Architectural Review Committee Meeting

MINUTES ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE Wednesday, November 6, 2013 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm FEW MEMORIAL HALL OF RECORDS, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Members Present: Sullivan, Latasa, Dawson, Freeman, Jacoubowsky, Kimzey, Silva Members Absent: None Staff Members Present: Principal Planner Caraker, Principal Planner Kinison Brown, Senior Associate Planner Hopper, Recording Secretary Nelson CALL TO ORDER Chair Sullivan called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. CONSENT ITEMS On a motion by Committee Member Dawson, seconded by Committee Member Jacoubowsky, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee approved the CONSENT ITEMS: AYES: 7 MEMBERS: Sullivan, Latasa, Dawson, Freeman, Jacoubowsky, Kimzey, Silva NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None Approval of Minutes 1. October 2, 2013 ACTION: Approved as submitted. 2. Consider 302 Ramona Avenue (Miller’s Self Storage); Sign Permit 12-251 For One Externally-Illuminated Wall Sign; Applicant James Miller; Owner Miller Family Trust dtd 2-6-92; C-3-D2 Zoning District; Exempt From CEQA Requirements ACTION: Approved as submitted. ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS None.  Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 6, 2013 PUBLIC APPEARANCE 3. Consider Recommendation to the Planning Commission Regarding the North Fremont Specific Plan ACTION: Continued review of the North Fremont Specific Plan to a special meeting on November 13, 2013 4:00 – 7:00 pm. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions: Elizabeth Caraker and Christine Hopper presented the Agenda Report and answered Committee Members’ questions. Vice Chair Latasa suggested that the graphic depicting the city limits be clarified. He also said that the bottom of the words on page 35 are cut off. Committee Member Freeman said that wording used to describe the Plan as contemporary but eclectic should be more concise. She also suggested the implementation of walkways or pedestrian bridges between the Fairgrounds and Fremont Street. Committee Member Jacoubowsky said that Standard S 2.4 on page 50 of the Plan, requiring buildings to be built up to the back of the sidewalk, is inappropriate for the City of Monterey. Committee Member Silva said that the criteria for the three specific character areas defined in the North Fremont Specific Plan is unclear, but that he supports the Plan not having specific requirements for height and dimensions of buildings. Paul Davis, Planning Commission Member and representative of the North Fremont Specific Plan Subcommittee, spoke and answered Committee Members’ questions regarding the Plan. Mr. Davis said the Plan encourages a variety of setbacks off the sidewalk and varied open spaces which will create areas of interest. He also said that the North Fremont Specific Plan will implement studies to ensure that surrounding neighborhoods are not impacted. Public Comments: Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis said she owns property that would be part of the Core Villiage area under the North Fremont Specific Plan and that changing name of the street would be costly for business owners. She also said that owners and residents support slowing down the speed of cars on the street through landscaping and art. Jerry Anderson, Saucito Land Company and President of the North Fremont Business District, said he supports the Plan and that neighborhood input has had significant influence on it. He also said that placing additional constraints on the Plan would affect it negatively. Commissioner Comments Committee Member Latasa made a motion to continue the item to the first ARC meeting in December and Committee Member Freeman seconded the motion. Committee Member Jacoubowsky said that due to the significance of the North Fremont 2  Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Specific Plan project, a special meeting is appropriate. Committee Member Latasa rescinded his motion. Committee Member Dawson made a motion to continue the review of the North Fremont Specific Plan to a special meeting on November 13, 2013 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. On a motion by Committee Member Dawson, seconded by Committee Member Jacoubowsky, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee continued the review of the North Fremont Specific Plan to a special meeting on November 13, 2013 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm: AYES: 6 MEMBERS: Sullivan, Latasa, Dawson, Freeman, Jacoubowsky, Silva NOES: 1 MEMBERS: Kimzey ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None The afternoon session adjourned at 5:38 pm. RECONVENE ***Evening Session Agenda*** 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. Chair Sullivan called the evening session to order at 7:00 pm. CONTINUED PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 4. Consider 67 Garden Court; AR Application 13-436 for Additional Satellite Dishes for an Existing Television Broadcast Station; Applicant Gill Davis for Entravision Communications; Owner Dianne Felker for Eileen Feather Studios of Beverly Hills; I-R-130-RA Industrial, Administration, and Research Zoning District; Exempt From CEQA Requirements ACTION: Continued the application for further discussion and consideration alongside a tree removal appeal application. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions: Taven Kinison Brown presented the Agenda Report and answered Committee Members’ questions. Applicant: John Tran, corporate architect for Univision, said his company is assisting with the installation of four satellite dishes. He also said that the multi-trunk tree would need to be 3 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 6, 2013 removed for installation to take place, but that he is willing to replace the removed tree. In response to Committee Member Freeman’s question, Mr. Tran said the satellite dishes would be fenced off with gravel covering the ground where the tree was removed. In response to Committee Member Dawson’s question, Mr. Tran said that the elevation and angle of the satellite dishes represented on the plans is accurate. In response to Committee Member Silva’s question, Mr. Tran said the color of the satellite dish does not affect the service and that the dish would be painted according to the Conditions decided upon by the ARC. Public Comments: Sharon Dwight said that a material other than chain link should be used for the fence around the satellite dish. She also said that Garden Road was intended to be a wooded area and that removing one tree from the area would decrease the canopy and impact the views from Highway 68. Commissioner Comments Commissioner Silva said that he supports removal of the tree for the purposes of media and entertainment because it would benefit the public. Commissioner Silva made a motion to adopt a resolution to approve additional satellite dishes for an existing television broadcast station with added Conditions as follows: 1. The fence will be redesigned to make it more compatible with the design of the building. In response to Vice Chair Latasa’s question, Ms. Hopper said that the Committee could either choose to approve the project with a Condition that the tree removal permit be granted with one of the specific findings for tree removal or continue the project for assessment by City Forester Robert Reid. In response to Committee Member Kimzey’s question, Ms. Hopper said that approval of the project with a Condition that a tree removal permit is granted is within the jurisdiction of the ARC, but advised the Committee that all proper steps for tree removal may not have been taken at this point. Committee Member Latasa said that the tree proposed for removal is a special tree and that the processes for tree removal are in place for a reason and should not be bypassed. Committee Member Silva rescinded his original motion. Committee Member Silva made a motion to continue the application for further discussion alongside a tree removal appeal application. On a motion by Committee Member Silva, seconded by Committee Member Sullivan, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee continued the application for further discussion and consideration alongside a tree removal appeal application: 4  Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 6, 2013 AYES: 6 MEMBERS: Sullivan, Latasa, Dawson, Freeman, Kimzey, Silva NOES: 1 MEMBERS: Jacoubowsky ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None 5. Consider 1430 Mark Thomas Drive (Hyatt Regency Monterey); Sign Permit 12-422 for Two Internally-Illuminated Pole Signs; Applicant Steve McNally for Hyatt Regency Monterey; Owner Steve McNally for Hyatt Regency Monterey and Cheryl Burrell for Pebble Beach Company; VAF Zoning District; Exempt From CEQA Requirements ACTION: Adopted a Resolution denying the Sign Permit for two internally illuminated pole signs. Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions: Christy Hopper presented the Agenda Report and answered Committee Members’ questions. Applicant: Steve McNally, Monterey Hyatt, said that the Hyatt Company brand logo has been changed and the Monterey site would like to update their signs. He said he does not feel that the alternatives provided by staff would adequately replace the current signs. Committee Member Dawson said that he likes the new logo, but that the proposed signs violate at least three aspects of the Sign Ordinance, mainly that signs cannot be visible from a scenic highway. He suggested that the applicant work with staff to create signs in compliance with the Sign Ordinance that are incidentally visible from the highway. Mr. McNally said that the current signs were constructed around 1969 and that he would prefer to keep the current location of the two signs since the hotel is not easily seen from the frontage road. Public Comments: Sharon Dwight said that the current Hyatt signs are ineffective in their locations, and said that she supports staff’s recommendations for a larger, illuminated sign oriented towards Mark Thomas Drive, and suggested the use of solar power. Commissioner Comments Committee Member Dawson said that he likes the design of the sign, but that it is too tall and in the wrong place and therefore cannot be approved. Committee Member Silva concurred. Ms. Hopper clarified that the applicant would prefer to have his application denied and appeal to the Planning Commission instead of having the application continued for redesign. Committee Member Silva said that the current signs are ineffective and not visible from the highway, and suggested that the monument signs be improved as opposed to changing the pole signs. Committee Member Freeman concurred. 5  Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Committee Member Kimzey made a motion to deny the application and approve the resolution of Staff. On a motion by Committee Member Kimzey, seconded by Committee Member Latasa, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee adopted a Resolution denying the Sign Permit for two internally illuminated pole signs: AYES: 7 MEMBERS: Sullivan, Latasa, Dawson, Freeman, Jacoubowsky, Kimzey, Silva NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS Committee Member Kimzey acknowledged and thanked Mr. Kinison Brown and his wife for organizing the Dance for the Rescues fundraising event held on October 13, 2013 to support shelter animals. Chair Sullivan told the Committee that over the weekend he was able to see an exhibit of work by architect William Pereira at the Nevada Museum of Art. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS Mr. Kinison Brown invited the Committee to attend an awards ceremony for their work on the Downtown Specific Plan, hosted by the City Council on December 3, 2013. 6. Follow-Up To The Planning Commission's Consideration of the Appeal of ARC Resolution for 401 Alvarado Street (Monterey Church Identification Signs)  Mr. Kinison Brown presented a Memorandum regarding the Planning Commission’s approval of the appeal at 401 Alvarado Street.  Committee Member Dawson said he was present at the Planning Commission meeting where the appeal was discussed and the Commissioners went out of their way to say that the ARC had not erred, and that the rules were followed as they were given.  Chair Sullivan thanked Mr. Kinison Brown’s for his comments regarding the Planning Commission meeting. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the evening session was adjourned at 8:34 pm. 6 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Chair Architectural Review Committee 7