Planners recommend development certificate for Rosna Theatre facade and elevator with waivers to go to council

Planning staff presented a development-certificate application for the Rosna Theatre at 30 Fifth Street in the Park Place Historic District. The application proposes a two‑story elevator addition on the east elevation to provide accessible access to the second floor and renovation of the historic marquee: preserving structural components while restoring neon signage and lettering to match historic photos.

Because the building predates modern transparency requirements, the proposal increases transparency compared with current conditions but does not meet the 50% ground-floor transparency standard in the 30 Fifth Street pedestrian commercial overlay; staff said a waiver is required. The project also exceeds the overlay’s signage square-foot allowance and needs a signage waiver. The site leaves little room for required landscaping, so a waiver for landscaping was also requested. Staff said the proposed work preserves the building’s historic significance and meets the development-certificate review standards but that the waivers are the minimum necessary to accommodate restoration and reuse.

Staff described available parking options on nearby city-owned lots and said parking access requirements could be satisfied without a waiver to relocate parking behind the building. ARB reviewed the design and recommended approval of the marquee alterations and the elevator addition; staff recommended approval of the development certificate with the requested waivers and said the Planning Commission’s recommendation would be forwarded to City Council for final action on the waivers.

Ending: The commission was advised that, because the proposal requires multiple waivers to the PCO standards, the Planning Commission’s approval would forward the package to City Council for final action. No final vote by the Planning Commission is recorded in the transcript excerpt.