HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRB 2012-04-17 #2 CITY OF
Community Development Department –
Planning Division
Meeting Date: April 17, 2012
Case Numbers: ED11-091
Project Planner: Kraig Tambornini (415) 485-3092
REPORT TO DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
SUBJECT: 220 Shaver Street (AT&T Telecommunications Facility Building Addition) – Request for
Environmental and Design Review Permit to allow construction of a mechanical room building
addition on the south side of an existing multi-story telecommunications building; along with
parking lot, landscaping and fencing modifications and improvements; APN: 011-245-38; High
Density Residential (HR1) District; AT&T, owner/applicant. Downtown/West End environs.
BACKGROUND
On March 6, 2012, the Design Review Board reviewed the proposed mechanical room addition for this
facility, and continued the project with direction for the applicant to address the following:
Noise
Details on the potential noise impacts need to be assessed and provided to determine whether the project
is designed properly to attenuate noise from the equipment.
¾ Provide an existing ambient noise measurement.
¾ Provide analysis of noise that would be generated by the equipment outside the building and at the
property line.
¾ Noise levels from new equipment should not be perceptible outside of the building. Building design
and equipment placement needs to mitigate all potential noise and be completely sealed to mitigate
noise.
Design
The project provides an opportunity to enhance the building. The industrial design of the existing building
and the proposed addition should take advantage of this opportunity to improve the existing building
character, and propose a design that is more sensitively integrated with the residential area. For example:
¾ Consider design enhancement to the existing building to soften its scale and be more compatible with
the residential character of the neighborhood. The building, which is right at the sidewalk, could modify
its existing design details with a new detail(s) proposed at the ground floor level, to reduce the
perceived height of the building and tall unbroken wall mass.
¾ Revise the addition with a more architecturally interesting design, to enhance the appearance of the
building and be more compatible with the architectural character of the neighborhood. This is a very
industrial building design which is highly visible from 2nd and Shaver and there is an opportunity to
significantly improve the appearance of the south wall elevation of this building.
¾ Enlist assistance of an architect with specific experience addressing design compatibility issues
between nonresidential and residential structures.
Plan Details
Plans and details need more information:
¾ Provide all building and site improvement dimensions and details.
¾ Label all plan details, including call-out for equipment, exterior details, materials, etc.
¾ Provide a detail sheet for building construction including the equipment, building vents, etc. The vents
and openings in the building need to be designed so that they will attenuate noise from the equipment.
¾ Provide at least two crossways and one longitudinal section through the addition and call-out building
details, equipment, etc. A cross ways section(s) should also extend through the adjacent building wall.
¾ List the scope of work on the plans.
2
¾ Clarify the proposed building construction (e.g., concrete block with stucco) and how this would be
made compatible with the existing building which appears to be concrete tilt up.
¾ Provide an existing and proposed roof plan.
¾ Provide existing building floor plans/details.
¾ Explain why this equipment needs to be located here, and cannot be placed on the roof, inside or
elsewhere. Consider undergrounding equipment or placement in a less visible location. Note:
upgrades to the site and building would still need to be considered for the project.
¾ Explain why the proposed building height is necessary.
¾ Propose higher quality fencing that is more compatible with the residential area. Slat with cyclone is
not supported.
¾ Provide more landscape plan details and further enhancement of the size of planting area, particularly
to the north, increase amount of plant material, list of existing and proposed plant materials, irrigation
details, additional/bigger shrubs, ground cover planting and trees. Rock mulch needs to be eliminated.
¾ Provide information on the existing water that runs off the site and propose solutions to address this
condition.
Given that the applicant was unable to attend the March 6 meeting, staff and Boardmember Huntsberry
met with the applicant on March 22 to review the comments provided by the Board. The applicant agreed
to investigate alternative design solutions and present these to the Board for further consideration and
direction, before proceeding with a final plan.
DISCUSSION
The applicant has prepared a revised conceptual elevation in an effort to respond to the comments
provided on the project building design, fencing and landscaping details. The revised design concept
includes the following details that are proposed to help integrate the project with the residential
neighborhood:
• New stucco fascia across the parapet of the existing building and addition
• Maintain and restore the existing metal screen finish
• Add new entry marquee over the building entry
• Add new metal seam awnings along the front of the building and front and sides of the addition
• Replace fence with 6 ft wrought iron and vertical block columns
• Install new street trees and landscape buffer along the property frontage
The proposed upper parapet stucco fascia is intended to reduce vertical building mass. The marquee and
awning treatments are intended to create a more pedestrian-friendly scale at the street level. The color
and finish treatments have not yet been resolved at this time. The new fence would further reduce the
industrial character of the site. The landscaping has been slightly modified to include pavers, instead of
stone cobbles. Staff requests that the Board provide further direction on the design concept to result in a
successful, durable and attractive design solution. With respect to landscaping, the applicant is seeking a
solution that would be both attractive and low maintenance, given that this facility is largely unmanned.
The applicant would return with final plans that address the Board recommendations, and include the
additional noise, drainage and building details requested at the March 6 meeting.
Staff notes that a revised public hearing notice was mailed to residents within 300 feet and posted on-site
at least 15 days prior to this meeting. There have not been any new public comments received since the
last meeting.
EXHIBITS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Revised conceptual elevations
cc: Cliff Johnson, BJG Architecture, 6995 Sierra Center Pkwy - Ste. 200, Reno NV 89511
Vicki Howard, AT&T, 645 E Plumb Lane, A114, Reno NV 89509