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Home My WebLink AboutDRB 2021-10-05 Minutes Design Review Board Regular Meeting Tuesday, October 5, 2021, 7:00 P.M. MINUTES Virtual Meeting Watch on Webinar: https://tinyurl.com/drb-2021-10-05 Telephone: (669) 900-9128 Meeting ID: 814-0483-9089# CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ADVISORY NOTICE In response to Executive Order N-29-20, the City of San Rafael will no longer offer an in-person meeting location for the public to attend. This meeting will be held virtually using Zoom. How to participate in the meeting: • Submit public comments in writing before 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting to Leslie.Mendez@cityofsanrafael.org. • Join the Zoom webinar and use the 'raise hand' feature to provide verbal public comment. • Dial-in to Zoom's telephone number using the meeting ID and provide verbal public comment. Any member of the public who needs accommodations should contact the City Clerk (email city.clerk@cityofsanrafael.org or phone at 415-485-3066) who will use their best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety in accordance with the City procedure for resolving reasonable accommodation requests. Present: Chair Paul Board Member Blayney (absent at roll call, joined at 7:09 p.m.) Board Member Kent Board Member Kovalsky Board Member Summers Absent: Vice Chair Rege Also Present: Leslie Mendez, Planning Manager Jeff Hamilton, Contract Planner Jayni Allsep, Contract Planner CALL TO ORDER Chair Paul called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. He then invited Planning Manager Leslie Mendez to call the roll. All board members were present, except for Member Blayney and Vice Chair Rege. Member Blayney joined the meeting at 7:09 p.m. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF MEETING PROCEDURES Chair Paul invited Planning Manager Leslie Mendez who informed the community that members of the public would provide public comment either on the telephone or through Zoom. She explained the process for community participation on the telephone and Zoom. Chair Paul reviewed the procedures for the meeting. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC None CONSENT CALENDAR Chair Paul invited public comment; however, there was none. Member Kent moved and Member Summers seconded to approve the Minutes as submitted. 1. Approval of the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of August 3, 2021 Approved minutes as submitted AYES: Members: Kent, Kovalsky, Summers & Chair Paul NOES: Members: None ABSENT: Members: Blayney & Rege ABSTAIN: Members: None Motion carried 4-0 ACTION ITEMS 2. The Neighborhood at Los Gamos General Plan Amendment GPA 20-001 (from Hillside Resource Residential to Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use); Zone Change ZC 20-002 (from Planned District – Hillside Development Overlay District (PD-H) and Residential – Hillside Development Overlay District (R2a-H) to Planned Development District (PD); Vesting Tentative Parcel Map (to combine and adjust the boundaries of the existing parcels); and Environmental and Design Review ED 20-058; for a mixed-use project with 192 multi-family residential units; an approximately 5,600-square-foot market; a 5,000-square-foot community center; and 225 at-grade and semi-subterranean parking spaces; on a 10.24 acre site located on Los Gamos Road north of Oleander Drive; on APN 165-220-06 and 165-220- 07; Christopher Hart, Applicant and Property Owner; Mont Marin/San Rafael Park Neighborhood. Project Planner: Jeff Hamilton, Contract Planner Planning Manager Leslie Mendez announced that Member Blayney joined the meeting at 7:09 p.m. Planning Manager Leslie Mendez introduced Jeff Hamilton, Contract Planner presented the Staff Report. Applicant gave a presentation. Applicant responded to questions from the Members. Chair Paul invited public comment. Speaker: Bill Carney, Sustainable San Rafael Applicant responded to further questions from the Members. Staff responded to questions from the Members. Members provided comments. Member Summers moved to recommend approval of this project subject to applicant working with staff on consensus items prior to Planning Commission and return to the Design Review Board upon submitting for a building permit for the Board to review the consensus items as detailed by staff. Discussion regarding consensus items. Planning Manager Leslie Mendez summarized the Members’ consensus items: • Nice project • Buildings are tall, but can be mitigated with darker tones and horizontal materials • Trees should be not uniform but clustered, and more natural spacing • Concern over shading of common area • Concern of height over ridgeway • Step back or vegetation for grading Chair Paul asks Board for further discussion on consensus items. Member Kent seconded motion. Further discussion regarding consensus items. The Board agrees on the following consensus items: • Mitigate the appearance of building height with darker color palette consistent with Hillside Design Guidelines and horizontal elements to break of visual appearance of massing • Trees should be not planted in a uniform row but clustered with more natural spacing to the extent practicable for available planting area • Mitigate impact the 10’ – 16’ tall retaining walls with step backs or other applications such as texture/colors/materials/or vegetation AYES: Members: Blayney, Kent, Kovalsky, Summers & Chair Paul NOES: Members: None ABSENT: Members: Rege ABSTAIN: Members: None Motion carried 5-0 3. 326 and 308 Mission Avenue (Aldersly Retirement Community) Request for Environmental and Design Review for a phased redevelopment of the Aldersly Retirement Community, including demolition and renovation of existing buildings and construction of new buildings; APN: 014-054-31 and -32; Planned Development (PD-1775) Zoning District; Peter Schakow, Owner; Peter Lin, Greenbriar Development, Applicant; File No(s).: ED 20-051, ZC20-001 and UP20- 022. Project Planner: Jayni Allsep, Contract Planner Member Summers recused himself from this item, as Aldersly is a former client of his. He left the meeting at approximately 9:00 p.m. Planning Manager Leslie Mendez introduced Jayni Allsep, Contract Planner who presented the Staff Report. Staff responded to questions from the Members. Applicant Team gave a presentation. Applicant Team responded to questions from the Members. Chair Paul invited public comment; however, there was none. Members provided comments. Consensus items: • Find ways to reduce imposing façade of building along Mission Street through architectural step backs, other features or an increased setback. • Make an effort to reduce bioswales along Mission to allow increased tree screening of buildings and parking. Member Kent moved and Member Kovalsky seconded to continue this project to allow the Applicant to address the consensus items as outlined by staff. AYES: Members: Blayney, Kent, Kovalsky, & Chair Paul NOES: Members: None ABSENT: Members: Rege & Summers ABSTAIN: Members: None Motion carried 4-0 DIRECTOR’S REPORT Planning Manager reported on the following items: • City Council accepted comments on the San Rafael Transit Center Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). • Caltrans closure of the San Rafael off-ramp as part of the Grand Avenue bridge project from Friday, October 22 at 10 p.m. through Monday, October 25 at 5 a.m. • Housing Element Community Meeting is expected to be held on Wednesday, October 27. Notices to go out soon. PLANNING MANAGER’S REPORT Planning Manager reported on the following item: • Marin Water Ordinance 453 - Adopted on July 20, 2021 and states new water service connections are prohibited from using potable water for the installation of any new landscaping until after the termination of the current water shortage emergency. Landscaping shall include fountains and ponds. Staff to email the DRB members the PowerPoint from Marin Water. COMMISSION COMMUNICATION Chair Paul had questions regarding hefty elevation rise for 326 and 308 Mission Avenue. Staff to look into this matter further. ADJOURNMENT Chair Paul adjourned the meeting at 10:13 p.m. ___________________________ LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk APPROVED THIS _____DAY OF____________, 2021 _____________________________________ LARRY PAUL, Chair