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Commission advances 24 Cathedral Place PUD to second reading after developer presentation and design review
Summary
After a detailed presentation from the applicant and months of prior hearings, the commission voted to send Ordinance 2026‑08 (amending the PUD at 22–24 Cathedral Place to allow a 120‑room hotel, wrapped parking garage and streetscape work) to second reading. Commissioners sought clearer language on minimum/maximum parking, vibration monitoring for auger‑cast piles, and timing/escrow for streetscape contributions.
The city commission advanced a proposed rezoning and PUD amendment for 24 Cathedral Place to a second public hearing and reading after the applicant reviewed final Harb‑approved elevations, parking, and public‑benefit commitments.
Amy Skinner, director of planning and building, introduced the ordinance as an introduction and first reading and said the application has been under review since 2023 with positive Planning & Zoning Board recommendations and Harb approvals. Applicant representative Ellen Avery Smith described a design that preserves the 1927 bank tower, restores historic fabric and wraps a new parking garage with hotel rooms to screen the garage from the streetscape. The project proposes a maximum of 120 hotel rooms and a parking garage with a minimum of 155 spaces and would add 155 parking spaces in the new garage, public trash compactor access for nearby businesses and a $464,640 contribution to broader Charlotte Street streetscape improvements.
Commissioners asked technical and policy questions. One member requested changing PUD language from an open‑ended minimum to a firm maximum and minimum to avoid a future open‑ended parking build; applicants agreed to consider specific maximums for second reading. Commissioners also pressed for monitoring plans to limit vibration during auger‑cast pile installation because historic structures sit across the street; staff and the applicant said the PUD text already requires auger cast piles and they agreed to add explicit monitoring language for second reading. City staff confirmed mobility fees, a contribution paid within 90 days of commission approval, and that other streetscape work adjacent to the hotel is the applicant’s responsibility.
Motion and outcome: A commissioner moved to send Ordinance 2026‑08 to second reading and public hearing; the commission voted yes and the ordinance was scheduled for second reading. Staff will return with clarified PUD language on parking limits, vibration monitoring language, and any other technical edits recommended during tonight’s discussion.
What to watch: Second reading will include any revised PUD text and the city’s conditions for construction monitoring, timing for the $464,640 contribution, and a phasing schedule for the hotel and streetscape work.
