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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes July 7, 2009
<br />Agenda No. 09-13 Page d of 11
<br />turn exit only from the development. In addition, residential units—with stoops, porches,
<br />landscaping and street -level activation— have been added along Carpentier to make it much more
<br />pleasant than it was. The paseo connection, too, received considerable attention. Mr. Cox then
<br />invited the project's landscape architect to update the Planning Commission on landscape issues.
<br />Landscape Architect Chris Pattillo (PGAdesign inc) said that Mr. Cox has managed to position
<br />the building so that nearly all of the liquid amber trees currently on West Juana and Carpentier
<br />will remain. The addition of columnar hornbeam trees to augment the liquid ambers will provide
<br />a strong green edge on both streets. Also added is a planting strip between the curb and sidewalk
<br />on West Juana, providing a pedestrian buffer and contributing to the development's pedestrian -
<br />friendly focus. Bulb -outs make street crossings shorter and thus safer. Coming onto San Leandro
<br />Boulevard, there will be different treatments to the paving and scoring patterns, which will vary
<br />proceeding north from West Juana, and another planting strip between the sidewalk and curb.
<br />Turning to the paseo, she explained that the space is a generous 35 feet wide, with
<br />accommodations for both foot and bicycle traffic. The paving strip varies in width from 6 feet (at
<br />Carpentier) to 12 feet (at San Leandro Boulevard), playing a bit with forced perspective. The goal
<br />is to create an animated space for pedestrians and cyclists to use and enjoy. Landscaping elements
<br />include additional columnar hornbeams and a row of Chinese elms to go with an existing Chinese
<br />elm. The area will feature tables with game boards (for chess, checkers, cards, etc.) with nicely
<br />detailed wooden trellises.
<br />A replacement or fronting fence is planned along the edge that currently separates the parcel from
<br />St. Leander's school. The new fencing will alternate between solid stucco panels that reflect the
<br />building architecture and open ornamental metal, with plantings in front. Date palms marking the
<br />paseo entrance will match those located the next street over, further tying this site into the context
<br />of the neighborhood.
<br />The podium level – directly accessible from street level – will provide residents and their guests
<br />with a tremendous amenity. Its centerpiece is a pool/spa with a cluster of lounge chairs. Raised
<br />planters with queen palms at each corner of the fencing around the pool provide a wide, generous
<br />area for circulation. The total open space measures approximately 145x105 feet, within which
<br />there also will be trellis features, tables and chairs, fire pits, ornamental pots for accent, a raised
<br />planter with a Mediterranean -style specimen olive tree and two water features.
<br />Mr. Cox said that after considerable time and effort, drawing from existing San Leandro
<br />properties and elsewhere, they settled on a Colonial Spanish look as one that would be warm,
<br />inviting and home -like. He walked the Planning Commissioners through the evolution of the
<br />design from a stark white building to the current proposal – articulating the building, breaking up
<br />the window patterns and roof lines, creating additional vertical elements, dropping some corners,
<br />carving back roof lines, varying window design and balcony treatments, strengthening the
<br />"celebrated" building entrance, overall softening of the architecture, introducing more arch forms
<br />in lieu of squared openings, adding trellises and walkways, creating a strong sense of a base, a
<br />middle and a top, replacing the metal roofing with red tile and rafter tails, fine-tuning the color
<br />scheme, layering the landscape on top. All of this brought elements together very well.
<br />In response to community comments suggesting that there was too much wall, the design now
<br />includes more articulation – offsets plus a rhythmic pattern of setback and frontal walls – as well
<br />as metal rails and detailing, the use of color and addition of arches, to break up the mass.
<br />Lydia Tan, Executive Vice President of BRIDGE Housing Corporation and its sister company,
<br />BUILD LLC, expressed appreciation for strong support from the business community and other
<br />project advocates, for the productive feedback received from the community – particularly Pacific
<br />Plaza residents – as well as the constructive, helpful comments of the Planning Commission, City
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