEE ITEMS: 3. 180 El Camino Real [14PLN-00247]: Review of responses to Condition of Approval #29 for Stanford Shopping Center Phase III sub-item d, new and replaced bicycle parking. The ARB Subcommittee accepted the plans received February 12, 2015, and as modified on February 19, 2015, requiring bicycle lockers to be grey, silver metallic, or other color matching or close in color/finish to the approved light poles, and to requiring finishing off of the low walls in the parking garage after the creation of the bicycle parking entrances. The ARB Subcommittee accepted the responses to Condition of Approval #29 for Stanford Shopping Center Phase III sub-item d, new and replaced bicycle parking, dated received February 12, 2015, and as modified on February 19, 2015, to require bicycle locker color specifications to be grey, silver metallic, or other color matching or close in color/finish to the approved light poles and to require finishing off of the low walls in the parking garage after creation of the bicycle parking entrances. 4. 180 El Camino Real [14PLN-00247]: Review of responses to Condition of Approval #29 for Stanford Shopping Center Phase III continued sub-item g, the location, materials, design, and light color temperature of the light fixtures, including light poles. The ARB Subcommittee accepted the location, materials, design, and light color temperature of the light fixtures, including light poles, shown on the submittal dated received February 12, 2015. The ARB Subcommittee accepted the responses to Condition of Approval #29 for Stanford Shopping Center Phase III sub-item g, the location, materials, design, and light color temperature of the light fixtures, including light poles, dated received February 12, 2015. STAFF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW. Project Description: To allow changes to the front doors and windows of an eating and drinking establishment Applicant: Qing Li Address: 439 Waverly Street [14PLN-00405] Approval Date: 2/4/15 Request for hearing deadline: 2/17/15 Sub-Committee Members: Terms: Randy Popp January 15, 2015 to May 7, 2015 Robert Gooyer February 19, 2015 to July 16, 2015 Alexander Lew May 21, 2015 to October 15, 2015 Kyu Kim July 16, 2015 to December 17, 2015 Robert Gooyer July 16, 2014 to December 17, 2014 Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Architectural Review Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the Planning and Community Environment Department at 250 Hamilton Avenue, 5th floor, Palo Alto, CA. 94301 during normal business hours. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA). The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request an accommodation for this meeting or an alternative format for any related printed materials, please contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice) or by e-mailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. PUBLIC COMMENT. Members of the Public are entitled to directly address the Architectural Review Board concerning any item that is described in the notice of this meeting, before or during consideration of that item. If you wish to address the Board on any issue that is on the agenda, please complete a speaker request card located on the table at the entrance to the Council Chambers, and deliver it to the Board Secretary prior to discussion of the item. You are not required to give your name on the speaker card in order to speak to the Board, but it is very helpful. RECORDINGS. A DVD of the proceedings may be reviewed by contacting the City Clerk's Office at (650) 329-2571. City of Palo Alto Page 4 LATE RECEIVED MATERIALS. Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Architectural Review Board after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the Planning Department on the 5th floor, City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue during normal business hours. During the 9/80 Friday closure, materials will be available at the Development Center, 285 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto. Please call 329-2603 to reserve a copy. All correspondence relating to any of the agenda items or non-agenda items, which were not received by the 2:00 PM deadline for inclusion into Board packets on the Thursday preceding the meeting date, need to be received before 3:00 PM on the date of the meeting for distribution to staff and Board members.