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Proposed Code Amendments 31 standards due to the limitations created by pre-existing nonconforming structures and site features. In such cases, the priority of Site Plan Review is to reduce, to the degree feasible given the scale and scope of the proposal, the nonconforming features. The nonconforming features to be addressed shall include, but are not limited to, the following: a. Deficiencies in landscaping shall be corrected, with selective additional plantings, primarily where such landscaping can have the greatest visual benefit to the overall area. The scale and scope of such landscaping requirements will be relative to both the degree of non-compliance with current Code requirements and the changes/improvements being proposed by the applicant. b. Obsolete and unused equipment, such as roof-mounted utilities, exterior manufacturing equipment, and unused pole sign and wall sign cabinets shall be removed, as required. c. The effects of past “deferred maintenance,” where such has been identified, shall be corrected by such effort as repainting, repaving, restriping, replanting of existing landscape areas, and removal of unused equipment, vehicles, and debris. C. All site plan elements in the SA-1, SA-2, and SA-3 Districts shall be reviewed for general consistency with the Design Guidelines contained in the East 14th Street South Area Development Strategy, unless otherwise superseded by this Code. D. All site plan elements in the DA-1, DA-2, DA-3, DA-4, and DA-6 Districts shall be reviewed for general consistency with the Design Guidelines contained in the Downtown San Leandro Transit-Oriented Development Strategy, unless otherwise superseded by this Code. E. Site Plan Review Standards-Residential Single Unit Development. To approve or conditionally approve a Site Plan for a single dwelling unit, the decision-maker or the decision making body shall find that the proposed project is in substantial compliance with all of the following standards: 1. The Residence’s Architecture is Appropriate and Consistently Applied. The structure has adequate articulation, with appropriate window placement, architectural detailing, roof forms and/or changes in wall planes to provide visual interest. Additions shall not have a “tacked on” appearance, and either the addition should be consistent with the existing residence in terms of design and use of materials, or the existing residence should be remodeled concurrently with construction of the proposed addition in order to achieve the desired consistency. 2. The Visual Mass of the Home is De-Emphasized. The home appears in scale with the surrounding homes. The building’s surfaces should be articulated in a manner that reduces the appearance of blocky or massive features, and architectural features, detailing and/or landscaping should subdue, rather than accentuate the prominence of larger homes. 3. The Neighborhood’s Existing Visual Character is Valued. The proposal “fits in” to the neighborhood’s existing architectural and landscape context, utilizing a compatible architectural vocabulary and retaining existing trees to the degree feasible and where conducive to achieving the purposes of this chapter. The landscaping to be retained and/or provided around the new and/or remodeled residence should include an appropriate balance of trees, shrubs and living ground covers, and should be designed to blend the project into its larger setting. 4. The Physical Impacts to Neighbors Are Minimized. The proposed home or addition does not substantially impair the privacy and access to light and air of adjacent residences, while balancing the applicant’s ability to improve the subject property in accordance with all applicable restrictions. 5. View Preservation Standard, RS-VP District. To approve or conditionally approve a Site Plan in the RS- VP District, the decision-maker or the decision-making body shall also find that the proposed construction does not unreasonably block or diminish neighbors’ views of distant and scenic features, such as the San Francisco Bay and surrounding open spaces and skylines, while balancing the applicant’s ability to improve the subject property in accordance with the applicable restrictions.