3B Public Hearing 2011 1121 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner Crow, referring to the nearby Principled Academy, suggested that since the start of the construction may coincide with the times that parents would bring their children to school in the morning, it would be good to let the school know what would be happening. He said that he's spoken with school principal Kristine Scher, who expressed willingness to make accommodations. Indicating that he wants the complex to be a good neighbor, Mr. Brooks replied, "It's we that have to make the accommodations, not her." He also said that his company has built many projects, both single- and multi - family, right across from elementary and middle schools, so his team is pretty adept in those situations. In terms of the CC &Rs, Commissioner Crow reiterated his concern about events in the community building, particularly considering its proximity to the school. Mr. Brooks said that his company has never had a problem with its community buildings. Typically, he explained, the POA would make the rules governing use of the community building, and then assign the responsibility for enforcement over to the manager. With rare exception, he added, the community building is for residents' use. They must show proof of insurance, pay a cleaning deposit and often a rental fee. He also indicated that exceptions might be made for community groups that are looking for a room to hold an event; in those instances, the group isn't charged a fee, but insurance is required. As for the community building's capacity, he said it's only about 20x10 feet, and would accommodate 20 to 30 people. The rental agreement would specify the time of use, and parties would be monitored to ensure noise doesn't become a problem. Given the soft economy, Commissioner Reed asked whether there's a timetable for moving forward with the project. Mr. Brooks said that he doesn't have a very good outlook on the economy right now, and realistically expects it to be more like 10 years than two years. The current market wouldn't support this project, he said. In keeping with that effort, he called attention to the architectural detail and variety that create visual interest while using a long - lasting, easy -to- maintain type of construction to minimize deterioration. hl response to another question from Commissioner Reed, Mr. Brooks said that when the existing office building is demolished, it would be done all at once because it's of steel -frame construction, which would be without asbestos. Planning consultant Richard Frisbee commended Senior Planner Barros on her comprehensive report. Following up on Mr. Brooks' comment about the quality environment the project wants to create for tenants, he pointed out that it's unusual to find six different floor plans in a relatively small project. Along with the uniqueness of having variety in the units, he said, is the fact that most tenants will have direct access from their garages to their living quarters; which is not only convenient but makes for a more desirable place to live from a security standpoint. Other tenant - friendly features include laundry facilities in each unit and ground -floor entrances to most of them so tenants don't have to climb stairs to get to their front doors. In terms of the site plan, Mr. Frisbee said that they've managed to achieve good density without cramming the site, and he considers the plan better than the one they presented in January 2010. He credited the Planning Commissioners' comments and the subsequent effort his team put into the design with turning it into a very good project. Speaking to concerns Planning Commissioners raised tonight, Mr. Frisbee said: • The project team would give strong attention to ensuring noise control in terms of the units located above garages of multiple tenants, and the architect would employ an acoustical engineer to help in this regard. • According to the project engineer, the onsite drainage would meet California Regional Water Quality Control Board recommendations for the San Francisco Bay Region.