City Council Minutes 1999 08 03 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Wood replied, not from lighting. Sisk asked whether the complaints were about traffic. Wood replied, no, the complaints were about trucks. Sisk expressed concern for the lighting standards on the east side of the parcel and requested that they be reduced significantly. He stated that he understands that there might be Federal guidelines that allow higher lighting levels than the Commercial Development Design Standards & Guidelines and this is something that will require reconciliation. He explained that while neighbors could reasonably expect that a building would be built on this parcel and that trucks would be using this parcel, he did not believe that they expected the Commercial Development Design Standards & Guidelines would be so seriously violated. He stated that this will have a bearing on the residents lifestyles and recommended that the building be altered so as to give the residents a chance to enjoy their property. Mayer asked what would prevent reducing the lighting to zero on the east property line. Ballard replied that the US Postal Service is under different design guidelines. He reminded Council that they are down to .5 foot-candles at the property line, and even less than that at the street. He explained that the US Postal Service has several different handbooks by which they build their facilities. He stated that there is a handbook that contains ADA requirements, and a handbook that contains security and safety requirements. He explained that, since they are self-insured, these minimum requirements need to be met in order to provide the safest and most secure environment for employees and customers. He stated that they have worked with the Planning Department staff to reduce the foot-candle levels to the absolute minimum for the US Postal Service. He explained that there is very little light spillage off the east property line and the lighting fixtures incorporate focused, shielded fixtures that make every attempt to keep light on the property. He expressed willingness to take further measures to reduce the lighting if, once the fixtures are in place, it appears necessary to do so. He stated that he and Paul Wood, Planning Director, have been analyzing different views to determine their effects. He explained that they are trying to address this and did not feel that they were showing blatant disregard for the residents. Mayer asked Wood if it was possible to redo the lighting in order to keep it off the property line. Wood replied that the primary concern is with the northeast area lighting plan. He did not believe that landscaping would have any effect on the lighting for five to six years. He admitted that he was not familiar with the minimum standards for the US Postal Service. He explained that he did not believe that increasing the wall massing along the property line would be the best design solution. He stated that the light fixtures could be focused but he did not feel that this would resolve everything. Mayer questioned why the greenspace was not up to thirty-percent. 11