[00:00:02]
ALRIGHT.[CALL TO ORDER]
EVENING AND WELCOME.I CALL TO ORDER THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION COMMITTEE FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2026.
COMMITTEE MEMBER MCMICHAEL HERE.
COMMITTEE MEMBER SQUIRREL HERE.
ALRIGHT, DURING WE'RE GONNA OPEN GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO MAKE COMMENTS ON ITEMS OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT ARE WITHIN THE HCPCS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION AND THAT ARE NOT LISTED ON THE CURRENT AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO UP TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE HCPC, TIME WILL BE ALLOCATED IN EQUAL SHARES TOTALING NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES GOING TO OPEN GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANY WISH ANYONE WISHING TO OFFER GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? PLEASE BRING YOUR SPEAKER CARD TO THE CLERK'S DESK IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO.
HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING? WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
FOR GENERAL, ARE THERE ANY IN-PERSON SPEAKERS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WISH TO TURN IN A CARD? BEFORE WE MOVE ON, ARE THERE ANY IN-PERSON PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT WHO WISH TO TURN IN THEIR SPEAKER CARD BEFORE WE MOVE ON? OKAY.
THEN I'M GOING TO CLOSE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, THERE ARE NO PRESENTATION ITEMS TODAY, SO WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THAT AGENDA ITEM.
THERE ARE ALSO NO MINUTES TO REVIEW FOR TODAY, SO WE CAN ALSO CLOSE THAT ITEM, WHICH BRINGS US TO OUR MEETING.
[PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
MEETING AGENDA ITEM IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONDUCT DISCRETIONARY REVIEW OF A STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE HISTORIC SITE PLAN AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW, AND THE ASSOCIATED TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT PERMIT FOR THE EKN HOTEL PROJECT, LOCATED PARTIALLY WITHIN THE PETALUMA DOWNTOWN HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DISTRICT AT TWO PETALUMA BOULEVARD, SOUTH APNS 0 0 8 0 6 3 0 0 9 0 0 8 0 6 3 0 0 8 AND 0 0 8 0 6 3 0 1 1 CITY RECORD NUMBER PL PJ 20 25 57.AS THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING COMMITTEE, MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANY EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS THEY MAY HAVE HAD PRIOR ABOUT THE PROJECT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OF THOSE TO
THIS COMMITTEE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PRESERVING PETALUMA'S HISTORIC RESOURCES AND ENSURING THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT WITHIN DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICTS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S PRESERVATION REGULATIONS AND ADOPTED DESIGN STANDARDS.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO EVALUATE PROPOSED PROJECTS TO ENSURE THEY RESPECT PETALUMA'S HISTORIC CHARACTER WHILE ALLOWING FOR THOUGHTFUL COMPATIBLE CHANGE.
TODAY WE WILL CONSIDER THE PROPOSED EKN HOTEL PROJECT AT TWO PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH, WHICH IS PARTIALLY LOCATED WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN PETALUMA HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
A RESOURCE RECOGNIZED AT BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS.
BECAUSE THE PROJECT IS LOCATED WITHIN A DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICT, IT IS SUBJECT TO HISTORIC SITE PLAN AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW, OR HAR BY THIS COMMITTEE.
OUR ROLE IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROJECT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION REGULATIONS, THE PETALUMA HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DISTRICT DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES, WHICH GUIDE HOW NEW CONSTRUCTION CAN BE COMPATIBLE WITH HISTORIC SURROUNDINGS WHILE REMAINING CLEARLY CONTEMPORARY.
OUR ROLE IS ALSO TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROJECT COMPLIES WITH ALL ADOPTED REGULATIONS IN THE IMPLEMENTING ZONE ORDINANCE OR IZO, INCLUDING THE HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DISTRICT OVERLAY, THE PARKING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT AND THE DOWNTOWN HOUSING AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY OVERLAY.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE WELCOME INPUT FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE ASK THAT COMMENTS REMAIN RESPECTFUL AND FOCUSED ON THE COMMITTEE'S SCOPE OF REVIEW.
AFTER THE STAFF PRESENTATION, WE WILL HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT, THEN OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THE COMMITTEE WILL THEN DELIBERATE AND MAKE A DECISION BASED ON THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND REQUIRED FINDINGS.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN PRESERVING AND STEWARDING PETALUMA'S HISTORIC CHARACTER.
I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE STAFF TO PRESENT THE PROJECT.
UH, I DID WANNA JUST TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY AND BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO GREG POWELL.
THAT'S NOT FOREBODING FOR ANYTHING.
[00:05:01]
UM, MY NAME IS BRIAN O I'M THE CITY'S DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THE COMMITTEE AND THE CHAIR AND THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE THREE YEARS INTO THIS PROCESS.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF HEARINGS DISCUSSIONS, A LOT OF COMMENT GOING BACK AND FORTH.
UM, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE THIS EVENING, UM, TO HEAR THE STAFF PRESENTATION, UH, WHICH RECOMMENDS THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION BEFORE THE COMMITTEE THIS EVENING, UM, AND A SET OF FINDINGS.
UM, AND SO WE ARE, UH, PREPARED.
WE HAVE, UM, A FULL STAFF HERE TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WE LOOK FORWARD AND WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY INPUT DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AND I BELIEVE THE CONCLUSION WILL BE, UH, THAT, UH, THERE IS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION THAT THE PROJECT, UH, IS IN CONFORMANCE AND COMPLIANCE WITH OUR CITY REGULATIONS.
UM, THAT SAID, UH, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PROPOSAL.
UH, I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT REPRESENTATIVES, UM, ARE ALSO HERE AND WILL, WE WILL BE AFFORDING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO PRESENT AND BE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT, UM, THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE.
THIS IS, I THINK ABOUT THE LAST TWO HCPC, UM, MEETINGS AND, UH, JUST THE DISCUSSION, THE THOUGHTFULNESS.
UM, GRANTED THOSE WERE ABOUT, UM, REHAB OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, AND THIS IS NOT THAT, BUT I APPRECIATE AND I THINK, UH, THE COMMITTEE BRINGS A, A WEALTH OF PERSPECTIVE AND INTEREST, UH, FOR THE GREATER COMMUNITY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO GREG POWELL, OUR PRINCIPAL PLANNER.
I WAS GONNA SAY, IF I SOUND FUNNY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
IF I'M TALKING TOO FAST, YOU CAN TELL ME TO SLOW DOWN.
I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH, UH, M GROUP CONSULTING GROUP, AND I WILL BE GIVING THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
I ALSO HAVE OLIVIA HERE THAT'S GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS, AND THEN ALICE WILL TOUCH ON, UH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, SO TONIGHT, UH, WE'VE GOT A QUICK AGENDA OVERVIEW.
SO IT'S WHAT'S THE PROJECT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT REGULATORY CONTEXT, UM, WHAT SORTS OF CONSISTENCY FINDINGS, UH, NEED TO BE MADE.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME GENERAL PLAN AND H BAR AND SPAR FINDINGS THAT I WANNA DO A QUICK OVERVIEW FOR.
UH, SO LET'S TURN TO THE PROJECT SITE.
WE'VE GOT AN IMAGE UP HERE THAT SHOWS AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE SITE AND THE BLOCK.
SO PETAL LIMBO BOULEVARD SOUTH IS ALONG THE, SORT OF THE TOP OF THE DRAWING B STREET TO THE LEFT.
UH, THE SITE'S BEEN VACANT SINCE FALL, THE WINTER OF 2009.
UH, IT WAS A GAS STATION BEFORE THAT, PROBABLY SINCE THE TWENTIES FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
BUT SINCE ROUGHLY 2009, 2010, THE SITE'S BEEN VACANT.
UM, AS YOU BRIAN MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, IT'S WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT AND THE CITY'S LOCAL DISTRICT COVERS ROUGHLY TWO THIRDS OF THE SITE.
AND IF YOU SQUINT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF RECTANGLES AND POLYGONS UP THERE.
BUT IT'S THE, THE SITE THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE FORMER BANK OF THE WEST.
THERE'S ABOUT A THIRD OF THE SITE IS NOT IN THE DISTRICT, BUT THE REST OF IT IS.
UM, SO, AND AS I MENTIONED JUST A MOMENT AGO, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THIS SHOWS THE LARGER CONTEXT.
AND BEAR WITH ME, THE, THESE IMAGES ARE KIND OF SMALL MAYBE, BUT THEY DO TWO THINGS.
THERE'S THE LARGER CITY DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES THE KIND OF THE STIPPLE PART OF THE IN DOWNTOWN, AND THEN THERE'S THAT AREA CLOSER TO THE, THE RIVER THAT'S ALSO IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND THEN THE, THE SORT OF, WELL, THE STIPPLE PART OF THE, IS JUST THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND WE'VE GOT THE SITE IDENTIFIED IN RED WITH BLUE, AND THEN SORT OF THE CIRCLE.
AND THE REASON WE OVERLAID THE CIRCLE ON THE DRAWING TO THE RIGHT IS THIS IS THE NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT AND THE CONTRIBUTING AND NON-CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES.
AND SO IF YOU, AGAIN, KINDA ZOOM IN WITH YOUR EYES, YOU CAN SEE, OH, THERE'S DOTS, BLACK DOTS MEAN CONTRIBUTING.
IF THERE'S NOTHING, THEN IT'S NON-CONTRIBUTING.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE MAIN MESSAGE FROM THIS SLIDE.
LET'S SEE WHAT THIS, HOW GOOD.
UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE SITE'S VACANT.
SO WE INCLUDED THESE PHOTOS JUST TO SHOW WHERE WE'RE STARTING TODAY.
UM, IT'S CURRENTLY FENCED AND ASIDE FROM, UH, SOME PLANTS, NOT MUCH IS
[00:10:01]
HAPPENING WITH THE SITE.UM, NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
THE PROPOSAL IS DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE.
IT'S 56 ROOMS, ROUGHLY 34,000 SQUARE FEET.
PRIOR PROJECT WAS SIX STORIES.
BUILDING HEIGHT TO THE ROOF IS 45 FEET.
UM, THE GROUND FLOOR HAS THE SORT OF THE HOTEL LOBBY IN THE BACK OF HOUSE FUNCTIONS, AND THEN A GROUND FLOOR RESTAURANT.
UPPER FLOORS EITHER HAVE HOTEL ROOMS AND OR AMENITIES FOR GUESTS OR, AND ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, THERE'S ANOTHER FOOD SERVICE.
UM, ANOTHER THING TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT IS, UH, THERE'S A VALET PARKING SCHEME TO MEET THE ZONING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING AND TO PROVIDE THE PARKING THAT THE HOTEL BELIEVES THEY NEED TO BE MARKETABLE IN THE, IN THE PETALUMA AREA.
SO THERE'S A VALET PARKING PLAN AND THERE'S A VALET.
THERE'S A PROPOSAL TO HAVE THE VALET PICKUP ON PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE LOBBY.
AND THEN USE THE REAR OF THE SITE, WHICH WILL HOLD 12 TO 15 CARS.
HAS SORT OF SHORT TERM STORAGE EITHER TO STAY FOR THE DURATION OF THE GUESTS, UH, VISIT AT THE SITE, OR AN OFFSITE LOCATION THAT THE VALET DRIVERS WILL USE TO PUT OTHER CARS.
THERE'S ALSO A PROPOSAL HERE TO PUT IN A, A RIDE SHARE SPOT ALONG B STREET, IMPROVE THE SIDEWALKS, PLANT NEW STREET TREES.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS IMAGE, THERE'S SOME LANDSCAPE PLANTERS ALONG THE CORNER THAT SEPARATE THE SIDEWALK FROM THE EXTERIOR FOOD SERVICE AREA.
AND, UH, OVERALL SORT OF HIGH LEVEL THINGS I ALSO WANNA SAY IS THAT IN THIS IMAGE YOU CAN SEE THE FOUR STORY BUILDING, AND THERE'S A OPEN AREA AT THE CORNER AT THE TOP, THAT'S THE FOURTH FLOOR RESTAURANT, GROUND FLOOR RESTAURANT'S AT THE CORNER, UH, AT THE CORNER OF B AND PETAL BOULEVARD SOUTH.
AND THEN BENEATH THE BUILDING IS A PROPOSAL TO PUT IN WHAT THEY CALL THE SPEAKEASY, WHICH IS ANOTHER PLACE FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE.
WE HAVE AUDIO ON ZOOM, SO I'M JUST GONNA SEE IF I CAN, OKAY.
UM, THAT'S, I'M HEARING IT'S MY WIZARD OF OZ MODE.
UM, SO THIS GRAPHIC WAS SET UP TO SORT OF PROVIDE A KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF WHAT, UH, WHAT'S AT STAKE TONIGHT.
SO THE CITY HAS ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, WHICH THE HCPCS ASKED TO FIND CONSISTENCY WITH.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE GENERAL PLAN, THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS, HISTORIC GUIDELINES, THE BLUEPRINT FOR CLIMATE ACTION, THE CITY COUNCIL GOALS.
AND THEN THERE'S OBJECTIVE STANDARDS OR REGULATIONS, WHICH THE H CCP C'S ASKED TO FIND THAT THE PROJECT FULLY COMPLIES WITH.
SO LIKE, IF THERE'S A DIMENSIONAL STANDARD OF 10 FEET, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY JUDGMENT THERE.
SO THERE'S THE GENERAL PLAN, 2025.
IT HAS SOME OBJECTIVE STANDARDS, AND THERE'S THE SPECIFICS IN THE ZONING ORANGE.
THERE'S CHAPTER FOUR, WHICH TALKS ABOUT USE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
CHAPTER 11 IS PARKING, 15 IS THE HISTORIC CHAPTER, AND 24 IS THE SPAR.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S THE ZONING DISTRICT THAT'S APPLIED TO A LARGE PART OF DOWNTOWN, THE PARKING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT, AND THEN THE DOWNTOWN OVERLAY.
I HAVE LOTS OF MONITORS, SO JUST BEAR WITH ME UNTIL I CAN FIND THE CURSOR.
UM, THERE'S AN IMAGE, HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT.
IT SHOWS KIND OF A, THE PRIME AREA OF DOWNTOWN FROM WASHINGTON STREET TO ABOUT D STREET.
AND MOST OF THE ZONING IN THE DOWNTOWN IS MIXED USE.
TWO, THERE'S A FEW COMMUNITY FACILITIES PARCELS THAT ARE SHOWN IN SORT OF A, A LAVENDER COLOR, WHEREAS THE MIXED USE TWO IS PURPLE.
THERE'S A GREEN FOR PARK BLUE, FULL ON BLUE IS OBVIOUSLY THE RIVER.
AND THEN THE SITES AT THE CORNER, B STREET AND PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH.
AND THAT'S DESIGNATED BY THE STAR.
THERE'S ALSO A DOWNTOWN, UH, PARKING DISTRICT THAT APPLIES, AND KIND OF LIKE THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS, IT APPLIES TO TWO THIRDS OF THE SITE.
SO THAT MEANS THAT WHEN THE CITY'S LOOKING AT PARKING STANDARDS FOR THIS PARCEL, TWO THIRDS OF THE SITE, THERE'S NO PARKING STANDARD THAT APPLIES.
AND THEN THE THIRD, THAT'S NOT IN THE DISTRICT, THERE'S A PARKING STANDARD THAT APPLIES.
AND MAYBE THIS IS GONNA STATE THE OBVIOUS, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE DOWNTOWN IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FOCAL POINT OF THE TOWN.
IT'S WHERE THE, THE MOST ACTIVITY SHOULD BE FOR COMMERCIAL SERVICE, FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE USES HELP THEMSELVES BY BEING THERE.
BUT THEN THEY ALSO PROVIDE PATRONS FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS.
AND SO THERE'S A CERTAIN SYNERGY THAT CAN HAPPEN IN DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF THE CON, THE CONCENTRATION OF USES.
AND THEN IT'S, IT'S NOT, CONSTRAINED IS THE WRONG WORD, BUT
[00:15:01]
IT'S DEFINED.THERE'S A DOWNTOWN, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHERE IT IS.
USUALLY WHEN YOU DRIVE INTO A DOWNTOWN, THE BUILDING FORM CHANGES.
THERE'S MORE TURNOVER OF LAND USE AS YOU GO ALONG THE STREET AS, AS OPPOSED TO A MORE SUBURBAN SETTING.
ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS WORKING.
UM, QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE TASK.
SO THE HGPC HAS SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER.
THERE'S THE CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORIC RESOURCE CRITERIA.
THERE'S A SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS.
THERE'S LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT THIS CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE.
AND THAT'S SORT OF A SPAR THING OF, YOU KNOW, IS THE ARCHITECTURE CORRECT FOR ITSELF? DOES IT FIT THE SITE? DOES IT FIT WITHIN THE, THE, THE, THE LARGER AREA OR THE MATERIALS AND COLORS AND THE CHOICES THAT THE DESIGNER MADE APPROPRIATE FOR ITS OWN DESIGN? AND THEN DOES IT FIT IN? AND THEN UNDER CHAPTER 15, WHICH IS THE HISTORIC ONLY SECTION, IN ZONE ORDINANCE, YOU CAN ONLY APPROVE THIS PROJECT IF IT MEETS THESE FOUR THINGS.
SO IT HAS TO, IT CANNOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
IN THIS CASE, IT'S A VACANT SITE.
SO THAT'S A, USUALLY WHEN YOU, UH, CONSIDER A PROJECT, YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN ADDITION ON A HISTORIC PROPERTY.
AND THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, HERE, THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKY TO DO THIS FINDING, BUT WE'VE GOT SOME TEXT IN THE STAFF REPORT, AND WE'LL PRESENT IT LATER TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO ASSESS THAT PARTICULAR FINDING.
UH, THE NEXT FINDING IS IT, IT CANNOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE RELATIONSHIP HARMONY OR APPROPRIATENESS WITH SURROUNDING STRUCTURES.
SO THIS IS KIND OF, HOW DOES IT FIT? AND THE FIT HERE IS INFLUENCED BY, WELL, WHAT'S AROUND IT? YOU'VE GOT THE BANK OF THE WEST SIDE ON ONE SIDE, ACE HARDWARE BEHIND, AND THEN ACROSS B STREET, A NON-CONTRIBUTING BUILDING, AND THEN THE PRIME CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS FURTHER NORTH.
UH, THE THIRD FINDINGS DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CHARACTER OF THE HISTORIC, ARCHITECTURAL OR AESTHETIC INTEREST OF, OR VALUE OF THE DISTRICT.
THEN FINALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE STANDARDS INCLUDED IN THE DESIGNATED ORDINANCE.
UM, SO THERE'S DESIGN GUIDELINES.
YOU KNOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE CITY'S ADOPTED DESIGN GUIDELINES AND HELPS GUIDE OUR WORK WHEN WE'RE PREPARING A STAFF REPORT AND HELPS US HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT IS APPROPRIATE OR WHAT ISN'T.
UH, THE GOAL OF THESE DESIGN GUIDELINES IS TO PROTECT WHAT'S THERE.
YOU KNOW, PETALUMA HAS A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY ARCHITECTURE THAT'S, UH, INCREDIBLE.
UM, AND CALLS OUT SECTION SEVEN TALKS ABOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT'S WHERE, AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE TRICKY FOR HISTORIC COMMISSIONS.
'CAUSE YOU'RE USUALLY DEALING WITH ADDITION TO EXISTING PROPERTIES WHERE THERE'S HISTORIC FABRIC ON SITE.
THERE ISN'T HERE, SO IT HAS TO BE SORT OF BROADENED.
UM, IT'S ALSO, THERE'S SOME ZONING STANDARDS THAT APPLY TO THE MIXED USE TWO DISTRICT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE OVERLAYS, BUT WE'RE SAYING AGAIN, TWO, TWO PARCELS OUTTA THE THREE THAT COMPRISE THE SITE ARE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
TWO OUT OF THE THREE ARE IN THE PARKING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT, AND THE WHOLE OF THE SITE IS IN THE OVERLAY DISTRICT.
SO THE CITY ADOPTED DESIGN GUIDELINES AND DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR THE DOWNTOWN OVERLAY.
MOST OF IT IN THE SUBSTANTIVE PARTS DON'T REALLY HAVE A HOME ANYMORE, BUT THERE ARE STILL OVERLAY STANDARDS THAT APPLY TO NEW DEVELOPMENT ON THIS BLOCK.
SO BEFORE WE GOT HERE TODAY, UH, THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF PUBLIC OUTREACH AND THERE'S A, ABOUT A PAGE AND A HALF IN YOUR STAFF REPORT THAT DETAILS ALL OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
BUT THIS IS INTENDED TO BE SORT OF AN OVERVIEW.
IT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY FIRST HELD THE STUDY SESSION BACK IN JANUARY OF 23.
THEN WE HAD ONE IN JUNE THAT INCLUDED THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE HCPC.
AND THEN THERE WAS A SCOPING MEETING LATER ONCE WE RELEASED THE ENVIRONMENT REVIEW AND STARTED ON THE IR PROCESS.
WE HAD A SCOPING MEETING IN MAY OF 2024.
AND THIS IS WHERE THINGS ARE SLIGHTLY, I NEED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE JANUARY MEETING OF 2023 WAS WITH THIS BODY ONLY ABOUT THE HOTEL.
AND THEN AFTERWARDS THERE WAS A HOTEL AND THE OVERLAY, BECAUSE THOSE TWO BECAME PART OF THE PROJECT.
SO ON ONWARD INTO SEPTEMBER, 2024 IS PLANNING COMMISSION, HCPC, LOOKING AT THE DRAFT EIR, CITY COUNCIL, LOOKING AT THE DRAFT EIR IN OCTOBER OF 2024, FEBRUARY OF 2025, THE COUNCIL CERTIFIED THE EIR.
AND WHEN THEY DID THAT, THEY FOUND THAT THE PROJECT AND ALL THE ANALYSIS REQUIRED WERE, WAS SUFFICIENT TO SAY THAT ALL ENVIRONMENTAL PACKS WERE ADDRESSED.
SO THERE'S AN EIR THAT'S ADOPTED CERTIFIED, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN THEN RELY ON FOR STUFF IN THE OVERLAY AND THEY CAN RELY ON FOR REVIEW OF THIS PROJECT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY'S COMPLIANT WITH CQA.
AND THEN THE FINAL MEETING ABOUT THE OVERLAY WAS MARCH, 2025.
SO LET'S GET, LET'S GET INTO THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN.
AND, UH, THE SITE'S ABOUT 14,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND THIS DRAWING THAT YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S PETALUMA BOULEVARDS AT THE TOP B STREETS TO THE LEFT.
ACE HARDWARE'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAWING
[00:20:02]
BUILDING BASICALLY FILLS OUT THE SITE AT THE STREET EDGE ALONG PETALUMA BOULEVARD AND B STREET.THE BUILDING IS UP AT THE SIDEWALK, WHICH IS WHERE YOU WANT IT FOR PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENTS.
YOU WANT TO HAVE THE BUILDING AT THE PROPERTY LINE, AND THEN YOU, THE CITIES ARE GENERALLY MORE OPEN, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS SITE HAS AN OPEN SPACE THAT'S AT THE REAR TOWARDS THE ACE HARDWARE SITE WHERE THERE IS, UH, NO BUILDING FORM.
UH, BUT THE PRIMARY FRONTAGE IS PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH.
THAT'S WHERE THE VALET ZONE IS.
THAT'S WHERE THE WIDE SIDEWALKS ARE.
THAT'S WHERE THE PROTECTION FOR THE ENTRANCE TO THE HOTEL LOBBY IS LOCATED.
SECONDARY ACCESS IS ON B STREET.
THE VALET STAGING HAPPENS ON PETALUMA BOULEVARD, AND THEN THE CARS ARE MOVED INTO THE VALLEY STAGING AREA TO THE REAR OF THE SITE, PARTIALLY UNDER THE BUILDING, BUT ADJACENT TO THE ACE HARDWARE.
THIS IMAGE ILLUSTRATES THE PORTION OF THE PROJECT THAT'S IN THE PARKING DISTRICT, WHICH IS GREEN, AND THE PORTION THAT'S NOT IN THE PARKING DISTRICT.
AND THEN IT HAS HELPFULLY NUMBERS TO SAY THOSE ARE THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES REQUIRED BASED ON WHAT THE ZONING ART SAYS APPLIES.
SO THERE'S A ONE PARKING SPACE PER HOTEL ROOM, AND THEN THERE'S ONE FOR A MANAGER.
SO THAT TOTAL 17 SPACES ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO EVEN THOUGH THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS GOING ON IN THIS SITE, THE WAY THE CITY SET UP THE ZONING, TWO THIRDS OF THE SITE, THERE'S NO PARKING REQUIREMENT.
ONE THIRD THERE IS, THE OTHER THING I CAN NOTE ON THIS DRAWING IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE GROUND FLOOR WITH THE RESTAURANT, THE BACK OF HOUSE, THE LOBBY FLOORS, TWO, THREE, AND FOUR OF HOTEL ROOMS. UM, IMPORTANT THING TO SAY IS, UM, 56 GUEST ROOMS. THERE'S A VARIETY OF, UH, KIND OF ROOM TYPE QUEEN KING DELUXE SUITES.
THERE'S A FITNESS CENTER AND ASPIRE, THAT'S FOR HOTEL GUESTS ONLY ON FLOORS TWO AND THREE.
AND THESE NUMBERS ARE FROM THE APPLICANT, BUT THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE GONNA EMPLOY ABOUT 80 PEOPLE PER DAY.
KEY COMPONENT TO THIS HOTEL IS, UH, FOOD SERVICE, GROUND FLOOR RESTAURANT SERVING APPROXIMATELY 140 GUESTS, A BASEMENT LEVEL.
THEY CALL IT THE SPEAKEASY, BUT IT WILL HAVE A FULL BAR AND FOOD SERVICE, 57 GUESTS.
AND THEN ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, WHICH HAS INDOOR AND THEN EXTERIOR SEATING, 105 GUESTS.
AND ALL OF THESE FOOD SERVICES WILL BE OPEN SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, 7:00 AM TO MIDNIGHT, AND THEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, 7:00 AM TO 1:00 AM CAN'T TALK ABOUT, UH, A NEW PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT SORT OF MULTIM ACCESS AND THEN PARKING.
SO THIS PROPERTY IS WITHIN A HALF A MILE OF THE DOWNTOWN SMART STATION.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS MEANS THAT PEOPLE COULD CONCEIVABLY TAKE TRANSIT AND GET TO THE SITE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE'S LIMITATIONS ON THE CITY APPLYING PARKING STANDARDS.
THERE'S NO PARKING MINIMUM IF YOU'RE IN A HALF MILE RADIUS OF THE SMART STATION.
UM, ONE KEY THING THAT I SHOULD SAY ON THIS SLIDE THAT I HAVEN'T ALREADY SAID BEFORE IS THIS PROJECT WILL INSTALL A NEW BUS STOP ALONG PETALUMA BOULEVARD.
IT'LL BE, UH, NORTH OF THE SITE ADJACENT TO THE, UH, HISTORIC CHINATOWN PARK AND KIND OF ACROSS FROM THE MCNAIR.
SO A NEW BUS STOP AND SHELTER WILL BE INSTALLED AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME IMAGES HERE TO KIND OF HELP TALK ABOUT, UM, THE DESIGN.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, YOU SEE THAT IT HAS A, A STRONG BASE, AND IT WAS, AND THE BASE IS THE GROUND FLOOR UP TO THE SORT OF THE CEILING OF THE GROUND FLOOR.
AND THAT LINE IS DEFINED AND, AND ALIGNS WITH, THEY CALL IT THE DATUM LINE, BUT THE OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE DOWNTOWN.
SO IF YOU WANNA HAVE GOOD DESIGN IN A NEW AREA AND YOU WANT TO JOIN AND BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, YOU USUALLY TRY TO PICK UP ON THEMES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED IN DOWNTOWN.
AND ONE OF THE THEMES IS THE DATA LINE.
THE OTHER IS SORT OF HAVING A STRONG SORT OF FINISH TO THE BUILDING AT THE TOP, DIVIDING THE FLOORS UP SO YOU CAN KIND OF READ THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT FLOORS IN THE BUILDING AND THEN DIVIDING IT INTO BAYS SO THAT IT ISN'T ONE BUILDING, IT'S HORIZONTALLY.
WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN THIS BUILDING, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON AT THE CORNER, THERE'S A MIDSECTION, AND THEN THERE'S TO THE LEFT A DIFFERENT PART OF THE BUILDING, WHICH PROVIDES VARIETY AND SOME RELIEF, WHICH I JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS.
ANOTHER THING I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS MATERIAL QUALITY.
AND THIS IMAGE IS NICE BECAUSE IT SHOWS WHAT THE DESIGN PROPOSES, AND THEN IT HAS SOME REFERENCES.
THERE'S THREE BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN THAT HAVE TERRACOTTA GLAZED TILE OR HAVE GLASS BLOCK OR HAVE STAINED GLASS.
AND THE PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD HAVE THOSE THREE BUILDING MATERIALS AS PART OF THE ELEVATION.
THEY KEY THING TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS.
WE BELIEVE THEY'RE HIGH QUALITY BRICK METAL, CONCRETE WOOD, LIKE, UH, THEY'RE DURABLE, LONG LASTING.
AND, UH, PROBABLY LOW MAINTENANCE, WHICH IS ALSO A KEY THING THAT WE LOOK FOR WHEN WE DO DESIGN REVIEW.
AND I'M GONNA SKIP THAT AND GET INTO THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
[00:25:01]
THIS IMAGE.IT, UH, TOOK THE APPLICANT'S RENDERING AND THEN ADDED SOME THINGS TO IT.
THERE'S, UH, PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE DISPLAYED IN THIS IMAGE WITH THE MURAL AT THE TOP LEFT.
THE, UH, THE RHINO SUSPENDED IN MIDAIR.
THAT'S NOT PROPOSED BY THIS APPLICANT, BUT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SCULPTURAL ELEMENT NEXT TO THE LOBBY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT SORT OF KIND OF INDICATING AND TELLING ME.
IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE STAINED GLASS THEME, WHICH WILL BE ALONG THE, THE STOREFRONTS ALONG, UH, PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH.
AND IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE, WHAT I THINK IS A REALLY PEDESTRIAN SCALE ELEMENT, WHICH IS THE PLANTER BOXES THAT SEPARATE THE SIDEWALK FROM THE EXTERIOR SEATING FOR THE GROUND FLOOR RESTAURANT.
SO THERE'LL BE LIVE PLANTS, NEW STREET TREES, AND THEN LOTS OF VISUAL INTERESTS AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREET.
THERE'S A CHANGE IN SOME, SOME BUILDING FORM EVERY 16 TO 25 FEET.
THIS IMAGE IS NICE TO ILLUSTRATE THAT THERE'S SOME STREET TREES BEING PROPOSED.
SO LONDON PLAIN TREE ALONG PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH, A RED MAPLE ON B STREET.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S A JAPANESE MAPLE IN HERE.
IT'S NOT VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, IT'S PART OF THE COURTYARD.
THE GROUND FLOOR WOULD HAVE A 344 SQUARE FOOT COURTYARD OPEN AIR NEXT TO THE LOBBY TO PROVIDE LIGHT AND AIR AND VISUAL INTEREST TO THE LOBBY.
AND THIS IS A GOOD SLIDE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S NEW STREET TREES PROPOSAL ON PETALUMA BOULEVARD AND B STREET, ANOTHER IMAGE OF THE STREET TREES, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HARDSCAPE AND SITE FURNISHINGS.
AGAIN, HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS OF TILE, BRICK CONCRETE, GOT BIKE RACKS, METAL PLANTERS TO DEFINE THE, THE CAFE SEEDING ALONG PETALUMA BOULEVARD NORTH.
UM, THIS PROJECT HAS A CONSTRUCTION VALUATION THAT WE ESTIMATE IS ABOUT $22 MILLION.
THAT MEANS ROUGHLY $225,000 FOR PUBLIC ART.
NOW THAT'LL BE CONFIRMED, BUT CONSTRUCTION STAGE.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A, A BALLPARK NUMBER.
IT'LL BE PROOFED AND CHECKED BY THE CITY'S BUILDING DEPARTMENT WHEN A BILLING PERMIT'S APPLIED FOR, AND IT MAY BE GREATER.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE APPLICANT'S CONSIDERING A, A MIX OF PUBLIC ART ON SITE AND THEN A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY'S PUBLIC ART FUND.
YOU KNOW, ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION, A PUBLIC BENEFIT IS IT'S A VACANT SITE.
THERE'S NO TAX DOLLARS OFF OF VACANT PROPERTY, OR AT LEAST IT'S VERY REDUCED CONSTRUCTION WILL MEAN MORE TAX DOLLARS.
INFILL PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN WILL HELP SUPPORT THE OTHER BUSINESSES.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ESTI ECONOMIC ESTIMATES THAT, YOU KNOW, $33 MILLION OF TRANSIT OCCUPANCY TAX WILL BE GENERATED OVER 30 YEARS.
UM, JOBS, PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES.
AND THEN SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN PIN DOWN IS PRIOR TO ISSUES OF A BILLING PERMIT.
THERE'S DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES.
AND THIS IS A RANGE OF 1.7 TO 2.07 MILLION.
AND THAT REFLECTS PUBLIC ART IN THE PROJECT ARE NOT PUBLIC ART IN THE PROJECT.
AND I THINK YOU'D ALL BE PLEASED.
I CAN TURN THE MIC OVER NOW TO ALICE AND I'LL TAKE A DRINK OF WATER.
ALICE, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION SIDE OF THIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HOSTING THIS EVENT TONIGHT.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND THE YEARS OF EFFORT THAT HAVE GONE INTO THIS PROJECT.
I AM NEW TO THE PROJECT THIS YEAR.
I'M AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION SPECIALIST OUT OF GLEN ELLEN.
SO JUST OVER THE HILL, UH, I'VE BEEN TASKED WITH EVALUATING HOW THE PROPOSED PROJECT COULD IMPACT HISTORIC RESOURCES IN PETALUMA.
AND GREG HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF SHOWING US THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND THE CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES.
BUT I WANNA REITERATE AGAIN THAT IN OUR SITUATION WE HAVE A VACANT LOT AND THE HISTORIC RESOURCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS TO IS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
NOW, OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT WAS PUT ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER IN 1995, FOLLOWED BY 1999 WHEN IT WAS DESIGNATED LOCALLY AS A HISTORIC DISTRICT BY THE CITY OF PETALUMA.
UM, FOLLOWING, BECAUSE IT'S ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER, IT'S AUTOMATICALLY IN THE CALIFORNIA REGISTER AS WELL.
SO IT'S HISTORIC, HISTORIC, HISTORIC
UM, A FEW SLIDES AGO WHEN WE HAD THE, UH, MAP OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THERE WAS ONE WITH THE RED CIRCLE ON IT THAT SHOWED, UH, A PROXIMITY TO OTHER HISTORIC RESOURCES.
UH, THERE ARE NO HISTORIC RESOURCES IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE PROJECT AREA.
THERE ARE EIGHT RESOURCES WITHIN 450 FEET OF IT.
THERE WAS SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THE REX HARDWARE STORE DOWN ON B STREET QUALIFIES AS A HISTORIC RESOURCE ANYMORE.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION, BUT IT'S CURRENTLY A 2007 RECONSTRUCTION OF A 1942 BUILDING THAT WAS MOVED THERE AFTER THE ORIGINAL BUILDING BURNED DOWN ON MAIN STREET.
SO THAT WAS, UH, THE RECONSTRUCTION HAS NOT RISEN TO THE LEVEL OF ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT,
[00:30:01]
AND IT'S NOT THE LAST SURVIVING RESOURCE OF ITS TYPE TO TELL THE STORY OF COMMERCIAL, THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORY OF DOWNTOWN PETALUMA.UM, THAT SAID, SO WE'VE JUST DEFINED THAT THE HISTORIC RESOURCE IS THE DISTRICT.
WE HAVE THREE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
WE HAVE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS, WE HAVE THE PETALUMA GUIDELINES, AND THEN WE HAVE THE ZONING CODE.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH EACH ONE.
UM, I DIRECT EVERYBODY TO THE ATTACHMENT THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
THAT IS MY, MY MUCH, MUCH LARGER REPORT
BUT JUST SO THAT WE CAN ALL GO HOME AND EVENTUALLY GO TO BED TONIGHT, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS AS SHORT AS I POSSIBLY CAN.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I THINK IT WAS ALSO PUT OUT THAT WE, THE FINDING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IS THAT THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS NOT GONNA HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR HISTORIC RESOURCE, WHICH IS THE DISTRICT.
AND IT WON'T BE A DIRECT EFFECT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH HISTORIC RESOURCES.
SO WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT INDIRECT OR VISUAL IMPACTS ON THE DISTRICT.
CAN WE HIT THE NEXT SLIDE? THERE WE GO.
UM, JUST FOR A LITTLE COMIC RELIEF IN SOME ENTERTAINMENT, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF THE SITE HERE.
THESE ARE SANBORN MAPS FROM EIGHTEEN EIGHTY FIVE, EIGHTEEN EIGHTY EIGHT, UM, AND THEY TELL THE COMMERCIAL HISTORY OF OUR PROPERTY.
IT HAS BEEN IN COMMERCIAL USE HEAVILY SINCE AT LEAST THE 1880S, PROBABLY THE 1850S.
IT WAS PART OF, UH, PETALUMA'S ORIGINAL CHINATOWN, WHICH WENT DOWN THIRD STREET BETWEEN PETALUMA BOULEVARD AND D STREET.
AND IT ORIGINALLY HAD A WHOLE SERIES OF STONE BUILDINGS THERE ON B STREET.
BUT WE SEE DOWN THERE BY 1888 THAT THE BUILDINGS HAD BEEN REMOVED AND IT WAS PRETTY MUCH VACANT EXCEPT FOR TWO WOOD FRAME STRUCTURES.
THE CHINESE SCHOOL WAS AT THE NORTHERN BORDER UP THERE.
WE'VE GOT SOME MORE SANBORN MAPS.
SO IN 1923 WE HAD THE FIRST GAS STATION CONSTRUCTED ON THE SITE, UM, WHICH I'M GONNA PUT IN A LITTLE SIDE NOTE HERE 'CAUSE I'M DOING ANOTHER PROJECT ABOUT THE HOTEL PETALUMA.
THIS SITE WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED FOR THE HOTEL PETALUMA, BUT WAS EVENTUALLY DECIDED TO MOVE IT.
AND THAT'S WHEN THEY BUILT THE FIRST GAS STATION ON THE SITE WAS WHEN THE HOTEL PETALUMA MOVED OVER TO UH, WASHINGTON.
SO BY 1949 WE'VE GOT ANOTHER GAS STATION AND SOME DRY CLEANING.
UM, AND THEN BY BETWEEN 2009, 2010, THE GAS STATION WAS DEMOLISHED AND THE LOT HAS BEEN VACANT EVER SINCE.
BUT WHAT THESE SLIDES SHOW, AND THAT I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN, IS THAT THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN COMMERCIAL FOR ITS ENTIRE DURATION AND HAS, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY BUILDINGS ON IT, HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN OF PETALUMA.
THESE ARE SOME, UM, THANK YOU TO MELISSA.
SHE WAS, SHE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE GAS STATION BACKGROUND OF THIS PROPERTY.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE GAS STATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE PROPERTY.
THAT'S A 1980S PICTURE IN THE TOP LEFT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT, WHICH IS 1960S.
UM, THIS IS WHAT IT'S LOOKED LIKE FOR THE PAST MANY, MANY, MANY DECADES.
SO, AND HERE IT IS NOW, IT'S CURRENTLY VACANT WITH A CHAIN LINK FENCE.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S, FIRST I'M GONNA GO ABOUT IT.
SECRETARY STANDARDS FIRST AND THEN GUIDELINES, AND THEN ZONING.
SO THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS WERE DEVELOPED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IN 1976.
THEY HAVE 10 VERY SPECIFIC STANDARDS THAT ARE MEANT AS GUIDANCE TO ARCHITECTS, DEVELOPERS, HOMEOWNERS, REALTORS, ANYBODY THAT'S WORKING ON OLDER BUILDINGS.
MOST OF THE GUIDELINES APPLY TO EXISTING STRUCTURES, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME THAT APPLY TO NEW CONSTRUCTION WITHIN HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON.
UM, THE GUIDELINES IN GENERAL ARE MEANT TO PRESERVE THE HISTORIC NATURE OF PLACES AND BUILDINGS, BUT THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT PLACES AND BUILDINGS NEED TO CHANGE AND ACCOMMODATE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND MAKE ROOM FOR THE FUTURE HISTORY OF THE AREA NEXT.
SO AGAIN, THREE PARTICULAR STANDARDS APPLY TO THIS PROJECT.
UM, IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THE STANDARDS, AGAIN, I REFER YOU TO THE ATTACHMENT IN THE STAFF REPORT WHERE I GO THROUGH ALL 10.
BUT STANDARD NUMBER ONE IS THE FIRST ONE THAT APPLIES.
AND THAT ONE BASICALLY SAYS THE PROPERTIES WILL BE MAINTAINED IN THEIR HISTORIC FUNCTION AND USE, UH, STANDARD NINE SAYS THAT NEW ADDITIONS OR CONSTRUCTION WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE HISTORIC RESOURCES.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS HISTORIC RESOURCES AROUND IT, BUT STILL DIFFERENTIATED.
[00:35:01]
A THEME THAT I'M GONNA HARP ON A LOT TONIGHT, IS THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION NEEDS TO BE BOTH COMPATIBLE AND DIFFERENTIATED.WE ARE TRYING TO AVOID FALSE HISTORICISM SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL APPRECIATE THE AUTHENTICITY OF OUR CURRENT ARCHITECTURE, WHICH WILL HAVE ITS OWN CHANCE TO RISE TO BE HISTORIC, POSSIBLY IN SOME FUTURE TIME.
UM, FINALLY, STANDARD NUMBER 10 SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO TAKE IT AWAY WITHOUT IMPACTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE HISTORIC RESOURCE.
IN THIS CASE, THE HISTORIC RESOURCE IS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO, UH, JUST AS OVERVIEW ON THE HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES, IT WAS 1999, UPDATED 2024, AND IT'S MORE SPECIFIC TO PROTECTING PETALUMA'S DOWNTOWN HISTORIC CHARACTER.
UM, IT MANDATES REVIEW BY YOU
UM, I GO THROUGH THEM POINT BY POINT IN THE ATTACHMENT, BUT, UM, TONIGHT I'M ONLY GONNA FOCUS ON TWO.
I'M GONNA FOCUS, OH, NEVERMIND.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE THIRD REGULATION THAT I WILL ADDRESS IS THE ZONING CODE.
AND THIS ONE REALLY JUST KIND OF WRAPS UP WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED.
THE ZONING CODE ADOPTS THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS AS ITS GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING WHAT THE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE IS, AND IT ESTABLISHES, UH, MANY OF THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS OR OF THE SAME CRITERIA THAT ARE IN THE GUIDELINES.
SO THE, HOW DOES OUR PROJECT MEASURE UP TO THESE VARIOUS REGULATIONS? AND I'M GONNA DO IT IN THE SAME ORDER THAT I JUST STARTED WITH.
SO LET'S START WITH THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS.
SO STANDARD ONE SAYS THAT IT MAINTAINS THE HISTORICAL USE OF THE SITE OR THE BUILDING OR THE RESOURCE.
UM, AS WE DISCUSSED WITH OUR SANBORN MAPS, THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN HEAVILY COMMERCIAL SINCE THE 19TH CENTURY.
THE PROPOSED HOTEL DEVELOPMENT IS DEFINITELY CONSISTENT WITH THE LONG-TERM COM COMMERCIAL USE.
STANDARD NINE IS ONE WHERE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS COMPATIBLE AND DISTINGUISHABLE AND MAINTAINS SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS.
THIS IS A VERY SUBJECTIVE STANDARD.
IT'S NOT ABOUT PASSING JUDGMENT ON WHETHER A DESIGN IS GOOD OR BAD.
IT'S TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT REFERENCES AND IT'S COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER HISTORIC RESOURCES AND STILL DISTINGUISHABLE.
UM, I'M NOT REALLY GONNA TALK ABOUT DISTINGUISHABLE BECAUSE THIS CONTEMPORARY DESIGN IS CLEARLY NOT AN OLD BUILDING.
SO I THINK THAT PART IS VERY CLEAR.
WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT IS HOW IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND WITH OTHER NEARBY HISTORIC RESOURCES.
SO WHEN, AS AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT, UM, HOW WE DID WHAT A HISTORIC RESOURCE IS, ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS THAT I DO IS I ESTABLISH WHAT ITS CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES ARE, AND THOSE ARE THE VISUAL QUALITIES OF A HISTORIC RESOURCE DISTRICT THAT CONVEY TO A PERSON LOOKING AT IT, WHY IT'S HISTORIC.
AND IN THIS THIS CASE FOR THE PETALUMA HISTORIC DISTRICT, WE HAVE A LOT OF SIZES AND STYLES AND COLORS AND MATERIALS AND SHAPES REPRESENTING A PERIOD OF A HUNDRED YEARS OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT'S VERY HARD TO PIN DOWN.
THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE NOT ALL ONE THING, IT'S ONE ECLECTIC MIX OF BUILDINGS AND STYLES THAT'S UNITED BY THE COMMON THEME OF COMMERCIAL USES.
UM, SOME OF THE CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES THAT I'VE OUTLINED IN MY VERY LONG ATTACHMENT ARE, UM, PREDOMINANCE OF RETAIL FUNCTIONS, BUILDINGS THAT ARE BUILT RIGHT TO THE LOT, LINE FLAT ROOFS OR ROOFS HIDDEN BY PARAPETS.
UM, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF HEIGHTS MATERIALS.
WE'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF PEDESTRIAN FOCUS AND TRIPARTITE COMPOSITION.
AND GREG MENTIONED THIS AND SHOWED A FEW SLIDES ABOUT WHAT THE TRI-PART TRIPARTITE COMPOSITION IS, AND THAT'S THE BASE, THE MIDDLE AND THE TOP.
AND WE SEE THAT THEME REPEATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE HISTORIC RESOURCES OF THE DISTRICT.
SO HOW DOES OUR PROJECT COMPARE WITH THESE CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES? IS IT COMPATIBLE WITH THESE FEATURES OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, WAY FAR OUT? WELL, IT DEFINITELY HAS A TRIPARTITE COMPOSITION.
UH, WE SEE THAT IT'S GOT A GROUND LEVEL RETAIL FUNCTION CLEARLY DELINEATED WITH, UM, WITH THE LINE OVER THE FIRST LEVEL.
IT'S GOT A MIDDLE AND IT'S GOT A TOP.
UM, IT INCLUDES THE STRUCTURAL GRID WITH VERTICAL BAYS.
A LOT OF THE HISTORIC RESOURCE BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT HAVE VERY SPECIFIC FENESTRATION PATTERNS THAT LINE UP INTO VERTICAL BAYS.
UM, OUR MODERN BUILDING HERE ALSO DOES INCLUDE SOME VERTICAL ELEMENTS THROUGH STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS AS WELL AS FENESTRATION THAT REPEAT THAT GRID AND CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT VERTICAL VERSUS HORIZONTAL.
[00:40:01]
UM, OUR, THE MATERIALS REFLECT THE INDUSTRIAL ROOTS, UH, CONCRETE GLASS BRICK, AND IT HAS A VERY PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY ACCESS AND INTENTION TO IT, UM, BEING BUILT TO THE LINE WITH RECESSED ENTRIES AND PUBLIC SPACES ON THE GROUND LEVEL.THIS IS, UM, I WANTED TO SHOW, I KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS PICTURE OTHER PLACES IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT THIS IS REALLY, UM, FOCUSING ON THE TRIPARTITE COMPOSITION OF, ON THE MIDDLE.
ONE IS THE PROPOSED HOTEL, THE TOP ONE IS THE MCNAIR BUILDING.
AND SO IT'S SHOWING HOW ON THE HISTORIC RESOURCE WE'VE GOT A BOTTOM, A MIDDLE, AND A TOP WITH VERTICAL HORIZON FENESTRATION THAT MAKES VERTICAL BAYS.
AND AGAIN, THE GRAPHIC ON THE MIDDLE UNDERNEATH OF IT IS REPEATING THAT WITH OUR CONTEMPORARY BUILDING.
UM, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS, AND AGAIN, GOING TO TRYING TO, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SO MANY VARIOUS OPTIONS WITH THE HISTORIC RESOURCES, YOU CAN'T SAY ALL THE BUILDINGS ARE BRICK, ALL THE BUILDINGS ARE STUCCO, ALL THE BUILDINGS ARE FRAMED BECAUSE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT HAS REPRESENTATIVES, SIGNIFICANT REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL THOSE BUILDING TYPES.
SO AGAIN, IT'S A VERY ECLECTIC, UH, RANGE OF MATERIALS ALL BONDED BY COMMERCIAL USE.
SO STANDARD 10, COULD IT BE REMOVED WITH NO IMPACT TO THE HISTORIC RESOURCE IN THE FUTURE? UM, THE DESIGN GUIDELINES, A LOT OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS THAT ARE PROVIDED IN IT INCLUDE ILLUSTRATIONS WHERE THE BUILDINGS ARE A, ARE INFILL, ABUTTING, HISTORIC BUILDINGS ON BOTH SIDES, KIND OF LIKE IF YOU LOST A TOOTH AND ONE GOT A NEW ONE.
OUR PROJECT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT PHYSICALLY ABUTTING ANY HISTORIC RESOURCES.
AND SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO REMOVE IT IS VERY EASY.
IN THE FUTURE, IF SOMETHING WERE TO CHANGE AND THE BUILDING WERE TAKEN AWAY, THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AROUND IT WOULD BE IN NO WAY IMPACTED BY THE LOSS OF THIS BUILDING.
SO NOW, UM, LET'S SWITCH GEARS A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT HOW THE PROJECT COMPARE OR MEASURES UP TO THE HISTORIC GUIDELINES FOR THE, FOR PETALUMA.
AND THERE ARE TWO SECTIONS THAT APPLY SIX AND SEVEN.
SO SIX IS THE SECTION THAT TALKS ABOUT STREET SCAPES.
IT HAS A LOT OF SUBSECTIONS, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THEM ALL.
UM, IMAGE IDENTITY AND OUTDOOR SPACE ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY APPLY MOST.
AND, UM, I THINK KIND OF AT THE 40,000 FOOT LEVEL, THE PROPOSED PROJECT TRANSFORMS A VACANT LOT INTO AN ANCHOR TENANT OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, WHICH, UM, IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LONG-TERM COMMERCIAL USE OF THE PROPERTY AND OTHER USES AROUND IT.
UH, IT IS FOUR STORIES, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT WITH SOME OF THE LARGER HISTORIC RESOURCES NEARBY.
AND IT REPRESENTS A TRANSITION FROM THE CORNER OF THE DISTRICT INTO THE HEART OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UH, THE CONTEMPORARY, OH, SORRY.
UH, THE CONTEMPORARY DESIGN DOES HAVE REFERENCES TO HISTORIC RESOURCES IN THE NEARBY DISTRICT.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT AND THEN THE RESTAURANTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE, WITH THE GUIDELINES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OUTDOOR SPACES.
UM, NEW CONSTRUCTION, HERE'S THE REAL, THIS IS THE REAL MEAT OF THE GUIDELINES FOR US.
SO THE GUIDELINES HAD THE INTENTION THAT PROJECTS MUST FIT THE DIS DISTRICT SCALE PROPORTION, COMPOSITION, SETBACK, DETAILS, COLOR AND MATERIAL, AND STILL BE DISTINCT AND COM DISTINCT WITH THAT.
AND DIFFERENTIATED WITHOUT IMITATING HISTORIC STYLES.
AGAIN, TRYING TO AVOID FALSE HISTORICISM.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FEATURES TO TRY AND JUGGLE AND TRYING TO MATCH UP WITH.
AND AGAIN, I'M, EXCUSE ME, I'M GONNA STRESS THAT THE DISTRICT IS A VERY ECLECTIC GROUP OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE CONNECTED BY A COMMERCIAL USE.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SCALE, YES, IT IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER FOUR STORY BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING THE HOTEL PETALUMA THAT ANCHORS THE OTHER END OF THE DISTRICT.
UH, THE COMPOSITION, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT TRIPARTITE, UM, IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES OF THE DISTRICT HAS A PEDESTRIAN FOCUS BEING BUILT TO THE LOT LINE.
ALL THE HISTORIC RESOURCES IN THE DISTRICT ARE, AND ONE THING THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT YET IS SIGHT LINES.
AND SO WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPOSED HOTEL WOULD BLOCK HISTORIC SIGHT LINES OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, THE ANSWER IS NO.
YOU CAN, BECAUSE OF THE CURVING ROAD, YOU CAN STILL, AS YOU'RE COMING DOWN, PETALUMA, YOUR PRIMARY VISION ONCE YOU LOOK THROUGH THE REDWOOD TREES AT THE CHINATOWN PARK IS THE HISTORIC IRON FRONT BUILDINGS.
UM, OUR CONSISTENCY WITH MATERIALS AND COLORS AND DETAILS.
AGAIN, IT'S A VERY ECLECTIC MIX THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
[00:45:01]
DETAILS FROM THE STAINED GLASS STOREFRONT THAT IS A NOD TO SOME OF THE MORE VICTORIAN BUILDINGS IN THE DISTRICT.AND THE MATERIALS AND THE MATERIAL AND THE COLORS ARE MEANT TO BE NEUTRAL SO THAT THEY CAN HARMONIZE.
SO FINALLY, UM, I ALWAYS, I PUT THE ZONING PART LAST BECAUSE IT'S A, A SUMMATION OF THE OTHER TWO REGULATIONS.
UM, IT WANTS, IT USES SECRETARY STANDARDS AS A MAIN GUIDELINE.
SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT AND IT SAYS THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT STYLE DESIGN RELATIONSHIP, AND THOSE ARE ASPECTS OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
AND GENERALLY THE, THE ZONING ORDINANCE WANTS CONSTRUCTION TO BE HARMONIOUS AND NOT TO HAVE AN ADVERSE JARRING IMPACT ON THE HISTORIC RESOURCES.
UM, AND AFTER HAVING GONE THROUGH POINT BY POINT ALL OF THE GUIDELINES AND THE STANDARDS, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE PROJECT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE SECRETARY STANDARDS AND WITH THE GUIDELINES AND WITH THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER PREVIOUS REPORTS AND, UH, REVIEWS OF THE PROJECT THAT CONCUR WITH THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT THIS ONE LAST TIME, THAT IS THE PROFESSIONAL OPINION.
I THINK THAT, YEP, THERE IT IS.
UM, I AM GOING TO SPEAK TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER AND I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, SINCE THE INCEPTION.
I, UH, SUPPORT THE CITY IN REVIEWING, UH, PROJECTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO, UH, SHARE WHERE THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN AND WHERE IT IS, UH, NOW IN TERMS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD.
SO, UH, WHAT'S BEFORE THE COMMITTEE THIS EVENING IS CONSIDERATION OF THE HISTORIC SITE PLAN AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW.
THAT IS A DISCRETIONARY ACTION AND DISCRETIONARY ACTIONS TRIGGER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.
UM, LAST YEAR, THE CITY CERTIFIED AN EIR, UH, THAT WENT THROUGH A PUBLIC REVIEW PROCESS THAT COVERED THE SUBSTANTIVE AND PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS OF CQA.
UM, SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS A PROJECT THAT ALREADY HAS DONE AND HAS, UM, ALREADY SATISFIED THE, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL CERTIFIED IN EIR, UH, AND TO GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT, UH, THE EIR WAS CERTIFIED BOTH FOR THE DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC, UH, AND OVERLAY OPPORTUNITY AND THE EKN APPALACHIAN HOTEL.
SO THERE WAS A PROGRAMMATIC ANALYSIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OVERLAY.
AND THEN A SITE SPECIFIC, A PROJECT SPECIFIC ANALYSIS, SO ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOTEL, THE HOTEL PROJECT THAT IS BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS IN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH ALTERNATIVE THREE OF THAT CERTIFIED EIR, WHICH SPECIFICALLY EVALUATED A FOUR STORY ALTERNATIVE.
UH, SO CQA IN THIS INSTANCE, C EQUA MANDATES THAT WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND A PROJECT HAS ALREADY BEEN ANALYZED, THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S SET FORTH IN SQA GUIDELINES, SECTION 1 5 1 6 4.
UH, AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE ADDENDUM PROCESS.
UH, AND SO IT PROVIDES BASICALLY THAT IF THERE'S NO NEW OR MORE SIGNIFICANT OR SUBSTANTIAL IMPACTS, UH, THEN AN ADDENDUM IS APPROPRIATE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, BECAUSE THE HOTEL THAT IS NOW PROPOSED IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THAT EIR, IT WAS COVERED AS ALTERNATIVE THREE.
UM, IT IS FULLY CONSISTENT WITH THAT.
UH, IT WAS, IT HAS BEEN EVALUATED IN AN ADDENDUM.
SO, UH, THERE IS A FULL SQA ANALYSIS THAT IS PROVIDED IN THE ATTACHMENT.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THAT IS PRESENTED IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS AN ADDENDUM.
IT DOES GO THROUGH AND SUMMARIZE THE RESULTS OF NUMEROUS, UM, STUDIES AND TECHNICAL, UM, UH, RECORDS INCLUDING WHAT ALICE JUST PRESENTED.
UH, HER REPORT IS AN ATTACHMENT OR IS REFERENCED IN THAT AND IS EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THOSE FINDINGS.
UH, AND THEN BEYOND THAT, WE'RE IN A REGULATORY CONTEXT, OF COURSE, THAT, UH, IS INFORMED BY THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE GENERAL PLAN EIR, WHICH AGAIN IS A PROGRAM LEVEL ANALYSIS THAT ANTICIPATED, UM, AND, AND PLANS FOR REDEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE THE HISTORIC GUIDELINES.
UH, ALL OF THESE COME TOGETHER TO, UM, TO INFORM THAT, UH, CONCLUSION.
AND, AND HERE WE HAVE AN ADDENDUM THAT IS ATTACHED TO THAT, THAT SHOWS THAT, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT IS NOW FOR STORIES, UH, THERE ARE NOT ANY NEW OR MORE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.
SO THAT IS WHAT THE, UH, ADDENDUM CONCLUDES AND, UH, THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE STAFF REPORT AS AN ATTACHMENT FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
SO I THINK I'LL KEEP THAT, UM, LIMITED, BUT OF COURSE I CAN ANSWER ANY, UH, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I THINK I HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE TO PRESENT.
SO ALSO IN THE STAFF REPORT IS A SECTION ABOUT THE PROJECT'S CONSISTENCY WITH THE CLIMATE INITIATIVE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
[00:50:01]
UH, OF COURSE THAT RELATES BACK TO, UH, THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO THE, THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY FRAMEWORK AND THE BLUEPRINT.UM, THE PROJECT IS PROPOSED TO BE ALL ELECTRIC.
IT IS, UH, CLEARLY AN INFILL PROJECT, UH, ON A, ON A INFILL SITE WITH A HIGHER INTENSITY.
UH, AND IT IS, UH, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY OCCUPIED BY A GAS STATION.
IT IS CENTRALLY LOCATED WITHIN, UH, RIGHT UP THE GATEWAY TO THE DOWNTOWN CORE.
IT'S APPROXIMATE AND WITHIN THAT HALF MILE RADIUS TO SMART AND TRANSIT.
UH, AND IT SUPPORTS THAT DOWNTOWN WALKABILITY.
IT PROVIDES THAT ACTIVE, UH, FRONTAGE AND A DESTINATION A POINT OF INTEREST.
UH, AND IT INCLUDES SOME UPDATES TO SIDEWALKS.
UM, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE, THE WAYS THAT THE PROJECT WAS DETERMINED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S, UH, CLIMATE INITIATIVE.
AND, UM, AND THE PROJECT HAS ALSO BEEN CONFU, UH, REVIEWED FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE GENERAL PLAN.
AND I WILL HAND IT BACK TO GREG TO SUMMARIZE THAT.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE STAFF PRESENTATION'S TAKEN SOME TIME AND WASN'T INTENDED.
UM, BUT IT'S A, AND THE REASON I THINK THE PRESENTATION IS AS LONG AND IS, HAS MUCH DETAIL AND THE STAFF REPORT IS RATHER LONG.
THERE'S A LOT THAT THE HCPC IS, UH, ASKED TO LOOK AT.
NOT ONLY IS IT THE HISTORIC STANDARDS IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, IT'S THE STUFF IMPOSED BY THE STATE OR THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS AND THEN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW THAT OLIVIA JUST FINISHED.
SO NORMALLY I WOULD GIVE YOU A FIVE MINUTE PRESENTATION AND MOVE ON, BUT THIS PROJECT REALLY MERITS THE, THE DETAIL.
AND I, I, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE, UH, WHILE WE GET THROUGH THIS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS I'VE GOT A FEW MORE SLIDES AND THEN I'M DONE
UM, AND, AND THE NEXT FEW SLIDES ARE REALLY KIND OF JUST A SUMMATION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE STAFF REPORT AND THE PRESENTATION HERE TONIGHT GIVES THE EVIDENCE THAT THE HCPC NEEDS TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S ATTACHED TO YOUR STAFF REPORT AND THE RESOLUTION.
AND THEN, AND GETTING TO THAT RECOMMENDATION, STAFF LOOKED AT THE GENERAL PLAN AND WE LOOKED AT HISTORIC COMPATIBILITY WITH CULTURAL RESOURCES.
WE LOOKED AT LAND USE EFFICIENCY, INFILL, AND I'M NOT GONNA READ EVERY POLICY, BUT WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT THE GENERAL PLAN SAYS.
THE ZONING ORDINANCE SAYS WHAT STATE LAW SAYS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND HISTORIC STANDARDS THAT ARE AT THE STATE AND LOCAL AND THEN FEDERAL LEVEL TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION.
ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT DOWNTOWN IS, IS THE PROJECT GONNA DO ANYTHING FOR VITALITY? VISITOR SERVING USES, WELL, OF COURSE, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, THEY BRING PEOPLE INTO DOWNTOWN, THEY SUPPORT OTHER BUSINESSES.
I DUNNO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS SLIDE, BUT MAYBE WE'LL JUST SKIP THAT ONE BECAUSE IT'S OH, OH, THAT'S FUN.
ANYWAYS, I MENTIONED EARLIER THERE'S GENERAL PLAN POLICIES ABOUT PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE AND MULTIMODAL ACCESS.
AND THEN THE CULTURE INVESTMENT, TOT TRANSIT OCCUPANCY TAX ARE A GREAT WAY FOR CITIES TO FUND GENERAL SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE HOTEL REVENUE THAT THEY BRING IN.
UM, AGAIN, GETTING BACK TO THE THEME OF THE FINDINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED, YOU KNOW, YOUR STAFF REPORT WALKS YOU THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT SPAR FINDINGS, ALL THE HISTORIC SPAR FINDINGS, AND THE STAFF EV STAFF REPORT PROVIDES THE EVIDENCE FOR THE HCPC TO FIND, I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT HAS QUALITY MATERIALS.
THE OVERALL DESIGN IS HARMONIOUS, HAS LANDSCAPING SUBJECT TO CITY STANDARDS.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY LOOKED AT THE EGRESS OF PEOPLE AND BIKES AND CARS ON AND OFF THE SITE AND FOUND THAT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH GOOD PRACTICES IN THE LOCAL GENERAL PLAN.
UM, WE ALSO FIND THAT THE DESIGN IS OF A GOOD CHARACTER.
OF COURSE, WE'RE DESIGNED BY A PROFESSIONAL 'CAUSE THERE'S AN ARCHITECT THAT WAS INVOLVED.
AND, UH, I'M GONNA SKIP THIS ONE BECAUSE I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ENOUGH ABOUT THIS PROJECT TONIGHT AND JUST GET TO THE END, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE HCPC APPROVE THE PROJECT, APPROVE THE H BAR, THE TREE REMOVAL PERMIT FOR THE PROJECT AT TWO PETAL LOUIS BOULEVARD SOUTH, PURSUANT TO THE FINDINGS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE ALL HERE TO TALK TO YOU AND, UH, ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
I THINK WE'RE GOING, I'M GONNA ASK THAT WE WAIT TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS UNTIL WE'VE HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT.
UM, CAN I INVITE THE APPLICANT TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION AT THIS TIME? GOOD EVENING.
GREG, ALICE AND OLIVIA, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
AFTER THAT PRESENTATION, I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH TO ADD.
UM, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A STORY REALLY QUICKLY OF HOW WE STARTED THE DESIGN PROCESS ON THIS FOUR STORY HOTEL.
[00:55:01]
THAT EKN, OH, I'M SORRY, MIKE JOLEY, EKN THANK YOU DEVELOPMENT, UM, WE REALIZED HISTORICAL IS ALL IMPORTANT.WE'RE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
WE LOVE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UH, WE, WE'VE REALLY GROWN TO LOVE PETALUMA.
AND SO THE FIRST THING THAT I DID WAS HIRE A HISTORICAL ARCHITECT, DIANA PAINTER.
AND I AM REALLY GLAD I DID BECAUSE APPARENTLY AFTER LISTENING TO ALICE'S PRESENTATION, SHE DID A FAIRLY GOOD JOB DIRECTING MY ARCHITECTS IN THEIR DESIGN.
LET, I WANT, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT ONE THING.
FOR EXAMPLE, I CALLED DIANA UP THIS AFTERNOON AND I SAID, DIANA, WHAT PART OF THE DESIGN DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO FIGHT FOR AND PUSH BACK WITH ON THE ARCHITECTS? AND SHE POINTED TO OUR COLUMNS, OUR PY LEERS, AND SHE SAID, I WAS INSISTENT THAT THOSE COLUMNS, THAT THOSE PY LEERS MIMICKED THE IRON FRONT BUILDINGS AND THEIR WINDOW PAINTS AND THE STRUCTURE OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THEM CAREFULLY AND THEN YOU LOOK AT AN IRON FRONT BUILDING, YOU WILL SEE THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO.
UM, TO, TO BRING IN SOME OF THAT HISTORY FROM THE IRON FRONT BUILDINGS INTO OUR, INTO OUR BUILDING.
IT WASN'T THE FIRST DESIGN THAT CAME OUT FROM PAIGE, AND WITH DIANA'S HELP, IT WAS PROBABLY THE FOURTH OR FIFTH, BUT THIS IS THE DESIGN WE FELL ON.
THIS IS THE DESIGN THAT WE REALLY TRULY LOVE.
YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE, EKN HAS BEEN IN PETALUMA.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN WELCOMED IN A VERY FRIENDLY WAY ALL THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE STARTED WITH A SIX STORY BUILDING AND WE GOT BEAT UP ON THAT AND WE CHANGED THE DESIGN AND GOT BEAT UP ON THAT.
AND THEN THE REFER REFERENDUM TURNED US, TURNED THAT DOWN SO WE COULDN'T GO WITH THAT SIX STORY BUILDING.
AND WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO REDESIGN A FOUR STORY BUILDING BY THE CITY, WE KIND OF LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WE SAID, WOW.
I MEAN, DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD EVEN ATTEMPT THIS? DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD EVEN TRY THIS? BUT WE LOVE PETALUMA.
I MEAN, EVEN AFTER ALL OF THAT, WE DECIDED THAT, YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S WORTH IT.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT A SHOT.
WE, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN BE A SPARK TO OTHER INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN.
THIS HOTEL'S GONNA BRING A LOT OF, ENERGY'S GONNA BRING A LOT OF VITALITY TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I MEAN, ENOUGH CHAINLINK FENCES, ENOUGH VACANT LOTS, ENOUGH BOARDED UP BUILDINGS, IT'S TIME TO GET RID OF THE BLIGHT IN PETALUMA.
WE ARE WILLING TO BE THE FIRST BIG SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO HELP TURN THIS AROUND.
SO PLEASE APPROVE THE PROJECT.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, TO THE APPLICANT AND TO STAFF FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, BEFORE I MOVE TO COMMITTEE QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT AND FOR STAFF, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT CAME IN BEFORE THIS MEETING STARTED AND ADDRESS SOME OF THE, THE TOPICS THAT CAME UP WITH THOSE, UM, STAFF.
WOULD YOU MIND ADDRESSING A COUPLE OF THINGS? IS IT, I HAVE A, I HAVE A LIST.
IS IT ALL RIGHT IF I JUST READ YOU MY LIST OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO ONE AT A TIME? ANY PREFERENCE? I THINK THE LIST, THE LIST IS OKAY.
UM, COULD YOU ADDRESS THE OUTSTANDING RECOVERY BALANCE? HOW THE REFERENDUM IMPACTS THIS PROJECT, THE HEIGHT OF THE PROJECT, AND WHETHER THIS PROJECT UTILIZES ANY OF THE OVERLAY ORDINANCE? THOSE WERE THE BIG THINGS THAT CAME UP.
YEAH, I CAN TAKE THE FIRST STAB AT SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW, ANDREW, BRIAN, GREG, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN.
UH, THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WAS COST RECOVERY.
AND I DON'T WANNA MAKE LIGHT OF THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE, BUT WE DO HAVE A STANDARD CONDITION.
IT'S 17, UH, IN OUR RESOLUTION CURRENTLY, AND I'LL JUST READ IT REAL QUICK.
IT STATES, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE COST RECOVERY AGREEMENT FILED WITH THE HBR APPLICATION.
ALL REVIEW COSTS RELATED TO THE PROCESSING OF THE ENTITLEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT SHALL BE PAID IN FULL PRIOR EDITION OF A BUILDING PERMIT.
SO THAT'S A STANDARD CONDITION THAT WE HAVE WITH ALL OF OUR APPLICATIONS.
[01:00:01]
RECOVERY AGREEMENTS AND TALKING TO PLANNING STAFF, IT'S PRETTY COMMON FOR THERE TO BE OUTSTANDING BALANCES IN THE COST RECOVERY AND STILL HAVE THESE ENTITLEMENT HEARINGS.AND THEN I DO WANT TO STRESS, UH, TONIGHT THAT THE FINDINGS THAT GREG LAID OUT REGARDING THE HAR THAT ALICE STATED ABOUT REGARDING THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR GENERAL PLAN, UH, CONFORMANCE, THOSE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OUTSTANDING COST RECOVERY BALANCE.
SO THOSE REALLY AREN'T PART OF HCPCS DETERMINATION TONIGHT.
UM, AND KIND OF OUTSIDE HCS PC'S PURVIEW.
THE NEXT QUESTION, WAS IT HEIGHT? OH, THERE WAS A QUESTION REFERENDUM ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE REFERENDUM.
TAKE A STAB AT THAT ONE TOO, IF THAT'S COOL.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S MONDAY NIGHT THAT CITY COUNCIL WILL BE ASKED WHETHER OR NOT TO PLACE THE REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT THAT WAS LAID RELATED TO THE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT INCREASING THE FAR FROM 2.5 TO SIX.
UH, THE APPLICATION TONIGHT IN FRONT OF US, THE, UH, FAR WAS WITHIN THE 2.5.
SO IT DOES NOT NEED THE REFERENDUM.
SO THE REFERENDUM, WHETHER OR NOT THAT GOES TO BALLOT, HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE VOTED ON EVENTUALLY, IF IT DOES GO TO BALLOT, THAT'S NOT RELEVANT FOR TONIGHT'S DECISION.
AND AGAIN, REALLY THE DETERMINATION SHOULD BE BASED ON THOSE FINDINGS.
SO THAT WAS REFERENDUM WAS HEIGHT, THAT THIRD ONE? YEAH.
I'LL, UNLESS I HEAR ANYTHING FROM STAFF, I'LL JUST KEEP RUNNING WITH IT.
UH, SO I DO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE POSTED RESPONSE REGARDING HEIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, AND WHENEVER STAFF MAKES A DETERMINATION, THAT'S COLLABORATION WITH PLANNING, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DEFINITION OF HEIGHT IN THE IZO, IT DOES SAY, HOLD ON, LET ME PULL IT UP REAL QUICK.
UM, IT'S MEASURED AS THE VERTICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE FINISH GRADE, SO THAT'S THE FLOOR AND THE HIGHEST POINT OF A FLAT ROOF.
UH, THIS PROJECT HAS A FLAT ROOF, SO THAT WAS WHERE THE HEIGHT WHERE WE MEASURED IT TO.
UH, AND THAT WAS 44 FEET, 11 INCHES I BELIEVE.
SO THE PARAPET IS HIGHER, BUT THAT'S NOT PART OF THE ROOF.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT CHAPTER 12 OF OUR IZO, IT HAS SOME DECORATIVE FEATURES THAT DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE HEIGHT.
SO NOT COUNTING THE PARAPET THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THAT.
AND THE PARAPETS ALSO NECESSARY TO SCREEN THE HVAC.
UM, AND SCREENING REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY EXCLUSIONS IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE AS WELL.
ALSO NEEDED FOR SAFETY AND SORT OF CONSISTENCY, I THINK WITH THE, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S HEIGHT AND THEN FAR, THAT'S THE LAST ONE.
AND ANDREW, I BELIEVE IT WAS A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, HOW THE OVERLAY DISTRICT IS APPLIED TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT AND PRINCIPAL PLANNER, GREG POWELL IS, IS ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
SO REGARDING THE DOWNTOWN OVERLAY, UH, THE OVERLAY EXISTS AND COVERS THE ENTIRETY OF THE BLOCK THAT THIS PROJECT'S LOCATED ON.
THE OVERLAY INCLUDED SEVERAL COMPONENTS.
ONE OF 'EM WAS TALLER BUILDINGS, GREATER FLOOR AREA RATIO, GREATER LOCK COVERAGE THAN IS ALLOWED TODAY.
AND IT INCLUDED PEDESTRIAN FACADE ORIENTATED, UH, DESIGN STANDARDS.
THE DESIGN STANDARDS APPLY TO THIS PROJECT, BUT THE HEIGHT FLOOR AREA AND LAW COVERAGE DO NOT BECAUSE THE PROJECT COMPLIES WITH EXISTING FLOOR AREA STANDARD OF 2.5, THE HEIGHT AS DYLAN MENTIONED.
AND THEN THE LAW COVERAGE LIMIT THAT WAS PART OF THE OVERLAY IS NOT AT PLAY BECAUSE THE PROJECT IS AT, UH, UNDER 80%, WHICH IS THE LIMIT.
AND THE STAFF REPORT HAS A SMALL SECTION ABOUT WHAT DOES APPLY FROM THE DOWNTOWN OVERLAY.
IT'S ONE OF FIVE COMPONENTS BASICALLY.
AND THEN THE FAR, WAS THAT THE LAST QUESTION? YEAH.
SO WE DID RECEIVE A PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE FAR AND WHETHER OR NOT WE INCLUDED THE ELEVATOR SHAFT AND THE, THE STAIRWELLS.
ESSENTIALLY THE INNER CIRCULATION.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL PLAN DEFINITION OF, UH, FLOOR AREA GROSS, IT EXPRESSLY, UH, EXCLUDES SHAFT ENCLOSURES.
SO AGAIN, THIS WAS A DECISION THAT PLANNING CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE ALL LOOKED INTO A DEEPLY LOOKED AT DEFINITIONS OF WHAT A SHAFT ENCLOSURE IS 'CAUSE IT'S NOT DEFINED IN OUR IZO.
AND LOOKING AT THE DESIGNS OF THE STAIRWELLS AND THE ELEVATOR SHAFTS, WE DETERMINED THAT THOSE ARE STAFF EX, UH, AND SHAFT ENCLOSURES AND THEREFORE EXCLUDED FROM THE FAR COUNT.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, I'LL OPEN DISCUSSION WITH COMMITTEE TO, TO THE COMMITTEE NOW.
I'M GONNA OPEN IT WITH COMMITTEE MEMBER HALL FOLLOWED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER MCMICHAEL AND COMMITTEE MEMBER SQUIRREL, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBER HALL.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO START DISCUSSION? APOLOGIES.
QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR THE APPLICANT? UM, THIS IS NOT MY FIRST TIME ON A COMMITTEE WITH A CONTROVERSIAL PROJECT.
[01:05:01]
UM, AND I, IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH PROJECTS LIKE THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF IN MISINFORMATION THAT GETS, UM, RUN AROUND TOWN.UM, SO APOLOGIES IF I AM A VICTIM OF THAT.
BUT, UM, I REMEMBER WITH THE LARGER FOOTPRINT OF THE HOTEL, UH, PART OF THE REASON BEHIND IT WAS THAT IT WAS, FROM WHAT I HEARD, NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE TO HAVE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
UM, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT WOULD BE, HAS THAT BEEN ADDRESSED? AND I, I REALIZE THAT'S SORT OF OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMITTEE, BUT IT'S JUST A QUESTION THAT I HAD.
THE, UH, OLD VERSION OF THE HOTEL HAD A LARGE SUBTERRANEAN PARKING GARAGE AND IT WAS A DOUBLE HEIGHT SUBTERRANEAN PARKING GARAGE.
'CAUSE WE WERE USING CAR STACKERS.
SO THERE WAS A HUGE EXPENSE GOING DOWN THAT DEEP 16 FEET AND THEN WATERPROOFING IT BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE A REVERSE BATHTUB PER SE BECAUSE THE WATER LEVEL RIGHT THERE IS ABOUT SIX FEET.
SO WE'VE GOTTA, WE HAD TO BUILD A COMPLETELY WATERPROOF LARGE, YOU KNOW, UNDERGROUND BASEMENT.
AND THEN WE HAD TO BUY THE CAR STACKERS, WHICH ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
BUT THAT'S HOW WE MET OUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAD WITH THE LARGER HOTEL.
NOW, WHEN YOU TAKE THAT OUT, BECAUSE WE WERE, WE REDUCED THE SIZE AND WE CAME DOWN TO 66 KEYS, THEN WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT ANY LONGER.
WE ONLY NEEDED 10 SPACES, WE COULD FIT 'EM IN THE BACK.
SO THAT REDUCED THE CONSTRUCTION COST BY LITERALLY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THAT IS HOW THE HOTEL CAN WORK NOW BASED ON THE SMALLER SIZE.
MAY I ADDRESS, UH, ONE, I DIDN'T GET YOUR LAST NAME, ALICE, I'M SORRY.
IS THERE A NAME FOR THE STYLE OF IT? ARCHITECTURALLY, I KNOW IT'S CONTEMPORARY, BUT OF THE CURRENT, THE PROPOSED HOTEL, THE PROPOSED, THERE'S NO PARTICULAR STYLE THAT WOULD BE, IT WOULD, THERE'S NOT A STYLE FOR IT.
CONTEMPORARY WOULD BE THE WORD.
AND THE COLUMNS DON'T GIVE IT A STYLE OR NOT NECESSARILY.
UM, I NOTICED, UM, THAT IT, UH, THE PROPOSAL SAID THAT THE EMPLOYEES HIRED WOULD BE BY YEAR THREE.
IS THAT, AM I READING THAT CORRECTLY? THE TOTAL NUMBER BY YEAR THREE? I, I, I BELIEVE THE REFERENCE TO YEAR THREE IS IF, WHEN, WHEN OPERATIONS ARE, WHEN THE HOTEL IS FULLY OPERATIONALIZED AND STAFFED AND RUNNING ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BUT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS.
UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE HOTEL STAFFING.
GOOD, BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER ONE FOR MIKE TOO.
THAT IS WHEN WE ACTUALLY OPENED THE HOTEL.
WE WOULD HIRE PEOPLE ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF BEFORE WE ACTUALLY OPENED TO TRAIN THEM.
BUT, BUT WE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE WORKING ON THE HOTEL FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT.
BUT YOU'VE GOTTA LOOK AT THE PLANNING STAGE.
WE DID DO THE PLANS, TURN THEM IN, GET THEM APPROVED, GET THE BUILDING PERMIT, THEN ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO BUILD THE HOTEL AND THEN OPEN IT PROBABLY A MONTH AND A HALF AFTER THAT, AFTER THE TRAINING.
AND DOES YOUR HOTEL HAVE EVENT SPACE AS PROPOSED? WE DO HAVE, THE ROOFTOP RESTAURANT HAS, IS, IS, IS ABLE TO SWITCH TO EVENT SPACE IF SOMEONE WANTS TO RENT THAT OUT.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN FLIP, WE CAN SWITCH OUT THE TABLES AND BRING IN, UH, YOU KNOW, DESKS AND CHAIRS IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HAVE A CONFERENCE OR IF SOMEONE WANTED TO GET MARRIED UP THERE, WE COULD, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY HAVE A WEDDING.
AND UH, THE SIGNAGE I NOTICE IS ON THE AWAY FROM THE B STREET SIDE.
IS THERE SIGNAGE PROPOSED FOR THE B STREET SIDE? DO YOU KNOW? OR IS THIS TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS? YEAH, WE WOULD HAVE, WE WILL HAVE SIGNAGE ON THE B STREET SIDE, FACING THE OTHER WAY DOWN PETALUMA BOULEVARD.
WE'LL HAVE IT ON PETALUMA BOULEVARD.
AND ARE THERE TREES CURRENTLY ON THE LOT? I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING IT.
THERE'S SOME BIG BUSHES ON THE LOT.
WE'VE BEEN, SINCE WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AND HAVE COMPLETELY OWNED IT, WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, CLEANING IT UP.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A LOT NICER LOOKING.
AND WE HAVE THE FOUR CITY TREES THAT
[01:10:01]
WE ARE, WE NEED TO REMOVE, BUT WE'RE GONNA REPLACE THOSE WITH LIKE AND KIND.UM, WHEN WITH FIVE, ACTUALLY WITH FIVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO FROM FOUR TO FIVE TREES.
AND UM, I KNOW THAT IN WALNUT PARK THERE'S BIKE RACKS, BUT ARE YOU PROPOSING ANY BIKE RACKS CURRENTLY? ABSOLUTELY.
AND WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE VALET FOR THE BIKES AND THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL WE'LL VALET THE SERIOUSLY THOUGH WE WILL VALET THE BIKES TO THE BACK OF THE HOTEL AND PEOPLE CAN HAVE THEIR BIKES BACK THERE IF THE BIKE RACKS IN THE FRONT OF THE HOTEL FILL UP.
AND I YIELD, I ALSO HAVE A LO AND TRAIL IF YOU NEED IT.
SORRY, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU AGAIN.
UM, I NOTICED THE MATERIALS CHANGED A LOT FROM THE SIX STORY HOTEL TO THE FOUR STORY HOTEL.
UM, WAS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? I, I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE.
THE MATERIALS SEEM TO CHANGE A LOT FROM THE FIRST PROPOSAL OR THE, YES.
SO THE MAIN MATERIAL THAT WE'RE GONNA GO WITH, AND THIS IS BACK HISTORICAL, IS THIS, THIS WHITE BEUS BRICK THAT COMES FROM A LOCAL QUARRY.
AND WE'RE GONNA USE FULL BRICK.
THIS IS JUST A, YOU KNOW, A TILE BOARD, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE USING FULL BRICK AND MOST OF THE, ABOUT 60% OF THE HOTEL WILL BE COVERED IN THIS.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE GLASS, GLASS BRICK, NOT GLASS BLOCK.
WHEN THE ARCHITECTS, UH, PROPOSED GLASS BLOCK.
I WENT ABSOLUTELY NOT, THIS IS NOT THE 1970S.
BUT THEN THEY, UH, THEY SHOWED ME WHAT THE GLASS BRICK LOOKS LIKE, AND THE GLASS BRICK IS, IT'S A MUCH NICER PRODUCT.
SO WE ARE GONNA USE SOME GLASS BRICK AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME STAINED GLASS ALSO.
AND THE GLASS BRICK, IS THAT STRUCTURAL OR IS IT JUST CLADDING ON THE NO, IT WILL BUILDING, IT WILL ACTUALLY BE THE WALL OF THE HOTEL.
IT'LL, IT'LL START ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND IT'LL BE THE WALL THAT SEPARATES THE OUTSIDE FROM THE LOBBY.
AND THAT GLASS BRICK WILL GO ALL THE WAY UP, FOUR STORIES AND BE THE WALL FOR THE HOTEL ROOMS ABOVE WITH OBVIOUSLY LARGE CURTAINS THAT CAN BE PULLED ACROSS.
TO GIVE YOU PRIVACY AND BLOCK OUT LIGHT.
AND THEN THE, THE BACK SIDES OF THE BUILDING THAT AREN'T PETALUMA AND B STREET FACING ARE THOSE FULLY STUCCO.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE FENESTRATION, THEY ARE STUCCO.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME DETAILING AROUND THOSE, MAYBE ADDING SMALL LITTLE BALCONIES.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE WOULD, WOULD LIKE THAT.
SO THE DESIGNERS, IT'S MOSTLY STUCCO? YEAH, BECAUSE YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THE LOT, RIGHT? AND IN THIS DISTRICT, YOU CAN BUILD THE PROPERTY LINE.
SO IF THE BANK GETS SOLD AND SOMEONE BUYS THE BANK BUILDING, THEY COULD BUILD AND BUTT UP RIGHT AGAINST OUR BUILDING.
SO THE WALLS THAT GO TO PROPERTY LINE, WE CAN'T HAVE WINDOWS IN THEM.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S AGAINST FIRE DEPARTMENT CODE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE BUILDING TO BUILDING.
SO WHEREVER WE HAVE WINDOWS ON A PROPERTY LINE WHERE SOMEONE COULD BUILD TO, WE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO CUT IN AND GO AT LEAST FIVE FEET IN.
SO WE HAVE THE, UH, THE LITTLE COURTYARD IN THE LOBBY, WHICH ALLOWS US TO DO THAT.
SO WE CAN HAVE WINDOWS UP THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING, BUT THE TWO, THE TWO MAIN WALLS GO TO THE PROPERTY LINE.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE SIDE THAT GOES TOWARDS THE NORTH HARDWARE, THE SAME THING, RIGHT? SO MM-HMM
THAT, THAT SIDE, WE JUST PULLED THE WHOLE BUILDING BACK AND WE HAVE THE ONE WALL, THE WING WALL THAT GOES OUT.
AND OF COURSE THAT BUILDING ALSO CAN HAVE NO WINDOWS IN IT, BUT THOSE HOTEL ROOMS HAVE WINDOWS FRONT AND BACK.
AND THEN FOR STAFF, UM, IF WE, IF WE AGREE WITH THE PROPOSAL AND, UM, AND PUT THIS INTO MOTION TODAY, ARE WE ABLE TO HAVE CONDITIONS THAT THE DESIGN MAY CHANGE OR THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THE, THE FOOTPRINT CAN CHANGE AFTER WE APPROVE IT? SURE.
SO, SO THE PROJECT IS, UH, THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU ALREADY HAS QUITE A FEW CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
SO, UH, IT IS CONSIDERED A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS ALREADY.
IF THE COMMITTEE FINDS THAT THERE ARE CHANGES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, THEY CAN, UM, ADD OR MODIFY CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL, UH, IF THEY FEEL THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE FINDINGS IN ORDER TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THE PROJECT.
UM, AND SO, SO THOSE ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL COULD TAKE TWO FORMS AND WE REFER
[01:15:01]
TO IT AS SHALL OR RECOMMEND A CONDITION OF SHALL SAYS THAT YOU MUST DO THIS.SO THAT'S A, A DIRECTIVE TO MODIFY THE PROJECT.
A RECOMMENDATION SUCH AS YOU, YOU POINTED TO THE, THE GLASS BLOCK MATERIAL OR THE GLASS BRICK MATERIAL, IT MIGHT BE A RECOMMENDATION TO AN EXPLORE A MATERIAL ALTERNATIVE.
UM, AND THAT THEN JUST, THAT JUST LOGS THE COMMITTEE'S PREFERENCE THAT ANOTHER MATERIAL BE EXPLORED, BUT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT THE APPLICANT ACTUALLY CHANGE THAT MATERIAL.
SO THEN WHAT WE WOULD DO IS ON THOSE CONDITIONS, WE WOULD ADD LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DIRECTOR TO FIND THAT THE MODIFICATIONS ARE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE.
SO YOU COULD WRITE A SHELL CONDITION THAT THE, THAT WOULD REQUIRE A DESIGN CHANGE.
THE APPLICANT WOULD WANT TO AGREE TO THAT.
AND THEN YOU COULD, YOU COULD, WE COULD WRITE IN THERE THAT THE DIRECTOR COULD FIND THAT THE REVISED PROJECT IS IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE PROJECT THAT, UM, HCPC WANTS TO APPROVE.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT PATHWAY TO DO IT, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO, UM, TO WORK THROUGH ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS, UH, VIA STREAMING SO THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE, THE CONDITIONS AS THEY'RE DEVELOPED.
UM, THERE'S CURRENTLY A, A BIG MURAL ON THE SIDE OF THE ACE HARDWARE BUILDING THE MAGNIFICENT MURAL.
UM, AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT? 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE IT ANYMORE.
I'M MELISSA ABERCROMBIE, UM, WITH M GROUP.
I'M THE PUBLIC ART SPECIALIST FOR THE CITY OF PETALUMA.
I WAS ACTUALLY ON THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE WHEN WE APPROVED THE MAGNIFICENT MURAL, AND IT REQUIRED HCPC REVIEW AT THAT TIME.
AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT IT WAS MUCH TOO COLORFUL FOR DOWNTOWN, AND SO IT WAS ONLY AVAILABLE IF IT WAS TEMPORARY.
AND SO LUCKILY WITH THIS BUILDING DESIGN, THE RARE PORTION IS SET BACK, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE PART OF IT.
AND THAT'S MUCH BETTER THAN WE EVER EXPECTED WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.
UM, BUT WE WILL ALSO BE ADDING THE POTENTIAL, UM, THE ART ELEMENTS IN CASE THEY'RE HARD TO IDENTIFY.
THE PRIMARY FEATURE IS THE STAINED GLASS.
UM, I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE, HEATHER KNAPP, AND SHE HAS TOLD ME THAT THE STAINED GLASS WILL FEATURE VIGNETTES OF PETALUMA SCENES KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE MURAL OR THE STAINED GLASS MURAL.
AND THEN THERE WILL BE A SCULPTURAL FEATURE THAT WILL BE, IT'S OKAY.
UM, THERE WILL BE A SCULPTURAL FEATURE JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE FRONT ENTRY.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THAT KIND OF BLANK SPACE ALONG THE WALL, THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A PRIMARY LOCATION FOR THAT SECONDARY SCULPTURAL FEATURE.
AND THEN A MURAL ON THE EAST FACE OF THE WALL IS A THIRD POTENTIAL LOCATION.
AND SO I, I DO HOPE THAT WE END UP SEEING QUITE A BIT OF COLOR AND AN ENTRY POINT INTO THE MORE HISTORIC PART OF DOWNTOWN WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND I ACTUALLY PULLED UP THAT RESOLUTION.
THAT WAS A NICE BLAST FROM THE PAST THERE.
UH, IN, IN THAT RESOLUTION, THERE'S ACTUALLY A CONDITION LIKE MELISSA SAID, THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THE TEMPORARY NATURE.
IT SAYS, UH, I'LL JUST PARAPHRASE TEMPORARY NATURE UNTIL THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADJACENT PARCEL HAS STARTED AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MAINTENANCE PLANS.
SO IT DID PLAN FOR THE EVENTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADJACENT PARCEL HERE.
UM, MS. HEALY, I THINK THIS ONE IS FOR YOU, BUT IF I'M WRONG, LET ME KNOW.
AND INTEGRITY IS DEFINED UNDER THE NATIONAL REGISTER WITH SEVEN COMPONENTS.
LOCATION, SETTING, DESIGN, MATERIALS, WORKMANSHIP FEELING, FEELING ARGUABLY BEING THE MOST SUBJECTIVE.
I WAS HOPING THAT YOU COULD ELABORATE ON HOW YOU APPROACHED ASSESSING FEELING WITH THIS DESIGN, BECAUSE THAT'S YES.
SO FEEL YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
FEELING IS DEFINITELY THE MOST SUBJECTIVE OF THE, UM, CRITERIA OF INTEGRITY.
[01:20:01]
KIND OF LIKE A CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURE.IT'S THAT SOMETHING THAT CONVEYS THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT IN A LAY PERSON.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT THEY CAN LOOK AT IT AND GO, OH, THAT'S, IT FEELS HISTORIC.
IT IS HISTORIC, IT LOOKS HISTORIC.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE BEST I CAN DO TO GET A, YOU KNOW, GET MY ARMS AROUND THAT SLIPPERY ONE.
BUT IN THIS SITUATION, IT WOULD BE THE CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES THAT PHYSICALLY AND VISUALLY CONVEY WHAT MAKES THE AREA HISTORIC.
AND DID YOU FEEL LIKE THAT COMPONENT OF INTEGRITY WAS MET BY THIS DESIGN? I DO.
UM, I WAS ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT THE COMMENTS, THE, THE, THE, THE WRITING THAT YOU LEFT FOR US TO READ ABOUT THE SOUTHEASTERN EDGE OF THE DISTRICT MM-HMM
AND HOW IT'S EXPERIENCED SOME LOSS OF INTEGRITY YES.
THAT IT CONTAINS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF SURFACE PARKING LOTS.
WAS ONE OF THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, AND I WAS TRYING TO MESH THAT I WAS HOPING FOR YOUR INSIGHT INTO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES STATES THAT ONE OF EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF INTRUSIONS UPON A DISTRICT'S INTEGRITY, WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE RELATIVE SIZE, NUMBER, SCALE, DESIGN, AND LOCATION OF COMPONENTS THAT DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SIGNIFICANCE.
THE DISTRICT IS NOT ELIGIBLE IF IT CONTAINS SO MANY ALTERATIONS OR NEW INTRUSIONS THAT IT NO LONGER CONVEYS THE SENSE OF HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT.
TO ME, IT FELT LIKE THAT IMPLIED WE NEEDED TO BE EVEN MORE CAREFUL WITH THE INTEGRITY OF A NEW ADDITION OR A NEW INTRUSION MM-HMM
RATHER THAN WHAT I FELT LIKE THE IMPLICATION WAS.
AND WHAT I READ THAT BECAUSE IT HAS ALREADY BEEN WEAKENED, THIS CAN DO NO HARM.
UM, THIS WHOLE CORNER OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT HAS BEEN SLOWLY ERODING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE, JUST THINK ABOUT LITTLE MICE KIND OF CHEWING ALONG ON THE EDGES.
WE HAVE PARKING LOTS, WE'VE GOT SOME NON-CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES, WE'VE LOST SOME BUILDINGS.
UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO STOP THE EROSION FROM ANY FURTHER HAPPENING.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT CONSTRUCTION ON THE SITE, TAKING IT BACK TO ITS HISTORIC COMMERCIAL USE IS ACTUALLY A STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
IT REVERSES SOME OF THE EROSION THAT'S ALREADY TAKEN PLACE BY ALL THE SURFACE PARKING LOTS AND HAVING A LESS DENSE PART OF THE DISTRICT, THIS QUARTER OF THE DISTRICT IS A LOT.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT LIKE THE CENTER OF THE DISTRICT AROUND THE IRON FRONT BUILDINGS OR, UM, JUST ALONG WESTERN AVENUE, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THE DENSITY IS A LOT HIGHER AND THAT THAT'S MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISTRICT.
SO TRYING TO REESTABLISH SOME KIND OF GATEWAY OR ANCHOR ON THIS END OF THE DISTRICT WOULD ACTUALLY STOP SOME OF THAT EROSION.
I WAS ALSO HOPING THAT WE COULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT INTO HOW THE DESIGN DETAILS RELATE BACK TO THE RHYTHMS OF THE DISTRICT, SPECIFICALLY ON THE B STREET FACADE.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOOK AT THE B STREET FACADE? UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO, UM, WAIT TO ANSWER FOR THE IMAGE TO BE UP.
I JUST, I I REALLY NOTICED, UM, THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL STRUCK ME THE GLASS BRICK, THE STAINED GLASS, THE ENTRANCE OVERHANG, UM, FACE PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH.
AND I'M WONDERING THE B STREET FACADE FACES THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR MM-HMM
I'M WONDERING ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAIL THERE.
UM, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION, THAT TRIPARTITE FEATURE WITH THE VERTICAL BASE THAT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF HAMMERING ON ALL DAY.
UM, HAVING BASE THE MIDDLE AND THE TOP AND THE PY LESTER AND THE FENESTRATION THAT MAKE THE VERTICAL ELEMENTS ON THE B STREET SIDE, WHILE THEY'RE LESS PRONOUNCED THAN THEY ARE ON THE PETALUMA SIDE, THEY ARE STILL PRESENT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR WRITING THAT FACADE FOR ME, GREG.
UM, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE PILE ASTERS AND THE FENESTRATION DEFINITELY MAKE THE VERTICAL BASE.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT LIKE A FLAT, BORING APPLE STORE KIND OF ELEVATION.
THIS IS DEFINITELY ARTICULATED TO ADD SOME KIND OF VISUAL INTEREST AND DETAIL.
I AM ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT THE NOTE OF, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE, THE MATERIAL CONCRETE.
AND AM I RIGHT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CONCRETE WOULD BE ON THE FIRST LEVEL IF WE'RE LOOKING STILL AT THIS B STREET FACADE? IS IT THIS SORT OF GRAY AREA TO THE RIGHT OF THAT BANK OF WINDOWS ON THE BOTTOM LEVEL? I'M CURIOUS ABOUT
[01:25:01]
THE COMPATIBILITY OF CONCRETE.UM, YOU NOTED THAT PETALUMA HAS AN INDUSTRIAL PAST AND IN LOOKING AT THE REFERENCE PHOTOS IN THE PACKET, IT'S A LARGELY AGRICULTURAL AND AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY PAST MM-HMM
THERE'S MILLS ACROSS THE STREET, LARGELY METAL, WOOD, STONE, NOT A LOT OF CONCRETE.
THIS IS A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF MATERIALS.
UH, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF PERIODS AND WHAT MATERIALS WERE AVAILABLE AND MAKING IT AUTHENTIC TO ITS OWN TIMEFRAME.
SO IF WE HAD USED SOMETHING WE, IF THE DEVELOPER HAD USED SOMETHING THAT WAS TRYING TO IMITATE MORE OF THE HISTORIC SIDE, HISTORIC MATERIALS LIKE A RED BRICK OR JUST A PLAIN OLD STUCCO, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LESS AUTHENTIC TO IT'S THE CURRENT PERIOD.
AND HENCE, I THINK THE CONCRETE IS AN APPROPRIATE SUB APPROPRIATE MATERIAL FOR THIS SIDE.
I AM ALSO CURIOUS WHERE THE TERRACOTTA TILE AND THERE IS IVY SPACE FOR IVY THAT WAS MENTIONED, WHERE THOSE GO? WHICH IS PROBABLY NOT A QUESTION FOR YOU MS. HEALY.
SO THERE IS PLANTING AND WE'RE GONNA BE PLANTING RIGHT UP AGAINST THE WALL SO IVY CAN CLIMB THE WALL MM-HMM
AND IT'S, IT'LL BE IN THE FRONT AREA BY THE RESTAURANT, THE TILE, WE, THERE'S A GREAT TILE MAKER RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, AND WE ARE GOING TO USE HIM TO MAKE SPECIAL TILES.
I TRIED TO GET, I TRIED TO GET IT THROWN INTO THE ART BUDGET, BUT WE CAN'T, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT GONNA STILL DO IT.
SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME TILE MADE BY HIM THAT WILL BE IN THE, IN THE, UH, FRONT AREA, AND IT WILL ACTUALLY COME UNDER UNDERNEATH OUR CANOPY THAT LEADS TO THE FRONT DOOR THAT GOES OUT TO THE BACK OF THE CURB.
SO EVEN IN THE SIDEWALK AREA, ALL THAT WILL BE A SPECIAL, A SPECIAL TILE MADE FOR BY HIM, FOR US.
IS THAT FOREST MIDDLETON? IS THAT WHO YOU'RE REFERENCING? YES.
HE HAS GREAT COFFEE CUPS, BY THE WAY, IF YOU GO IN HIS SHOP, HE REALLY DOES
UM, I WAS ALSO CURIOUS IF SOMEBODY COULD ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT, AND MAYBE YOU COULD ALSO TELL ME IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE WOULD DISCUSS LATER OR NOT ABOUT THE WHY AND THE EXACT WHERE OF THE BUS STOP BEING MOVED TO HISTORIC CHINATOWN PARK OR, OR INSTALLED IN HISTORIC CHINATOWN PARK, UH, CHAIR.
WE'D LIKE TO CALL UP OUR CITY ENGINEER, KEN CARRUTHERS, TO TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT MOVE.
AND, UM, KEN, IF YOU MIGHT, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT REMOVING THE MIDBLOCK CROSSWALK ON B STREET.
AND SO IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT CHANGE AS WELL.
THE, THE MIDBLOCK, UM, CROSSING CONFLICTS WITH THE ENTRANCE AND, AND EVERYTHING.
SO THE MIDBLOCK, UM, CROSSING ON B STREET WILL BE RECOMMENDED TO BE REMOVED, UM, COMPLETELY TO, AND IT WILL MAKE IT SAFER TO, TO CROSS, UM, TO GET TO THE HOTEL AT THE LIGHT AND THE STOP, UM, ON THE, THE INTERSECTION.
SO, UM, BACK TO THE BUS STOP, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION CAME THROUGH WITH, WITH PBAC AND THE, THE TRANSIT MANAGER, THE, THE BEST LOCATION TO SERVE, UM, DOWNTOWN AND, AND HISTORICALLY, UM, WE'VE HAD A, A LIKE KIND OF A TRANSIT HUB NEAR MCNAIR'S.
SO THIS, UM, THIS STOP ON PETALUMA BOULEVARD AT THE, UM, AT, AT THE LOCATION PROPOSED IS, IS THE BEST ONE.
IT, IT, IT IS REALLY CLOSE TO ANOTHER, UM, CROSSING.
SO IT, IT CAN EITHER GO TOWARD MCNAIR'S OR YOU CAN GO BACK, UM, TOWARD 24 HOUR FITNESS.
IT'S, UM, IT, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE BEST LOCATION FOR THE, THE NEW STOP AND, UH, A DA, IT'S, UM, GONNA BE A DA ACCESSIBLE, UM, THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM TO, TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORK.
SO IT, IT WAS, IT WAS THE BEST LOCATION, UM, FROM STAFF TO, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THERE CURRENTLY ISN'T ONE, IT'S NOT THAT ONE'S BEING RELOCATED, IT'S A NEW NO, IT'S, IT'S A NEW ONE.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED WITH TRANSIT TO, TO HAVE THIS, UM, THIS LOCATION.
COULD I, COULD I ADDRESS THE, THE, UH, CROSSWALK REALLY QUICKLY PLEASE? I, I WAS AT THE MEETING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEY CAME OUT, THEY WERE INSISTENT THAT THE CROSSWALK BE REMOVED.
MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED ON THAT CROSSWALK THAN ANY OF THEIR PLACE IN PETALUMA.
AND THEY SAID A MID-BLOCK CROSSWALK, PEOPLE COME AROUND THE CORNER TOO FAST AND THEIR, THEIR ACCIDENTS, THEY WERE PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT IT.
THAT IS THE END OF MY QUESTIONS.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, DO ANY OF YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT HAS COME UP THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
[01:30:01]
ASK MA'AM? JUST A QUICK ONE, UM, RELATED TO THE PARKING, I SAW TWO DIFFERENT, UH, CONCEPTS.ONE WAS THE VALET PARKING PULL IN THIS WAY, AND THE OTHER WAS PULL IN THIS WAY, UM, TO AFFECT TRAFFIC ON PETALUMA BOULEVARD.
I'M KIND OF WONDERING HOW THAT'S MANAGED JUST FROM A A TRAFFIC FLOW PERSPECTIVE.
I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ASK ONCE I GET THE DRAWING UP.
UM, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YEAH, SO I'VE PULLED UP WHAT I HOPE IS A REASONABLE SIZED SITE PLAN.
AND SO YOU MENTIONED THE VALET CARS PULLING UP.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE, THE GUESTS PARKING ALONG PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH WAITING FOR THE VALET TO TAKE THEIR CAR AROUND THE BLOCK IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL LOBBY OR VALET PARKING, UH, THE TEMPORARY STORAGE BEHIND THE BUILDING? NO, IN FRONT.
I SAW ONE WITH A MOCK-UP CAR GOING IN THIS WAY.
AH, AND ONE PULLING UP THIS WAY AND BEING A FREQUENT, UH, COMMUTER DOWN PETALUMA BOULEVARD, I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC FLOW THAT THAT WOULD, UH, WHICH IS CORRECT OR IS IT JUST THE DRIVER OPTION OR, WELL, MY HOPE AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ALL VALET PARKING, SORRY, ALL VALET PASSENGER DROP OFF WITH VALET GETTING IN THE CAR TO DRIVE OFF WOULD BE LIKE, IF YOU DROVE THERE TODAY, YOU WOULD PULL ON THE SOUTHBOUND LANE AND PARK AT THE CURB AND THE VALET WOULD TAKE YOUR CAR AND DRIVE OFF.
SO IT WOULD BE PARALLEL PARKING, NOT DIAGONAL OR PERPENDICULAR.
IF THAT GETS TO YOUR QUESTION.
AND THERE WAS AN IMAGE IN THE PLANT SET THAT SHOWED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT IS CONFUSING.
SO WE CAN ASK THE APPLICANT TO CONFIRM, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THE CITY EVER ALLOWING ANYTHING BUT PARALLEL PARKING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TRAVEL LANES ALONG PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH.
ALL RIGHT, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS ROUND OF COMMITTEE Q AND A AND MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M GOING TO OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.
IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY, PLEASE FILL OUT A SPEAKER CARD AND BRING IT TO THE CLERK.
WE HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR 11 PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE MEETING? YES, THERE WERE 52 COMMENTS, UM, SUBMITTED PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND THOSE ARE POSTED ONLINE AND AVAILABLE AT THE FRONT.
ANY PERSON, I'M JUST GONNA RESTATE WHAT I SAID EARLIER, THAT EACH PERSON WISHING TO COMMENT WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO DO SO AND ANY PERSON SEATING THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT TO ANOTHER MUST BE IN THE ROOM WHEN THE SEATED PUBLIC COMMENT TIME IS USED.
THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE ARE ALL HERE AND THAT WE CARE ABOUT ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND TO PLEASE MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO HEAR AND PROVIDE THE RESPECT NEEDED FOR EVERYBODY TO FEEL HEARD IN THIS PROCESS.
UH, WITH THAT I'M GOING TO CALL ON OUR IN-PERSON PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
IN TURN UNTIL ALL HAVE SPOKEN THAT WISH TO LET US BEGIN.
IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE.
I'M SO GLAD TO BE FIRST
I'M CO-OWNER AND OPERATOR OF DLA FAT AND FOUNDER, UH, CO OH, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF RENAISSANCE PETALUMA.
MY FAMILY AND BUSINESS ARE LONG TIMES CONTRIBUTORS AND EMPLOYERS OF PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN.
WE ALSO OCCUPY THREE ADDRESSES IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PETALUMA, AND I HAVE A FRONT ROW RO VIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN PETALUMA.
AND THIS, THIS PROJECT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I URGE YOU GUYS TO PLEASE, UM, ACCEPT THE LATEST DESIGN BY ECAN FOR A FOUR STORY APPALACHIAN PETALUMA HOTEL.
I PERSONALLY FIND THE NEW DESIGN REALLY CLEVER AND CLEAN.
MIXING OLD WITH NEW IS A REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT THING TO ACHIEVE, AND I THINK THAT THEY DID A GREAT JOB WITH THIS NEW DESIGN.
I THINK WE SHOULD EMBRACE THIS CONCEPT OF HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO AND REALLY LOOK AT IT CAREFULLY.
I BELIEVE WITH ALL OF MY HEART, ACTUALLY THAT EKN AND APLU APPALACHIAN INTENT ON BUILDING US THE FIRST ICONIC AND FABULOUS STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN DECADES.
A STRUCTURE THAT REPRESENTS OUR ERA AND OUR LIVES AND OUR TIME HERE ON THIS PLANET.
A STRUCTURE IN A NEW BUSINESS THAT WILL FUND ENDLESS
[01:35:01]
PUBLIC SERVICES FOR EVERYONE LIVING IN PETALUMA.THIS NEW DESIGN COUPLED WITH THE NEW CULINARY FORWARD HOTEL CONCEPT, SHOWCASING PETALUMA AND COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL FARMERS AND ARTISANS TO SHARE WITH THE ENTIRE GLOBE.
WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER HERE IN PETALUMA IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL.
IT'S AN ASTONISHING ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I'M IN THIS BUSINESS.
I DELIVER BREAD TO HOTELS ALL OVER THE BAY AREA AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR 30 YEARS, AND I'VE PERSONALLY SEEN WHAT A PROJECT LIKE THIS COULD DO FOR COMMUNITY.
SO PLEASE VOTE TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
LIKE I SAID, MY NAME IS DAVID YOKER AND I'M ALSO FROM DELLA FATIA.
UM, SHE SAID, WE HAVE THREE ADDRESSES IN DOWNTOWN.
1 41, 1 43, 1 45 PUTS US RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DISTRICT.
AND WE COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH THIS HOTEL.
IT'S, WE THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
UM, PETALUMA IS A BEAUTIFUL TOWN.
IT IS NOT DESIGNED, NOT DEFINED BY ONE STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE.
WE HAVE INCREDIBLE BUILDINGS FROM THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE 20TH CENTURY.
I THINK THE EKE END DESIGN IS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE TO ADD TO THE INCREDIBLE BUILDINGS THAT MAKE UP OUR DOWNTOWN.
A 21ST CENTURY BEAUTIFUL BUILDING A GIFT TO PETALUMA FOR OUR FUTURE AS A BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR FAMILY HAS INVESTED SO MUCH TIME, LOVE AND MONEY, CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF MONEY INTO DOWNTOWN.
AND WE SEE HOW THE BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING.
WE NEED THIS ANCHOR, THIS INFLUX OF MONEY.
AND WHAT A, YOU KNOW, CHARLIE PALMER IS GONNA BE AN AMAZING PERSON TO PARTNER WITH.
HE'S, I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S GOING TO RAISE UP, HE'S GOING TO PROVIDE FOOT TRAFFIC, IT'S GONNA PROVIDE A LOT OF IT, IT REVENUE, IT'S JUST, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
MY NAME IS NANCY LEONI AND I AM A STORE OWNER IN DOWNTOWN PETALUMA AT 1 21 20 KENTUCKY STREET.
AND I MIMIC EVERYTHING ELISA WEBER AND YOKER JUST, UM, SAID, UM, BEING IN BUSINESS DOWNTOWN FOR OVER 22 YEARS NOW, I'VE SEEN SO MUCH GOOD AND WHAT COULD BE BETTER IN OUR TOWN AND WHAT THIS HOTEL CAN BRING TO US AT ALL.
AND EVERYONE SITTING AT THIS PANEL WILL CH WILL LEARN TO CHERISH AND EMBRACE.
IT IS NOT ONLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR TOWN TO FLOURISH, BUT IT'S GONNA BE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO BE A PART OF.
SO, UM, I SEE THE, WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW AS FAR AS PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR TOWN DAYS THAT ARE, COULD BE ARE WE STRUGGLE AND THIS WILL BE THE BRIDGE TO MAKE THAT COME TOGETHER AND WHAT CHARLIE PALMER AND EKN IS GONNA OFFER US.
I AM JUST SO HAPPY AND I HOPE WE ALL CAN BE WORK TOGETHER AND UNITED TO WELCOME THEM.
CHRISTINE WHITE HAS SEATED HER TIME TO ME AS WELL.
I AM A CALIFORNIA REGISTERED ARCHITECT AND A 22 YEAR RESIDENT OF PETALUMA AND ITS ENVIRONS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY REVIEWED THE DOC AND I'M ALSO FULL DISCLOSURE, A, UM, MEMBER OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF PETA HISTORIC ADVOCATES.
WE, UH, REVIEWED THE, THE DOCUMENTS AND WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS WHICH YOU SUBMITTED TO STAFF AROUND THE CALCULATIONS OF S-A-F-A-R AND BUILDING HEIGHTS.
UH, BECAUSE WE HAD CONCERN ABOUT WHETHER THIS WAS CIRCUMVENTING THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT PROCESS, UH, FOR THIS BUILDING.
WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE STAFF RESPONSE, UH, AROUND FAR THAT THE GENERAL PLAN SUPERSEDES WHAT IS SAID
[01:40:01]
IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE.HOWEVER, WE DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE IS AN INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND THE GENERAL PLAN BECAUSE IF YOU CALCULATE THE FAR ACCORDING TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE, IT IS 2.8, WHEREAS IF YOU TAKE OUT THE SHAFTS, IT IS 2.3.
UM, BUT WE DO ACCEPT THAT THAT, UM, UNDER CALIFORNIA LAW, THE, UH, THE GENERAL PLAN DOES SUPERSEDE THE ORDINANCE.
SO THERE ARE INCONSISTENCIES, UH, WITH REGARDS TO HEIGHT.
THE STAFF IS JUSTIFIED IN A 49 FOOT THREE INCH HEIGHT FOR THE BUILDING.
SAYING THE BUILDING PARAPET IS DECORATIVE FEATURE THAT IT'S A SHORT SCREEN FOR A ROOF TERRACE THAT IS A QUOTE FROM THE RESPONSE THAT CAME FROM STAFF IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THERE IS NO ROOF TERRACE, AND IT IS ACTUALLY NOT A SCREEN PER SE, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY A VERTICAL, UM, EXTENSION OF THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING.
AND IT IS ALL THE WAY AROUND AT THE SAME HEIGHT, WHICH TO ME SAYS THAT THAT IS THE VISUAL HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING IS 49 FEET THREE INCHES.
AND WE WOULD ACTUALLY, UH, CONTEST THE, UM, INTERPRETATION OF STAFF AROUND THAT FEEL LIKE THAT THAT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT OF THE CODE NOR WITH ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE.
AND THAT THIS WOULD SUGGEST TO US THAT PERHAPS SHOULD CONSIDER SENDING THIS TO, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
HAVING SAID THAT, WE DO, WE BELIEVE IT WOULD BE A COMPLETELY, UM, ACCEPTABLE, UM, HEIGHT FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT UNDER THIS SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
IT'S JUST THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES ARE, UH, FOLLOWED BECAUSE IT SETS A BAD PRECEDENT IF THEY ARE NOT.
UM, A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE DESIGN.
UM, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SOUTH WALL THAT PRE PRESENTS A BLANK FACADE UNDERSTANDING AS ARCHITECTS THAT THERE ACTUALLY IS AN ISSUE AROUND THE FIRE CODES.
UH, BUT IT ALSO IS GOING TO BE QUITE PROMINENT AS YOU GO INTO DOWNTOWN.
AND SO WHETHER THERE'S PUBLIC ART ON THAT WALL OR WHAT, UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WARRANTS SOME ATTENTION.
THERE'S ALSO A BIT OF CONCERN ABOUT THE WEST ELEVATION, WHICH IS SORT OF A, IS A VERY UNIFORM GRID OF WINDOWS THAT, UH, FACADE IS HIGHLY VISIBLE FROM ALL OF THE WEST SIDE OF PETALUMA.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT SORT OF UNDIFFERENTIATED GRID MIGHT BE LESS IN TERMS OF THE TEXTURE AND INTEREST THAT IT PROVIDES.
UM, FROM THE WEST SIDE, UM, THE, THE, UM, THE STREET, THE STREET LEVEL FENESTRATION ON PETALUMA BOULEVARD SEEMS A LITTLE BIT UNNECESSARILY CLOSED TO THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE VISION GLASS DOORS IN THE, UM, IN THE ENTRYWAY, BUT SURROUNDING THE DOORS IS GLASS BLOCK.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S GLASS BRICK, EVEN THOUGH THE DRAWINGS SAY GLASS BLOCK.
UM, AND THEN THERE IS THE, UM, THE, THE STAINED GLASS.
IT PROVIDES A, A HIGH LEVEL OF OBSCURITY RIGHT THERE AT THE ENTRANCE, WHICH CAN FEEL A LITTLE CLOSED OFF TO THE COMMUNITY ON THE BOULEVARD.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK MIGHT BE WORTH SOME CONSIDERATION THERE AT THE ENTRANCE.
SO THERE'S A FEELING OF FLOWING INTO THE BUILDING, UM, THE REMOVAL OF THE CROSSWALK ON B STREET.
UH, WE UNDER, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE ARGUMENTS THERE.
I ALSO FEEL LIKE THAT IT COULD BE A, UM, PROBLEMATIC FOR PEDESTRIAN FLOW.
IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN THOUGH THE CROSSWALKS NOT THERE, THAT PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY CROSS THERE SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT IS THE PRIMARY PEDESTRIAN CONNECTOR FOR THAT SIDE OF THE BOULEVARD BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE SIDEWALKS ARE AND BECAUSE OF THE SMALL PARK THAT'S AGAINST THE BOULEVARD, IT'S NOT A NATURAL THING FOR PEOPLE TO WALK DOWN AND THEN GO AROUND.
SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING FOR THE CITY OF PETALUMA TO ADDRESS IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN OF THE PARK AND HOW THAT RELATES TO THE, UM, TO THE NEW HOTEL.
AND, UM, AND FINALLY, UM, JUST IN TERMS OF MATERIALS, UH, REALLY FEEL LIKE THE GLAZED BRICK IS A VERY NICE REFERENCE TO THE BUILDINGS IN THE ADJACENT MCNAIR BLOCK.
UM, THE GLASS BLOCK PROVIDES A SCALING, WHICH IS REALLY, UM, IS REALLY COMPLIMENTARY TO THE SCALING OF MANY OF THE ELEMENTS IN THE HISTORIC, UH, DISTRICT.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE BEING A NEW ELEMENT THAT IS NOT, UM, PRESENT IN THE EXISTING URBAN CONTEXT AND FEELS A LITTLE BIT ARCHITECTURALLY INCONSISTENT WITH HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I'M ACTUALLY GONNA GIVE COMMENTS FROM SOMEONE WHO'S SEEN THIS, UH,
[01:45:01]
AT PLANNING COMMISSION.I'VE BEEN A PLANNING COMMISSIONER FOR FOUR YEARS, I THINK I'VE SAID, AND WRITTEN ENOUGH ABOUT THE HOTEL AT THIS POINT.
BUT FROM HAVING BEEN ON THE DAIS, WHEN YOU GET TO A SPAR HEARING, I GUESS I JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT WHENEVER WE GET TO SPAR, IT'S KIND OF THE STRONGEST DISCRETIONARY REVIEW TOOL THE CITY HAS.
AND SO MUCH OF OUR POLICY RELIES ON SPAR TO MITIGATE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TO ENHANCE THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND KIND OF REACH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PUBLIC BENEFIT.
SO SPAR IS A REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL, BUT WHENEVER WE GET HERE, SO MUCH WORK HAS ALREADY GONE IN BY THE APPLICANT AND BY STAFF THAT IT KIND OF HAS ITS OWN MOMENTUM OR AS I CALL IT, LIKE A DOWNWARD PRESSURE TO GET THIS THING DONE.
AND SO WHAT I TRY TO TELL MYSELF BEFORE A SPAR HEARING WHEN I'M ON THE DAIS, IT'S LIKE, LET'S JUST PAUSE FOR A SECOND.
LIKE, THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO REALLY IMPROVE THIS PROJECT.
AND I THINK IT'S CURRENT MAYOR MCDONALD, WHEN I WAS ON PLANNING COMMISSION WHO SAID A LOT OF THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT GIVE AND TAKE TO ULTIMATELY MAKE A PROJECT BETTER.
UM, UH, OUR STAFF MEMBER ANDREW TRIPLE REFERENCED THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
AND THAT IS REALLY YOUR TOOL TO INTRODUCE NEW IDEAS, INTRODUCE NEW COM, UH, NEW CONDITIONS, AND THAT CAN BE EVERYTHING FROM EXPLICIT, YOU KNOW, USE ANOTHER MATERIAL BESIDES ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE TO EXPLORE THE USE OF OTHER MATERIALS TO EVALUATE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY YOU HAVE WITH THOSE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL TO INTRODUCE NEW IDEAS, PUT THE PROJECT THROUGH ITS PACES, UH, INCLUDING, YEAH, LEAVING SOME OF THEM A LITTLE MORE OPEN-ENDED.
SO YOU MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY EVALUATING EVERYTHING WHEN YOU SEND THIS PROJECT FORWARD IF YOU CHOOSE TO.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANNA SAY IS HAVING BEEN ON THE DAIS, I UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURE THAT COMES WITH THAT AND THE FEELING LIKE THIS IS THE LAST STEP FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ON A CONTENTIOUS PROJECT.
WE JUST NEED TO GET THIS THING DONE.
AND TO REALLY SLOW IT DOWN, ASK ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I'VE LEFT A MEETING WHERE I'M LIKE, I WISH I HAD JUST ASKED THIS QUESTION OR INTRODUCED THIS DISCUSSION POINT AMONGST MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO BUILD CONSENSUS AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING HERE.
YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME, DO I INTRODUCE A BIG IDEA LIKE THIS? ABSOLUTELY.
THIS IS THE TIME, THIS IS THE TIME TO GET ALL THE IDEAS ON THE TABLE, MAKE SURE YOU ARE, HAVE FULL FAITH THAT WHAT YOU'RE SENDING FORWARD OR YOU'RE VOTING ON IS KIND OF THE BEST VERSION OF THIS PROJECT THAT IT CAN BE.
SO, GOOD LUCK, GUYS, FROM WHAT I'VE READ SO FAR, IT'S BEEN GREAT DISCUSSION, SO KEEP IT GOING.
TOM GAFFEY KIND OF LIKE CHANGED MY WHOLE IDEA FOR WHAT I WAS GONNA DISCUSS TONIGHT.
UH, YOU GUYS ARE A GREAT COMMITTEE, UH, ELIZA AND, AND PETAL RENAISSANCE.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I, I THINK WE'RE REACHING A COMPROMISE PERIOD AND I THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING OPEN TO THAT AS WELL.
UM, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THIS THING HAS BEEN DROPPED IN YOUR LAP AND YOUR NAMES ARE GONNA BE TIED TO THIS THING FOR THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS.
SO DO THE BEST YOU CAN TO GET US THE BEST DEAL YOU POSSIBLY CAN FOR US HERE.
TOM JACOBSON, PLEASE TELL EBY WE LOVE THE GUY, UH, VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY UPSET WITH EBY.
UH, SO PLEASE BRING HIM BACK TO TOWN.
LET'S ALL SIT AND BREAK BREAD AND, UH, LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE THIS THING WORK, RIGHT? AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS TO DO THAT, SO GET US THE BEST DEAL YOU CAN.
UM, ALICE, I HAVE TO, I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY AND IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION, BY THE WAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, MY FEELINGS ABOUT ACE HARDWARE, IT'S STILL IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IT'S STILL LISTED AS A HISTORIC RESOURCE.
AND THROUGH PRESERVATION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PRESERVATION BRIEF 16 ALLOWS FOR THE SUBSTITUTION OF HISTORIC MATERIALS UNDER, UH, FOR AFFORDABILITY, UM, RESOURCES, ET CETERA.
BUT ANYWAY, IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE, OH, THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING.
IS THERE AN OPTION OR AN IDEA OF PUTTING A PLAQUE THAT COMMEMORATES, UH, THE OLD CHINATOWN IN THE SIDEWALK AT THE CORNER? IT'S A HOTEL.
GUESTS ARE COMING TO PETALUMA.
IT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL, UM, ENTRANCE.
I KNOW I DO A LOT OF RESTORATION WORK IN SAN
[01:50:01]
FRANCISCO AND YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WALK THROUGH THE BARBARY COAST AND SEE THE PLAQUES IN THE SIDEWALK.AND, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY EVENTUALLY, UM, OUR HISTORIC RESOURCES WILL PROVIDE A TOUR THROUGH PETALUMA'S DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UH, FOR WHICH WE SHOULD BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF.
AND WE HAVE YET, IN MY OPINION, TAPPED INTO THE EXTREME RESOURCES THAT PETALUMA HAS IN ITS HISTORY.
AND, UM, AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FUTURE.
AND TO THAT POINT, UM, SPEAKING ABOUT THIS HOTEL, AND I'M FROM ONE IS VERY PLEASED THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS COME FORWARD WITH A FOUR STORY APPLICATION THAT'S IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR WITHIN OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN.
DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES WILL SEE A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE OF COMMERCE, AND PETALUMA WILL RETAIN ITS UNIQUE CHARACTER.
AS ONE OF THE LAST VESTIGES OF ORIGINAL DOWNTOWN ARCHITECTURE IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, YOU HAVE RECEIVED COMMISSIONERS AND HEARD AND WILL RECEIVE MORE TONIGHT COMMENTS FROM ARCHITECTS, DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, AND CITIZENS REGARDING THIS APPLICATION.
AND WITHOUT A COMPLETE OVERHAUL, I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THESE CRITIQUES AND PLANNING DETAILS CAN BE EASILY ADAPTED.
EVERY COMMUNITY DESERVES COLLABORATION AND INPUT WITH DEVELOPERS, AND I HOPE THAT PETALUMA HAS A MORE FLUID AND COLLABORATIVE PROCESS IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE HAVE ALL LEARNED A LOT HERE.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
GOOD EVENING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS VERY CONTENTIOUS PROJECT.
IT'S, UM, A LOT TO, UH, PUT YOURSELVES THROUGH
UM, MY NAME IS SHARON KIRK AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED HOTEL.
PERSONALLY, I WISH WE WERE CONSIDERING A BIGGER HOTEL BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BRING MORE BENEFIT TO THE CITY, BUT I'LL SPEAK TO THE PROJECT IN FRONT OF YOU.
I THINK IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY.
I'VE LIVED IN PETALUMA FOR 30 YEARS, AND I LIVE ON B STREET, AND I THINK IT'S A NICE PROJECT FOR THE AREA.
IN THE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN IN PETALUMA, OUR CORE HAS STRUGGLED.
WE STILL HAVE MAJOR VACANT OR BLIGHTED PROPERTIES FROM THE SMART STATION ALL THE WAY TO THE HOTEL SITE FROM BANK OF THE WEST TO FOURTH AND SEA AND WALNUT GRILL, AND THE FENCED OFF LOT AT D IN PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH.
WE NEED SOMETHING TO ACT AS A CATALYST TO REVITALIZE THIS AREA.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT VISITORS SEE WHEN THEY ARRIVE.
THAT'S WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE PASS THROUGH THAT AREA EVERY DAY.
IN THE THREE DECADES THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE, THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CORE HAS BEEN THEATER SQUARE.
AND THAT NEARLY FAILED BECAUSE THE PRESCRIPTIVE PLAN OR THE THE SPECIFIC PLAN WAS DEEMED TOO PRESCRIPTIVE FOR THAT PROJECT.
THE DEVELOPER WAS ACTUALLY READY TO WALK AWAY FROM THE PROJECT UNTIL OUR THEN CITY MANAGER, UM, APPROACHED BASIN STREET WITH A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT BYPASSED SOME OF THE, UM, MORE RESTRICT, UM, PRESCRIPTIVE AND RESTRICTIVE ASPECTS OF THE, UM, SPECIFIC PLAN.
AND I WOULD DOUBT THAT THERE'S ANYONE IN THIS ROOM WHO WISHES THAT THEATER SQUARE HAD NEVER BEEN BUILT.
CITIES THRIVE BY ADAPTING PETALUMA'S.
HISTORIC DISTRICT IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S NOT HEALTHY OUTSIDE OF WEEKENDS.
THE SIDEWALKS ROLL UP AT 5:00 PM SINCE THE PASSAGE OF MEASURE U 31% OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES COME FROM SALES TAXES, THAT'S BEEN A LIFELINE FOR THE CITY, BUT OUR SALES TAX REVENUES HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH INFLATION.
SO MAYBE THEY'VE GONE UP A LITTLE BIT YEAR TO YEAR, BUT THEY HAVEN'T KEPT UP WITH WHAT INFLATION HAS DONE.
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN, EATING, SHOPPING, STAYING AND SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
OUR DOWNTOWN HAS BEEN ARCHITECTURALLY, HAS NEVER BEEN ARCHITECTURALLY UNIFORM, AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THAT TODAY IT'S MADE UP OF STRUCTURES, BUILT OVER DECADES IN A VARIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES AND A WELL-DESIGNED HOTEL DOESN'T DIMINISH OUR CHARACTER.
AND MY FINAL COMMENT IS THIS, IT IS EASY TO SAY NO.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PRACTICE SAYING NO IN PETALUMA.
I THINK THAT'S OUR DEFAULT RESPONSE TO EVERY PROJECT THAT'S BROUGHT BEFORE US.
NO, I'M ASKING YOU TO DO THE HARDER BRAVER THING AND SAY YES.
YES TO REVITALIZING OUR CORE, YES TO SU SUSTAIN SUSTAINING WHAT WE
[01:55:01]
LOVE, AND YES, TO A DOWNTOWN THAT CAN THRIVE FOR DECADES TO COME.I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT THE, UH, DEVELOPER AND HIS ARCHITECT AND HIS STAFF HAVE PUT INTO THIS PROJECT.
AND I WAS IN SUPPORT OF THE PREVIOUS ITERATION, THE, THE TALLER BUILDING AND THE AESTHETICS OF IT.
AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TAKING THIS VACANT LOT AND DOING SOMETHING WITH IT.
I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE CURRENT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN THAT'S BEING OFFERED.
UH, I DON'T FEEL IT COMPLIMENTS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT SUFFICIENTLY AS IT COULD HAVE, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE SENSE THAT THERE'S THESE VOIDS IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
ONE THING THAT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT ABOUT THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IS MOST OF THE BUILDINGS ACTUALLY HAVE A FRONT THAT GOES STRAIGHT UP AND THEY DON'T HAVE THESE RE THESE SIGNIFICANT RECESSES.
UH, AND I THINK THAT THIS BUILDING DOES, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE, AND THIS IS JUST A A PERSONAL THING, IT THE BUILDING REMINDS ME, UNFORTUNATELY IN MY MIND OF 1960S UC OR CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY ARCHITECTURE IN TERMS OF WHAT FEATURES STAND OUT IN IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE USE OF THE BUILDING AS A HOTEL, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO I NOT SURE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT OR HOW YOU FEEL.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADDRESS THAT.
BUT, UH, I HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT CERTAIN FEATURES OF THE BUILDING, NOT THE BUILDING ITSELF, NOT THE CONCEPT, NOT THE HEIGHT, NOT THE PARKING, NONE OF THE FUNCTIONAL ISSUES, JUST SOME OF THE AESTHETIC ISSUES.
UH, I'M GONNA PREFACE THIS WITH SAYING THAT I LIKED THE ORIGINAL BUILDING.
THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH IT, IT WAS TOO BIG.
IF THEY HAD TAKEN TWO STORIES AND SLICED IT OFF AND LET THE TWO TOP STORIES FALL ON TOP OF IT, I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE.
HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK THAT THE, UH, PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO US OF THE, THE, THE NEW BUILDING IS COLD.
IT'S STARK, AND IT REMINDS ME OF A FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING, BUT IT CAN BE SOFTENED IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THE VERTICAL WINDOWS ARCH, THE TOP OF SOME OF THEM.
AND THE DESIGN SHOWS SPECIFIC AREAS THAT ARE DIFFERENT, AND THAT'S THE WAY DOWNTOWN IS.
ARCH, THE TOP OF SOME OF THE WINDOWS HAVE, SOME OF THE WINDOWS LOOK LIKE THE MCNAIR BUILDING, WHICH HAVE MULTIPLE PANE WINDOWS IN IT, UH, THE, THE, THE SOUTH AND NORTH SIDE OF IT, OR THE B STREET SIDE AND THE BANK SIDE.
UM, AND THE BANK SIDE SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IF SOMETHING IS BUILT THERE, ORIGINALLY YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY WINDOWS, BUT SOFTEN THAT SIDE WITH SOMETHING LIKE, UH, THE, UH, SAN FRANCISCO SIDING THAT'S ON THE HARDWARE STORE.
UH, AND AS FAR AS THE BALCONIES GO, TO ME, THAT'S A, UM, AN ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE.
IT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR THINGS TO BE THROWN OUT ON THE STREET, WHETHER PUR PURPOSELY OR ACCIDENTALLY.
AND IT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE OR, OR HARM TO PEDESTRIANS IN CARS PASSING BY.
BUT, UM, UH, IF, IF IT WERE SOFTENED UP A LITTLE BIT, I PROBABLY WOULD CHANGE MY OPINION ABOUT IT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT'S DESIGNED, I DON'T LIKE IT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO BEAT YOU UP ANYMORE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU PULL ALL YOUR HAIR OUT ALREADY.
ANYWAY, I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS TIME.
UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, CHAIR, STAFF, CONSULTANTS.
UH, MY NAME'S NICHOLAS HARRIS.
I, UH, GREW UP IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, MY MEMORIES FORMED IN THE VERY EARLY NINETIES.
UM, THIS, UH, DISTRICT AND ITS HISTORICAL STRUCTURES, UH, IN MY MIND, UM, ARE GENERALLY INDUSTRIAL AND FUNCTIONAL IN THEIR ORIGINAL NATURE TODAY WITH ADAPTIVE REUSE.
[02:00:01]
UM, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER BUILDINGS THAT IN MY MIND, UH, REALLY, UH, WERE BUILT, UM, INTENTIONALLY WITH EXCELLENCE IN THEIR ARCHITECTURE ABOVE AVERAGE MATERIALS AND QUALITY.THAT'S WHY SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS HAVE REMAINED HERE FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
THERE WAS A REASON TO MAINTAIN THEM AND THEY WERE BEDROCK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE BUILDINGS THAT WERE BUILT AS A RESULT OF THE HISTORICAL PROSPERITY AND STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES OF THE INDUSTRY OF THIS AREA.
MANY OF THEM SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE RIVER AND THEIR HERITAGE, BY THE WAY, WANTED TO THINK.
THE APPLICANT FORGOT TO SAY THAT IN THE BEGINNING SOME OF THE BUILDINGS WERE OVERBUILT INTENTIONALLY TO ENDURE THE TEST OF TIME.
THERE WERE BUILDINGS THAT WERE ROOTED IN PRIDE.
I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION OF HOW, HOW DOES THIS PROJECT AND, AND, AND THE BUILDING IN PARTICULAR AND SPEAKING REALLY TO THE BUILDING ACTUALLY, HOW DOES THE BUILDING ALIGN IN COMPLEMENT THIS HISTORIC DISTRICT IN THAT CONTEXT? I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE BUILDING IS AND WILL THERE BE A DESIRE TO MAINTAIN THIS BUILDING OVER THE LONG TERM COMMITTEE MEMBER? SQUIRREL, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU POINTING OUT THE STUCCO ON THE REAR.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOME MATERIAL AND SOME EXCELLENCE TO THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY WONDERFUL ADDITION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND NOT WATCHING OUR STATE OF THE UNION.
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING INTO THIS.
AND, UH, I WANNA THANK THE APPLICANT FOR COMING BACK WITH A FOUR STORY PROPOSAL THAT APPARENTLY PENCILS OUT WELL.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS EVOLVES.
YOU ARE THE FINAL STEP OF APPROVAL, UH, WITH A COUPLE OF, UH, POTENTIAL QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, THE FIRST IS THE HEIGHT AND WHETHER IT IS COMPLIANT WITH THE ZONING CODE.
UH, THE LIMIT IS 45 FEET, AND YET ON THE SUBMITTED ARCHITECTURAL PLANS, UH, SPAR, SC SPAR, PAGE C ONE, AND ON OTHER PAGES IN THAT, UM, FILING, UH, THE ROOF ELEVATION IS 45 FEET, NINE INCHES, NOT INCLUDING THE PARAPET.
AND THE PARAPET IS THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING.
AND THAT, OF COURSE, THIS IS MENTIONED IS 49 3.
SO IF THE ZONING CODE MEANS ANYTHING, IT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED AND IT NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED BY A CUP SO THAT THIS PROJECT CAN GO FORWARD.
BUT DON'T SLIDE IT OFF TO, OH, IT'S CLOSE.
THAT'S NOT WHAT ZONING CODES ARE DESIGNED TO DO.
UM, I HAVE TO AGREE, UH, VERY STRONGLY WITH THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE, SHALL WE CALL IT, THE SOUTH FACING WALL AND THE WEST FACING WALL, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY, UM, THE, UH, BACK WALL OVER, UH, WRECKS AND THE VIEW COMING UP THE BOULEVARD FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE COMING INTO TOWN FROM THE SOUTH, FROM THE FREEWAY.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A MASSIVE UNDISTINGUISHED CONCRETE WALL THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, WITH THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS, WITH THE SCALE, SIZE AND TEXTURE IT NEEDS SHA SHADED, UM, SHADOW LINES.
IT NEEDS COLOR, IT NEEDS SOME VARIATION IN WHAT THAT WALL LOOKS LIKE, WHETHER IT'S A MURAL THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THAT SITE OR, UM, WHETHER THERE'S SOME VARIATION IN THE MATERIALS AND HOW THAT IS PRESENTED.
THAT FACADE IS NOT A HANDBALL COURT.
CON SUPERSIZE IS A WALL OF A BUILDING.
YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO EVERYBODY COMING INTO TOWN.
LIKEWISE, THE WALL, THE WALLS OVER REX FACING THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN, FRANKLY, I'M REMINDED AND LOOKING AT THE PLANS OF WHAT THE COUNTY PRISON LOOKS LIKE FROM 1 0 1 IN SANTA ROSA.
SQUARE WINDOWS, SINGLE PANE, UH, AND EVEN SPACING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.
[02:05:01]
A COMPLIMENT OF HOW THIS HAS BEEN ARRANGED IS THE PARKING AND THE STORAGE.UH, RATHER, THE, UH, SERVICE ENTRANCE WILL NOT BE USABLE AS SOON AS THERE ARE, UH, REF, UH, BOXES IN THERE.
TRUCKS, MULTIPLE TRUCKS, LINENS, FOOD WASTE PICKUP, ALL OF THAT STUFF, THOSE PARKING SPACES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE THAT WILL AFFECT EVERYTHING ON B STREET.
AND SO I REALLY HOPE YOU KICK BACK THAT PORTION OF THE DESIGN.
SOMEBODY GAVE ME THEIR THREE MINUTES, WHO'S HERE, BUT I DON'T THINK I'LL NEED IT.
UM, THE, THE BASIC THING THAT I WANT TO SAY I IS, UM, I REALLY WANNA COMPLIMENT MIKE AND, UM, AND HIS PEOPLE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT LOVE PETALUMA, BUT LOVE IS IMPORTANT AND WE'RE FORGETTING IT ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, AND WE'RE, WE CAN RE REMEMBER IT ON THE LOCAL LEVEL ALL THE TIME.
AND, UM, TO COME BACK AND TO PIVOT AND TO SAY, WE SAID THIS AND WE SAID THAT, AND WE SAID IT WOULDN'T WORK, AND WE SAID THIS, AND THEN TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
AND, UM, I THINK WE'RE BEHAVING WITH LOVE, ALL OF US.
THERE'S BEEN SOME COMMENTS ABOUT, OH, THERE'S A LOT OF EGO, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEWSPAPER.
SOMEONE SAID, I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT, PETALUMA HISTORIC ADVOCATE'S, EGO, THERE'S NO EGO.
ARE YOU KIDDING? STANDING UP HERE IS TERRIFYING.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOVE OF EGO TO AT LEAST DECIDE TO COME IN THE DOOR.
BUT, UM, I WANT TO ALSO, I'M COMPLIMENTING YOU ALL AND SAYING THEY MAY ASK MORE THINGS.
THEY MAY BE INSPIRED BY THAT LITTLE STRAIGHT SPEECH ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE WITH LOVE, BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR TOWN.
AND I WANNA COMPLIMENT PETALUMA HISTORIC ADVOCATES, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THEY DID IS WHY THIS HAPPENED AND WHY YOU'RE FEELING MORE LOVE THAN YOU FELT AT THE START, POSSIBLY BECAUSE YOU SAW THAT PEOPLE CAME HERE AND MOST OF THE, UH, COMMENTS HAVE BEEN VERY POLITE.
I'VE TRIED TO BE LOVING, I'VE TRIED TO BE LOVING TO STAFF AND SAY, THERE'S NO BAD PEOPLE HERE.
UH, SO, UM, I DO, UH, HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OVERLAY, HOW IT'S BEEN WHEN I, MY, I, THIS IS MY FIFTH SPEECH MAYBE.
AND I THINK THE FIRST SPEECH I SAID, I FELT LIKE A MARCHING CAME INTO TOWN AND SAID, LET'S REBUILD THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN.
AND I WENT, WELL, IS THAT THE DEVELOPER THAT SAYS THIS IN ORDER TO BUILD? AND DO WE STILL NEED THE OVERLAY? IS IT, DO WE REALLY WANT AN OVERLAY? WE, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE DO, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING FOR NOT US HERE IN THIS ROOM.
UM, SO, UM, AND I LOVED GREG, PRINCIPAL PLANNER.
AND, AND, UM, BE INSPIRED TO ASK FOR SOME MORE STUFF THAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT AND, AND WE'LL MAYBE, YOU KNOW, REMIND OTHER PEOPLE THAT THERE ARE REALLY, HOPEFULLY NO ENEMIES.
THAT WAS A NICE NOTE TO END ON.
I'M GONNA CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A 10 MINUTE RECESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR USE THAT.
UM, I'M GONNA BRING THE ITEM, UH, OR ACTUALLY, I WANTED TO INVITE THE COMMITTEE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP SINCE HEARING PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA GO IN THE SAME ORDER THAT WE WENT IN EARLIER.
MCMICHAEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP SINCE PUBLIC COMMENT? I'M SORRY, MCMICHAEL, SORRY, THAT'S NOT THE SAME ORDER.
[02:10:01]
UH, COMMITTEE MEMBER HALL APOLOGIES.UH, JUST BASED AROUND PUBLIC COMMENT OR AT, AT ALL? UM, NO, NOT AT THIS TIME.
NOW, COMMITTEE MEMBER MCMICHAEL, I AM, UH, REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THE LOVELINESS OF PETALUMA AND ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT AND BEING SO INVOLVED IN THE CITY.
AND IT REALLY IS ENCOURAGING AND QUITE A NICE MEETING.
AND I ENJOYED SEEING EVERYONE, AND I LOVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT A PLAQUE FOR CHINATOWN, AND I HOPE THAT CITY STAFF MIGHT TAKE THAT FORWARD.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UH, A SPOT THAT, UH, JUST LIKE THE WATER FOUNTAIN, WE CAN LOOK BACK WITH, UH, PRIDE ABOUT, UH, THE HISTORY OF THE RICH HISTORY OF PETALUMA COMMITTEE MEMBER SQUIRREL.
UM, JUST BASED ON THE CONDITIONS THAT WERE IN THE PACKET, COULD WE, I, I KNOW THERE, THERE'S MANY, BUT COULD WE RUN DOWN THOSE SO THAT WE DON'T OVERLAP IN A QUICK WAY? OR IS THAT TOO TIME CONSUMING? SURE.
UM, I BELIEVE, GREG, YOU, YOU COULD SORT OF ROLL THROUGH THEM AND SUMMARIZE, UH, YOU WANT, WOULD A SUMMARY BE OKAY? JUST KIND OF TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE DOING AND, AND SO FORTH? YEAH.
AND I PROMISE THIS WILL BE SHORTER THAN WHEN I SPOKE EARLIER.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY THERE'S 89 CONDITIONS AND THEY'RE DIVIDED UP INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
THERE'S STANDARD CONDITIONS THAT YOU SHOULD SEE IN ANY PROJECT THAT COMES BEFORE YOU THAT ADDRESS SORT OF ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS ABOUT COMPLIANCE WITH PLANS, PAYING FEES THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, PROJECT, PROJECT PHASING.
UM, AND THEN I WANT TO SAY THAT THE BULK OF THE CONDITIONS REALLY GET AT WHEN THERE'S CONSTRUCTION, HOW IS IT DONE IN A WAY THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE A MESS FOR EVERYBODY.
AND SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT PLAN, NOISE MANAGEMENT PLANS, AIR QUALITY PLANS, AND THEN PARTICULARLY FOR THE HOTEL THAT ARE WORTH HIGHLIGHTING, UM, THERE'S A VALET PLAN.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF CONCERNS ABOUT PARKING.
THERE'S A VALET CONDITION OF APPROVAL THAT REQUIRES A FINAL VALET PLAN BEFORE OCCUPANCY.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITY WILL CONFIRM THERE IS THE OFFSITE SPACES THAT ARE NEEDED TO MEET THE ZONING ORDERS MINIMUM FOR OFFSITE PARKING.
AND THEN THERE'S A CONDITION ALSO RELATED TO THAT SAME VALET PLAN THAT SAYS, FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT THAT OFFSITE PARKING HAS TO BE MAINTAINED.
AND MAYBE IT'S NOT THIS SPACE, IT'S SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT THERE HAS TO BE THAT PARKING, THE PLAN HAS TO GO OFF INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, THERE'S NOT, THERE, THERE ARE NO CONDITIONS THAT RELATE TO DESIGN OR ARCHITECTURE OR AESTHETICS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE THINKING, BUT THERE, AND MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I WORKED ON PREPARING MOST OF THESE, AND IT'S VERY, I'M A TECHNICAL THINKING PERSON.
AND SO
UM, THERE'S ALSO WORTH NOTING, UH, THE MITIGATION MONITORING REPORTING PLAN THAT CAME OUTTA THE IR IS LENGTHY, AND THAT'S AN ATTACHMENT.
UH, AND THAT GETS THAT STUFF THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW SO FAR, UM, IS FOLLOWED.
I JUST GOT A NOTE FROM MY COLLEAGUE HERE, AND IT'S COMPLETE PLAIN ENGLISH, BUT I DIDN'T GET IT.
BUT NOW I DO, UH, ALSO WHILE I'M TALKING, I SHOULD POINT OUT, WE LOOKED AT THE CONDITIONS DURING THE MEETING, AND THERE'S ONE CONDITION THAT'S 50 5G THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO THE PROJECT ANYMORE.
SO I WANNA JUST STATE FOR THE RECORD, THERE'S A SECTION 50 5G THAT TALKS ABOUT AN UNCONTROLLED CROSS, UH, SIDEWALK CROSSING AT B STREET.
IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THE PROJECT.
SO THAT WAS PUT IN, IN AN ERROR.
THE CONDITIONS REFLECT BUILDING FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, CONCERNS ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE, SORT OF THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING FOR LIFE SAFETY, BUT THERE AREN'T AESTHETIC CONDITIONS.
UM, WAS THERE, THERE WAS ONE CONDITION FOR 1% TOWARDS PUBLIC ART.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT ONE HAPPY TO, UM, THE, AND I'LL START WITH, THE APPLICANT HAS PROPOSED SO FAR A COMBINATION OF TWO THINGS TO COMPLY WITH THE PUBLIC ART REQUIREMENT.
THE CITY REQUIRES EITHER ART IN THE PROJECT OR PAYMENT OF A FEE, OR A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO THINGS, AND THAT'S WHAT THE APPLICANT'S PURSUING.
UH, SO THERE'S A 1% OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR ART, AND IF THE APPLICANT PAYS A FEE, IT'S 1% OF THAT.
AND WE'VE ESTIMATED IT RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT'S ABOUT $22 MILLION
[02:15:02]
THAT'LL BE CONFIRMED AT THE BUILDING PERMIT STAGE.AND IF THE 1%, UH, FOR ART IS DONE IS A FEE THAT WOULD REFLECT ROUGHLY $225,000 COMING TO THE CITY, IF IT'S REFLECTED IN, UH, THE PROJECT IS ART ON SITE, THEN THAT'LL BE EQUIVALENT VALUE OF PHYSICAL ART OF 2200 $25,000.
AND IT'S WORTH SAYING THE PUBLIC ART PLAN WILL GO IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE BEFORE A BUILDING PERMIT.
SO THIS WILL ALL BE REVIEWED AND THEN IMPLEMENTED EITHER FEE, NO FEE, OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO AT THAT STAGE.
UM, CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON MR. POWELL'S COMMENT ABOUT THERE NOT BEING ANY, UH, CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL RELATED TO AESTHETICS WHEN PLANNING REVIEW IS CONDUCTED.
AS, AS WE SHARED IN THE PRESENTATION, WE REVIEW FOR CONSISTENCY WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, AND THEN FOR COMPLIANCE WITH ADOPTED REGULATIONS, IF THE, AND THEN WE USE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL TO EITHER ENSURE THAT AS THE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD TOWARDS BUILDING PERMIT STAGE, UM, ENCROACHMENT PERMITS AND OTHER PERMITS, FIRE PERMITS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED, THOSE CONDITIONS THEN WOULD FALL ON THE FUTURE PERMITS.
SO OUR REVIEW CONCLUDED, AND AS, AS STAFF SHARED THIS EVENING, OUR REVIEW CONCLUDED THAT THE PROJECT AS PROPOSED AND AS CONDITIONED WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN WITH THE PETALUMA HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DISTRICT DESIGN GUIDELINES, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS, AND THEN WOULD COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE APPLICABLE REGULATIONS.
THEREFORE, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER RECOMMENDING CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL ASSOCIATED WITH AESTHETICS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE COMMITTEE COULDN'T TAKE UP CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL ASSOCIATED WITH AESTHETICS, UH, BASED UPON THIS EVENING'S PUBLIC COMMENT AND, AND WHERE THE COMMISSION MIGHT, OR THE COMMITTEE, SORRY, MIGHT FEEL THEY ARE THIS EVENING.
CAN I ASK YOU MORE QUESTIONS?
YOU PARTICULARLY MENTIONED THAT THE FIRST FLOOR, SORT OF STOREFRONT STYLE WINDOWS ARE REALLY IN KEEPING WITH WHAT'S ON THE FIRST FLOOR IN THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ABOUT THE UPPER FLOORS AND THE UPPER FLOOR WINDOWS AND KEEPING WITH THE RHYTHM OF THE DISTRICT? I DIDN'T FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON FENESTRATION.
I LOOKED MORE AT KIND OF GENERAL COMPOSITION.
AND SORT OF THE VERTICAL GRID THAT'S BEEN APPLIED TO THE BUILDING THROUGH THE PY LASTERS AND THE COLUMNS.
NOT NECESSARILY WINDOW SHAPES OR, UM, DIVISIONS.
IN YOUR ASSESSMENT OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT? I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT THE OVERALL ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION AND HOW THE BUILDING READS IN GENERAL OUTWEIGHS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL WINDOWS IN THOSE SMALLER DETAILS.
UM, COULD YOU ALSO SPEAK TO THINKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT UP HERE AS WELL? THE, I THINK SITE LINES MM-HMM
AS YOU ENTER THE DISTRICT, AND ESPECIALLY I'M THINKING ABOUT THE LIBRARY THAT IT'S REGISTERED IN ITS OWN RIGHT.
AS WELL AS BEING PART OF OUR DISTRICT, AND IT'S, IS IT, IT IS GOING TO SEE THE TOP OF THIS HOTEL OR ONE OF THE WALLS THAT HAS STUCCO OR I WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SIGHT LINES ABOUT HOW IT WOULD BLOCK MM-HMM
THE EXISTING RESOURCES, NOT HOW THE RESOURCES WOULD LOOK AT IT.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT BOTH? UM, IF YOU CAN LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND.
YOU MIGHT NEED TO COME BACK TO ME IN A MINUTE.
IT'LL TAKE ME A SECOND TO FORMULATE A RESPONSE.
UM, DO I HAVE ANY OTHER, MAYBE A DEFINITION FROM STAFF WOULD HELP A FACADE? THINKING ABOUT THE PARAPET, THE WORD FACADE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP, PARAPET HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP, A SCREEN HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP ALL IN THE CONTEXT OF HEIGHT.
COULD SOMEBODY MAYBE HELP US OUT IF, IF THERE'S TECHNICAL DEFINITIONS OF THOSE OR REMIND US WHAT THEY ARE? SURE.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT WHAT WE, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS START BY ASKING MR. POWELL TO EXPLAIN HOW WE MEASURE HEIGHT, BECAUSE THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN 40 FEET, 11 INCHES VERSUS 45 FEET, NINE INCHES.
AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UM, I THINK DATA POINT ON THE PLANT SET.
SO MR. POWELL, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE'RE REFERRING
[02:20:01]
TO ELEVATIONS.AND THEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PARAPET.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY QUESTION BETTER TOO.
SO, UH, REGARDING HOW THE CITY APPLIES, THE HEIGHT LIMIT, THE START OF THAT ANALYSIS IS WHAT IS THE BASE ELEVATION OF THE BUILDING AS IT HITS THE GROUND.
AND THE CITY USES AN AVERAGE OF THE GRAVE BENEATH THE BUILDING TO AND ESTABLISH A PLANE.
AND THEN THAT HEIGHT LIMIT IS APPLIED TO THAT.
AND SO THE PLANS DO SHOW A NUMBER THAT'S ABOVE 45 FEET, BUT THAT NUMBER REFLECTS FROM THE SIDEWALK, NOT FROM THIS AVERAGE GRADE BENEATH THE BUILDING.
AND WHEN YOU APPLY THE AVERAGE GRADE BENEATH THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING IS LESS THAN 45 FEET TO THE ROOF.
AND I CAN SHOW THAT GRAPHICALLY.
WE'VE GOT, I CAN PULL UP THE ELEVATION IF IT'S HELPFUL OR, OR NOT.
AN AVERAGE GRADE BEING, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A COMPLETELY FLAT STREET, IS THAT, AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT RIGHT.
IT'S, IT'S, AS THE BUILDING STRIKES THE GROUND AND, AND THERE'S SLOPE SEEMS FLAT, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH THAT THERE'S A NINE INCH DIFFERENCE.
THAT, THAT AVERAGE GRADE CAN THEN GO FROM THERE TO 45 FEET UP.
AND THEN, SO THEN TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, THE DEFINITION OF BUILDING HEIGHT IN THE IZO FOUR FLAT ROOFS DOES SAY THAT WE MEASURE TWO THE, THE TOP OF THE FLAT ROOF.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE ANALYZED BUILDING HEIGHT FOR THE PROJECT, WE ARRIVED AT THE 45 FEET, OR 44 FEET, 11 INCHES, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE HEIGHT TO THE FLAT ROOF OF THE BUILDING PER THE DEFINITION OF, OF THE ICO BEING APPLIED.
THEN WE, WE DID CONSIDER THE, THE PARAPET, BUT THE PARAPET SERVES TWO FUNCTIONS AT, AT FIRST IT SERVES TO, UH, AS A SCREENING ELEMENT FOR ROOFTOP MOUNTED MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS ALLOWED BY THE IZO.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE BEGAN LOOKING AT, AT THE TOPIC OF THE PARAPET, AND THAT THE IZO DOESN'T APPLY A BUILDING HEIGHT MEASUREMENT TO THE PARAPET BECAUSE IT SITS ABOVE THE FLAT ROOF, THEN WE, WE STARTED CONSIDERING THAT, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DESIGN GUIDELINES, IT ACTUALLY SAYS THAT MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING ROOF MOUNTED EQUIPMENT, SHALL BE SCREENED.
AND THE METHOD OF SCREENING SHALL BE INTEGRATED IN STYLE AND BE BY SOLID BUILDING ELEMENTS SUCH AS PARAPET WALLS.
SO THAT'S WHEN, AND THEN ALSO, UH, MS. HEALY IN HER ANALYSIS, AND I THINK SHE POINTED OUT DURING HER PRESENTATION, THAT THAT PARAPETS ON THE BUILDINGS ARE A CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURE OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN THE HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
SO WORKING THROUGH ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE, THE GUIDELINES, THE POLICIES, AND THE REGULATIONS TOGETHER, THE INTERPRETATION MADE BY STAFF WHEN EVERYTHING WAS APPLIED, WAS THAT THE, THE PORTION OF THE WALL ABOVE THE TOP OF THE ROOF IS A PARAPET.
THAT A PARAPET IS A CON, UH, CHARACTER DEFINING ELEMENT OF THE HISTORIC COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
THAT IT DOES SERVE THE FUNCTION OF SCREENING ROOF-MOUNTED EQUIPMENT, WHICH WE DO WANT, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE FROM THE, THE PETALUMA MUSEUM TO BE LOOKING ACROSS AND SEEING, UH, THE ROOF-MOUNTED EQUIPMENT OR, OR FOR THAT MATTER, OTHERS WHO MIGHT LIVE UP ON HILLS FURTHER OUT, WHO WOULD HAVE A VIEW OF THE TOP OF IT.
SO THAT IN SUMMATION, IS HOW, HOW WE ARRIVED AT FINDING THAT THE, THE, UM, THE BUILDING HEIGHT AS WELL AS THE USE OF, OF THE PARAPET, AS THAT SCREENING AND DESIGN ELEMENT IS BOTH CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES AND COMPLIES WITH THE IZO.
I'M GONNA GET A GRAPHIC GOING HERE.
CAN WE ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT ON THAT ONE? I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO READ THE LEGEND ON THIS GRAPHIC, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO EXPLAIN, UM, HOW HOW TALL THE OTHER BUILDINGS AROUND THE PROPOSED HOTEL ARE.
SO THIS RED CIRCLE IS A 450 FOOT RADIUS AROUND THE PROJECT AREA.
AND THE DIAMONDS REPRESENT CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES TO THE NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE DIAMONDS ARE, THEY'LL TELL YOU HOW HIGH THOSE CONTRIBUTORS ARE.
SO THE BIGGER THE DIAMOND, THE BIGGER THE BUILDING.
UH, SO SEE THOSE, UM, MOST OF THEM ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PRETTY BIG.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT YEP, YEP, YEP.
BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG, LITTLE LITTLE.
AND THEN THE WHITE ONES ARE NON-CONTRIBUTING.
SO THE POINT THAT I WANNA MAKE HERE IS THAT, UM, ACTUALLY THERE ARE QUITE A FEW TALL BUILDINGS
[02:25:01]
IN THE VICINITY OF THE PROPOSED HOTEL THAT WOULD BLOCK THE VIEW OF THE HOTEL FROM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIBRARY.SO THAT IS WHAT THIS GRAPHIC WILL SHOW.
CAN I ASK ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SOUTH WALL ENTERING THE DISTRICT WITH THE PROPOSED MURAL? YEAH.
AND SIGHTLINES ENTERING THE DISTRICT.
LET ME, UH, ONE COMMENT ON THAT.
UH, FOR THE COMMITTEE, THE, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN REFERRING TO SOUTH ELEVATIONS AND WEST ELEVATIONS AND SUCH.
THE STAFF REPORT IS WRITTEN SUCH THAT THE, THE NORTH FACADE OF THE BUILDING IS THE PETALUMA BOULEVARD SOUTH FACADE.
SO THAT THEN MAKES THE EAST, I'M TALKING ADJACENT TO THE BANK.
AND THEN THE SOUTH ELEVATION WOULD BE THE, THE REX HARDWARE SIDE, THE BUILDING SIDE, THE REX HARDWARE, THE VIEW FROM REX HARDWARE.
IT WAS A DIRECTIONAL DECISION THAT WAS MADE DURING THE WRITING OF THE STAFF REPORT, BUT THE STAFF REPORT IS CONSISTENT.
AND I, I DO REALIZE THAT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, WE STAFF HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE MENTALLY SHIFTING BASED UPON THANK YOU.
THE WALL THAT IS CLOSEST TO WALNUT PARK, THE, THE PARK, THE, YES.
SO IF YOU'RE COMING DOWN PETALUMA BOULEVARD INTO THE DISTRICT, INTO THE DISTRICT, THAT WALL OVER THE BANK OPENING UP BEFORE YOU YES.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE BANK THAT IS THERE, AND WHEN YOU'RE VIEWING IT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE BANK IS GOING TO OBSCURE A GOOD PORTION OF THAT WALL.
OF COURSE, THE WALL WILL EXTEND OVER IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, GOT THAT MODERN BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY.
WELL, I THINK THAT IT IS TIME TO CLOSE OUR ROUND TWO OF Q AND A AND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF OUR BUSINESS HERE TONIGHT.
AND OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMITTEE HERE FOR DISCUSSION.
ARE WE READY? COMMITTEE? UM, I'D LIKE TO COME TO YOU EACH, UM, BUT I'M ALSO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR THOUGHTS.
SO BEYOND MY INITIAL CHECK-IN, PLEASE JUMP IN FOR CONVERSATION.
CAROLINE, COULD I GO TO YOU FIRST? IT'S OKAY.
YOU HAVE BEEN, YOU'VE BEEN REALLY, YOU'VE BEEN HELPING ME.
UH, NOT TO SORT OF OVERSIMPLIFY EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH TONIGHT, BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY WHAT THIS BOILS DOWN TO IS AESTHETICS AND WHAT THE BUILDING LOOKS LIKE.
UM, I THINK FEEL LIKE THAT'S THE BIGGEST PART OF WHAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING TONIGHT.
UM, AND INITIALLY WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS DESIGN, I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT, NO
UM, BUT, UH, HAVING READ ALL THE REPORTS AND BEEN HERE TONIGHT, I DO SEE THE, THE THOUGHT THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THE MATERIALS AND THE DESIGN, UM, ESPECIALLY ON THE PETALUMA BOULEVARD SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE B STREET SIDE AND ACTUALLY ALL THE OTHER SIDES OF THE BUILDING.
UM, WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS, WHETHER NOT THE, THE AESTHETICS OF THE BUILDING IS BEING HELD UP TOO MUCH BY JUST THE PETAL IN THE BOULEVARD SIDE AND NOT CONSIDERED ENOUGH AROUND THE REST, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW VISIBLE IT WILL BE FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE.
WELL, I, AS POINT OF REFERENCE, UH, THERE'S A REPUBLIC MORTGAGE OR BANK BUILDING ON D STREET, AND IT HAS THE SAME SORT OF WINDOWS AND CURVATURE THAT KIND OF, SOMEONE SAID, YOU KNOW, LOOKING LIKE A UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BUILDING A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO, UH, HAVING LIVED IN THAT AREA FOR A LONG TIME, I KIND OF SEE COMING IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
I'M QUITE FAMILIAR FROM WALKING IT.
AND, UH, I THINK IT WILL ELEVATE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UH, LOTS, YOU KNOW, OLD GAS STATIONS THAT HAVE SET IDLE LINKS TO THE VET BUILDING AND, UH, THE FAST FOOD PLACES THAT NO LONGER HAVE ANY FAST FOOD TO MY DISMAY.
[02:30:01]
PLEASED WITH THE PRESENTATION, BROUGHT BY STAFF AND THINK THAT THEY HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO BRING US A PROPOSAL THAT CAN PLEASE PETALUMA, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THIS COMMITTEE, IN THIS COMMISSION.SO I'M, UM, LEANING TOWARD, UH, THE APPROVALS WITH CONDITIONS.
AND, UH, I, UH, FROM, UH, REALLY, UH, I HAVE SWITCHED MY THINKING BECAUSE I THINK STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE VOICED SOME VERY POSITIVE, UH, UH, SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPOSAL.
ALLIE? THINKING, UM, I, I CAME HERE FOUR YEARS AGO, SO I'M STILL SORT OF NEW TO PETALUMA, AND THIS WHOLE PROJECT IS A NEW THING TO ME.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN LOVING HEARING THE WHOLE, UM, DISCUSSION ABOUT IT IN THE WHOLE TOWN.
AND WHEN I FIRST SAW THE NEW PROPOSAL, I THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A DEPARTURE FROM THE SIXTH STORY BUILDING.
UM, IT WAS A, A, A BIT SHOCKING, UM, SOMEONE CALLED IT A JAIL BECAUSE OF THE VERTICAL MEMBERS.
AND, UM, I'VE ALSO HEARD EXOSKELETON.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT IT MIGHT BE A, BECAUSE OF THE RENDERING, IT MAY, IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT JUST WHITE AND, AND WASHED OUT.
I THINK THE BRICK IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THAT AND LESS CONCRETE AND STUCCO.
UM, AS FAR AS CULTURE, THOUGH, WE, I THINK PETALUMA NEEDS THIS AND IT NEEDS TO REVITALIZE THE DOWNTOWN, LESS TRAIN LAKE FENCES AND LESS VACANT LOTS, UM, VACANT BUILDINGS.
AND SO I THINK THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY LEAN TOWARDS YES, WITH CONDITIONS.
UM, I THINK THAT ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS HAVE BEEN AMAZING TO SEE REALLY HOW EVERYTHING VARIES AND HOW PEOPLE ARE EXCITED TO BRING NEW THINGS TO PETALUMA.
UM, AND FIGURING OUT HOW I WANTED US TO DISCUSS, I, I KIND OF WAS GRAPPLE GRAPPLING WITH HOW TO SUMMARIZE WHAT I FEEL LIKE OUR BOTTOM LINE IS.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU GUYS ARE IN A SIMILAR POSITION.
UM, IT FEELS LIKE IT COMES DOWN TO THOSE SEVEN COMPONENTS OF INTEGRITY AND THE INTENTIONALLY SUBJECTIVE, ONE OF FEELING, WHICH ALSO HITS THESE IDEAS OF COMPATIBILITY AND HARMONY, UM, THAT IMPACT IS GUARANTEED, AND THAT THE PAST EIRS HAVE FOUND THAT IT'S NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO DISQUALIFY THE DISTRICT FROM BEING NATIONALLY REGISTERED.
AND IT FEELS LIKE OUR ROLE, AND I WANNA KNOW IF YOU AGREE WITH ME HERE, IS IF THIS IS THE, IF WHAT IS BEFORE US IS WHAT ALL OF THE PROFESSIONALS AROUND US HAVE DETERMINED IS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT TO MEET WHAT IS ALLOWED, IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT FOR US TO DO TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER, TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE HARMONIOUS, TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE COMPATIBLE WITH OUR SORT OF GEM OF A DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT? AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE IN A SIMILAR POSITION APPROVAL WITH, UM, WHAT WAS THE SOMETHING? THERE WAS A WORD RECOMMENDED.
AND WHAT COULD THOSE BE? AND SO I REALLY WANTED TO, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE, THIS IS LIKE A WEIRD FISHBOWL, BUT I REALLY WANNA BRAINSTORM SOME IDEAS OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE WITH YOU.
UM, IF YOU'RE GAME, WHAT WOULD IT BE? INSTEAD OF ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE, WOULD WE WANT IT TO BE A RECOMMENDATION FOR A SPECIFIC DIFFERENCE? OR AS MR. TRIPLE MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S THE SHALL VERSUS RECOMMEND.
DO WE HAVE IDEAS? I THINK I LIKED THE RECOMMEND EXPLORING USE OF OTHER MATERIALS, LANGUAGE.
AND THEN THE EAST SIDE, I THINK WE SHOULD RECOMMEND A MURAL OR SOME SORT OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN.
I TEND TO BE QUITE COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, ALICE'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'M ALSO QUITE COMFORTABLE, I'M DISMAYED THAT WE WENT FROM A 50 MILLION TRANSCEND OCCUPANCY ATTACKS DOWN TO 33 MILLION.
BUT THE JOBS FACTOR, UH, IN THIS ECONOMY AND THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX FOR THE CITY, I THINK, UM, I'M LOOKING VERY PRACTICALLY AT THIS PROJECT
[02:35:01]
AS AN ECONOMIC BOOST.UH, AND I LEFT MY ARCHITECTURE CREDENTIALS AT HOME.
I WOULDN'T PROPOSE TO DESIGN THE BUILDING, BUT I THINK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION AND REVIEW, IF THAT IS ALLOWED, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND, UH, AND, UH, SEE THIS COME AS A VITAL PART OF THE DOWNTOWN.
THAT'S JUST MY, I HATE TO BE SO CYNICAL AND BRING IT DOWN TO DOLLARS, BUT IT IS A REAL BOOST FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC, UH, BOOST.
I'VE WALKED THERE MANY TIMES AND HAVE BEEN THE ONLY ONE ON A WEEKDAY, AND PEOPLE THINK THERE'S A PARKING BARRIER.
I, I HAVE NEVER FELT ONE, BUT I'VE LIVED IN SOME METRO AREAS WHERE THERE WERE, SO, UM, I'M, UH, I'M, UH, I'M LEANING VERY POSITIVELY.
I'VE SURPRISED MYSELF WITH THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT WHAT I AM, MY, ALL MY HESITATIONS WITH THE PROJECT ARE PURELY SUBJECTIVE.
UM, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT IT HAS, THAT THE DE DESIGNS OF THE BUILDING HAVE MET THE GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS OF THE CITY.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD SAY POTENTIALLY THIS COMMITTEE TOO, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, UM, IT'S NOT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ARCHITECTURE.
UM, ONE MATERIAL OVER THE OTHER IS SUBJECTIVE.
SO I'M, I WOULD NOT PUT THAT IN THE WAY OF APPROVING THIS PROJECT.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH THAT.
I WOULD, THAT'S WHY I THINK THE LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT TO DO, RECOMMEND EXPLORE.
SO CHAIR, WE'VE BEEN, UM, THROUGH THE COURSE OF THIS CONVERSATION, WE ACTUALLY STARTED BEFORE THE CONVERSATION, UH, CONVERSATION DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
BUT WE'VE BEEN CRAFTING SOME CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL THAT YOU, THAT COMMITTEE MIGHT WISH TO CONSIDER ADDING, UM, IN THE SPIRIT OF MS. SQUIRREL'S SUGGESTION THAT THE, THE CONDITIONS ARE RECOMMENDATIONS AND EXPLORE, WHICH I THINK IS CONSISTENT WITH EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS, THAT, UH, YOU, YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU DON'T DESIGN THE PROJECT, YOU RECEIVE IT AS IT IS AND SUCH.
SO, UH, MS. IRVIN'S GOING TO SHARE SOME DRAFT CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
UH, WE CAN WORDSMITH THEM, WE CAN WORK THROUGH THEM.
AND, UH, ULTIMATELY HOW THIS WOULD WORK, UH, COMMITTEE, ONCE YOU, ONCE WE LAND ON THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL, WRITTEN THE WAY THAT YOU WANT THEM, THEN WE WOULD TURN TO THE APPLICANT AND ASK IF THEY ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
IF THEY ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL, THEN PRIOR TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, RECEIVING A MOTION TO ACT ON THE RESOLUTION BEFORE THEM, WE WOULD READ THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL INTO THE RECORD, AND THEN YOU WOULD REFERENCE THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE READ INTO THE RECORD AS BEING INCLUDED IN YOUR, UH, THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU.
WITH THAT, THEN, UH, MS. IRVIN IS SHARING THE DRAFT CONDITIONS, AND, UM, SO WE START, UH, WITH THE FIRST CONDITION OF APPROVAL, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE SOUTH AND EAST BUILDING FACADES, UH, THAT SOUTH FACADE BEING THE ONE THAT'S VIEWED OR IS FACING REX HARDWARE.
AND THEN THE EAST FACADE FACING THE, UH, FORMER BANK PROPERTY VIEWABLE AS YOU COME INTO TOWN FROM PETALUMA BOULEVARD, UH, SOUTH.
SO PRIOR TO BUILDING PERMIT SUBMITTAL, THE SOUTH AND EAST BUILDING FACADES WILL BE REVIEWED WITH CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO STRENGTHENING DESIGN, CHARACTER AND INTEREST THROUGH APPROPRIATE DETAILING OR FENESTRATION, SUCH AS BALCONIES, WINDOW MOLDINGS, SILLS, SHADOW LINES, COLORS, MURALS, OR OTHER APPROACH TO ADVANCED VISUAL INTEREST.
THE PROPOSED DESIGN MODIFICATIONS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO DIRECTOR APPROVAL, FOLLOWING EVALUATION BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL.
AND THE QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL WOULD BE MS. HEALY.
UH, SHE WOULD REVIEW JUST TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S NOT ANY UNINTENDED, UM, POTENTIAL FOR IMPACT TO THE HISTORIC RESOURCE.
THEN, UH, ANOTHER, UH, RECOMMENDED CONDITION OF APPROVAL IS, UH, RELATED TO MS. SQUIRREL'S COMMENT THAT THE BUILDING PERMIT SUBMITTAL IS ENCOURAGED TO EXPLORE REDUCING THE USE OF STUCCO AND CONCRETE IN FAVOR OF MORE CREAM BRICK, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT CREAM BRICK MAY BE OVERLY SPECIFIC.
UH, AND, AND SO THE COMMITTEE MAY WISH TO, TO WORK THROUGH THE,
[02:40:01]
UH, REFERENCE TO THE CREAM COLORED BRICK.THEN THIRD, RECOGNIZING A, A PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE MEMBER.
AND OF COURSE, UM, THE, THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE, OF THE SITE HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, THAT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PLANS SHALL INCLUDE A SIDEWALK PLAQUE ACKNOWLEDGING THE HISTORIC CHINA TOWN.
IN ADDITION, A PUBLIC ART SPECIALIST, UH, MELISSA ABERCROMBIE, HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE APPLICANT TEAM ON THEIR PUBLIC ARTS SUBMITTAL, EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE FULLY INTEGRATE, UM, CULTURALLY RELEVANT ART INTO THEIR PUBLIC ART PROPOSAL, WHICH WOULD COME BEFORE THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE.
AND THEN FOURTH, UH, WHICH IS RELATED AGAIN, TO PUBLIC ART, ONSITE PUBLIC ART TO SATISFY THE CITY'S 1%.
FOUR, PUBLIC ART SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO A MURAL ON THE EAST WALL FACING THE NEIGHBORING BANK OF WEST PARCEL TO ADD VISUAL INTEREST.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE, PERHAPS IF WE LOOK AT CONDITION ONE, WE'VE GONE FROM CONDITION ONE, WHICH IS A RECOMMENDATION TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES, SUBJECT TO THE DIRECTOR'S REVIEW AND APPROVAL AS BEING IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE TO CONDITION FOUR, WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY STRENGTHENING THE TREATMENT OF THE EAST WALL BY REQUIRING THAT THE, UH, A COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT'S PUBLIC ART PROPOSAL WILL INCLUDE A MURAL ON THE EAST WALL.
SO YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER BOTH OF THOSE CONDITIONS AND DECIDE IF, IF YOU WANT TO KEEP BOTH, IF YOU LIKE THE SPECIFICITY OF NUMBER FOUR, OR IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO GO WITH A BIT MORE OF A, UM, UH, A LESS PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACH IN NUMBER ONE.
AND ELLIE, I SAW YOU MO MOVING FOR YOUR MIC.
I, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE, UM, FINANCIALLY NOT BENEFICIAL IF THEY, IF SUDDENLY THE EVERYTHING GOES AWAY BECAUSE WE'RE REQUIRING THINGS.
SO SHOULD WE CHANGE THE LANGUAGE IN THE NUMBER FOUR? SORRY, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME SEEING NUMBER FOUR 'CAUSE OF THE CLOSE CABIN.
IF I, UM, IF I, MY, SO, SO THE PROJECT IS REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE 1% FOR PUBLIC ART, RIGHT? SO THAT, WHAT THAT CONDITION IS SAYING IS THAT PART OF THEIR, THEIR, THEIR PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION COULD BE THE MURAL ON THE EAST ELEVATION.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE, IT WOULDN'T BE ADDITIVE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE, UH, 1% OF THE CONSTRUCTION VALUE FOR PUBLIC ART.
I JUST DON'T WANT THE, UM, STAINED GLASS AND OTHER ART TO GO AWAY IF WE'RE REQUIRING TO HAVE A MURAL.
I FEEL IT MIGHT BE A BIT TOO PRESCRIPTIVE RIGHT NOW.
A CHICKEN COOP IS ON THAT BANK SITE, YOU KNOW, WHICH KIND OF COVERS UP, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, DRIVING THAT WAY PAST THE BANK, YOU REALLY, YOU, YOU'RE KIND OF LIMITED TO WHAT YOU SEE ON A MURAL SITE.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UH, HARDWARE MURAL, YOU KNOW, FROM THE STREET.
UM, I CAN'T SEE IT, BUT, UH, MAYBE I'M TOO CLOSE TO WALKING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
DO WE HAVE AN IMAGE OF THAT FACADE THAT WE COULD LOOK AT THAT'S FROM STREET VIEW, LOOKING TOWARD THAT WALL? IS THAT, IS THAT A THING? UM, YES.
UM, FOR THE PRIOR PROJECT, THE SIX STORY BUILDING VISUAL SIMULATIONS WERE DONE FROM MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS.
AND SO EARLIER WHEN PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT ELEVATION, I THOUGHT, LET'S GO LOOK AT THEM.
THEY'RE FOR THE SIX STORY BUILDING.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO KIND OF PUT ON YOUR LITTLE VISUAL BLOCK TO GO, WELL, THAT'S WHERE IT STOPS.
AND SO I CAN PULL THOSE UP AS LONG AS EVERYONE GOES, WE WANT SEE THIS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE FOR THE SIX STORY BUILDINGS, WE HAVE TO ALL KIND OF KNOW THAT THERE'S PORTION THAT WHAT YOU SEE FOR A BUILDING WOULDN'T BE THERE.
CAN WE? AND HE SAID THAT WE, I STARTED OVERLAYING A GREEN LINE TO APPROXIMATE WHERE THE 45 FOOT PARAPET WOULD BE.
I'M OKAY WITH THAT, I PROMISE NOT TO PANIC ABOUT THE INCREASED HEIGHT.
SO I, YOU KNOW, THE SIX STORY BUILDING BROUGHT UP A LOT OF FEELINGS.
AND I WANNA BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, I GOTTA MAKE SURE I CAN GET ZOOM TO WORK FOR ME, BECAUSE WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, COULD I ASK TO
[02:45:01]
ALLY'S POINT, OH, YOU GOTTA TURN OFF.IS IT, UM, IS IT, IS IT, IT'S POSSIBLE THEN THAT THE, IF WE LIKE THE STAINED GLASS AND WE DON'T WANT THE STAINED GLASS TO GO AWAY, DO WE NEED TO BE WORRIED THAT IF WE ASK THAT A MURAL BE CONSIDERED ON THAT WALL, THAT THAT'S A POTENTIALITY? PARDON ME? YEAH, I THINK THAT WE COULD WRAP IT INTO NUMBER ONE CONDITION IN, IN SPEAKING WITH THE APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE, THE UNDERSTANDING TO ME WAS THAT THE STAINED GLASS WAS PRIMARY THEN THE SCULPTURAL FEATURE, BECAUSE THERE IS A SPACE PROPOSED FOR THAT SET AGAINST THE SIDEWALK NEAR THE ENTRANCE.
AND THEN THE MURAL WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THEY WERE PURSUING.
I KNEW THEY WERE REACHING OUT TO LOCAL ARTISTS.
AND SO THAT THE INTENTION WAS FOR THOSE THREE SITES TO BE ADDRESSED, BUT IT'S, RIGHT NOW IT'S ALL A PROPOSAL.
SO WHEN IT GOES TO PUBLIC ART, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON.
BUT IN THE SIX STORY PROPOSAL, I DID SPEAK WITH HEATHER KNAPP, WHO IS STILL ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT EXTENSIVELY ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD REFLECT CULTURE, HERITAGE.
I, I, I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED THE SYNERGY AND WORKING WITH HER.
SO IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT, THAT'S SOMETHING I'M REALLY EXCITED TO PURSUE WITH THE PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE.
I WOULD HATE TO, UH, OVERSTEP AND TELL, UH, THE ART COMMISSION.
I WOULD, I'M QUITE COMFORTABLE WITH GIVING THEM THE 1% AND HAVING THEM ALLOCATE TO BEAUTIFY PETALUMA.
I THINK THAT'S THEIR PURVIEW, BUT THAT'S JUST MY FEELING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PULLING UP THAT IMAGE FOR US.
THERE, THERE IS AN ELEVATION ONLINE OF, WITH THE, UM, EKS PACKAGE THAT SHOWS JUST THE STUCCO WALL.
I, I HAVE THE ELEVATION DRAWING OF AVAILABLE AS WELL.
AS LONG AS I, WHAT I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING IT UP AGAIN.
COULD I OFFER A LITTLE COLOR TO THIS? I THINK WE'RE ALL MISSING SOMETHING.
UH, MR. JALI, IF YOU COULD COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE.
SO THERE'S A ONE WALL AND A SECOND WALL.
IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO WALLS, WE HAVE A VERTICAL SHAFT THAT'S, THAT'S 12 FEET DEEP.
THE BACK OF THAT VERTICAL SHAFT IS GLASS BRICK.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS BRICK IS OUR ELEVATOR LOBBIES.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT SHAFT IS OUR OUTDOOR LITTLE COFFEE LOUNGE.
SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA JUST SEE ONE MASSIVE WALL, THERE'S TWO WALLS, AND THEN THERE'S THIS BEAUTIFUL GLASS BRI BRICK THAT'S GONNA BE UP, GOING UP THE WALL.
AND AT NIGHT IT'LL GLOW OF COURSE, ALL THE TIME.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A, A BLANK WALL.
I MEAN, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM PUTTING A MURAL.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT AT EKN, BUT I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S TWO, TWO WITH THE GLASS BRICK.
UM, UH, MR. JOLLY, IF YOU WOULD, I'D LOVE FOR US, SINCE WE'RE, WE'VE GOT, SINCE WE'RE SHOWING THE, THERE YOU GO.
UM, IF THE COMMITTEE COULD ENGAGE IN SOME DIALOGUE WITH THE APPLICANT ABOUT, UH, THE SOUTH ELEVATION AND THAT CONDITION OF APPROVAL, NUMBER ONE CAN WAIT SOUTH OR EAST? NO, THAT ONE.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE SOUTH ELEVATION VIEWED FROM THE, UH, REX HARDWARE PROPERTY.
THIS, WHY DON'T WE JUST REFER THIS TO THE REX REX HARDWARE ELEVATION.
THIS IS THE REX HARDWARE FACADE? YEAH.
SO THEN THE, THE DRAFT CONDITION ONE THEN IS RECOMMENDING THAT ON THIS ELEVATION, THAT THE DESIGN DETAILING BE INCREASED, UM, TO ADD DESIGN INTEREST TO IT.
UH, AND THEN WE LISTED A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT THAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED.
SORRY, WHERE DOES THE ACE BUILDING? I THINK MEET THAT? IT, IT SITS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT.
YOU KNOW, SEE, SEE THE GRAY AREA OR GRAY AREA AT THE BOTTOM ON THE FIRST FLOOR, JUST TO THIS SIDE OF THE GRAY AREA IS THE ACE HARDWARE STORE.
I THINK THERE IS A, NOW THERE'S, THERE'S ACTUALLY AN 18 INCHES.
THE ACE HARDWARE IS BUILT 18 INCHES OFF THEIR PROPERTY LINE.
WE'RE BUILDING TWO PROPERTY LINE ON PARTS OF THAT SIDE, BUT THERE'S AN
[02:50:01]
1810 INCH, 18 INCH SPACE.CAN WE GET SOME CLARITY ON HOW HIGH UP ON THIS RENDERING? THE ACE HARDWARE? YEAH, IT'S ABOUT ONE AND A HALF STORIES.
AND SO THE CONDITION THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE IS THAT THE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS, UM, ABUNDANCE OF STUCCO, WHICH IS VISIBLE FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, INCLUDING THE LIBRARY, WHICH IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO THE DISTRICT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON BREAKING UP THE BUILDING MATERIALS THERE SO IT'S NOT ALL STUCCO? YES, I DO.
WE, WE HAVE DISCUSSED WRAPPING THE BRICK AROUND THE CORNER, SO IT RETURNS BACK TO THE FIRST INSIDE CORNER, BUT WE LEAVING, LEAVING THE REST STUCCO.
SO THE BIG E THE BIG BLANK SPACE MM-HMM
IF WE DON'T PUT A MURAL THERE, WE WOULD WRAP THE BRICK BACK TO THAT FIRST EXTERIOR CORNER.
AND THEN FOR THAT FIRST EXTERIOR CORNER, IT GO STUCCO BACK AND STUCCO ACROSS.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THE STUCCO
ANYTHING ELSE? SO I THINK LEAVING THAT RECOMMENDATION OPEN FOR, AS A RECOMMEND NOT A SHALL.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, IT, IT GIVES SOME SUGGESTIONS, BUT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANYTHING, SO.
AND IT, IT ALSO DOES ALLOW THE DIRECTOR TO, IF, IF THE APPLICANT CHOOSES TO REVISE THAT, IT DOES ALLOW THE DIRECTOR TO FIND SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE APPROVED PROJECT.
HOW ARE WE FEELING ABOUT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS? JULIA? DO YOU FEEL BETTER HAVING THE SPECIFICITY OF NUMBER FOUR REMOVED? OKAY.
ANY OTHER THINGS BEFORE WE MOVE TO A MOTION? SO I FIRST, UH, CHAIR FIRST.
WE WILL ADD, UM, IN THIS, THAT WILL BE DELETING CONDITION 50 5G, UH, WHICH IS NO LONGER APPLICABLE TO THE PROJECT.
AND THEN TO CONFIRM WITH THE APPLICANT TEAM THAT THESE, UH, THREE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL ON THE SCREEN NOW ARE, ARE, UH, THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT THEM.
I'M TOM JACOBSON, I'M THE SENIOR VP FOR OUR DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S UN I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND IT.
WOULD YOU MIND SCROLLING SO THAT I COULD READ TWO, THREE, AND FOUR JUST SO THAT I'M CLEAR ON WHAT I JUST, THE, THE CLOSED CAPTIONING ON MY, ON OUR SCREENS MAKES THAT HARD TO SEE.
SO CAN I CLARIFY YOUR ACCEPTING BUILDING PERMIT SUBMITTAL TO ENCOURAGE TO EXPLORE REDUCE OF USE OF STUCCO? THAT WAS A YES.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PLANS SHALL INCLUDE A SIDEWALK PLAQUE ACKNOWLEDGING HISTORIC CHINATOWN.
AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE DELETED FOUR MM-HMM
SO THEN WE'RE WE, THE FOUR OF US ARE NEEDING TO REVISIT ONE BECAUSE IT FELT TOO BROAD.
DO I UN IS THAT A GOOD SUMMARY? OKAY.
UM, LET'S JUST LOOK AT NUMBER ONE FOLKS.
SO THIS IS THE BUILDING FACADES WILL BE REVIEWED WITH CONSIDERATION GIVING TO STRENGTHENING DESIGN CHARACTER AND INTEREST THROUGH APPROPRIATE USE OF MATERIALS.
THE STUCCO WALL HE HAD MENTIONED WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE BRICK TO WRAP AROUND.
THAT'S ONE LITTLE CHUNK OF THAT LARGE EXPANSE.
AND, AND THEN BECAUSE WE DELETED FOUR, THERE'S NOT A SOUTH AND EAST FA, LET'S SEE THE RECS AND THE BANK PROPERTY WALLS.
UM, WHAT DO WE THINK, UH, CHAIR THE COMMITTEE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER THAT NUMBER TWO
[02:55:02]
IS ACTUALLY DOING WHAT NUMBER ONE DOES IN TERMS OF, OF REDUCING THE USE OF STUCCO.AND SO THE COMMITTEE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER STRIKING ONE AND GOING WITH TWO.
AND THEN JUST, WE WOULD JUST HAVE CONDITIONS TWO AND THREE THEN.
I, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT THAT I, I THINK THAT'S TOO LIMITED IN MY OPINION AS TO ADDING INTEREST TO THE BACK OF THAT BUILDING.
CAN YOU ELABORATE? YOU THINK IT NEEDS MORE THAN JUST THE SWAPPING OF STUCCO FOR BRICK? YES.
SPECIFICALLY ON THE REX HARDWARE SIDE? YES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ONE IS WHAT WOULD GET YOU TO THE BEST, UH, DESIGN FOR THE, THE BUILDING, THEN I SAY, YEAH, IT'S YOUR MOTION.
I, AND I WILL SAY IT IS JUST AN EXPLORER CONDITION OF APPROVAL.
UM, IF YOU MAY, WHEN I LOOK AT CONDITION NUMBER ONE, I SEE THINGS THAT COULD RELATE TO BOTH FACADES AND THEN SOME THAT WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO RELATE TO ONE.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT AS SOMEONE THAT HAS TO ENFORCE CONDITIONS, I WOULD WANT TO SEPARATE IT OUT TO SAY, LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE BANK OF THE WEST FACADE BECAUSE IT HAS A DIFFERENT DESIGN SITUATION AND YOU CAN'T HAVE A BALCONY THERE, FOR EXAMPLE.
WHEREAS ABOVE THE, THE REC HARDWARE, THERE'S A BLANK, A BLANK WALL.
AND THEN THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR BALCONIES WHICH THE APPLICANT SUGGESTED THEY WERE ACTUALLY CONSIDERING DOING.
AND SO MAYBE SEPARATING 'EM OUT.
AND THAT MIGHT HELP WITH THE BROAD, THE TWO BROAD COMMENT.
WOULD THAT HELP? AND WE CAN KIND OF HANG WHAT'S THE ISSUE ABOVE BANK OF THE WEST? IT'S DO SOMETHING WITH THIS SMALL STUCCO THING AND THEN MAYBE SOME BALCONIES AND THEN, SORRY, WHEN I SAY BANK OF WEST, I MEANT RES.
AND THEN FOR THE BANK OF THE WEST, IT'S FOCUSED ON TREATMENTS, COLORS, MURAL.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, AND THAT MAKES IT MUCH MORE SPECIFIC AND IT IS EASIER TO APPLY AT THE BILLING PERMIT STAGE.
'CAUSE THEN YOU'VE GOT THIS ROADMAP OF LIKE, WELL, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS ELEVATION, HERE'S WHAT I SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT.
YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS SO VALUABLE.
SO, UH, CHAIR STAFF WILL TAKE A MOMENT TO REVISE THAT CONDITION.
ARE WE STILL SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT CREAM BRICK IN NUMBER TWO AS THAT SEEMS, YOU KNOW, WELL THE, THE BRICK IS SPECKED IN THE PROJECT APPLICATION.
AND, AND SO I THINK WE COULD REFER TO IT PERHAPS BY UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER SQUIRREL IF YOU WANNA REFER TO IT BY CALLING IT OUT BY THE MATERIALS THAT WERE PROPOSED IN THE APPLICATION.
I MEAN PRESUMABLY THEY WOULDN'T DEVIATE FROM THE BRICKS.
THEY'VE ALREADY, THE BRICK TYPES THEY'VE ALREADY PROPOSED.
[03:00:33]
I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH.SO, UM, WHILE WE GET THAT DISPLAYED, WHAT I JUST COBBLED TOGETHER WAS TO TAKE THE WORDING THAT WAS ALREADY UP ON THE SCREEN EARLIER AND BREAK IT OUT AND THE INTENT, OH, AND IT, IT'S GONNA BE ON THE SCREEN IN A A MOMENT.
THE CONDITION THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF BILLING PERMIT.
THEY WOULD SUBMIT SOMETHING THAT WOULD PURSUE WHAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR IN ELEVATION DRAWINGS.
AND THEN LIKE AL UH, ANDREW SAID EARLIER WE WOULD USE ALICE TO HELP US MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T MESSING THINGS UP.
AND OKAY, SO THE CONDITIONS UP THERE, IT'S IN UNDERLYING STRIKEOUT.
SO IT, IT STARTS OFF WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS IN THERE BEFORE.
IT'S LIKE BOTH ELEVATION SHALL BE REVIEWED WITH CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO STRENGTHEN THE DESIGN CHARACTER AND INTEREST THROUGH APPROPRIATE USE OF MATERIALS.
AND THEN WE GET SPECIFIC FOR THE ELEVATION FACING THE BANK OF THE WEST SIDE, SILLS, SHADOW LINES, COLORS, MURALS OR OTHER APPROACH TO ADVANCE VISUAL INTEREST FOR THE ELEVATION FACING WRECKS.
SILLS, SHADOW LINES, ET CETERA.
AND LET'S DO SOMETHING ABOUT DETAILING THE FENESTRATION BALCONIES, WINDOW MOLDINGS.
SO, AND, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THE REX HARDWARE SITE HAS KIND OF TWO ISSUES.
THERE'S MAYBE A THOUGHT ABOUT THE WINDOWS AND THEN THE QUOTE UNQUOTE BLANK WALL.
SO I THINK THAT B AND C GET, WELL, IT'LL BE A AND B WHEN WE FINISH THIS, BUT THAT'S THE IDEA.
AND AT THE END, THE APPLICANT PRIORITIZATION WAS A BILLING PERMIT WOULD SUBMIT SOMETHING TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT I THINK THE HB HCPC WAS LOOKING FOR.
WE WOULD LOOK AT IT, CONSIDER IT, HAVE A CONVERSATION, AGREE OR NOT, AND THEN THEY WOULD APPLY FOR A BILLING PERMIT.
I MEAN, IT FEELS CLEAR TO ME AND FOCUSED.
ONE THING THOUGH, SORRY, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE SILLS ON THE BANK OF THE WEST SIDE 'CAUSE THERE'S NO WINDOWS.
I WOULD REMOVE BOTH SILLS AND SHADOW LINES.
SHADOW LINES COULD BE INTRODUCED.
THANK YOU FOR CATCHING THE SILLS.
OH, THERE'S A COMMA BEFORE USE OF MATERIALS ON NUMBER ONE.
AND THEN IN, UM, SO THIS WOULD BE, THIS WOULD BE CONDI THE FIRST CONDITION OF APPROVAL, SUBS A AND B OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND THEN WE WOULD GO DOWN AND WE WOULD DELETE THE WORD CREAM OUT OF THE SECOND CONDITION.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE WOULD BE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
PLAN SHALL INCLUDE THE SIDEWALK PLAQUE ACKNOWLEDGING THE HISTORIC CHINATOWN.
DO YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THOSE? I THINK I SPOKE OVER YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? OKAY, I'D LIKE TO ADD ONE MORE THING.
THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF THE MODERN ERA.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS CONDITION 6, 10, 12 MONTHS FROM NOW, AND NOT SURE, WE HAVE THIS MEETING WHERE WE CAN REVIEW WHAT YOU SAID TONIGHT TO THINK, ARE WE GETTING TO WHERE THEY WERE WANTING US TO GO WITH THIS CONDITION? SO IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS ABOUT ARE WE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN.
AND SOMETIMES EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS ZOOM RECORD, WE CAN STILL CHECK IN WITH THE CHAIR SAYING, CHAIR, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IS THIS WHAT YOU THOUGHT WHEN YOU SAID THIS TO US? AND YOU WOULD NOD OR SHAKE YOUR HEAD.
AND SO THERE'S A, THERE'S STILL A CHANCE TO KIND OF BE BETTER AT THIS IF IT'S NOT PERFECT 'CAUSE WE HAVE THIS RECORD.
I THINK WITH THAT, UM, I'M GOING TO REQUEST A MOTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION GRANTING HISTORIC SITE PLAN AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW FOR THE EKN HOTEL PROJECT WITH THE CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE JUST DISCUSSED.
I MOTION, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
[03:05:02]
A VOTE PLEASE? COMMITTEE MEMBER MCMICHAEL AYE.WITH, WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING TO CLOSE MEETING ITEM ONE AND CONTINUE WITH OUR AGENDA.
UM, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT COMMITTEE
[COMMITTEE COMMENT]
MEMBERS, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY WANNA PRESENT TONIGHT INUM, I JUST, WITH HOW CONTENTIOUS THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN, I REALLY APPRECIATE JUST THIS MEETING TONIGHT AND ALL THE DISCUSSION AND, UM, DECORUM THAT WAS HERE.
YOU MADE OUR JOBS A LOT EASIER.
WAS THERE A PLANNING MANAGER'S REPORT TONIGHT? I'LL BE VERY BRIEF CHAIR.
UH, WE ARE THE NOTICE OF CANCELLATION FOR THE MARCH REGULAR MEETING WENT OUT TODAY.
SO THIS, THERE WILL NOT BE A MEETING IN MARCH.
AND THEN I WAS CURIOUS, COMMITTEE MEMBER HALL EXPECTED YOU TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT PRESERVATION MONTH AND WONDERED IF, IF, UH, YOU WANTED TO SHARE ANY UPCOMING PLANS OR, UH, MAYBE WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO EMAILS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES FROM THE MUSEUM ABOUT PRESERVATION MUCH MONTH IN PARTICULAR YET.
UM, THERE IS TALKS OF DOING ANOTHER HERITAGE HUM TOUR AND, UM, EDUCATIONAL SERIES BASED AROUND THAT, BUT THERE'S STILL IN THE WORKS.
SINCE WE'RE NOT MEETING NEXT MONTH, WILL YOU EMAIL US? YES.
WELL I'D LIKE TO REALLY THANK EVERYBODY.
UM, WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 9:24 PM YAY.