Commission gives detailed feedback on 5‑story ‘Linden’ project at 360 Linden; no formal recommendation taken

Designers for The Linden, a proposed five‑story mixed housing and commercial building at 360 Linden Street, presented conceptual plans to the Historic Preservation Commission on June 18. Staff described the submission as a conceptual development review — early‑stage feedback, not a final recommendation — and asked commissioners to identify design refinements that would support a positive recommendation to the community development director.

Project summary

Senior historic preservation planner Jim Bertolini told the commission the proposal calls for a five‑story building with about a 164‑foot parapet height, roughly 160 residential units and a ground‑floor commercial space fronting Linden Street; 34 units are proposed to be affordable at 80 percent of area median income (AMI). The property lies in the downtown zone and falls within the land‑use code’s 200‑foot area of adjacency, so design compatibility with nearby historic buildings — notably the Union Pacific Railroad Freight Depot (Old Town Historic District, National Register) to the north and the Harmony Mill (locally landmarked) to the south — is a central review consideration.

Applicant presentation and intent

Lupe Cantu, principal with Davis Partnership Architects, said the design team intentionally broke the mass of the project into multiple materials and…