Architectural Review Committee Meeting

MINUTES ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY Wednesday, March 15, 2017 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM 580 PACIFIC STREET, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Members Present: Freeman, Silva, Rath, Rogers Members Absent: None Staff Members Present: Senior Associate Planner Bennett, Recording Secretary Salameh, HPM Administrative Analyst Aldrete CALL TO ORDER Chair Silva called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. CONSENT ITEMS Approval of Minutes 1. March 1, 2017 Action: Approved as amended. On a motion by Committee Member Freeman, seconded by Committee Member Rath, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee approved the Minutes of March 1, 2017 as amended. AYES: 4 MEMBERS: Silva, Freeman, 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 2. Approve 520/560 Munras Avenue; Architectural Review Committee Applications 17-0189 & 17-0190 for Placement of Three (3) Commercial Modular Units and Site Improvements for a Biergarten Use; Applicant Dick Loorz for Uptown Monterey; Owner ROIC Monterey (520 Munras Avenue), City of Monterey (560 Munras Avenue); PC-D (Planned Community - Downtown) Zoning District (Exempt from CEQA Article 19, Section 15303, Class 3) Action: Approved with the conditions that 1) Project lighting must meet Downtown Specific Plan Lighting standards and fall on the softer end of the 2700 – 3500 Kelvin range. 2) If the site is vacated by the current owner/tenant, the Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, March 15, 2017 infrastructure must be abandoned and capped, the site features removed, and the site brought back to a level plane. Staff Presentation/Committee Member Questions Senior Associate Planner Bennett presented the Agenda Report and took Committee Members’ questions. Vice Chair Freeman asked about the significance of the CEQA exception f, which stated that the project may not cause a substantial adverse change to a historical resource. She noted that while the site itself was not a historical resource, it was located next to the valuable historical resource, the Cooper Molera Adobe. She asked about the dual ownership of the property as well. Mr. Bennett explained that the property was purchased from the National Trust for Historic Preservation by the Monterey Uptown Partnership. He said that he would defer to Doug Wiele to answer further questions. Vice Chair Freeman noted that safety was important and asked if the fence facing the Cooper Molera Adobe would be solid and if the proposed plants were expected to form a solid wall. Mr. Bennett said that the fencing along the pedestrian path would not include landscaping, so that the wire mesh panels would continue to be open and provide visibility from the patio area to the pathway. Vice Chair Freeman asked how five feet was decided upon for the pedestrian pathway width. Mr. Bennett said that the pathway would be five and a half feet wide, and deferred to Mr. Wiele for further explanation. Vice Chair Freeman noted that it would be prudent to include an LED rating for proposed light fixtures. Mr. Bennett said that a Condition of Approval had been included in the resolution to address the lighting standards of the project and that the applicant was aware that specific standards should be followed for the project. Vice Chair Freeman asked who would have the authority to void the lease. Mr. Bennett explained that the City of Monterey owned the primary property comprising the shopping center, but said that he hesitated to respond if the responsible party for determining the termination of the lease would be staff or the City Council. Chair Silva asked what would happen to the infrastructure of the project if the lease expired and the shipping container structure was removed. Mr. Bennett said the ARC could modify the existing Conditions of Approval to stipulate that the site return to its prior status. He noted that the fire pit currently in place had become a public nuisance and said that any fire pit items or improvements upon the patio would be removed along with the structure. Chair Silva asked Mr. Bennett if, in his opinion, the industrial design of the project would 2 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, March 15, 2017 lend to the architectural vocabulary that the Downtown Specific Plan (DTSP) spoke to. Mr. Bennett said that the shipping containers and the black paint color did lend to an industrial feel, but that the applicant had done a fine job of softening that with the proposed planting of ivy and bougainvillea, as well as adding natural wood elements. He said that if the lease was voided, the shipping containers would be removed. Chair Silva asked if the DTSP guidelines applied to non-permanent structures. Mr. Bennett said that he found no specific language in the DTSP that indicated it would apply to non-permanent structures, but said that the ARC could take that thought into consideration. Vice Chair Freeman asked if staff could reword the fourth finding in the Agenda Report to reflect that the proposed industrial feel of the project was an exception to the traditional architecture of the downtown area. Mr. Bennett said that staff would be amenable to modifying the findings. Applicant Doug Wiele of Foothill Partners gave a history of the bifurcated ownership of the lot and discussed the leases on the property. He also gave a history of the patio area, its original intentions and how over time it had become a public nuisance. He explained the desire for the proposed project to create a safe public open space and that the modular containers would be entirely removable in a short amount of time. He said that the goal was for the project to not mimic the Cooper Molera adobe next door, but to create a complementary contrast. Chair Silva asked Mr. Wiele what he proposed in the event that the business closed or the lease expired. Mr. Wiele said that he would not advocate putting the patio back to where it was prior to the project, but said that he would be amendable to a condition of approval that recommended capping utilities, removing foundations, and returning the property to a tidy space. Vice Chair Freeman asked how the width for the decomposed granite pedestrian pathway had been determined. Mr. Wiele noted that the mature olive tree along the Cooper Molera adobe wall had been one of the determining factors in the path width and said that there was a conflict with Alcoholic Beverage Control licensing and running the general pedestrian path through the patio area. He also mentioned that the pathway was a part of the historic trail that ran through downtown Monterey. He said that the pathway was deliberately kept away from the Cooper Molera adobe wall, as were project foundations and any other construction-related matters. He also said that no landscaping would be placed along the pedestrian pathway and that it would be well-lit. Public Comment Sharon Dwight, a resident of Monterey, expressed concerns regarding the location of an emergency exit and how seasons and inclement weather would affect the largely-open patio. She noted that the project was very close to the Cooper Molera adobe and said that she hoped the view of the historic wall would not be entirely lost. She expressed 3 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, March 15, 2017 concern regarding the public open space being developed for a commercial use and asked if it would be possible to modify the proposed fencing on Munras Avenue to indicate that the public was welcome. Committee Member Comments Committee Member Rogers said that she felt Ms. Dwight had made a valid point. Committee Member Rath asked if an age limit would be imposed because of alcohol being served on the premises. Mr. Bennett indicated that as a part of their use permit review, the applicant confirmed that use of the patio space would be open to the general public and said that people could bring their own food and beverages into the space. He said that the idea of the wire mesh fence was to provide visibility and to create an inviting space for the general public. Vice Chair Freeman noted that the project’s architectural style was not consistent with the architecture of the downtown area, but said that many examples of successfully utilizing shipping containers in historic areas existed. She spoke of thriving repurposed shipping container structures in both Berkeley, California and Paris, France. She noted that the new era of pop-up businesses had thus far been very successful and said that she was in support of the project. Chair Silva said that he had also visited repurposed shipping container structures in other cities and that they created welcoming spaces for public enjoyment. He said he felt that this project would be no different in its success and that the idea of a counterpoint to the traditional architectural vocabulary of downtown indicated growth and progress and spoke to the history of the city. He said that he felt the biergarten would be an exciting addition to downtown Monterey. Committee Member Rath agreed with Chair Silva and Vice Chair Freeman. She noted that she appreciated the various types of architecture throughout the city and said this would be a good addition to Downtown. ***Reopen Public Comment*** Public Comment Mr. Wiele explained that Peet’s Coffee & Tea would not be surrendering its rights to patio, but that the opening shift at Peet’s would open the patio and that the patio would be closed and the gates locked by Fieldwork in the late evening. ***Close Public Comment*** On a motion by Committee Member Freeman, seconded by Committee Member Rogers, and carried by the following vote, the Architectural Review Committee adopted a resolution approving AR applications 17-0189 and 17-0190 with the conditions that 1) Project lighting must meet Downtown Specific Plan Lighting standards and fall on the softer end of the 2700 – 3500 Kelvin range. 2) If the site is vacated by the current owner/tenant, the infrastructure must be abandoned and capped, the site features removed, and the site brought back to a level plane. 4 Architectural Review Committee Minutes Wednesday, March 15, 2017 AYES: 4 MEMBERS: Silva, Freeman, Rath, Rogers NOES: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSENT: 0 MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 MEMBERS: None RECUSED: 0 MEMBERS: None COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS Vice Chair Freeman said that Mr. Bennett’s presentation was well done and thanked him for the details that he provided. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS Mr. Bennett said that currently two items, 18 Dunecrest Avenue and 1300 Munras Avenue, were scheduled for the April 5, 2017 ARC meeting. He also noted that three new ARC members would be potentially recommended at the next City Council Meeting on March 21, 2017 and said that candidate information would be available in the City Council meeting agenda. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:07 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Todd Bennett Chair Senior Associate Planner Architectural Review Committee 5