Item 12-A
Planning Commission Meeting: April 5, 2006
TO: The Honorable Planning
Commission
FROM: City Planning Staff
SUBJECT: Conceptual Review of Recently Approved Multi-Family Projects and
Discussion Regarding Possible Code Refinements as Part of the Land Use and
Circulation Element and Zoning Ordinance Revision Effort
Background
The
Planning Commission requested information on projects that had been approved
pursuant to recently adopted multi-family development standards. The intent of
this review is to ensure projects are being approved in a manner that is
consistent with regulatory goals to encourage the development of compatibly
designed buildings that respect the existing neighborhood character and that
include pedestrian-oriented amenities.
A
slide presentation at the policy meeting will illustrate perspective renderings
or elevation drawings that were reviewed by the Architectural Review Board. In
reviewing these projects, it is recommended that Commission focus overall on
how effective or ineffective the ordinance has been at presenting opportunities
to encourage creative, well designed buildings, as opposed to specifically
evaluating each individual project. Where there are opportunities to improve
building design, it would helpful to contemplate how, through the Land Use and
Circulation Element effort, future implementation strategies can address an
identified concern and whether the standards go far enough to promote
pedestrian orientation, achieve neighborhood compatibility and reduce perceived
building mass and scale.