Planning commission approves Broad‑Howard mixed‑use project with conditions — EV charging, trash, park fee and pile‑driving language added

The Planning Commission granted a special permit and final site‑plan approval on Aug. 13 for a proposed 3.5‑story mixed‑use building in the C2 Central Commercial District — subject to several new and clarified conditions. The project, which requires historic‑district approval and site lot mergers, drew extended discussion about electric vehicle infrastructure, trash pickup, a proposed on‑site sculpture garden, brownfield cleanup timing, geotechnical findings and foundation methods.

The applicant team described three items they wanted to revisit: trash pickup terms, EV charging station counts and a potential parks & recreation fee deduction if an on‑site sculpture garden is built. Planning consultant Nanette Born asked the commission to reconsider a staff‑written trash condition; the commission agreed to remove the private‑hauler requirement and leave trash contracting to the city's existing policies. On EV infrastructure, the commission added a 10% requirement of total parking spaces wired and a 10% target for operational EV stalls to be implemented as the project approaches construction; as one applicant representative summarized the math, “So if we plan for 6 spots inside, 6 spots outside with the pre wiring...,” and the commission settled on a 10% percentage approach so the requirement scales with the final parking count.

Commissioners also debated a proposed sculpture garden as an on‑site public amenity that could be deducted from the $285,000 park and recreation fee; they agreed that any deduction would require the applicant to return with an itemized, verifiable budget, an ADA accessibility plan and a programming plan for public activation before any fee reduction is approved. On site safety and constructability, the applicant provided a geotechnical update reporting that bedrock and groundwater were less problematic than anticipated and that blasting is unlikely; the commission added language prohibiting driven pile‑driving for foundations without returning to the commission and allowed non‑driven soil‑stabilization measures. The commission closed the public hearing, found that the special‑permit criteria in the staff report were met and voted to grant the permit and final site plan approval with the revised conditions. The motion passed on voice vote; staff will renumber and circulate the final conditions and the applicant may seek the usual extension process per code if needed.

“We have 57 spots. So 10% of that would be... so if we plan for 6 spots inside, 6 spots outside with the pre wiring,” the applicant said when summarizing the EV‑charging proposal. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized that any parks & rec fee deduction must be demonstrated with a formal cost schedule and ADA compliance documentation before staff or the commission will approve a deduction.