Planning Commission Minutes 2016 07 14

Home Browse Search

Planning Commission Meeting Minutes July 14, 2016 Page 29 of 33 Commission Questions of Staff. Moline asks about parking issue and the money the applicant can contribute into the City parking fund. How does that translate into creating more parking and City parking issues? Robinson says the money can go towards acquiring parking elsewhere in downtown which the City is actively pursuing. The property at the corner of Elma and Front has recently been paved and is public parking. Once the South Street Underpass is finished (it is under construction now with BNSF), the City has acquired land on the other side for public parking. Rice says am I correct that there is no waiver being sought. Robinson says no waiver is being sought; just a request to pay parking fee -in -lieu instead of providing parking. Rice says the controversy is whether we make them pay for six or seven parking spaces. The Special Review Use is for the outdoor dining. If memory serves me right, what caused the proposal to be denied last time was the waivers being sought. Applicant Presentation: Eric Hartronft, 950 Spruce Street, Suite 2A, Louisville, CO Not all of you were here when we presented in November. As was pointed out, the last proposal looked at a 35' building, but there were three stories. The transition area of Downtown Louisville guidelines states that buildings should be no more than two stories, 35'. We are coming back with a two story building that does not exceed 35'. The area that is up to 35' is a small area for a stair tower to get to the roof. The building as you see it is lower than 35'. The gables are probably 32' to 33'. The site is across the street from the Louisville Museum and is a different part of town than other areas that are more active. One thing about this area from a retail standpoint is that some businesses have suffered in the northern part of the 900 block because of the lack of foot traffic How do we make downtown as vibrant as we can? Rhonda and Nancy have come forward with this site because it is a keystone piece for downtown to welcome people in. It is a gateway, not only from the Main Street traffic driving south but also from the new traffic coming through the underpass. It is at a crossroads and is an important piece. Design Drivers • Significant Gateway to Downtown • Address the corner — from north Main Street and east • Provide rich pedestrian experience • Opportunities for outdoor dining and "hang out" • Accommodate owner's business • Provide opportunity for new Main Street business • Maintain the existing house if possible • Relate to surrounding residential and commercial • Respect Old Town and Downtown Design Guidelines We have eliminated the third floor where Rhonda and Nancy wanted to live. Without the third floor, we cannot accommodate the loft. They will continue to use the residence on site as a rental property. We looked at the possibility of taking down the existing house on the property, but there are reasons to leave it. It helps to transition into the neighborhood from the site. The Historic Preservation aspect of the house is important. It is not our most historic residence in town, but it is a piece of our historic fabric. When you look at Old Town, this house fits in. It has some unique character. The owners have decided it is desirable to keep the house instead of putting more parking there.