Architectural Review Committee Meeting

MINUTES ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE Wednesday, November 16, 2016 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm 580 PACIFIC STREET, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Members Present: Kimzey, Silva, Placco, Freeman, Rath, Rogers Members Absent: None Staff Members Present: Principal Planner Caraker, Senior Planner Hopper, Senior Associate Planner Bennett, Associate Planner Roveri, Recording Secretary Salameh CALL TO ORDER CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 1. September 21, 2016 ACTION: Approved as amended. 2. October 5, 2016 ACTION: Approved as amended. On a motion by Committee Member Placco, seconded by Committee Member Rath and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee approved the Consent Agenda as amended. AYES: 6 MEMBERS: Freeman, Kimzey, Silva, Placco, Rath, Rogers NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 3. Approve 2191 North Fremont Street; AR Permit 15-289 for Preliminary Architectural Review of a Three-Story Mixed Use Building; Applicant Ron Brown, Architect; Property Owner Heydar A. Movahedi; PC-NF Zoning District; Exempt from CEQA Requirements per Article 19, Section 15303, Class 3 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 16, 2016 ACTION: Continued the project for redesign with the following direction to the applicant: 1) Rework the corner of Dela Vina Avenue and North Fremont Street to be more of an anchor and provide details to create an inviting environment for pedestrians and visitors. Remove door at corner and create parklet. 2) Explore modification of the roof to include a variation in roof heights or in materials. 3) Explore materials and/or fenestration on the Dela Vina Avenue elevation that will help to break up the unrelieved three-story mass. 4) Consider corner windows to reflect dynamic quality of design. Possible dynamic paint scheme that could wrap around building base. 5) Consider removing ADA apartment or redesign for contrast. 6) Modify the parking area to include 18-foot deep parking spaces with a 22-foot backup. Staff Presentation/Committee Member Questions Senior Planner Hopper presented the Agenda Report and took Committee Members’ questions. Committee Members asked questions about and were given answers regarding parking, ADA building requirements, open space requirements of the North Fremont Specific Plan (NFSP), placement of rooftop equipment, design of the roof and its height. Applicant Ron Brown, architect for the project, said that he felt the building would be a great addition to North Fremont Street and that he believed that the building itself was an anchor on the corner. He said that he was willing to work with Planning staff in order to mitigate design concerns, but that he felt the building would have an overall positive impact on the community. Mr. Brown also answered ARC Members’ questions regarding parking, creation of interest to otherwise flat elevations, ADA living requirements for the structure, possibilities for creating relief at the ground floor level, creation of a parklet at the Dela Vina Avenue corner of the building, and addition of roof variations to create interest. Public Comment Heidi Spicer, architect, spoke in favor of Mr. Brown’s project and said that she had been monitoring its progress closely from the beginning. She said that she felt Mr. Brown had created visual variety and that he had responded to the geometry of the site, as well as creating movement and texture within his design. Leslie Svetich, owner of the neighboring business, said that she had been a member of the Monterey Business District for 15 years. She said that she was excited to see development along North Fremont Street, but wanted to ensure that it was the proper type of development because other developers would follow suit. She expressed concern regarding mass of the proposed project and said that as an owner of a family business she felt that visitors to the new apartments may congest her parking lot. She asked Mr. Brown to reconsider his design. Richard Ruccello, President of the Casanova Oak Knoll Neighborhood Association, expressed concern regarding the plans for the project in relation to the North Fremont Specific Plan, as well as the precedent that the project would set for future buildings in the area. He also expressed concern regarding the building’s commercial usage, the ADA building at the back, trash pickup in the narrow driveway, and the anchor component being properly implemented. Cecile Williamson, General Manager of the Best Western on North Fremont Street, 2 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 16, 2016 expressed concern regarding the mass of the building and its lack of architectural features. She said that many people had devoted time to the North Fremont Specific Plan and that conditions outlining its standard would need to be made clear in order for the project to move successfully forward. Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis, a former president of the North Fremont Business District, said that she agreed with the concerns of the public speakers before her and noted that if this would be the first building under the North Fremont Specific Plan, she felt future projects would mimic its design. She expressed concern regarding the positioning of the trees proposed in the design and the number of bedrooms within the apartments, noting that one-bedroom apartments designed with office spaces could easily become two-bedroom apartments. She said that if the project was not properly-built, she believed there would be a backlash with future designs. Mike Brassfield, a member of the Casanova Oak Knoll Neighborhood Association, expressed concerns regarding the small trash enclosure and pickup area, the separate ADA residential unit at the back of the property, and lack of architectural features. He reiterated that if the project was not properly built to North Fremont Specific Plan standards, future projects would follow in its footsteps. Committee Member Comments Chair Kimzey asked questions regarding parking, number of bedrooms, design standards, if the ARC was responsible for determining the viability of commercial space, and landscape planting for the site. Ms. Hopper explained parking standards, and said that that Monterey City Disposal had no objections to the plan, noting that the trash area was accessible. She explained height standards for the North Fremont Specific Plan, landscaping requirements as a part of final architectural review, as well as general standards as outlined in the North Fremont Specific Plan, and said that she ARC was not responsible for determining viability of commercial spaces. She also noted that the sidewalk width setback requirement in the North Fremont Specific Plan was 12 feet and that there was no required setback for second or third stories within the plan. Committee Member Placco said that he sympathized with Mr. Brown’s and Ms. Spicer’s points of view, but that he felt that the building did not lack in architectural elaboration. He said that he felt the articulation of the building and oblique corners would be quite amazing to see once in place. Vice Chair Silva expressed concern regarding the overall design being disjointed as well as lacking architectural expression. He suggested use of corner windows to create a more dynamic design and a more colorful paint scheme along the zero property line wall to create the illusion of texture and relief, as well as doing away with the horizontal projections along the rooflines. Committee Member Freeman noted that this building was the first of its kind and said that the triangulation of the balconies to create privacy was a good idea that proved to be highly desirable in other areas. She recommended a wraparound window and parklet at the Dela Vina Avenue corner of the building, rather than an entrance, in order to create a more anchored feel. She said that the ADA building at the back of the project felt out of place, as well. Committee Member Rogers agreed with Committee Member Freeman’s comments 3 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, November 16, 2016 regarding a wraparound window, parklet at the corner of the building, and the ADA building feeling out of place. Committee Member Rath agreed with Committee Members Freeman and Rogers. On a motion by Committee Member Silva, seconded by Committee Member Placco and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee continued the project for redesign with the following direction to the applicant: 1) Rework the corner of Dela Vina Avenue and North Fremont Street to be more of an anchor and provide details to create an inviting environment for pedestrians and visitors. Remove door at corner and create parklet. 2) Explore modification of the roof to include a variation in roof heights or in materials. 3) Explore materials and/or fenestration on the Dela Vina Avenue elevation that will help to break up the unrelieved three-story mass. 4) Consider corner windows to reflect dynamic quality of design. Possible dynamic paint scheme that could wrap around base. 5) Consider removing ADA apartment or redesign for contrast. 6) Modify the parking area to include 18-foot deep parking spaces with a 22-foot backup. AYES: 6 MEMBERS: Freeman, Kimzey, Silva, Placco, Rath, Rogers NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS Chair Kimzey noted that Renata Abma was no longer serving on the ARC and said that he would like to publicly thank her for her time and input. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS Ms. Hopper said that her last day with the City of Monterey would be November 18, 2016 and that she would miss working with the ARC. The ARC thanked her for all of her support and diligent work and wished her success in her future endeavors. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Todd Bennett Chair Senior Associate Planner Architectural Review Committee 4