Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Appearance Review topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oakland board reviews Oakland Exchange office complex; appearance review recommended to town commission
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Board reviewed proposed elevations and a PD amendment for the Oakland Exchange Office complex (Oakland Commercial Center). The appearance review board supported the design with recommendations; the planning board advanced the appearance review to the Town Commission, and the applicant agreed to consider softer materials and colors near residences.
Brad Quinn, contractor town planner with WayTrim, presented the Oakland Exchange Office complex proposal — an amendment to the Oakland Commercial Center PD that would introduce an open exchange office park behind the racetrack. Quinn said the PD amendment would increase building area from 30,000 to 37,184 square feet, adjust lot layouts (lots 5 and 6), and propose revisions including elimination of a landscape buffer, a reduced 5‑foot sidewalk, and an increase to the monument sign (which planning staff recommended denying). He said the PD is still in process and is scheduled for the Town Commission's next hearing on Dec. 10.
Quinn said the appearance review board reviewed detailed one‑story office building elevations and unanimously recommended approval of the proposed designs, while the planning and zoning board had previously recommended conditions including increased landscaping around dumpster enclosures and recommended denying the monument sign increase. "The appearance review board did recommend approval of these building designs," Quinn said.
Board members expressed concerns about the proposed color palette and materials because the site abuts residential properties. One board member suggested a softer palette with more stone or a more residential look to better blend with nearby homes. The board discussed whether the Architectural Review/Appearance Review (ARV) should re‑examine material choices.
John Schmidt, representing the applicant and giving his address, said the proposed white, off‑white and gray palette is preferred by the market and that the design aims to strike a balance between commercial and residential styles: "We try to make it more residential than the two stories that were there before... we kinda try to meet halfway in between of blending from the commercial to the residential." Schmidt said the roof material is a dark gray (not solar panels) and that the applicant remained open to suggestions.
The board opened public comment; no members of the public spoke. A motion to approve the appearance plans for the Oakland Exchange Office complex was made, seconded, and put to a voice vote. The meeting transcript records a second and a vote call but does not record a detailed roll call tally in the transcript. The acting chair closed new business and the board adjourned.
The planning board asked staff and the applicant to consider a softer or more residential material palette because of proximity to homes and to confirm that landscaping and dumpster screening conditions recommended earlier are addressed as the PD proceeds to the Commission.
