Design Commission reviews downtown density‑bonus projects; selects two sites for further study

The Design Commission examined two completed downtown density‑bonus projects and discussed recurring issues the commission would like the updated urban design guidelines to address: parking podium screening and materials, curb cuts and driveway impacts on the pedestrian realm, ground‑floor activation and retail depth, and the use of fee‑in‑lieu for community benefits.

Commissioners reviewed Seventeenth & Guadalupe (also referred to in public materials as the Linden) and raised concerns about the visual prominence of a parking podium and the limits of the commission’s influence over screening and facade materials. "It was an area that we saw as an opportunity, and it continues to be perceived as an opportunity," Commissioner Gillis said after reviewing the project’s executed streetscape.

Commissioners also discussed how vehicle access is handled. Commissioner Howard emphasized pedestrian safety and said driveway aprons and driveway‑oriented paving can signal that vehicles have priority: "Those are two items that I wanted to bring up...they give the indication visually that the driveway is the primary space there," he said, urging guideline language that privileges the pedestrian realm and pushes loading and garage access to alleys where feasible.

On the topic of community benefits under the downtown density bonus program, a staff member explained code mechanics and practice: the downtown program lists specific community benefit categories and allows an applicant to propose an "other" benefit; affordable‑housing community benefits can be delivered on‑site or via a fee‑in‑lieu, and the code allows up to 50 percent of the required affordable area to be satisfied by a fee‑in‑lieu. Staff said fees are calculated and assessed at the time a certificate of occupancy.

Commissioners also reviewed the Marriott at Cesar Chavez, noting the project's use of a semi‑enclosed forecourt and a private amenity deck that now functions as publicly accessible space adjacent to a commercial tenant. Commissioners described the hotel site as an example with mixed urban design results: some activation and alley access improvements, but also a porte‑cochère and corner treatments the commission sees as missed opportunities for stronger street activation.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes from the May 19 design commission meeting: motion to approve made earlier in the meeting; chair reported the vote as unanimous. (No individual mover/second recorded in the transcript.) - Selection of projects for future review: Commissioner Carroll moved to select 307 East Second Street for the next meeting; Commissioner Wittgen seconded; the commission voted unanimously to place 307 East Second and Hanover Republic Square on the agenda for future project review.

The commission directed staff to include current imagery and post‑construction photographs in future project review backup when feasible, and to identify practical guideline language that could address podium screening, alley versus street access for garages and utilities, and strategies to encourage smaller, more adaptable ground‑floor retail footprints.

Ending: Staff will prepare materials for two projects proposed for the next meeting (307 East Second and Hanover Republic Square) and will attempt to include current site photographs in the packet; commissioners will consider code and guideline language adjustments that address recurring urban design issues raised in the review.