Design Review Board approves redesigned Bank of America at 1414 Alton Road with variances and mural plan

The Design Review Board on July 9 approved an application to replace the existing 1974 Bank of America branch at 1414 Alton Road with a new one‑story building, remove multiple drive‑through curb cuts on Alton Road, and add a tile mosaic on the building facade.

Planning staff told the board the project reduces existing vehicular access onto Alton Road, will add continuous sidewalk, include a white brick facade and a tile mosaic exceeding 100 square feet (which requires subsequent city commission approval). “Staff recommends that the application be approved, including the two variances and the waiver,” planning staff said, recommending relief from the off‑street loading requirement and a small increase in detached sign area.

Applicant representatives described a three‑phase construction plan that keeps the branch open during construction, replaces existing drive‑through lanes with entry from the alley, and screens surface parking with an architectural wall and layered landscaping. A project designer said the intention is to “bring public art right to the pedestrian realm on Alton Road” with a mosaic and to light the artwork at night to activate the corner.

Public comment in chambers was limited and supportive of the design. One attendee described the presentation as “beautiful” and said the building “looks awesome.”

Board members asked for refinements to the screening wall and landscaping. Several members said the tile mosaic would improve a previously blank, suburban‑style frontage and urged the applicant to incorporate subtle mosaic elements onto the street‑screen panels so that pieces remain visible as plantings mature. A board member moved to approve the application with an added recommendation that the proposed facade mosaic be subtly extended onto the street screening panels, subject to staff approval; the motion passed.

The approvals recorded by the board included a waiver of the frontage landscaping requirement tied to ramping and sidewalk elevation, a variance excusing one off‑street loading space on the grounds that the bank’s needs can be handled by standard parking spaces or alley loading, and a modest variance to allow an 18.3‑square‑foot detached sign on the screening wall rather than the 15‑square‑foot maximum for that condition.

Next steps: the applicant must obtain city commission approval for the mosaic (because it exceeds 100 square feet) and finalize detailed lighting and landscape plans with staff before permits are issued. The board’s motion also asked staff and the applicant to coordinate subtle art treatment on the street screen panels so some mosaic remains visible through plantings.