AgdaPkt 2000-10-16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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qA-3 Date A lied Date Issued Sco e of Woik 10/2611999 11/911999 Tenant improvement to divide the first floor into two tenant spaces and accessibility improvements (a handicapped ramp and ADA bathrooms . 12/8/1999 12/9/1999 Tenant improvement for the corner space (Washington Mutual Home Loan Center 12/21/1999 12/22/1999 Rear lobb im rovements Although the applicant applied for the first Building Permit within two days of the six-month vacancy by Washington Mutual, the uses were new uses that had never been located on the ground floor of 2400 Broadway. The first Building Permit, which divided the first floor into two tenant spaces and created offices in the storefront windows (Stewart Title space), was issued in error though the Onestop Permit Center. At that time, the Onestop review process focused on the technical aspects of applications for Building Permits. The process has been improved to insure that zoning issues are thoroughly addressed and that similar errors will not occur at the Onestop Permit Center in the future. A"planner-on-duty" is always available for the Onestop. Onestop and "Counter Team" staff have received further training on the CBR Zoning District. A map of the CBR district has also been widely distributed. Many of the tenant improvements associated with the three Building Permits (e.g. accessibility compliance and rear lobby improvements) could be appropriate for retail uses of the space and are not specific to non-retail use by the Washington Mutual Home Loan Center or Stewart Title. It is of further note that the property developer signed leases with the Washington Mutual Home Loan Center and Stewart Title (on September 15, 1999 and October 1, 1999 respectively) prior to obtaining, or even applying for, Building Permits or Use Permits after having been told by the City Economic Development Coordinator that a Use Permit would be required for non-retail uses. Upon application for tF�e sign permit for Stewart Title and the Washington Mutual Home Loan Center in February 2000, planning staff were alerted to the change of use at 2400 Broadway. On March 6, 2000, staff sent a letter to the property owner which stated that since a home loan center and/or a title company had never been previously located on the first floor, a Use Permit would be required for continued occupancy of the site by those uses. Staff subsequently met twice with the property owner in March to discuss the situation. Staff advised the property owner(s) that a title company and a home loan center are not the same as the previous use of the first floor space, which had atways been a bank with teller services. A bank with teller services and an open lobby is a retail oriented use that frequently serves walk-in customers. Title companies and home loan centers are not frequented by the general public and have no retail orientation. Additionally, the applicant modified the interior of the building by replacing the open lobby with office cubicles and by creating enclosed offices immediately adjacent to the storefront windows (Attachment #5). Constantly drawn window blinds further obscure the pedestrian view into the space. The space is now a typical office appearance that presents a lifeless streetscape, which conflicts with the intent of the CBR Zoning District. Staff required the applicant to obtain Use Permits for both tenants based on Zoning Ordinance Article 26 "Central Business Retail District and Article 33 regulations for "Nonconforming Uses and Structures" (Attachment #6). The bank at 2400 Broadway was built in 1985 as a permitted use and did not require a Use Permit, prior to the establishment of the CBR Zoning District in 1991. Consequently, in 1991 when the CBR . _ __ _