City Council Agenda and Packet 2022 12 12 SP

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From: tamar krantz To: City Council Subject: Item number 18 of proposed 2023 work plan Date: Sunday, December 11, 2022 10:53:45 PM Dear City Council Members, I am writing with an idea for the city council work plan as a resident not as a member of the planning commission. I am glad to see item number 18-- review of planning and building codes for consistency with sustainability. Under this item, would Louisville consider a fee -in -lieu option for satisfying landscaping and open space requirements for Planned Unit Developments? The majority of PUDs heard by the planning commission in 2022 included waiver requests for landscaping design standards in the CDDSG and the IDDSG. Of the six PUDs heard in 2022, four of them requested waivers from landscaping requirements and our commission recommended approval for all of them. In April, the planning commission recommended approval of the Delo Lofts proposal with a 10 foot rather than 20 foot rear setback for carports, reducing landscaped area. In June, the commission recommended approval of the Taylor Avenue PUD with a 5 foot wide rather than 10 foot wide planting area on the north. In addition, a grasscrete truck turnaround was counted towards the total open space area required for the site. In December, the commission recommended approval of the 411 S Arthur Ave. — Cantilevers PUD Amendment waiving a required 30-foot wide planing buffer on the North and reducing a parking setback from a property line. In December, the commission recommended approval of the South Pierce Ave "Aperture" PUD with waivers reducing the number of trees along interior property lines, reducing the minimum width for building perimeter planting areas, and allowing less trees than required in the building perimeter planting areas. Public comments have included suggestions for compensatory measures for landscaping waivers such as green roofs or more trees in parking lots. Still, It is very difficult to put a condition on a proposal for compensatory "green" measures when the designs maximize the building and parking area footprints. While obviously compliance with our standards would be preferred, a fee in lieu could could be put towards our open space or parks and landscaping budget to make improvements elsewhere. Thanks for considering this idea.