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Combined Properties unveils revised Courthouse Plaza plan; staff asks for full-site phasing and stronger green connectivity
Summary
Combined Properties presented a revised plan to redevelop Courthouse Plaza with a 6-story mixed-use building (315 residential units, ~12,000 sq ft retail, 6% affordable units) and a new north'south street; staff said the site is prominent and urged a comprehensive phasing plan and stronger green-space and east'west connections consistent with the Old Town Small Area Plan.
Combined Properties presented detailed revisions on Feb. 25 for the Courthouse Plaza redevelopment, proposing a six-story mixed-use building with about 315 residential units (6% affordable), roughly 12,000 square feet of new ground-floor retail, structured parking, and a new north'south street connection to Democracy Lane.
Plan and trade-offs: The applicant said long-term Safeway lease constraints prevent whole-site redevelopment now, so the submission covers the western portion of the site. To create the new north-south street that staff and prior councils prioritized, the applicant reduced the size of an originally proposed park. The applicant committed to an upgraded facade for the existing Safeway and accompanying retail before occupancy of new residential units.
Staff concerns and special exceptions: City staff and the Planning Commission identified several gaps versus the Old Town Small Area Plan, including the lack of an East'West connection through the parcel, reduced park size and limited green-space connectivity to the north, retention of some surface parking, and a series of special-exception requests (density above the CR zoning maximum, modifications to front-yard and street-tree placement standards, and ground-floor residential percentage exceptions driven by grading). Staff stressed the site's prominence and recommended a phasing plan and clearer commitments for interim improvements and long-term redevelopment of the entire property.
Council feedback and timeline: Council members praised some design revisions (greater retail area, improved street activation) while urging binding commitments on façade improvements, phasing clarity, and attention to tree and sidewalk standards. The applicant said they will continue to work with staff and return to the Board of Architectural Review and to council; staff expects additional submissions and hearings before final approvals.
