Mayor Quintanilla opened the public hearing.
Principal Planner Melloni and John Kaliski and Amee Bhatt, of JK Architects, narrated a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the proposed residential and mixed-use objective design standards (ODS).
Mayor Quintanilla closed the public hearing, there being no one wishing to speak.
During the course of discussion, the City’s consultant and staff responded to inquiries as follows:
- There is a process, such as review by the Architectural Review Commission, in which a developer who wishes to propose a project which does not conform to the ODS may seek an exception.
- There is a need to establish ODS as the State has restricted the City’s ability to apply subjective standards on certain residential and mixed-use housing projects.
- Explained that a “sense of quality” as referenced in the ODS refers to the idea that the City Council, through the creation of ODS, will ensure a sense of quality in future projects.
- A landscaping expert will be consulted regarding the appropriateness of hybrid Palo Verde trees being included in the acceptable plant palate and will report back to the City Council.
Following discussion, it was agreed that the ODS should be modified as follows:
- Chapter 3, Passive and Active Amenities: Create consistent “number of dwelling units” categories for both passive and active amenities and amend Table 3.9.3. to increase number of required active amenities.
- Chapter 3, Landscape and Open Space: Explicitly prohibit any invasive, noxious, and nuisance plant species, inclusive of the Washintonia robusta.
- Chapter 4: Building Architecture: Revise language so that no building wall shall exceed 250 feet in length.
- Chapter 4. Building Architecture: Revise language so that a 40-foot open-to-the-sky building breaks shall be provided between resulting structures.
- Chapter 4, Building Architecture: Revise language so that a minimum of four out of the 11 options for building modulation must be utilized.
- Chapter 5, Parking: Remove language that prohibits surface parking lots in the frontage setback or between buildings and the public street. If someone were to place a surface parking lot in this area, they would have be required to provide a fence, wall, or 10’ landscape buffer.
- Chapter 6, ODS Compliance Checklist: Correct the Multifamily Compliance Checklist reference to “ODS 3.14” to “ODS 3.5.2.”