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Senior Planner Jany used color slides to provide a close-up of the variety of properties along El Camino Real, including the northern and southern entry features. The slides focused on visual landmarks, the disparity between the size of the lots and the uses of the properties, and the various architectures. He pointed out lots of properties before and after improvements, good and not so good signs, beautiful and not so beautiful landscaping, some similar situations with rnedians and signs, significant entry features such as the clock tower and archways, problems resulting from the differing auto and pedestrian orientation of the different large buildings or complexes, the impact of the storefront improvement program, and problems associated with County properties south of Redwood City. Senior Planner Jany said El Camino Real had lots of charm, character and challenges. In sununary, Senior Planner Jany said that staff wanted, at a minimum, to continue working with the Architectural Advisory Committee, begin working with the County, and continue landscaping improvements. He asked Council for policy direction regarding land use policies to see if housing should be put on second floors and if Council wanted to continue to implement the programs of both the 1980 and 1988 Specific Plans or add others. He said involving the County should be done on the highest level as it would involve land use policies and would need a positive buy-in at both the County and City levels. 2) Discussion Councilman Ruskin said the current reports and the two Specific Plans are very detailed and complex. Noting Council's previous direction for El Camino Real, he recommended that a subcommittee, made up of representatives from all the interested groups here tonight (Council, Planning Commission, Architectural Advisory Committee, Housing and Human Concerns Committee, Building and Inspections, Code Enforcement and other staff), be established, "to begin to work out a direction. I think it will take the cooperation of all these bodies. To do it separately will take a great a deal of time... I think it will be more efficient... and we will begin to develop a cohesive direction that I think only a smaller group can do." MEMO 10/21/97 In response to Planning Commissioners' questions, Senior Planner Jany described policies of the Specific Plans that have been implemented, such as the need for Use Permits to sell products outside of a store; 50 foot setbacks for buildings with residences on the second floor and commercial on the ground floor; skip or staggered parking stalls and controlling traffic flow; low rise structures three stories or less; non functional attention getting buildings; and the removal of the old chain link fencing at Sequoia High School to visually open up the campus. SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION OCTOBER 20, 1997 STUDY SESSION MEETING MINUTES MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 PAGE 4 Page No. 588