Architectural Review Committee Meeting

MINUTES ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE Wednesday, November 13, 2013 SPECIAL MEETING 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM FEW MEMORIAL HALL OF RECORDS, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Members Present: Sullivan, Dawson, Freeman, Jacoubowsky, Silva Members Absent: Latasa, Kimzey Staff Members Present: Principal Planner Caraker, Principal Planner Kinison Brown, Recording Secretary Nelson CALL TO ORDER Chair Sullivan called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 1. Consider Recommendation to the Planning Commission Regarding the North Fremont Specific Plan (Continued from the November 6, 2013 meeting) ACTION: Adopted a resolution recommending that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt the North Fremont Specific Plan with amendments Committee Member Dawson gave a presentation to the Committee regarding his participation on the North Fremont Specific Plan subcommittee. He said the most important issue to be discussed regarding the Plan is how building height is measured. Staff Presentation Elizabeth Caraker presented the Agenda Report and answered Committee Members’ questions. Committee Member Questions Committee Member Dawson said that height should be measured either by plate height or roof height. Committee Member Silva concurred. Committee Member Silva said that shadow impacts should be considered instead of sunlight impacts. Committee Member Jacoubowsky suggested requiring a shadow study with a specific measurement date. Committee Member Silva said that would be an objective way to measure shadows. Committee member Dawson concurred. Committee Member Silva said that the North Fremont Specific Plan is a hybrid document because it includes both form-based and numerical measurement guidelines and standards. Committee Member Dawson said that he does not support 40 foot buildings on Bruce Lane. Committee Member Silva said that the terms “inappropriate” and “appropriate” in the Plan should be replaced with “encourage” and “discourage”. Chair Sullivan concurred. Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 13, 2013 Committee Member Dawson said that Standard S.2.9.4 regarding open space should be a guideline and not a standard. Committee Member Silva concurred that very specific quantitative dimensions should be written as objectives and not standards. Jacoubowsky said that the image on page 54 should be updated to better reflect open spaces. He also said they should be accessible from the North Fremont Street and not the side streets. Committee Member Silva said there should be a principle guideline in the Plan to orient outdoor spaces to gain maximum sunlight. Paul Davis, Planning Commission Member and North Fremont Specific Plan Subcommittee Member clarified open space and Standard S.2.9. Committee Member Silva said that Objective O.2.8 does not include standards, just objectives. He also said there should be a definition for “usable open space” and that balcony size requirements should be approved on an individual process basis. Committee Member Jacoubowsky said there should be a guideline requiring the use of materials tied to the architecture of the building for trash enclosures. In response to Committee Member Freeman’s question regarding provisions for event-based parking, Ms. Caraker said the Plan recommends the Fairgrounds working with area businesses to provide extra parking for events. Committee Member Jacoubowsky said that the standard of one space per studios and one bedroom apartments should be increased to 1.5 spaces. Committee Member Freeman said that increasing the requirement to 1.5 spaces would help to draw people to the area and help meet ADA standards. Chair Sullivan said he supports the requirement of one parking space to encourage alternate forms of transportation. In response to Committee Member Dawson’s question regarding parking, Ms. Caraker said that the Plan can be amended after approval if it creates negative impacts on the community. Committee Member Silva recommended that projects undergo a parking study as a Condition of Approval if only one parking space is proposed. Public Comment Mike Brassfield, Casanova Oak Knoll Board of Directors, said he supports the use of shadow studies as opposed to sunlight studies. He said one to two spaces per bedroom is appropriate, however additional parking is necessary with mixed-use buildings. Mr. Brassfield said any open spaces added to the North Fremont Specific Plan area would be beneficial and appreciated. Jerry Anderson said that it would be possible to build a 40 foot structure that fronts North Fremont and backs onto Bruce Lane with minimal impact to adjacent residences and encourages the Committee not to eliminate that part of the Plan, but to look at projects on a case by case basis. He also suggested one parking space for studios, 1.5 spaces for one bedroom and 2 spaces for two bedrooms. Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis, North Fremont Street Property owner, said she thoroughly supports Specific Plan and agrees with Mr. Anderson regarding height and parking requirements. 2 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 13, 2013 Continued Committee Member Comments Committee Member Silva said that he does not agree with restricting building height to 40 feet and that buildings should be reviewed individually. Committee Member Jacoubowsky said that when site topography is known it is not a problem staying within the 40 foot height maximum. In response to Committee Member Silva’s question, Mr. Davis said determining building height by averaging grades was not discussed as part of the plan because it is not a measurement method used in other areas of the City. Committee Member Silva said that building height should be determined by averaging the grade levels. Committee Member Jacoubowsky said he does not support placing buildings at the back of the sidewalk because it does not support the vision of Monterey and is more appropriate in an urban area. Committee Member Freeman said she supports the Plan’s addition of open spaces, bike lanes, and wider sidewalks as they will enrich the North Fremont Street area. Chair Sullivan said the graphics for roof guidelines should be changed to reflect gable and hip roofs. Committee Member Silva said that eclectic contemporary is not reflected in the first bullets of Guidelines G.3.8. and G.3.1. He also said the character areas should be clarified with specific design themes on page 31 and that the 30-40 foot guideline should be eliminated in Guideline G.3.3. All Committee Members present concurred. Committee Member Silva also said the height measurements of buildings should be based on stories instead of feet. Committee Member Freeman said a guideline should be made requiring three stories or a certain height, whichever is less. Committee member Silva said the word “appropriate” should be removed from Guideline G.4.1. He also said the word “inappropriate” should be changed to “discouraged” in Guideline G.4.5. All Committee Members present concurred. Committee member Freeman said an objective preventing lights from interfering with the airport should be added to the Plan. Dawson suggested that Standard S.5.1. be changed to reflect that exposed bulbs without shields are prohibited. Committee Member Jacoubowsky said Guideline G.6.6. should say that signs “may remain unchanged” as opposed to “should remain unchanged.” Committee Member Silva said that some of the existing pole signs are artful and language should be added to the North Fremont Specific Plan allowing historic pole signs to stay in place. Continued Public Comment Mike Brassfield said that the North Fremont Specific Plan area has some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Monterey, and creating buildings over two stories in residential areas will adversely affect the current neighborhood occupants. He also said that waiving parking fees 3 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 13, 2013 for properties diminishes the impacts of the parking requirements on the properties. Jerry Anderson said that there are no incentives for property owners to tear down and create new buildings, and that the housing density is needed to draw people in. He also said that the Plan’s form-based approach has the strength and flexibility to get the right type of development on North Fremont Street. Continued Committee Member Comments Committee Member Silva suggested staff create a three dimensional model displaying the building heights and masses of the North Fremont Specific Plan. In response to Committee Member Dawson’s question, Mr. Davis said that the size of the parcels in the Plan area prevents underground parking. Committee member Silva made a motion for averaging the grades at the building corners. On a motion by Committee Member Silva, seconded by Committee Member Dawson, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee amended the North Fremont Specific Plan to average grades at the building corners; to determine building height measurements: AYES: 5 MEMBERS: Sullivan, Dawson, Freeman, Jacoubowsky, Silva NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 2 MEMBERS: Latasa, Kimzey ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None Committee Member Silva made a motion to strike the prescriptive measurements in Standard S.3.1 and use form based measurements with three and four stories. No Committee Member seconded the motion. Committee member Dawson made a motion to change the maximum height facing North Fremont Street in Standard S.3.1 to 25 feet. No Committee Member seconded the motion. Chair Sullivan made a motion to approve the height as it’s described in Standards S.3.1-S.3.4 as written. On a motion by Chair Sullivan, seconded by Committee Member Freeman, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee voted to approve the height as described in Standards S.3.1 through S.3.4 as written: AYES: 3 MEMBERS: Sullivan, Dawson, Freeman NOES: 3 MEMBERS: Dawson, Jacoubowsky, Silva ABSENT: 2 MEMBERS: Latasa, Kimzey ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None The motion failed. Committee Member Dawson said that the parking should be changed to one space for studios and 1.5 for one bedroom, with a parking study required for one space with two bedrooms. 4 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 13, 2013 Ms Caraker and Mr. Kinison Brown summarized the changes to the North Fremont Specific Plan agreed upon by the Committee. Committee Member Dawson made a motion to adopt a resolution recommending that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt the North Fremont Specific Plan with the amendments as follows:  Usable open space will be defined and distinguish the residential requirement from the plaza areas with the 15 foot dimensions  The graphics on pages 53 and 54 will be fixed  Sunlight study will be changed to shadow study  The words “appropriate” and “inappropriate” will be changed to “encourage” and “discourage” throughout the guidelines  Clarification will be added to page 56 that trash enclosures will be made of materials drawing from the building and that screening will be added.  No side setbacks for the accessory structures will be needed  The requirement of parking spaces will be changed to 1 space for studios and 1.5 spaces for one bedroom apartments.  50 foot buildings will be limited to the south side of North Fremont Street  Height will be measured by averaging grades of building corners  G.3.3 and the first bullet of G.3.8, which reads “A base, middle and cap into the building design,” will be eliminated.  Graphics depicting roofs in the plan will be changed from flat roofs to gabled roofs  The word “appropriate” will be eliminated in Standard S.4.1 and “inappropriate” will be changed to “discouraged” in S.4.5  The standard regarding exposed bulbs will be eliminated  Other examples of signs will be included in the Plan  The word “should” will be changed to “may” in the document regarding location of signs. On a motion by Committee Member Dawson, seconded by Committee Member Sullivan, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee Adopted a resolution recommending that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt the North Fremont Specific Plan with amendments: AYES: 5 MEMBERS: Sullivan, Dawson, Freeman, Jacoubowsky, Silva NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 2 MEMBERS: Latasa, Kimzey ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None 5 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 13, 2013 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:34 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Taven Kinison Brown Chair Principal Planner Architectural Review Committee 6