 Thank you. Good afternoon. Welcome to DDRC members, staff and guests. We ask for your patience during this meeting. Multiple staff members are present to make sure that the meeting runs smoothly and all applicants and citizens are able to communicate with the Commission at the appropriate times. The public will be able to participate using multiple methods. When participating, please provide your name for documentation purposes. If you're participating, you can watch, email, phone, or log into our web session. If you're watching, you can stream the meetings through CDTV, accessed at www.youtube.com, backslash user, backslash Columbia SC government. If you're emailing, you can submit letters and statements via email to cocboardmeeting at ColumbiaSC.gov, leading up to and or during the meeting as the account will be monitored throughout the proceedings. Emails and letters will be read into the record. You can phone in calling 855-925-2801. When prompted, please enter the meeting code 2330. If you're participating by phone, you'll have three options. Star 1 will allow you to listen. Star 2 will allow you to record a voicemail message that will be read into the record. And Star 3 will allow our participant to be placed in a queue so that they may speak live when prompted. Please make sure your computer audio is muted if you're calling in live via your phone so we don't have feedback. And then you can stream via the web at backslash, backslash, publicinput.com, backslash, coc, ddrc, dash, mark, m-a-r, 2022. And I will call the roll. Ms. Brannum. Here. Mr. Broom. Here. Ms. Jacob. Here. Mr. Salibi. And Mr. Wolfe. Here. We have the public forum. In order to avoid ex parte communications, ddrc members are under strict instructions not to discuss cases under consideration with the public or with each other outside of the public forum. The meeting typically starts with staff calling the case, giving a summary of the project and then calling on the applicant to present if they wish. Decisions are typically made in one evening. Decisions may be appealed within 30 days to a court of competent jurisdiction. Both will be administered individually as we hear either from applicants or from live speakers. Applicants with requests before the ddrc are allowed at a presentation time of 10 minutes. This time should include but is not limited to an overview of the project, case history, and any pertinent meetings held regarding the request. The time also includes all persons presenting information on behalf of the applicants such as attorneys, engineers, and architects. This time limit does not include any questions asked by the ddrc or staff regarding request. Members of the general public are given the opportunity to address their concerns and intervals of two minutes. Applicants may have five minutes to respond. Staff has a timer and will make presenters aware of when their time has expired. Are there any changes to the agenda? There are no changes. The ddrc uses the consent agenda to approve non-controversial or routine matters by a signal, motion, and vote. If a member of the ddrc or the general public wants to discuss an item on the consent agenda, the item is removed from the agenda and considered during the meeting. The ddrc then approves the remaining consent agenda items. Will staff please read the consent agenda? Certainly. We have one item on the consent agenda, 317 Watery Avenue. This is a request for a certificate of design approval for exterior changes in the Wales Garden Architectural Conservation District. Is there anyone from the ddrc that would like this item removed from the consent agenda? Is there anyone from the public that would like to have an item removed from the consent agenda? Please communicate by sending an email to COC board meeting at Columbia SC.gov. Communicate via phone by pressing star two to leave a voicemail or star three to speak in person. We will pause a minute to allow any communication from the public. Nothing's received. Okay. Thank you. Sounds like nothing's been received. Do I have a motion and a second to accept the consent agenda and also the February 22 meeting minutes? Make a motion to approve the consent agenda in the February minutes. Mr. Broom. Yes. Ms. Sims-Phranham. Yes. Ms. Jacob. Yes. Mr. Salibi. Yes. And Mr. Wolf. Yes. Motion passes. We'll move to the regular agenda. The first case, well the only case on the regular agenda today is at 2615 River Drive. This is a request for certificate of design approval for new construction in the North Main Corridor Overlay District. This proposal is for a five-story, 56 unit residential development at the northwest corner of River Drive and Benton Street. The building is v-shaped with residential units above parking on the ground floor and some surface parking in the rear along the north property line. The project received conditional approval at the Planning Commission for site plan on March 10. I'll just read through some of the staff comments and then the staff evaluation and then I believe the applicant is here to present the project in more detail. So under site planning and parking placement, the building is primarily sited appropriately addressing the street frontages in the acute angle shape of the lot with narrow setbacks in the building footprint. While the surface parking is largely screened from the right of way with the building, the ground floor of the building is mostly parking behind metal screens in the place of storefront. Building design and height. The building height and stepbacks do meet the requirements of the unified development ordinance and the neighborhood compatibility standards therein. For building orientation and elevation, the buildings are parallel to the primary street, river drive, as required. Both street frontages have strong brick base and start to establish a rhythm of bays with recesses, but the frequent change in materials appears haphazard and detracts from the concept. Alternating solid brick bays with the punched windows and visually permeable bays with the balconies and siding would be a more consistent design concept. This could likely be accomplished by moving brick material from the rear elevations to the front without requiring additional brick. While the north and west end elevations provide fewer features, some fenestration would help to articulate the large expanse of wall, particularly the north end, where fenestration would not be adjacent to a single family residential lot. Under corner articulation and entrances, given the acute angle and high visibility of the river drive and Benton Street intersection, the building does not have an architectural feature or entrance to emphasize it. The entrance on river drive has a small canopy with visually undersized supports. Having a perspective of this corner would be helpful. Facade elements. The proposed materials are acceptable, however, the building concept would be stronger and more compatible with the district if the pallet were reduced to two primary materials on the street facades. Brick and horizontal cementitious siding are seen more frequently in the district and in the neighborhood. While vinyl windows are acceptable in the north main corridor overlay, the windows are rendered with a dark finish on the elevations, but the cut sheets indicate a white window finish. The window finish should be consistent with the renderings and the depth should be a minimum of four inches from the face of the facade. The required percentages of storefront are intended to activate the public realm with active uses on the ground floor adjacent to the public sidewalk. The amount of the first floor that is active frontage is minimal. The corner floor plan has some programmed spaces, such as a community room, a computer room, and an elevator lobby. These programmed spaces could be arranged to provide additional active space along the street frontage by moving the mechanical room towards the interior or the garage. While the renderings indicate storefront, the majority of the river drive frontage is parking behind perforated metal screening. More detailed drawings of what this will actually look like would be helpful in providing some public art features could help mitigate this condition. The staff recommendation is for deferral of the request based on addressing the following design elements in order to meet the North Main Corridor guidelines. Provide additional features along the river drive elevation to mitigate the parking garage frontage and illustrate with an enlarged elevation to better understand how that will read from the street. To reconfigure some of the common spaces on the first floor to maximize active frontage along the street. To provide a more consistent rhythm of architectural bays by reducing the number of materials on the street facing facades. Brick and horizontal siding are recommended. Provide more architectural emphasis on the corner and at the building entrances. Illustrate with a perspective of this corner traveling north on river drive. Provide some fenestration or other features to break up the expanse of blank wall on the north short end elevation. Provide dark bronze colored windows with at least a four inch depth from the face of wall. And then more information about roof mounted utility equipment should be provided if applicable. That is it for the staff recommendation. And I believe Parker Zee the developer. Hi so when you come up if you could state your name. My name is Doug Cruz. And do you swear to tell the truth in these proceedings. I do. Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody. We have various photos of the site here. This is an existing conditions. This is the site plan showing a parking under the podium. Pedestrian access off of River Drive. The main building entrance towards the corner on River Drive. There's an egress exit along Benton Street. Refuse collection towards the north there and a fenced in play area towards the middle green. There's a one way restricted access gate off of Benton Street. This is for emergency vehicles and it would be restricted to just that. The main entrance for vehicular traffic is on River Drive. Five handicapped parking spaces. We have three accessible units. We're only required three by the ADA code. But we provided five because we will have visitors provide access. Yeah. So make sure you get into the microphone. Yeah. All right. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Yeah. Go ahead. This is the landscape plan. And we do need to locate some grand trees on here to see if where we can save them or where we have to mitigate. There is a 15 foot side buffer that we are getting reduced by adding what was a six foot masonry wall. I think in the planning review we we have gone to an eight foot masonry wall or perhaps combination masonry with wood cap. So this is the enlarge plan of the building. There's a match line up there. It wouldn't fit all on one sheet. The community and common areas are at the corner of the lot on Benton and Riverside consists of an office, a mail room, mailboxes, elevator lobby, computer room, community room, public restrooms and a mechanical room. Sir pause just one second. Are you back? Okay. Right. All right. Sorry. Go ahead. No problem. There were some screens bleeping. So I wanted to make sure everybody could see. All right. Thank you. Okay. So that is the ground floor plan. It is a podium building. So the bottom floor is concrete post tension beams. And then above that are four stories of type 5a wood construction units. There's an elevator shaft at the core of the community building and two exit stairs. One towards the north of the site and one along Benton Street. We're showing the required bicycle parking in this plan along Benton Street and up towards the north at the River Drive entry. So this is an enlarged view of the common area plan. And you can see the community room, computer room, support office, elevator lobby, mailboxes, mail room, the management office where the rent drop box is, the ADA restrooms and the mechanical. Here we have the elevations. It consists of brick and hardy plank and vertical and horizontal siding. The community area that you saw in the plan at the corner of Benton and River Drive has storefront windows on them. And there is on the bottom elevation. You can see the main entry has brick all the way up with a portico porch along with that as you move down River Drive elevation and both Benton Street and River Drive elevation as you move away from the community building. What you're looking at is is openings into the parking area. And we wanted to screen that to some degree so we have die cast metal screening along those windows. They kind of start at where you see the pains where that red car is on River Drive. To the right, those are all the screening openings. And then you can see the door that provides the access for pedestrians and bicycles into the parking garage itself. The Benton Street elevation, you see the portico. There's a portico that we discussed a little bit. That is the access to the egress stairs. You can see a step up elevations from Benton Street due to the height restrictions. And the elevator tower is over to the right. All of these units have balconies with exterior storage. These are the streetfront elevations here. Can I ask a quick question, Mr. Cruz, about what you just mentioned. On this elevation, on both elevations, primarily the River Drive, are you saying that those openings to the garage, I mean to the underneath parking, are screening elements? Yes, we're open to suggestions, but right now we have a hexagon metal punched metal screen in those openings. Okay, thanks. I want to be sure. Did we get on stuff? Yeah, bear with us for just a second. We're showing three materials. Verticals, hardy plank, horizontal hardy plank, hardy panels, and brick. It's a corridor building, meaning there's a corridor down the middle with units on either side. And we'll be locating the condensers on the roof towards the middle of the building. These are the north and west end elevations. Right now you can kind of see into the parking garage. Did we skip some? Did we skip one of the elevations? Maybe not. So these drawings, the question, do match pretty much what was submitted, right? They appear to so far. Correct, yes. Okay, yes. So this is the backside of the podium building. You can see parking, what you're seeing underneath there, are lighting, lighting in that area. And you kind of see out to River Drive, you see the windows and the pedestrian access door on that top elevation. And I appreciate the cost-saving comments. I take some of this brick off and move it to the front riverside elevation. My construction team really appreciated that. You can see the patios with outdoor storage. And these are the short end elevations that contain the egress stairs. The north end has the egress stairs. And the west end is the closest elevation to the protected property. So we've limited a little bit of any views out there. That door you see is access to the lower portion of the height restricted area along Benton Street. And these are just non-colored elevations. Here are the materials that we put together in the package. The hardy panel, the horizontal hardy siding, and vertical hardy siding along with a Belden brick. And also the vinyl windows that we use typically. This is the screening concept that we are using for the to screen the parking garage from view and to get a little bit of air circulating through that parking garage area. And what's the finish on that? Well it could be bronze to match the rest of the windows. There would be a frame around it. It would look like a window with a screen in it. So to clarify the windows are bronze and not white. We did show them white but that we will abide by the recommendations of staff and make them bronze. Okay. And we're open for any kind of finish on those screens. Is this all of your slides? I'll ask a question while they figure that out. Go ahead. All right. So I had a question. Yes. Pretty much all the staff comments recommendations. Did you have any issues with any of the recommendations that they listed here? Nope. They're all valid and we will work with staff to make sure we meet those. I think it's a rock and roll kind of elevation but I think what they want is easy listening. So we'll kind of move to that. Let's go back to staff. Are there still more slides? I'm sorry we were having technical difficulty. Can you just the last request? I missed what the question was. I just asked the question while y'all were trying to figure out the technical. If they had any questions or concerns with the recommendations. Oh gotcha. Okay. And he replied that he didn't and he could work with staff on that. So that was probably my biggest question when I saw this. Okay. Because not knowing if you were coming in with different material today or the same that had been presented. So that was my main question. Thank you. Is there more to show? This is the end of the slide presentation. If you want to go back to something but we're going to have to pause the presentation in order to get our public comment. So I guess we're having some technical challenges. Oh I got you. Okay that's the last slide that we have for this I believe. Let me see. We can go back to any of the slides if you want to discuss anything in particular. So I'll probably open it up now to the DDRC members and see if anybody has any other questions in addition to what's already been raised. So I would just like to really reinforce the comments about from the staff. I'm very concerned about the aesthetics of this facility. I mean I'm thrilled to see more development happening out North Maine but this needs a lot of massaging to make it sure better. So if you're you know really willing to work with the staff on this I'm not so opposed to three different materials but there's got to be some consistency in where you put place those materials. I mean we have a combination of horizontal and vertical planes within the patio kind of areas and stuff. I mean all that needs to really be cleaned up a lot. We will definitely work with the staff to adjust those. And then the end the the the the corners are really in need of a lot of work and looking at how to handle that correctly. I appreciate that one of them's facing one of the property owners but you really have to try to make that as aesthetically pleasing as possible. We've actually discussed that and we will be adding windows in those stairwells to to add some other windows except on the protected side we would probably use spandrel glass windows but just to break up the monotony of that facade we will put some openings. I just find that the way that the different three different materials are showing on those ends are just not in harmony so I really suggest you look at that in great detail. And just as a general question I mean I know that this meets the requirements of the height guidelines by the new regulations but I'm assuming I mean what's really compelling to me is where you get down to the four store one two three four storey component. I'm assuming there's no way to make this entire project more of a four storey height for this area. Not without losing units so we you know we have a commitment to affordable housing to make sure we have that unit count and there really isn't another way to to do that. Can you go to the Benton Street side or actually go to the plan or yeah actually this we're losing it but let's go to one of the floor plans that shows a setback so we can actually see them here those light lines you know there's a 35 foot height limit at that first light line that crosses from Benton Street to the north 55 45 at that at that line and then 55 at that line and then pass to the corner at 60. Right so so what you're telling me is because you've got this requirement by the unit count the unit count there's no and you've looked at options for maybe turning the corner again to keep it at the four storey instead of correct. So can you go to like the fifth floor plan. Oh that's OK. Okay yeah there really isn't a way to reduce the height without losing units that we're committed to. And we do fall in line with the with the height restriction along there. Yeah I'm aware of that that doesn't just because it falls within it doesn't mean it's the right approach necessarily but at the same time we want to be sensitive to the to the neighborhood and the aesthetics there. I do think that corner element really needs to be looked at and it's just so complicated that corner element and how it's addressed. I think one thing that would help us when you go back is to actually produce some 3D rendering so that we can really get the sense of what it's feeling like and looking like in this context. Any other commissioner question. I have a question and I'm a little confused about the brick. Where is the brick on the project. The bottom level. Yeah the entire bottom level of floor is brick. And then we bring it up to punctuate and and make a rhythm with with the brick. We can make it any height we want. If we need more brick on this side we'll raise those elements to to the second floor possibly the third floor. So but it is a brick all the way around. At the bottom floor. Well let's just be sure what you plan to do. That's by painting on the job or the site is pre finish. It would be pre finish side be pre finish. Yes. Hardy plank. I am I'm sensitive to the cost just like the staff suggests could you take some of the brick off the back and put it on the front. But let's just be sure that when we do that if that's going to be the decision that it that again is consistent in how it's applied on the front versus what you're doing on the back now that the brick is gone. So let's just be sure you come up with a solution that that helps balance all of those. Yeah I don't think well can we go back to the parking lot I don't think we'll remove too much brick there and maybe you know that maybe we'll limit it to that second floor above and take those other pieces back. But we will have brick on that that side as well. We're not going to strip it down entirely. And then the other thing I forgot to mention I apologize chairman but is that that that elevation both the elevations along Benton and River Drive with the windows on the and the screening on the lowest level. I mean that inconsistency between some are actual windows I guess some of them go into those office areas with the with the detail of the windows at the top you know they're punched windows as opposed to the large screen areas. I just think it definitely needs to be rendered like it looks like a screen instead of glazing because right now it appears to be all glazing but it somehow again this component of this center area where you have the punched windows versus the other punched the other area that protrudes which is the entry to the downstairs look completely different. Again I'm all about consistency and something that makes sense in terms of the elevation so that it can be as appealing as possible. Yeah we can do that. We're totally open to however we you guys want the screening to happen at the parking level. I'm assuming it can't just be open without screening. It could be open. Not that I'm suggesting I'm just saying there are options. I believe there was other comments to have that screen. But I mean it could be glazing I guess. I know there's a cost impact to that but but it's really important this facade is really key to both of course the Benton Street and the River Drive so right there will be a frame in those windows so that in the openings. So it will kind of match the windows above but we were open to any suggestions and recommendations that the staff has for those openings in the parking garage. I think on some other similar projects like this there's been use of art and other things at the street level to make it more appealing and attractive so. What kind of art. I would let the staff give you some suggestions on that when y'all talk about it but I know on other projects we've seen lots of different techniques you know. Right I've seen you know that screening of the windows could have some pattern and things like that. So yeah sure we will work with the staff on those openings. And I appreciate that you've handled some of the attachment to the street front with some landscaping but I would definitely encourage you to make that a priority in terms of how you address the street. Okay to soften that as much as possible. So yeah we do have a lot of street trees and but we can we can add more that is not an issue at all. I am a little curious about that one point right there on the corner that isn't 10 feet back to meet the height requirement. It looks like it's five feet back as opposed to the rest of the facade that's 10 feet back right at that corner you know on Benton Street. On Benton Street yes. Yeah I think it's 10 feet from the back of the sidewalk is how the code reads. But you're right it is at the five foot setback line. Just that just that small portion. Right but it goes up you know more than 50, 45 feet or whatever that requirement is. But I thought the requirement was 10 feet from the back of sidewalk not necessarily from the property line. The setbacks are measured from the property line. Okay well the setbacks are but that requirement of the 10 foot setback. The upper floors setbacks. Yes. Well maybe if we can just staff can just clarify that to be sure because that's the that's the tallest part of the building and it's the closest to the street so I was just curious about that corner. Definitely take a look at that. Thank you. The comments commissioner. I think I'm done. No no no no and they're excellent ones. I mean I do such a better job of articulating what we're all thinking so I appreciate that. Anyone else? Thank you. We encourage those that would like to communicate via email to begin sending in letters and emails. You may email COC board meeting at columbiasc.gov. Go on the web at publicinput.com slash coc ddrc dash mar two zero two two. For those wanting to leave a voicemail or speak live call eight five five nine two five two eight zero one. When prompted please enter the meeting code two three three zero. Then press star two to begin leaving a voicemail. If you would like to speak live press star three. Please make sure your computer audio is off to avoid feedback. We will now hear comments from anyone who is here in person. Now receive any comments received and someone coming up. Thank you. Come up please state your name. John Wilkinson. And do you swear to tell the truth in this proceeding? I do. Thank you. Good afternoon my name again is John Wilkinson. I'm serving as the president of the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association. I'd like to start by thanking Parker and his team at Woda Cooper. They engaged with our neighborhood very early in the process and before even getting to the planning or this planning hearing or this hearing today had already incorporated a number of our requests and recommendations. So we're we're thankful for that as it relates to design the biggest concern that we've heard from our neighborhood and our neighbors is simply the size and the height of the project that's been addressed today and I'm sure is addressed in some of the other comments that will be heard. You know it's fairly striking between a five story building and the adjacent single story homes and while we understand the ordinance may allow for it. You know our neighbors would prefer something shorter. So I guess aside from the size of it you know we're generally in agreement with the recommendations from staff and for your recommendations today as well. Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon. Please state your name. Jennifer Glass. Do you swear to tell the truth in this proceeding. Yes. I live adjacent to the proposed development. My home and business have been located there for over 20 years. And there I understand that the height is in the zoning and so it's allowed. And I think that we all as neighbors can share the concern of having building the size and I have learned you know followed along with this process and I understand that these gentlemen have a minimum number of units that they need to have in order to make money and get the tax credit. And I feel as though that fact doesn't really speaks to the core issue which is that this isn't a project that was ushered in by local developers who had enthusiasm for our neighborhood and our community and making it more walkable and bikeable. I think this is an instance of capitalism where we are being presented with something that allows somebody who's not best in our community to cram as many people on a small piece of property. I understand that's my opinion but it's kind of an overview of as somebody who lives and works and believes in three development of downtown as how I see it. The bottom floor which is hard to wrap your head around calling that a space because I think you could say 80% of it is parking and the entrance to the community area is nowhere near where I mean it just looks very disjointed to me the main entrance versus parking. I think if we could possibly eliminate some of the parking or have them, the developers lease parking elsewhere which there are several vacant commercial properties very close by that perhaps they could lose one story by not having the parking under the building. That's all I had to contribute today. Thank you. Good afternoon. When you get up you please state your name. Danielle Shealy. Swear to tell the truth in this proceeding. I do. Thank you. I am also a resident of the neighborhood and have been following along with this. I also understand that while the height is allowable when the overlay district was approved this neighborhood looked very different in the past five years. We've had extreme amount of new single family home construction properties that primarily were multi-use I mean multi-tenant have been converted back to single family. We've had more investment in properties going from rental to primary residents. We've really seen an influx of new businesses that are one story to story the most similar project to this in the North Main development district is a three-story apartment at the corner of Miller and North Main. That's on a four-lane street. It's three stories. It fits. And so I think that this is not a development that is impossible to achieve. But I think on this particular lot this sizing and massing is enormous. We haven't even talked about the mechanical on the top. According to the zoning that has to be a solid it cannot be screens. So that has to be a solid parapet. So technically we're adding another half story for all of our mechanical equipment up there. And that's going to increase our shadowing against private neighboring properties. For instance, the Noma the two primary business buildings for the Noma flats which is a market rate over market rate development. Also two stories multi-family in the neighborhood. But they will be completely in shadow for the majority of the day when you get to a five and a half now story building. This is the largest and tallest building that's for a mile radius until you hit Bull Street District and Elmwood. This does not fit the character. We need there's good density and infill development projects and then there's bad. And this waivers closer to the bad side because we're just cramming in to cram in. We're not. There's no thoughtfulness. This is actually very similar to two properties that the developer has one in Ohio and one in Michigan. So this is kind of a cut and paste. I almost kind of wonder if they looked at the neighborhood vernacular when they decided to drop it in there. Do they just say here's X here's why dollar sign dollar sign and didn't really take into account the fact that this is directly abutting a historical neighborhood which so the neighbors across the street from Benton Street if they want to change their windows from the current window to vinyl window they would have to come before you all and get approval for that. However right across the street is a five story monolith that can have basically whatever they want granted party paint vinyl not allowed. These are all wonderful elements. However this disparity between the two it's hard to articulate it's not a design professional but if you look at the disparity between the structures that this building will be replacing buildings built in 1940 and 1920. I mean there's no acknowledgment of the fact that this is a business district within a historic neighborhood and the ability to have multifamily housing is very possible. We've seen it on North Maine we see it on Confederate we see it in other areas even with this developer they have done a similar project in West Ashley that abuts a historic neighborhood of similar craftsmen style the apartments are three story tall and they are more residential looking with exterior egresses and they can do it they have just they're not and so as the neighborhood we're just asking that we look at the size and massing of this to make it work because this will be a flagship this is going to set a standard for the area and I'm afraid at this size and mass it's just too much thank you thank you staff for my own clarification do we actually now have an automated timer is that a timer going off? Yes. Okay we haven't had that before I believe I just was checking all right it kind of startled me all right thank you thank you anyone else here to speak we will now hear comments that have been received in writing. Can you hear me? Very low. I'll just try to speak loudly. I do have one comment and I'll wait on any callers comment is from Ginny Iwin and I hope I pronounced that correctly her comment is the proposed development at the intersection of river and Benton drives does not fit the surrounding community architecturally it presents traffic concerns for the surrounding residential streets I live on Buford Street near River Drive and believe this is the wrong location for this much needed housing that have been forwarded to the commission any that were received before in the business day yesterday March 16th 2022 have been forwarded to the commission those include 11 that were opposed and that those were letters from Owen Elliott Michelle Leclerc Laurie Chrissy Vaughn Lynn Childs Kristen DeBard Clayton King David Vaughn Josh Laney Michael Reems and Rafael Labrador and then one letter in support which was Caitlyn Mahoney those have been sent to the commission for you to read before the meeting. Have received one letter since those were sent out to the members of the city of Columbia design development review commission. Thank you for carefully considering the impacts of the Benton crossing development on Columbia and its residents. I rate this letter for your consideration and for inclusion in the permanent record as a resident of Columbia and as an 18 year resident of the neighborhood in which the proposed development is to be constructed. Although I write this letter of concern solely as a resident its content is consistent with concerns of many of our residential neighbors many of whom I represent as a member of the Elmwood Park neighborhood association and its board. This comment has not been vetted by shared with or endorsed by the neighborhood association or its board. Any criticism of this letter is for me and you alone. I am firmly against the development as planned. At five stories the proposed development will be one of very few and the only of its type building of such height north of Elmwood Avenue and south of Interstate 20. This is a vast region which constitutes some of Columbia's most historic gentrification vulnerable neighborhood and thus valuable in the greatest sense of the word. A vote to support the proposed development is the opening of a door for future development that will further erect shadows over some of the last remaining gyms that make downtown Columbia an attractive place to live. Gems that differentiate Columbia from a hundred other similarly sized cities that have lost their soul only to benefit out of town and out of state developers whose vision do not align with the residents of those communities. That this development occurs at the convergence of three historic residential neighborhoods and immediately abutting one of them makes the decision you're about to make all the more impactful for the downtown neighborhoods of Columbia. It's impact on the one and two story single family homes that make up the vast majority of the Earlwood Elmwood Park and Cotton Town neighborhood will be significant in the same way that inconsistent definite architecture has reduced interest in other historic neighborhoods of downtown Columbia neighborhoods that are no longer vibrant residential parts of our city. These concerns about the proposed development are exacerbated because of the tax benefits that motivate them and the ownership group that will primarily benefit from their construction. These tax benefits and profits will not remain within our state let alone city let alone the neighborhoods who will hear the greatest cost of the development. Sorry bear the greatest cost of development. They will benefit an ownership group that unlike you and me have no stake in the preservation of our architecture. That group could demonstrate a more genuine concern for our neighborhood and city by reducing the height of the building to no more than three stories which would be much less architecturally obtrusive on our city and neighborhood. I encourage you to require such a change for the repercussions of such I mean of the proposed development will make a lasting and irreversible architectural change upon the downtown neighborhoods of our city. Sincerely David Barbo of Elmwood Park. Are there any voicemails or callers? No. No. I guess we answered our question no new correspondence right? Don't know if the applicant if you have anything you want to say at this point or okay state your name. Parker Zee. Do you swear to tell the truth in this proceeding? Yes. So I'm Parker Zee with the applicant board of Cooper Company's. Can you come a little closer to the microphone just so we can thank you. So to address some of the comments on height we when we initially created this project we had proposed a strictly five story building and after we met and have communicated with the three neighborhoods Elmwood, Earlwood, Cotntown, including a neighborhood meeting there was concern about the entrance which we initially had on Benton Street as well as being five stories. So part of what we did was maneuvered the entrance to be at the north end of River Drive on the property which shifted the building and as a result we also stepped down the building from five stories to be four stories as it gets closer to the neighbors. Doug had mentioned earlier that part of the reason for keeping it at five stories is that we have been awarded the tax credits which require us to be at 56 units for the tax credits and that step down from five to four stories permitted us to keep that while also not reducing the parking too little to fall under the city of Columbia requirements for this district. I think the parking requirements are between 1.2 and 1.5 spaces per unit for this district. And right now we're at 1.3. So just wanted to clarify that. There was also some public comments that were concerning the how much our company cared about our properties. And I do want to say that we really do care about our properties, our principles. They've, I've heard stories in the past where the maintenance wasn't upkeeping so they drove down and mowed the lawn themselves to show that this is the standard we need to maintain our properties to. They tell every developer and every worker that whenever we travel visit some of the local properties, give them feedback. And two weeks ago I was in Denmark, South Carolina, one of our properties. We noticed that the playground had, I guess, rubber mulch and that started spilling over into the parking lot. We gave that feedback and within the day they had changed our specifications so that we don't do rubber mulch anymore. We consistently improve and make changes to our specifications to, because we want to be good neighbors, we want to maintain the property to the best of our ability and we want to be an asset to the community and the neighborhood. Thank you. Does anybody have any follow-up questions at this point? Just one quick question with regard to the tax credits and the 56-unit requirement. Does your credit approval letter require 56 units or is that the mix of units you all have identified between market rent and below median income rental? It's the unit count we put in when we applied for the tax credits last year. We had applied last summer where we awarded the tax credits in last, I believe it was November or sometime between October and December. And when we applied, we applied with 56 units. We have a lot of what goes into the credits we receive is based on what they call eligible costs for receiving the tax credits. Every unit in the project is going to be affordable. So 56 units were eligible to receive the tax credits. And that's what it was received on. Thank you. Any other commissioners with a question or follow-up? I just want to get something clear in my mind. How tall is the building on the ground up? How tall is the building on the ground up? Well, it buries along Benton Street and along River Drive. But the tallest portion of the building is under 60 feet, which is the elevator tower. The rest of them are at 50. 50 feet. How much? 50. One thing that I think is important to tag on to Bob's comment is what the young lady brought up about. The mechanical units on the roof, and if there's going to be some kind of screening or whatever up there, I'd like to see that as part of the next. Because I think it really does contribute to that height factor yet again. It seems to be the 3D will help with us. Yeah, we need to understand the experience. We need to experience the experience. And I assume that y'all looked at other property nearby that wouldn't be so close to the residential. I mean, I appreciate that you said you care about the residences and the areas that you move into. But I'm assuming that this credit could apply to another piece of property. I don't think so. No. No. I don't understand that. One more quick question. I think there was a comment relating to the ability to maybe get creative with where the parking goes, whether that's a parking deck situation or something where it's not under the building so you can decrease the height. Because that seems to be the primary negative feedback is the height of the building. So have y'all looked at any alternatives to that? We needed to meet the minimum requirements of South Carolina housing. And the only way to do that was this podium building with parking underneath. Also, at this time, I'd address the main entry really is under the podium. There are two entrances, one that faces the protected property and one that faces north on either side of that community cluster at the corner. The entry on River Drive is really a pedestrian entry and probably won't get very much use. And maybe residents leaving there to walk the city. And there was a comment about maybe potentially adjacent sites for parking. Is that worth exploring? Has that been explored? Yeah, I'm still not following the question that Mr. Schleavy asked about while we couldn't consider a structured parking so that we could bring the building down. I didn't quite understand the answer to that either. Yeah, we haven't. I guess the best way to answer it is we haven't necessarily looked at it, but in looking at the area, there's not much opportunity for leasing, parking, or constructing an external parking lot that would be convenient walking distance for residents. Yeah, because I go back to your comment that there's I think the issue is the height and that parking is not only the worst part of the elevation in terms of how it's approaching the street, but also adding to that height factor. So if there's anything y'all can do to look at that in a little bit more detail, it would really be greatly appreciated. And other sites potentially for parking. Yes, we can look at that, but I'm not sure what opportunities there are in the general vicinity that will have space to be able to either lease, park, or construct parking. I guess we're just suggesting it's worth investigating since we'll see what motion goes. But obviously the recommendation to defer this, there's a lot of things to still be worked out. So we look forward to see how it evolves. Yeah, OK, I appreciate that. OK, with that, I do need a motion of how to proceed on this case. I've already stated my preference, but I do need a motion and a second. OK, it's a lot to read, but I'll be happy to do it. I would like to recommend that the 2615 River Drive be deferred and deny the design certificate certificate of design at this moment. Be deferred based on addressing the following design elements in order to meet the Northman corridor guidelines, provide additional features along the River Drive elevation to mitigate the parking garage frontage and illustrate with an enlarged elevation to better understand how that will read from the street. Reconfigure some of the common spaces on the first floor to maximize active frontage along the street. Provide a more consistent rhythm of architectural bays by reducing the number of materials on the street-facing facades. Brick and horizontal siding are recommended. Provide more architectural emphasis on the corner and at the building entrances to illustrate with the perspective of the corner from traveling north on River Drive. Provide some fenestration and other features to break up the expanse of the blank wall on the north short and end elevation. Provide dark bronzed windows with at least a four-inch depth from the face of the wall. And more information about the roof-mounted utility equipment DB provided if applicable. And to work with staff on all of those recommendations. Do we have a second? Second. Mr. Broom? Yes. Ms. Sims-Sprannam? Yes. Ms. Jaco? Yes. Mr. Salibi? Yes. And Mr. Wolff? Yes. Motion passes. Is there any other business for the agenda? Staff, everything covered? Did we cover everything on that? I think we're good and we have no other business. Oh, OK. So just making sure we captured everything we needed to on that. All right. All right, great. Then a motion to adjourn, please. I'm sorry. I'm forgetful. We did want to mention that we formatted new guidelines. I think I sent an email to that effect. So no guideline language has been changed since its adoption, but we do have a new format for all of our guidelines. And so they're consistent now and how they're laid out, hopefully for customer ease of use, along with some information about administrative processes to make that more efficient and easier for people who are trying to use the guidelines. For historic districts, yeah, thank you. Is that available online as well? It is. It's all online. And I think since you guys, the link in one of our past emails, but we can resend it if you all want to look at it. We thought that would be easier, but we also have the book here if you want to take a look before you leave today. So they look really great. We're very proud of that work. But that is all of the business. Thank you. Thank you. And I don't have any business out of business. So motion to adjourn. I move to adjourn the meeting. Meeting is adjourned.