 Good evening, everyone. Good evening, Andy. I just wanted to let you know I was just trying to work through. Our new YouTube procedure is apparently going to need yet more refining. As we discovered. So Brian. Unfortunately was unable to resolve it. This evening. So the meeting will be loaded afterwards, but we won't have a live YouTube feed. So we need to make that. Announcement. So I can do. So you want me to do that in the introduction. Yeah. And, and is there a link posted on the zoning administrator site that we're going to have a live in the meeting instructions. There are instructions that there is a YouTube feed, but not necessarily a link to it. The link is to this zoom meeting. And there's really, there's no participation on the YouTube feed either. It's really just a way to monitor the meeting. So, uh, you know, the zoom meeting is the, is the way that is the vehicle that people have for participation. And we start at five PM. Yes. All right. I did add a number of people on to the. Teams channel. Staff. I think I'll write a little note that. Communication. Is limited to a central. Limit limit all the chats to a central communication. And, uh, yeah. Um, I do have. The packet. Without the updated reso and other items that Andrew may have put up. On the site. Uh, they're on my computer hard drive. So. I can work from that. So I'll let you continue. So do you have any more prep work to do in advance of our start here now in 18 minutes? No, I'm just watching, um, watching my chat here. It looks like, um, if Patty ends up having a little too much trouble, then I'll go ahead and, um, My laptop is overheating. Yeah. Andrew needs to share his. Yeah. This, this screen will go away once our meeting has started. It'll be fine. Yeah, but. Oh, do you want. Yeah. I thought I Andrew said, I thought. I was sharing my PowerPoint. Well, he's got everything ready. So. How's my volume. You sound just perfect to my, to, to my. Volume level. So it looks like we have a person from the applicant team here, Keith. Yeah. You can raise your hand if you'd like to. Verify my head is working. Verify my headset is working. Sounds good. Can you hear us? Okay. Kimberly, can you verify my, um, sound levels are. Working with my headset. Yeah, I think it sounds great. Yeah, I'm not hearing you. You want to try that again, Andy? Can you hear us now? We can hear you. You can hear me. Yes. My audio to my. Headsets not picking up. So I just may. Abandon this. Yeah, it's not worth worrying about. So my audio continues to be good. If anyone that has joined the meeting as a member of the applicant team and would like a sound check. Would you please raise your hand? Okay. Mr. Rogal, you should receive a prompt. And after you answer that prompt, you'll be able to. We'll be able to hear you. Okay. Testing testing. One, two, three. Are you okay? Sounds good. We can hear you just fine. If you can remember to mute when you're not speaking, then we won't have to do that prompt every single time. Okay. Thank you. Very good. We'll do. I'll go to it now. Let's just make sure it's. Thank you. Andrew, do you want to do a sound check? Sure. Hi, Kimberly. This is Andrew. Triple the project planner for tonight's public hearing. Sounds great. Thanks, Andrew. Good afternoon and welcome to the zoning administrator meeting of. September 23rd, 2020. We have one item on our agenda. This is a virtual meeting. Due to the provisions of the. Governor's executive order to reduce. To allow us to set aside certain Brown act meeting requirements. We were able to host this zoom. Public meeting tonight. In our effort to reduce exposure to COVID-19. The members of the public participating tonight can do so. By either joining us on this streaming video. Webinar or by telephone. And as we get into the meeting. Each of you in part, who are participating. We'll be able to comment and to do so. Yeah. For those of you on zoom. Please raise your hand. Using the icon, you'll be recognized by the secretary. Who is managing or hosting this meeting tonight. And she will unmute you. And then those of you on the phone. You need to press star nine. And we will see that you wish to speak and you will also be recognized and be given an opportunity to talk. This meeting will be conducted. Just as we would come to the meeting. Public meeting. We have, as I mentioned, one item on the agenda. The project planner will make a presentation. The applicant will be able to add information. Then after that. The public. Public comments will be received. Before we begin. We also. Allow members of the public. Or anyone in attendance who wish to comment on a matter. That's not on the agenda. To do so. If you wish to make a comment at this point. Please raise your hand. And you'll be given an opportunity. Three minutes. To comment on a matter that's on the agenda. I'm trying to monitor the. Participants list here. Attendees and. I see one hand. Is raised. Luke. If you wish to make a comment that's not on the agenda. With the hearing secretary, please recognize that hand in that hand's been lowered. So. I'm guessing. We have no members of the public. Or attendees that wish to comment. So I'd like to now move into the first. An only item on our agenda. And before I do, so I do want to. Announce that. For those of you who wish to return. Review or. Or. Watch this meeting. With the hearing secretary, please recognize that hand in that hand's been lowered. So I'm guessing. That's not on the agenda. So. The meeting later it is being recorded. It will be available. On the city's. City of Santa Rosa's YouTube channel. You can watch it in its entirety. Any action taken tonight on this mat on this project. Is appealable. It's a 10 day appeal period, which. Runs until the first business day, which will be the fifth. Of October. At 5pm. And if you do wish to appeal, please contact the project planner. And they will walk you through that process. So with that introduction. I now turn to item. 3.1 on our agenda. The project planner is Mr. Andrew triple. And it is a design review. I'm going to turn to item number one Santa Rosa Avenue. Mr. Triple. Great. Thank you, Mr. Gustafson. I'll go ahead and share my screen now. One moment, please. Okay, great. I'd like to just get a confirmation. Are you seeing the slideshow of the full screen or. I'm not. Yeah, you're not, it's not the presentation screen. You have the preview there. Okay. Okay. How about now? Okay. Nothing yet. Perfect. Okay, great. Thank you. Apologize for that. Okay. So this evening's project presentation is for the one Santa Rosa Avenue project located at one Santa Rosa Avenue in downtown Santa Rosa. This project does include residential housing units, and the city's inclusionary housing. And the city's inclusionary housing units. Absolutely. One hundred and sixteen of those units would be market rate. And four to five units would be a very low to low income. Residential units. The project applicant has indicated. That other project will provide income qualified units as required by the city's inclusionary housing ordinance. And the city's inclusionary housing ordinance. Are entitled to receive one project incentive or concession, which may include a modification of applicable development standards. So brief project history. The project received concept design review. Prior to application on May 21, the first and additionally a pre application neighborhood meeting. On June 15th. On July 18th. And public notification of the project application. Was completed in accordance with the zoning code. On July 17th. On July 28th, the applicant was notified that the project application was complete. And then between September 12th and 13th. Notice of public hearing was mailed posted on site. The city's email services. So the project, as I mentioned, is located in downtown Santa Rosa. This area is referred to as the downtown core in the general plan. And as the courthouse square sub area in the current downtown station area plan. Abutting the sites. Western parcel boundary is five story museum on the square commercial building that was completed in the mid 2000s. And it joins the project site on its southern parcel boundary. It's bounded on the north by third street beyond which is located courthouse square. And on the east by Santa Rosa Avenue. Surrounding development consists of commercial or mixed use buildings. The project site is within one quarter mile of downtown retailers, restaurant establishments and other commercial and public services. The project site is located on the west side of the city. The project site is within half a mile of the smart rail. And local and regional transit bus services are available at the transit mall. This project site is a transit rich on project site. From a traffic point of view, its peak hour generation is lower than 50 trips. And the peak PM hour trip generation identifies 43 trips for this project. But that actually may be less due to the transit proximity. So the project site is located on the west side of the city. And it's connected throughout downtown. As there are crosswalks and signals controlling pedestrian movements. The frontages of Santa Rosa Avenue and third street. Both have bike lanes already established. And as we know from our experience in downtown. That the pedestrian sidewalk is connected throughout all of downtown. Providing great access to. Those, those services within a quarter mile, are connected throughout downtown. So the project description consists of demolition of an existing commercial building. The project site was is currently developed with a one to three storey commercial office building. There's currently vacant. Since the 1970s, the building has been occupied by financial retail services institutions. That provided ground floor retail banking and drive through services. However, in the recent years, there has been a lot of damage to the construction of the building. The proposed project would consist of demolition of the existing commercial building. And construction of an approximately 105,000 square foot. Seventh story mixed use building. Comprised of ground floor commercial space. And 120 market rate. And a portable multifamily housing units. Those would be a mix of studio one bedroom and two bedroom space. And a two bedroom and two bedroom space. And a two bedroom and two bedroom space. And outdoor courtyard. And a rooftop deck. The building's multi-story main lobby entrance would face courthouse square. And the ground floor residential spaces with race stoops would front Santa Rosa Avenue. A cafe would be located at the corner of second Avenue. And Santa Rosa Avenue with a walk up or second street in Santa Rosa Avenue, rather. With a walk up service window, the general plan land use designation is retail and business services. The land use livability policy. LUL dash. Six allows residential or mixed use development. In retail and business services. Designation. Key general plan policies and goals advanced by this project include. That it would foster compact development pattern. In order to reduce travel. Energy land and materials consumption. It would promote a livable neighborhood by requiring compliance with green building programs. To ensure that new construction meets high standards of energy efficiency. And sustainable materials use. As well as ensuring that every day shopping parking. Park and recreation facilities. And schools are with an easy walking distance of most residents. It would also meet the housing needs of all Santa Rosa residents and maintain a diversity of neighborhoods. And varied housing stock to satisfy a wide range of needs. And it would ensure that the land use is promote the use of transit. And preserve and strengthen downtown as a vital and attractive place in our community. The project site and surrounding parcels or zone downtown commercial. The area in this image is referred to as Port Hills Square sub area in the downtown station area plan. And it would also meet the housing needs of all Santa Rosa residents and maintain a diversity of neighborhoods and varied housing. It would also meet the housing needs of all Santa Rosa residents in the downtown station area plan. This area is envisioned to be developed into a vibrant mixed use area. With new housing added to the existing office and retail uses. Appropriate high density housing is encouraged. To increase activity at night. And to provide more street life and improve safety. Ground floor retail and ground floor activity generating uses would promote a pedestrian friendly environment. The project is subject to the commercial district development standards. The downtown commercial zoning district standards. And regulations contained in the station area combining district. Which are intended to enhance and reinforce the needs of all Santa Rosa residents. And to provide a variety of housing types and densities in the specific plan area. The project is subject to the commercial district development standards. The downtown commercial zoning district standards. And the downtown commercial zoning district standards. Which are intended to enhance and reinforce distinctive characteristics within the downtown plan area. And create comfortable walking environments. Additionally, due to its location within a priority development area and the downtown plan boundary. The. Project is subject to the city's resilient city development measures. And the downtown commercial zoning district standards. And the downtown commercial zoning district. And of course, the ground floor commercial retail use as a permitted use as well. Therefore, all proposed land uses for this mixed use project are permitted by right. The project encourages dense development in the downtown area. As a mixed use residential project. It would promote a synergy between uses and pedestrian activity that extends beyond the typical nine to five work day and decreases the new need for commuting. The project's residential land use would also result in greater diversification of downtown land uses. Design review is required for new construction. And pursuant to the resilient city development measures. Design review is delegated to the zoning administrator. Through the minor design review process. The design review process. The applicable to design goals and guidelines are those contained in section two core area of the design guidelines. So the project's design review would evaluate the project's consistency with the core area design guidelines. And it was reviewed during concept design review by the design review board. Analyzed by planning staff during planning review. The design review process was reviewed during today's public hearing. Concept design review again was provided on May 21st. And comments provided by the design review board are recorded. In the meeting minutes. Project information submitted as part of the project application incorporates design review board comments. And planning staff requests for revisions are also incorporated into project materials made publicly available. In addition to the design review process, the design review process is also included in the design review process. The design intent of this seven story 120 unit building. Seeks to create a strong presence on a site located between courthouse square. The transit mall. With frontages on three downtown streets. By locating the building's more stylistic elements. At the prominent third street Santa Rosa Avenue intersection. Comments from the design review board during concept design review. All of that includes tho building's. The design is a structural detail or implementing push pull of demonstration or lasting. Or variation on the facade and to echo surrounding buildings. Considering changing the unit makes for a variation on the facade. Consider Juliet Balcony's rolling screen material. Especially along the ground floor. Residential unit frontages. floor and possibly second floor to allow for a mix of uses and to enliven this the corner of Santa Rosa Avenue and 3rd Street to stand proud. Additionally consider a 8 to 10 foot sidewalk per the surrounding area in lieu of a 6 foot 3 inch sidewalk which is not big enough for downtown sidewalks and consider multiple entries for the different street-facing facades. Project characteristics, development standards can be seen here. I would like to point out that the proposed residential density is 240 units per acre and there is no maximum density in the downtown commercial zoning district. With regard to the ground floor uses, which are the urban center street type category, the zoning code allows activity generating uses residential or a mix of both. Additionally and what is not seen here with regard to height limit is that the ground floor or ground level floor to ceiling height is required to be a minimum of 12 feet and the project would achieve a ground level floor to ceiling height that is less than 12 feet. The applicant's request to receive a concession from this development standard has been approved by the director of planning and economic development as regulated by the inclusionary housing ordinance. So with regard to required parking, resident vehicle parking needs would be supported by 90 permitted parking spaces located in city parking garage 12 at 555 First Street identified at the bottom of the image on your screen. And resident visitor and visitor bicycle parking and storage would be supported by 84 indoor long-term bicycle parking spaces and three short-term outdoor bicycle parking spaces. The zoning code requires one reserve parking space per unit for projects within the courthouse square sub area. Therefore, the minimum parking requirement for this project would be 120 spaces. Due to site constraints resulting from the project's multiple street frontages and transit mall operational constraints, development of on-site parking was not feasible. To encourage alternative methods of providing required parking in the downtown plan area, the zoning code allows projects that are unable to provide the total number of required parking on-site parking spaces to consider paying for use of shared spaces within other parking facilities in lieu of applying for a parking reduction or variance. Responding to the project's sites constraints, unique characteristics and the flexibility incorporated in the downtown parking regulations. The project proposes a 25 parking space reduction and reservation of 90 resident parking spaces through the permitted parking allowed by city parking in city garage 12 at 555 First Street. City garage 12 provides 688 parking spaces. A recent downtown parking study found that during the one-year time period from March 2019 to March 2020, the highest observed one-hour occupancy in city garage 12 was 58% or 399 spaces. Both crosswalks as well as the sidewalk system would adequately serve movement between city garage 12 access points and access points to the proposed building. Based upon its review of project characteristics, including its downtown location, adjacency to a major transit facility with multiple local and regional transit service providers, proximity to a parking public parking facility, demonstrating approximately 40% vacancy. Planning staff concludes that the project would generate demand that required and could be provided by 90 permitted parking spaces in garage 12 when combined with additionally available one-time parking and reserve space options at garage 12 would be sufficient for the safe, convenient and efficient operation of this use. The project has been conditioned to require the developer to enter into agreement with the city to provide at least 90 permitted parking spaces in city garage 12. This agreement must be approved by city council prior to issuance of a project building permit for new construction, and the project must comply with downtown station area specific plan and zoning code parking requirements in effect at the time that a building permit for new construction is issued. Planning staff finds that the parking reduction would not be materially injurious to the properties or improvements in the vicinity. On the screen before you now is the site plan, the white area shows the proposed building and then the green area which show a proposed open space at both the ground floor and the rooftop levels. Public improvements would include new pedestrian sidewalks with curb ramps, directional curb ramps, installation of ballards at the intersection of 3rd and Santa Rosa Avenue, installation of trees adjacent to the building along or adjacent to the street along the 3rd street frontage and between the sidewalk and building along the Santa Rosa Avenue frontage. A service curb cut would be installed on the transit mall frontage with review by City Transit. Santa Rosa Avenue frontage parking spaces would be designated for commercial deliveries during the hours of 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and otherwise metered per city parking regulations and a 20 minute pedestrian drop off pickup area would be designated along the Santa Rosa Avenue frontage as well. As is required by the station area combining district, the building is placed at the property line for at least 80% of the project frontages, except that along 3rd street the front of the building is set back two to three feet to allow additional space for pedestrian facilities and street trees. Also building entries face as street frontages on all sides. The design of the layout and proposed development would not interfere with the use and enjoyment of neighboring existing or future developments in that the design is appropriate for its location. Support street level pedestrian activity would promote synergies between uses and pedestrian activities that extend beyond the typical nine to five work day and decrease the need for commuting. And it would also contribute to residential development, contribute residential development to an overwhelmingly commercial core resulting in greater diversification of the downtown land uses. The ground floor plan is reflected here with color coding, identifying bedrooms, amenity spaces, circulation, open spaces and other uses restaurant and utility as such. The project proposes residential uses for majority of the ground floor square footage. Ground floor residential units along Santa Rosa Avenue have exterior entrances and the building's primary residential entrance front courthouse square at the intersection of 3rd and Santa Rosa Avenue. A secondary residential entrance is off of the transit mall and ground floor commercial use includes Santa Rosa Avenue entryway and the transit mall service window. The multitude of access points combined with the project's primarily residential use would ensure a high level of pedestrian activity on its street frontages, increase visual interest of the street and specifically identify the building use. The stationary combining district regulations state that properties directly facing courthouse square incorporate ground floor retail uses. Planning staff's evaluation of the historic development pattern at the time that the downtown plan was crafted concluded that this requirement is applicable to those properties along the east, west and north sides of what was then a unified courthouse or not a unified courthouse square Mendocino Avenue ran through courthouse square at that time. The dimensional and use characteristics of 3rd street as an arterial street along courthouse square south boundary prevent the project from interacting with courthouse square in the same manner as those buildings facing directly into the square. The proposed project's design would provide much needed housing in the core area by maximizing the number of units. When demand for ground floor retail or commercial space in this location outstrips the need for housing the construction system used on the lower floors which is concrete post and slab would allow ground floor and second floor to be renovated without affecting the residential units above. And here we show the second floor plan reflecting the the residential units comprising the entirety of the second floor. However we can also point out on the lower left and right hand corners of the building how the the ground floor insets extend up to include the second floor. And here we see the roof plan showing in detail the outdoor area on the roof deck that would overlook courthouse square. So during planning review the project is reviewed for compliance with zoning code regulations and consistency with core area design goals and guidelines. A project may not need to fully implement all design guidelines but it should meet or exceed design goals for the core area. The proposed project faces courthouse square and the applicant has demonstrated how its architectural design is organized in consideration of its relationship to the square. Through its implementation of a tripartite horizontal division of the facade, the proposed design reflects notable historic buildings such as the Rosenberg building. While its use of modern materials and scale back architectural details locates the building in contemporary design. Planning finds that the proposed development reflects the development intensity of the courthouse square core area and building scale articulation and mass. The project is unique in that it would introduce ground floor residential units to the square view shed and diversify the type and level of activity occurring around the square. In doing so it supports the downtown plan's vision of introducing housing to existing office and retail uses. The five-story rear portion of the building on Second Street maximizes natural light penetration into the building's courtyard and diversifies the project's massing along its Second Street transit mall frontage. A green roof and bioretention planter on the fifth floor in the rear of the building enhances upper level views and contributes to the project's sustainability. The primary outdoor gathering space on the building's rooftop would be the deck that overlooks courthouse square. The screening of rooftop mechanical equipment would benefit all persons who interact with upper level views of the proposed project not just from those taking advantage of the rooftop deck but also in other buildings in the downtown core area with a view of the rooftop. The building's form creates an exterior facade with a definitive base, middle, and top utilizing banding on the second floor and a step back top floor that also introduces new materials in color. Exterior facade materials include a combination of panelized cladding, stucco, and storefront glazing. Planning staff notes that the individual residences create multiple tendencies at the street level and with access taken from the public sidewalk they serve to support pedestrian activity. The three-tier horizontal scale of the building reflects similar design elements of nearby buildings surrounding courthouse square. The rhythm and similarity of openings honors existing historic architecture while the details and materials clearly identify the building as new construction. The project design would provide 90% glazing at the cafe and the main building entry with 25% glazing at the residences. Planning staff notes that the ground floor uses are residential uses and the glazing and untitled windows are appropriate for these ground floor uses. Street trees are not provided along the second street transit mall as they would interfere with bus service. The Santa Rosa Avenue frontage would have street trees immediately adjacent to the building however and all building frontages include building mounted, pedestrian scale lighting, and clear walkways. A walkway service area is planned for the commercial spaces transit mall frontage and we can see on the ground floor the use of the warmer wood tones serves to soften this frontage where we anticipate that as currently happens many transit users gather around this location. The applicant has demonstrated that a minimum of 50% of the building frontage width above the first story is differentiated by recessed windows, balconies, offset planes, or other architectural details as required by the downtown commercial zoning district standards. The architectural design of the proposed development is compatible with the character of the surrounding neighborhoods as follows. In the project setbacks along Santa Rosa Avenue and third street in the tiered horizontal scale of the buildings reflecting similar design elements of nearby buildings and the rhythm and similarity of openings reflecting and honoring existing historic architecture. In the differentiation by recessed windows, balconies, and offset planes through the prominent front elevations with a two-story glazed opening on the public lobby of the building, through the public cafe that invites the public into the building and supports street level activity, and finally through the residential doorways and associated frontages that form individual bays and create meaningful subdivisions in the building's facades. At the street level trees and other accurate landscaping elements reflect the design team's interpretation of the best use of the public right-of-way. Principal street trees are planted adjacent to the building face along Santa Rosa Avenue in order to maximize visual interest to the block for pedestrians and other passers-by. Given the location length and height of the building facades, the design team indicated that the shade giving roll of street trees is of much less importance in this location as the building itself provides significant shade and that the trees would provide texture variety and general visual interest to soften and humanize the landscape. Through the varied colors and textures of the landscaping running the length of Santa Rosa Avenue, this would substantially contrast the harder edges that are the fronts of all the surroundings and nearby commercial buildings. By designing a colony of street trees, the project seeks to provide domestic warmth to the residential entries on the street and to signal a fundamental change from a purely commercial zone to a mixed-use one. The project proposes Equitone Natura which is described in project materials as having a smooth belted wool appearance and a sense of texture on the first two stories of the building. Wood-like accent panels on Second Street would create visual warmth and variety on the facade as previously described and at the cafe and main entrance building the space between the back of the sidewalk and building would be embellished with concrete pavers. Planning staff has recommended extending the use of differentiating paving materials to residential front stoop areas as well. The design of the proposed development will provide a desirable environment for its occupants visiting public and its neighbors through the appropriate use of materials textures and color and would remain aesthetically appealing and be appropriately maintained in that the proposed design features include indoor and outdoor community areas and a rooftop deck. The project design provides 90% glazing at the cafe and building entry with 25% glazing at residences. The project proposes building materials that create visual warmth and variety on the facade and the multi-story primary entrance would feature highly recognizable art at the building's main entrance. Planning review concludes that the design and layout of the proposed development is of superior quality and is consistent with the general plan, the applicable specific plan, applicable zoning code standards and requirements, the city's design guidelines, architectural criteria for special areas and other applicable city requirements and the matter has been properly noticed as required by all zoning code sections and the request for a public hearing has been acted upon. The design is appropriate for the use and location of the proposed development and achieves the goals and review criteria and findings for approval as set forth in the framework for design review. The project does require a discretionary entitlement and as such environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act was required. Planning has found that exemptions in section 15182, projects pursuant to a specific plan, section 15183, projects consistent with the general plan and the class 32 exemption for infill projects under section 15332 are applicable to this project. In that the land use designation density design and infrastructure plan under the proposed project is consistent with the adopted specific plan and general plan or which EIRs have been certified and would not result in significant impacts not previously identified as significant project level cumulative or off-site effects in those EIRs. The project would not result in any significant effects related to traffic noise air quality or water quality based upon the traffic technical operational study. The project's conditioning to comply with city's noise ordinance and the project complies with all required policies contained in the city's adopted climate action plan and is conditioned to require compliance with all air quality mitigation measures contained in the specific plan EIR and is additionally conditioned to incorporate all low impact development best management practices as part of the final storm water low impact development submittal. The project site is located in development areas where it can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. City staff has reviewed the plans and conditioned the projects appropriately. Public comments, oh sorry, there are no issues to resolve. We did spend some time during planning review working with City Transit to ensure that the the required services access to the project building would not interfere with transit operational services on the transit mall. Public comments were received in response to notice of concept review during the concept review public meeting and at the neighborhood meeting and in response to the notice of application. With regard to those public comments there were comments about the proposed ground floor uses. Generally the public indicated that they would like to see commercial oriented ground floor uses along both facades. With regard to architectural details commenters suggested that project design lacks architectural details and they expressed opposition to the proposed project colors and finally with regard to off-site parking there were some concerns expressed about displacement of commercial uses parking currently using garage 12 as a primary parking resource. Planning staff has evaluated these public comments and concerns then concludes that the project as presented is the ground floor uses are allowed by the zoning code and that the architectural details are appropriate and do satisfy the design goals and guidelines. The design guidelines do not regulate project colors and so that's a concern that while that is public sentiment with regard to the coloration the design guidelines would not regulate them and then finally with regard to off-site parking the the city commissioned parking study that was done in late 2019 and finalized in early 2020 has been reviewed by city staff. The concerns have been reviewed by city staff and the conclusion is that there's ample supply of parking at garage 12 with the addition of permitted parking spaces for residents of this project. In conclusion planning staff and planning and economic development department recommends that the zoning administrator approve minor design review of one Santa Rosa Avenue a seven-story mixed-juice building comprised of ground floor commercial space and 120 market rate and affordable multi-family housing units located at one Santa Rosa Avenue in downtown Santa Rosa and planning staff is available for any questions. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Triple excellent report very comprehensive and I'll withhold any comments from myself and also I ask the public who are intended to remember that we will recognize you after the applicants have opportunity to present and I would invite them to do so now is any member of the applicant team wish to comment or add to Mr. Triple's presentation if you do please raise your hand you'll be recognized Mr. Rogel. Yes thank you. We have provided a presentation in pdf form I'm not sure if that was available um readily I'll perhaps we could ask Mr. Triple on that and it's not compulsory I can certainly there was such a comprehensive presentation that he just gave I can certainly simply speak through our our ideas as well so maybe I just pause for a moment to see if that's something that would come up on the screen. Is that applicant's presentation material available? Yes it is would you like to move to the applicant presentation? Certainly yes okay and I imagine Andrew you'll have to advance the slides correct correct so uh Mr. Rogel I will share my screen it will have your presentation on screen and then when you are ready for me to advance the page then just uh indicate so. Terrific thank you. Okay and so then the screen being shared is the one Santa Rosa Avenue Minor Design Reviews the a special meeting presentation. Yep that's terrific that's our obviously our starting or starting point which were two things one physical and one essentially community will and spirit so the clear message sent out by the resilient city ordinances and by comments from the the city council and by leaders in the community members of the community about a desire to to really stimulate housing in the core of the downtown to go up rather than continue to go out was compelling to us as is the idea of the redevelopment of older properties blighted or obsolete properties so this site was of great interest given it's both its prominence on the square um at its vacancy and the notion that it could really be a signal um to others as well about the the viability of this kind of taller developments taller denser and residentially focused development next slide please our philosophy in terms of thinking about the design was to of course begin first with with the historical context and the historical context as seen in these images is early 20th century principally images uh I think clearly shows the the the structure the order um and the kind of neoclassical form that the dominated and also shows why even today after a lot after some ups and downs economically physically uh the city to us feels so clearly ready and able to absorb this kind of taller denser more urban development in the core which is to say that the proportion and character of the streets and then later the parks and the legacy of architecture was uh very refined and sophisticated and urban that a really wonderful base was set and obviously some of these buildings have been well maintained the Rosenberg and obviously the rooms had great excitement about the restoration of what's now the the hotel um next slide please development continued vigorously obviously through different economic cycles i'm quite sure that the architect and proprietors of each of these buildings um thought hard about what they were doing and what's excited about what they're doing at the time but obviously from the urban design perspective it's a bit of a free-for-all and it seems to me that the design guidelines which are strong and thoughtful and Santa Rosa like in many cities were partly a reaction to this uh somewhat chaotic form um which is particularly clear in the context of having a square a strong central square and so the reunification of the square was also something that was important to us uh in a positive way go to the next slide please so the thought being as we began to zero in on a kind of again a philosophy of design was to look back to the Rosenberg in particular as just an elegant neoclassical building basic forms as Andrew described um with base shaft and uh capital in essence um but also to acknowledge buildings such as this American Trust building which is an elegant modernist building so that it's not that Santa Rosa was stuck in the past it embraced the passage of time and embraced new materials and new ideas and it's obviously continuing to do so today and we we felt this was a very handsome and thoughtful building the kind of Bauhaus refinement that was elegant in terms of the choice of material contemporary material smooth finish but with with real character and the artful and ingenious rest or adaptive reuse of the of the building which is our immediate neighbor and so as are on the upper left and so as our immediate neighbor that character becomes very very important because what we didn't want to do was what we saw in the prior slide to just say this is a this is a site that stands alone it doesn't stand alone we think it's part of a fabric that exists and that we hope will be further stitched together and so there are aspects of this adjacent building most notably it's the the planar quality the steel the the the metal forms and punching and the the colors as well which were of importance for us in that we didn't want to turn our back on that we're not attempting to be the same neither are we attempting to be the same as the Rosenberg nor the American trust but to try to take something from the past as well as the present to be a good neighbor but to set a tone that we think moves in the direction of this more formal strong character around the square that helps define the square so that the square in the end becomes the most important thing and the buildings are really the the walls of the outdoor room around it and so that also affected our view about things like balconies and other elements that we thought would ultimately become a distraction with the individual pieces of residences lives on the balconies that it was better to have something that was more sculptural and cleaner around the square so let's go to the next slide please next slide and so this really a lot of it has been been covered and it's also on the record I don't um belabor it but the design that you see has quite a number of changes based on on the feedback I think our philosophy has remained the same but we really worked on in response to designer review board comments adding more very plainer variation and more texture with this very strong cornice which the building lacked before this kind of capital to the column and the introduction of of the the trellis element and then this setback balcony so it creates a very strong cap um the carving out carving back of the corner the chamfered corner that fronts the most prominent piece and the use of different material and punch punch window there rather than a kind of more commercial storefront which was there before the height of it um and taking the decision to take not just street trees but to really think about particularly the the connection on this short block second to third or third to second is a short block and it's one that really is connecting the square with activity of the movie theater people coming and going to the parking and rather than simply having trees we wanted to have the trees essentially embedded in a continuous little parkway in effect so that they are interplanted not just standing alone but interplanted in a continuous piece of a planter uh punctuated only by the residential entries and the planters with native material in terms of flowering shrubs and so forth so that uh and then the trees being apple trees of the ability to shape them considerably uh and the wood of the entry triangle all respects to really enliven that facade for that the pedestrian experience that it changes seasonally that it's it's it's varied and textural in a way that goes beyond building but really the landscaping integral integral to the building you know we spoke I spoke about the question about balconies we did revisit the topic of windows we've expanded the windows further we worked on a rhythming of singles and pairs and we visit one unfortunate thing about the virtual meetings is it's not possible to show samples or mock-ups directly in a meaningful way but there is significant window relief and we added we'll come to this in a moment added uh kind of pediments um prominently to add further uh variety there but we did not want the the kind of uh hodgepodge that we think emerges from from balconies to visual busyness so we thought would detract from the backdrop here and in that we were looking both back to Rosenberg of course was was built as a commercial building but also whether San Francisco or New York or major cities many of the most elegant expensive and desirable buildings do not have those features they really have this elegant neoclassicism that's really what we were the kind of mark we were seeking to set the colors we touched on briefly again I think they will be warmer and more interesting in in reality than they ever could be on a little computer screen and we feel very good about them as backdrop to the to the trees that are in the square and on the site but also in a neighborly way that it doesn't they won't overly draw attention to the building but they'll fit in and they'll feel they'll feel rich because of the nature of the material next slide please um you've touched on all of these I believe uh Andrew just to to hit the I think the the one note uh just about perhaps about the lobby and and adding the balcony above the lobby just in all respects both the lobby and with the ground floor residential units a vibrant and dynamic urban commercial street is obviously an energetic place we hope that fourth street like all of america that has vibrancy will will come back soon as we ultimately beat the pandemic um but in general retail is challenged and is essentially non-existent in this kind of setting we have a wide street that's a heavy pass through street and far from the commercial center and people having their own entry coming directly to the street gives eyes on the street and attention to how it looks and feels that we think is enlivening we think the planning is enlivening and then we wanted to make the lobby one that was so expansive that we felt that residents and tenants would really use it would really be there and unlike a piece of commercial that might or might not be least might be vacant as is much of the commercial around retail around us would always have activity would always have lights on but then where there are lots of people with time on the transit side that's been just a waiting place the idea of introducing food and beverage there and and introducing we added a service window uh the uh excellent suggestion from from staff that really will we think facilitate that being a place that's used by by folks who are coming and going from the transit or just passing by the next slide please um the sidewalk topic was raised you know i our sense overall was the number one priority is to accommodate housing to maximize the amount of housing that is can be accommodated in this setting and it's not a very big site and so the the dimensions of the site really coupled with what seemed to us pretty explicit language in the in the design code stipulated that we did build to the build to the street edge rather than hold hold back the hold back would have required us asking for for variance or change and would have been enormously compromising in terms of the amount of the amount of residences that we could successfully accommodate our goal was not to have micro units or something that is truly untested there was enough pioneering attribute in simply building a building of this height and size and having it be upscale rental there are certainly small units younger people in smaller households but overall wanted to have a have a mix and we feel we've accommodated that with nice private space in the back in the courtyard and also on the on the roof and then residents will be coming and going through multiple entries as as discussed the design guidelines they're of course a foundational document for thinking about the square and we read them very very closely before we started our design once we completed our first round and after our design review board and there's an attachment that was provided I think is in the packet where we spoke to how we thought about each and every one of the relevant guidelines and we took them seriously and because they were they're there they were written with seriousness and we think they're part of what's helping us and others as we step in in a way that can help fulfill a unified vision about about the square while still having individual architectural variety so I next slide please I think there might be it on the those comments next slide there were staff comments I won't maybe the labor these we'll just look at the images but there were things we received along the way and and just wanted to acknowledge that we did review them and and I think address address them next slide please and next slide these can all be talked about with the images the next slide okay so looking at medrons in the front looking at apples along the the left side olives and quite a mix of things in the roof citrus trees let's go to the next slide sorry sorry if you could back up again and yeah so I just wanted to note in terms of the corner there was a real change from the prior view in terms of introducing these balconies carving back and changing the material and then the very strong and different relationship as one of the design board member designer view board members about how the building meets meets the sky and yet at the same time trying to remain congruent and you'll see it in a larger sketch of view with the kind of modelithic nature both of the theater that sort of deco reference and kind of planar sculpture of 520 next to us okay next slide please yep so the cafe you can just get a little sense on the left side under the word where it rounds the corner onto second of a service window a pickup window a kind of leaning bar so that people could be using the facility without having to come in and then adding the prodema these really nice wood panels all along the way and you'll see in the plans kind of just off the screen to the left is the location we've identified for an additional piece of public art either sculptural or mounted on the wall but it's something to further in live and visually the facade onto second onto second street and here you can get a sense of these pedimented awnings that have been added over the entry and over the the windows in the lower the lower floors and the continuity of I think not really the variety but the continuity of planting which will be more more textured and more varied in terms of color let's go to the next slide please again just a little sense of that how we I think this can be a kind of a little oasis as one passes from the square suddenly you go right now or if you were to walk on the other side of the street or you walk in front of the movie theater when when it's not just at the moment when a lot of people are coming and coming out there they're pretty barren and having a lot of growing things along this way we think we'll we'll expand it will be a nice experience and expand the kind of softness and texture along the way so next slide please and just a again a little bit of a detail and would be nice to provide a for us to be able to look to out of physical form but in any case it is a meaningful window relief that will can provide a great deal of shadow line um and and then this overhang piece again we felt was a modern a contemporary way we're not trying to pretend that Santa Rosa that we're all living 40 years ago but we're respectful of that and so a kind of contemporary way of of adding this this kind of formal quality and the little image to the right really is not informative one needs to see the real material but the equitone material is described really does have a lot of a lot of irrigation in it that brings interest to it next slide please and just this was an area where meaningful change took place in terms of adding the Prudema the area to the far left would be the bike storage for a significant bike storage 80 spaces there expecting to really encourage that kind of the non-vehicle journey to work and and then also as mentioned this other building mass to the left having a green roof being set back being organized in a way that provides privacy to that back courtyard but still allows significant light to come to come in next slide please um this has been discussed the sense of how the ground floor works next slide please and that's probably the last image um I believe let's just take one four no sorry it isn't yeah so I forgot we had sketch up just to show the building it's a little diagrammatic this was before making some of the final changes so it's lacking the trellis and so forth but I think you can get a sense of how with this image and and the Rosenberg building is kind of not mirroring but nodding to each other across the square diagonally but still also the relationship with the theater and the relationship with 523rd not wanting to be alien intruder in in that the context of those those buildings we hope setting a tone for might what might happen at the bank of america building across from us next slide please yeah and so our you know our hope our view is that that the urban design is only the most important piece and that that urbanistically uh this variety in architecture but that the urban character of this we feel good about we feel it'll be appealing um to prospective renters and we feel it provides a handsome backdrop to the square and we believe the quality of the materials and the character of the maintenance frankly will bring to it as well uh we'll move significantly in terms of signaling that this is a downtown where development can happen and people really gonna can enjoy living and they'll be further have their curiosity peaked we hope by seeing people up on that very alluring roof deck and balcony looking out at the square so one looks from the square up and sees them and perhaps that further cements the bond that this is a downtown where people can live so those are our general thoughts and pleased to answer questions on the um the zoning administrator from uh or indirectly from the public however uh the session is organized we're just glad to have the opportunity to present thank you very much is there and i'll i'll say that i'll hold my comments until the public has the opportunity to comment as well i don't have any clarification questions at this point yours as well as andrew's very complete presentation i appreciate that is there any other member of your project team that you wish to present at this point or shall we go to public comment thank you i think we could go to comment we have our excellent architectural team available for specific questions as they may arise but welcome welcome comments and questions okay well thank you very much so now it's time for public comment and here during this time we ask that people who do wish to comment if you're on the zoom webstream please raise your hand you'll be recognized in turn and for those who have called in we do have a couple i see if you wish to comment you press star nine and you too will be recognized so i do see that there are two members of the public that wish to comment the first that came up was mr peter rumble and hearing secretary if you would recognize mr rumble and mr rumble you will have to unmute yourself and did you pull your hand down you did so i assume you have withdrawn your your hand so mr uh i luke lindenbosch if you up mr rumble does have his hand up so let's continue with mr rumble mr rumble you'll receive a prompt and as soon as you answer it we'll be able to hear hear you thank you very much uh i am uh so tremendously excited for this project uh many my name is peter rumble again i'm the ceo of the senator as a metro chamber of commerce for years the senator as a chamber has prioritized the revitalization of downtown uh and had a very strong partnership with the city of santa rosa and doing so this project is i think emblematic of what can be and indeed what mr rogel so rightly hearkened to what was really in santa rosa a sophisticated downtown urban city where people feel comfortable living and have the opportunity to live the project is beautiful frankly uh and i think uh quite attractive to many people who i've spoken with uh who are interested in living in a building like this it is uh precisely the thing that many of our large employers are looking for in our downtown uh to both attract the emerging talent coming out of the bay area as well as keeping uh young families here uh as well as uh retired folks who wish to no longer live in a single family home but rather uh in a very uh upscale nice attractive beautiful building in our downtown core it is fundamental to the transition in our downtown to have a project like this and i so encourage the city to continue to move it forward as quickly as possible i thank you for that consideration and i thank keith and his team uh just on uh unending way for continuing to believe in santa rosa uh and moving this project forward so thank you thank you for your comments and now we turn to mr lindenbush thank you very much hi my name is luke lindenbush project and policy coordinator with generation housing an independent advocacy organization supporting the supply affordability and diversity of housing in sonoma county generation enthusiastically endorses one santa rosa avenue because the project is in line with both the broader goals and the more specific standards of the city of santa rosa including design guidelines and climate standards uh one santa rosa will bring new life to a site currently occupied by a vacant office building and the project will activate a vibrant pedestrian oriented streetscape i want to reference a few specific city goals that would be bolstered by this development the city's resilient city development measures or zoning code 20-16 in particular in section 7 identifies the downtown station area as a priority for multifamily residential development and the city has reaffirmed this commitment with the ambitious goals of the downtown station area plan update the minor design review that we're seeing tonight for one santa rosa confirms that the applicant has paid tremendous attention detail on the architectural context of downtown with a robust consideration detailed in the attached design concept narrative to highlight a few of the city's design guideline goals met by this project goal 2.3.4 states that primary building entrances should be accentuated when santa rosa achieves this the architecture strives to be complementary to the adjacent buildings in form and mass but punctuate the corner with a grand lobby entrance the main lobby entry faces the corner of santa rosa and third enhancing pedestrian consideration in the built environment across third street to the reunified courthouse square and furthermore goal 2.1.6 of the city's design guideline goals encourages appropriate interfaces between old and new structures thoughtfully considering scale building articulation and mass once again one santa rosa is designed to be compatible with the historic and contemporary urban design in the area the project echoes buildings like the rozenberg building and other neoclassical architecture nearby without mimicking them providing a familiar architectural rhythm with model for all of these reasons and more generation housing supports the continued residential development of downtown santa rosa and enthusiastically supports one santa rosa avenue so thank you very much to the applicant and staff and we hope that this project passes and gets started soon thank you thank you is there any other member of the public that wishes to comment if so please raise your virtual hand and you'll be recognized remember if you're on the zoom call it's your hand icon if you're on a phone it's star nine right we'll see none I will close the public comment period close the the this hearing public hearing and and now ask a few clarifying questions but before I do I just want to say at the onset that I must commend the design team for really effectively reach a solution on a site that is so vital downtown and has been mentioned that will help spark development interest in development and actual development for housing and commercial uses that is so needed in the downtown deserves so you know clearly through the concept design review process the team did hear concerns that if not completely revise the project allowed the team to think through their approach and and recognize their design solutions and how they best fit the context of our design guidelines so based on that I must conclude I think the evidence that has been presented here it's very clear that the design is superior and that it does bridge between historic downtown in terms of architectural form and and and reaches the other side to a more modern downtown with new functionality and needs in terms of the housing mix I applaud the affordability of it I do hope that it will become market affordable given the unit size and density so for that that that is a major benefit that the city will receive with this project going forward my you know with every project there's always trade-off and and it's hard to find any here that that is a negative I think the parking solution is always one that the community looks towards particularly downtown and as we hope when it's very attractive and people come everybody looks to parking as as as an issue potentially but here the solution that has been brought forward with off-site parking and the use of underutilized capacity within garage 12 of downtown is an excellent marriage of a resource that's available in the that's being created so I applaud that we are we are more effectively using our city parking facilities and that they will support projects like this I hope that continues um so the the other issue for me that is probably the most significant that demonstrates a trade-off has to do with the public domain the sidewalk I think there is a trade-off that occurred with the decision with the street loss of street trees along Santa Rosa Avenue and and going for what I would call edge landscape planting at the base of the building it's it's unfortunate that the sidewalk width there isn't greater because I do think that's a really going to be a heavily trafficked pedestrian corridor between the movie theater and the transit mall and the center of the downtown to the plaza and all the businesses that are there you know I I recognize that a lot of thought went into that I would only encourage that really for the city as well as future plans are are worked out for Santa Rosa Avenue that thought be given to enhance or or maintain wide socks wide sidewalks and and where necessary I think in this stretch seek opportunities to widen them so that they can breathe and flow and be gracious I just think that it's it's unfortunate that that the strip landscaping at the base of the building will actually take away from that existing width. I do want to recognize on the third street frontage there are in addition to that same type of strip lands or edge landscaping there will be street trees planted there I think those will actually do a lot to kind of humanize or frame that building as is viewed from from from the from the square with regard to really architectural design in detail and color again the applicant team demonstrated how it ties with the historic resource and contacts of the downtown and and I think without being slavish or or mimicking they picked up on the key elements made them modern and and helps the downtown move forward rather than get stuck in a sort of design historic template so I plot that I I really I really can't say that there's any other significant issue that that really is unanswered in this case it's it's really refreshing that such a vital piece of downtown has such a clean solution and we have such support from the community to go forward so with that I am going to ask staff to identify for me the resolution that will be acted on I know there were some amendments to that Mr. Triple if you can clarify there was one posted initially but then there was a revised set of conditions and I think some language we could identify that so that we take action on the appropriate one that is correct Mr. Gustafson would you would you like me to share my screen and scroll through the resolution or do you want to do that um why why don't you share your screen and and again I want to make sure that the applicant and the public are aware of the changes if they've if they read the resolution previously I would like everyone to be aware of those sure okay so the screen I'm sharing now is a word program document entitled resolution number dr20-033 is that the document that everyone is reviewing I'm seeing that on the screen yes does it have strikeout underline or is it a clean problem no it's a clean copy the the strikeout underline with the formatting got became awfully confusing okay so the other than grammatical changes we did enhance finding number six regarding public health safety or welfare to include the 25 percent parking reduction to 90 spaces and find that it would not be materially interest to the properties or improvements in the vicinity and that it would ensure that safe convenient and efficient operation of the use thank you we clarified in the finding number seven for CEQA exemptions the section 15183 projects consistent with the general plan finding that was referenced but was was not clarified and so we described the and demonstrated the consistency with a general plan policies for which the IR was program the IR was certified okay so that would be it for resolution findings then under planning and economic development department conditions of approval we added condition number six compliance with the city's inclusionary housing ordinance requires that the proposed project provide at least four very low-income housing units which would be three percent of total or five low-income housing units which would be four percent of total the project will be required to comply with all regulations contained in the ordinance including section 21-2.100 inclusionary unit development standards which requires that allocated units shall be constructed concurrent with or before construction of unallocated units that those allocated units shall be distributed throughout the residential project and allocated units shall be comparable in number of bedrooms exterior appearance and overall quality of construction to market rate units in the residential project as a whole thank you that was a good addition and then these what i'm scrolling through now are the mitigation measures that were included in the downtown stationary a specific plan EIR because we found consistency with a specific plan the project is required to implement applicable mitigation measures the other change under the parking section the applicant shall enter to agreement with the city to reserve at least 90 parking spaces for use by residents of one santeros avenue in garage 12 located at 555 first street as required by current zoning code parking policies we were notified by city parking that the agreement would be for permitted parking spaces and not reserved parking spaces and so that change a planning staff is recommending a change to condition of approval 9a hi i am and the distinction being is that material here or not i mean permitted versus reserve the distinction would be that a reserved parking space may be marked or indicated for an individual so if you go into garage 12 now i believe on the first and second floors there are spaces that are reserved for a named individual what the parking agreement would do is require that the project um by if you will permit parking permits in the number of 90 parking permits on an annual basis to be provided to residents but it would not restrict in the garage where those residents might park got it now that's a great distinction okay good right so i'll go ahead and um let's see i think i can make that change i'll look at this so that's what that change would look like if it looks good to you i'll just go ahead and accept the changes yes i love this live editing there you go the second part of the parking condition i just want to reiterate in case i went through it quickly in the presentation prior to issuance of a building permit for new construction the project shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the director of planning and economic development that it is in compliance with parking policies contained in the downtown station area specific plan and regulations in the zoning code at the time of building permit issuance all right thank you um so that in effect says that should parking standards change become less or more uh they are subject to those at the time of the issuance of the building permit that is the correct understanding of that condition okay thank you for that base there is one um additional condition of approval that planning is recommending uh based upon the presentation of the applicant this evening with regard to those uh santa rosa avenue street trees that would be planted up against the building we would like to propose an additional condition of approval that all tree selections will be made in consultation with city staff and be informed by the city's approved master street tree plant list in effect at the time of building permit issuance sounds good um and and while we're on that specific topic um i did read confirm for me that the third street frontage would have two trees in standalone sidewalk wells behind the curb that is correct yes that looks great super so i'll go ahead and accept uh uh what i'll do um we can move on with the meeting but just so you know uh i'll the only other edits i'll make is to remove these page breaks certainly to create a a consistent document and then save it for a zoning administrator administrative staff to provide to you for signature thank you i appreciate that that is the instrument that that resolution before us in in terms of content um i am pleased to approve and and grant the minor design review for number one santa rosa avenue again i wish to applaud the project team and and also city staff that works so um diligently to move this project forward to to what we have before us today which is i think a great opportunity in the start for our downtown uh rebuild or revitalization so i am now pleased to announce a german of this public hearing at six twenty five p.m. andy excuse me this is jeff burrick in the city attorney's office yes um i i'd actually raised my hand at the time that there was a change being made to 9a and i appreciate the uh the technological changes i was going to recommend that it stay in red line fashion just so that you have a paper trail showing what the changes were made uh today during this hearing certainly oh so i you can always final it but but i i would encourage you to go back and and have it redlined and and just to make sure that what you're approving uh is the resolution as uh as amended in in 9a that was done this evening thank you and you're absolutely correct i i did adopt or take action on a resolution as amended thank you um and and um mr triple if you can manage to uh resurrect the the text that existed before and create that red line document for the record that would be the thing to do so now i'll resume at now six twenty six i will uh adjourn this meeting and thank you very much thank you