Architectural Review Commission Meeting Update
Regular Meeting

July 20, 2009                              Monday                                       5:00 p.m.

ROLL CALL:      Commrs. Jim Duffy, Suzan Ehdaie, Steven Hopkins, Chris Weber, Greg Wilhelm, Vice-Chair Anthony Palazzo, and Chairperson Allen Root 

Commissioner Hopkins was absent.  Commr. Wilhelm recused himself on Item No. 1 because he lives adjacent to the project site.  After speaking on the item as a private citizen and property owner, he left the meeting. 

ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA:   

The agenda was accepted as submitted. 

PUBLIC COMMENT:   

There was no public comment other than on regular agenda items. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS: 

1.   851 & 860 Humbert.  ARC 27-06; Review of a housing development consisting of 81 residential dwellings and a 1,000 square-foot community room located between Humbert Avenue and Lawrence Drive, adjacent to the railroad right-of-way; R-3 zone; Housing Authority of SLO, applicant.  (Jaime Hill) 

On a 5:0:2 vote (Commr. Wilhem recused & Hopkins absent), the ARC granted final approval to the project, based on findings and subject to conditions and code requirements.  Staff and the applicant both provided detailed presentations about the specific changes made to both the site and building design to address previous ARC direction, as well as direction from both the Planning Commission and City Council.  The ARC supported the changes and generally accepted the project as presented in plans.  Three conditions were added by the Commission at the meeting related to having an alternative building wall material to stucco as an accent, a slightly darker shade of white for the building color palette, and a community garden within the project for residents. 

Greg Wilhelm, Susan Fong, and William Byars, all residents of Villa Rosa, spoke with some concerns with the project design, in particular requesting that the scale of the buildings along Lawrence Drive be limited to two-story.  Steve Delmartini and Jerry Rioux spoke in support of the project. 

COMMENT & DISCUSSION: 

2.   Staff: 

a.   Agenda Forecast - Pam Ricci provided an agenda forecast for the upcoming meetings in August. 

3.    Commission: 

a.   Minutes:  June 15, 2009 - The minutes were approved as submitted. 

b.  Recent Project Review – Lessons Learned 

The Commission briefly discussed the Frog & Peach façade changes made along with the URM work.  The general consensus was that the changes were an improvement to what existed before but not as attractive as earlier approved plans that the ARC had reviewed. 

Chairperson Root mentioned that Randy Dettmer, the architect for the Rogoff project at Marsh & Nipomo, disagreed with the ARC that his revised plans were not consistent with the Community Design Guidelines and found the second action to continue the project frustrating. 

ADJOURNMENT 

The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Architectural Review Commission regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection in the Community Development Department, 919 Palm Street, during normal business hours.