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P21-1173, PUD-146 and Tract 8631: 475 & 493 St. John Street Planning Commission 26 of 32 A PUD development plan allows flexibility in applying Municipal Code standards to achieve an innovative overall plan for project sites and the area. The applicant developed the current site plan with input from the Planning Commission during the Work Session and numerous discussions with staff prior to and after formally submitting the PUD application. The applicant was considerate of the position of the buildings to provide adequate setbacks from the property lines and new street frontages and maximized the usability of the site. The applicant has opted to retain the existing residence on-site and has provided on-site guest parking spaces for the residential development. Single-family home lots in the downtown are generally smaller in area, though have houses which are similar in size to homes found in neighborhood subdivisions. While the subject site is relatively large, the Arroyo del Valle and adjacent riparian area occupies a significant portion of the northern part of the project site which limits the allowable developable area. Due to these project constraints, smaller lot sizes with house sizes commonly used for new single-family home development make the floor area ratios for the new homes higher; however, the visual appearance of the new homes is in keeping with the Barone’s home and existing adjacent residential homes. Story poles have been erected on-site, where feasible, to demonstrate the overall size and height the project. Staff finds the proposed siting, massing, and size of the units are appropriate for this site and would result in an attractive development for this area of downtown. The buildings would be in keeping with the scale and massing of the surrounding homes on St. John Street and Peters Avenue. Furthermore, staff is recommending conditions of approval prohibiting accessory structures and additions to the residential units. Site Layout and Urban Design Features As proposed, all residential units and the commercial parking lot would be accessible from the new private street, which provides a site layout for the existing home and proposed commercial buildings that is oriented to face St. John Street and (with the new commercial buildings) retains an “active frontage.” New garages and driveway access would be located at the front of the new homes within the subdivision, but these would not be highly visible given the site’s access and layout of the development. New internal sidewalks are proposed throughout the project for walkability; and entries, porches, and front doors face St. John Street or the private street. The existing driveway entrance is located and configured to provide adequate line-of-sight viewing distance for vehicles and to facilitate efficient ingres s/egress to and from the proposed project site. The internal street meets City standards for emergency vehicle access and turn-around. Adequate access would be provided to all structures for police, fire, and other emergency vehicles. Staff finds the site plan is appropriate and supports the overall configuration and site design. Architecture and Design The DSP states the design of new buildings should draw upon the primary exterior features of the downtown’s traditional design character in terms of architectural style and materials, colors, details of construction, height, floor area, bulk, massing, and setbacks. These elements should be consistent with those elements of buildings in the immediate neighborhood, and the design of the new buildings should not represent a significant departure from the existing neighborhood character. The Downtown Design Guidelines (DTDG) outline parameters related to new construction of residential and commercial structures and provide guidance related to architectural details, materials, and windows.