AgdaPkt 2007-03-26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7A Page 2 Background On "Jlarch 12, the City Council held a public hearing on the Da~.Jntown Precise Plan. City staff presented the Plan's background, major issues, and overall content. After nearing public testimony, the City Council raised several questions regarding the Plan and continued the matter until March 26 so that staff could respond to these questions and issues. Presented below are the main themes raised by City Council followed by staff s responses. Height; !s the maximum height of 8 stories (92 feet) at the rear of the blocks along Brewster Avenue between Arguello and Winslow (e.g. the parcels with frontage on Fuller Street} too high? What are some options? Response: The draft Downtown Precise Plan requires a 3-story street-wall maintained for a minimum 20 foot step-back rising up to a 5-story building height; and then an increase in height to 8 stories at mid-block, continuing all the way back to Fuller Street. The intent of the Plan is to have a gradual height build-up from the periphery of the downtown area to the central core. Most of the proposed height in the downtown will be limited to eight stories (92 feet). This height limit was selected because economic studies indicated that eight stories was the most economically viable height. The development of eight story buildings throughout the plan area would provide for an adequate number of new residential units plan-wide and would result in canfiguratians that would be parked on site with typically one level of underground parking and one or two levels of above grade parking. Eight story buildings take full advantage of the basic steel frame construction method. Residential development above eight stories would require more expensive construction methods and materials and would be quite a bit more difficult in terms of design and expense to park on site. Height limits cower than 8-stories probably will not yield enough unit density and the associated return on investment for developers to cover the cost of affordable units which may be included within their projects without City subsidy. It is important to note that the zoning of the residential area on the north side of Brewster in the Mezesville Neighborhood is R-S-O (Medium Density Residential-Office Combining) District. This zoning district allows both residential and office uses, and allows buildings up 75 feet {7 stories) in height and in same cases allows heights up to 100 ft. (10 stories) for residential development on larger parcels. The Stambaugn-Hefter Neighborhood located on the southeast side of the plan area is also in an R-5 Zoning District with these height Limits. Staff believes that the existing R-5 zoning within the Mezesville and Stambaugn-Helfer Neighborhoods is more of a threat to the character of these historic areas than the height limi#s proposed in the Downtown Precise Plan which propose to step down toward these special districts. Staff recommends that this concern be studied in the General Plan update process wnich will be resumed following the Council's action on the Downtown Precise Plan. Staff believes the 7 story zoning is too high and reducing that height is a far better solution to the neighborhood's concern for height than changing the heights on the south side of Brewster. Recommendation: Staff and the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt the heights proposed in the Downtown Precise Plan along Brewster Avenue {3-story