Minutes 1992 0706 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes - San Leandro City Council Meeting - July 6, 1992 Page - 25 - PUBLIC HEARINGS (continued) Council Member Faria asked if the front of the mass of the building could be lessened. He said he was concerned about how the building would look from backyards. Mr. Weisbrod said perhaps ceiling heights could be reduced. Jonathan Cohen, Architect for the project, said the height could be reduced by making the roof flat, but the variations in roof height provide variations in scale. He said it would be difficult to provide additional parking under the building because of the need to ramp down, which would substantially increase the cost of construction. He said he did not attempt to get around the parking requirements. He said the only way to increase parking is to reduce units. He said perhaps some of the one-bedroom units could be consolidated into two or three bedrooms. Council Member Corbett asked if the project could be restricted to senior housing. Steve Meyers said the California Supreme Court has stated it is a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act to impose such a restriction. He said legislation does permit senior housing, but the project must exceed 150 units. He said it is also impermissible to require owner-occupancy. Council Member Corbett said this is not the only type of development that can be built under the North Area Specific Plan and noted that it does not comply with all of the North Area Plan Guidelines, such as density. She expressed concern that, since this is one of the first of the North Area projects, it would be a shame not to follow the Guidelines. She asked if the developer would be amenable to a 27-unit or smaller project. Lance Fors said the project is based on the North Area Plan. He said 27 units would not be economically feasible. He said they attended several shopping center conferences and could not attract any potential commercial uses. He said the site does not meet the criteria for commercial use. Council Member Kerr asked if the homeowners could voluntarily include Conditions in the CC&R's that the units would be senior or owner occupied. Steve Meyers said private parties may contract among themselves to restrict use of the property, but they can also eliminate that restriction by mutual agreement. He said one person who did not like the restriction could say it was a restraint of his rights to use his property. Council Member Kerr said most people are encouraging development but want to keep it commercial . He said the immediate neighbors favor the project. He said those who do not live near the site seem to oppose the project. He congratulated staff on trying to come up with a solution. He said this is too big a facility for the area, and there are too many objections.