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18569 | He believed the project was stunning, and appreciated the community coming forward; he believed the City should heed their suggestions. He believed the conditions were reasonable. He believed this was a beautiful commercial project, which was what the land use was intended for. Board Member Ezzy Ashcraft commended Mr. Vu for a well-written, well-organized and concise staff report. She noted that she was mindful of the need for revenue coming into the City to replace the revenue lost by the departure of the car dealerships. She supported clean, green businesses and appreciated the sustainable design exhibited by the applicant. She believed this would be an environmentally friendly project. She noted that the 25- foot-wide access road also had shared bike lane space, and believed that was a minimal lane. She inquired whether it would be widened. Mr. Thomas replied that the proposal was to maintain the basic 25-foot width curb to curb. Mr. Ernst noted that the width varied, and that there was no curb on the west edge. He noted that there were pinch points that were less than 25 feet. He noted that as the new road is constructed, the minimum width would be 25 feet; he noted that there would be several areas where it would be wider than 25 feet. He noted that it was part of the parking area, and that it was not intended to be a through street. He noted that they wished to narrow the road somewhat to slow the transit buses down. Board Member Ezzy Ashcraft noted that she understood the traffic calming provided by a narrower street, but was concerned about safety and would like to see alternate forms of transportation encouraged. She liked the presence of the bicycle parking. Mr. Ernst noted that he was not a traffic engineer, but that the parking at the ferry terminal, which was denser than this use, did not have any operational problems. He added that the buses traveled through the parking lot without problems. Board Member Ezzy Ashcraft hoped the parking would be screened from the homes on McDonnell across the lagoon, and from the Bay Trail, and noted that the landscaping plan seemed to indicate that. In response to her inquiry regarding the current vacancy rate, Mr. Ernst replied that the business park's vacancy rate was 14%, down from the low 20s several years ago. He noted that it was lower than Marina Village, as well as the City vacancy rate. He noted that this project evolved from the demand for a commercial site with lower density and the ability for the business owners to own their space as well. Board Member Ezzy Ashcraft strongly suggested that a restaurant be located near the project. She believed it would make sense to have a Peet's coffee shop in the area as well. She noted that the nearby trail was well-used during the weekends, and added that the new hotel's clients would also appreciate those amenities. Mr. Ernst noted that there were two other restaurant opportunities along the waterfront in addition to this project, including the hotel. He hoped that critical mass could be reached so the restaurant would be viable. Page 10 of 15 |