Architectural Review Commission Meeting Update
Regular Meeting

July 17, 2006                            Monday                                 5:00 p.m.

ROLL CALL:      Commrs. Zeljka Howard, Jim Lopes, Anthony Palazzo, Greg Wilhelm, Steven Hopkins, Vice-Chair Allen Root, and Chairperson Michael Boudreau 

Commissioners Howard and Palazzo were absent. 

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA: Commissioners or staff may modify the order of items. 

Item #6 was considered first since it was a matter to be continued without discussion.  

PUBLIC COMMENT:  

There was no public comment other than on regular agenda items. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

1.   919 Palm Street. ARC PA 97-06; Review of a public art proposal for the new parking structure and offices; C-D-H zone; Palm Street Parking Structure, LLC, applicant. (Pam Ricci)  

On a 6-0 vote, the ARC found that the public art piece entitled Court of Flags met the criteria for public art and approved the project for installation at 919 Palm Street, based on findings and subject to conditions.   The Commission agreed that this was a good place to recreate the art piece, but expressed some concerns that it may be damaged by passing vehicles or subject to graffiti.  The ARC added a condition recommending that if lighting was needed and feasible that it be directed lights from the library side of the accessway. 

2.   174 and 178 Suburban Road. ARC 58-06; Review of plans to construct two new commercial shell buildings; C-S-S zone; Ric Paul, applicant. (Phil Dunsmore)  

On a 6-0 vote, the ARC granted final approval to the project, based on findings, and subject to conditions and code requirements.  Discussion focused on providing landscaping within the parkway and darkening the proposed clear anodized aluminum finish for braces, storefronts and window frames to enhance the appearance of the building.   

3.   170 Suburban Road. ARC 76-06; Review of a new commercial shell building; C-S-S zone; Scott Stocking, applicant. (Phil Dunsmore)

On a 6-0 vote, the ARC granted final approval to the project, based on findings, and subject to conditions and code requirements.  Overall, the ARC appreciated the architectural style and detailing of the building given its use as a warehouse in a service commercial zoning district. 

4.   562 Sandercock Street. ARC 202-05; Final review of a 5-unit residential condominium development, including 25% density bonus for affordable housing; R-2 zone; Mike Sathre, applicant. (Jaime Hill)  

On a 6-0 vote, the ARC granted final approval of the project, based on findings, and subject to conditions.  The ARC provided some direction on the landscaping plan and the details of the property line masonry wall.  They also asked for changes to the locations of the two trash enclosures. 

5.   75 Santa Rosa Street. ARC 234-05; Review of a new 2 story office building with exceptions to building height from 25 feet to 34 feet and street yard setback from 15 feet to 12 feet; O zone; Mid-State Bank & Trust, applicant. (Tyler Corey)

On a 6-0 vote, the ARC granted final approval of the project, based on findings, and subject to conditions and code requirements.  Discussion focused on the lack of a public entrance facing Santa Rosa Street, building orientation to the Santa Rosa street frontage, proposed building height and street yard setback exception.  Based on the proposed building articulation and detail, and orientation of the existing bank building, the ARC approved the project, as proposed, with an added condition that future fencing along the southerly property line shall not be chain link.  Public comment was received from one adjacent neighbor to the south, Diane Kirby, who cited concerns with added lighting from parking lot pole lights, landscaping, noise and the location of the trash enclosure.    

6.   1772 Calle Joaquin. ARC 123-05; Review of an unmanned wireless telecommunications facility; O-S zone; Cingular Wireless, applicant. (To be continued to a date uncertain) (Tyler Corey)  

The item was continued to a date uncertain without discussion.   

COMMENT & DISCUSSION: 

7.        Staff:

A.  Agenda Forecast: Pam Ricci provided a forecast of items expected on the next meeting agenda.  She noted that three commissioners had indicated that they would not be at the next meeting; therefore, the remaining four would need to all be there in order to have a quorum to vote on projects. 

She also informed the Commission that an appeal filed by Terry Mohan of the ARC’s action to approve the Mitigated Negative Declaration related to traffic mitigation measures would be on the City Council agenda of July 18^th. 

8.        Commission:

      A.    Minutes: June 19, 2006 were approved as submitted.

       B.    Recent Project Review – Lessons Learned

 Commr. Lopes again expressed concerns with the appearance of the windows in the Sephora tenant space within the Court Street Project where display partitions had been built in front of windows.  He suggested that with the review of future projects that a condition be included to prevent this from happening. 

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m. to a regular meeting scheduled for Monday, August 7, 2006, at 5:00 p.m., in the Council Hearing Room at City Hall, 990 Palm Street.