WALNUT CREEK DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION February 6, 2008 Regular Meeting Minutes 7:00 pm

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1 WALNUT CREEK DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION February 6, 2008 Regular Meeting Minutes 7:00 pm COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Chair Mark Lopez Vice Chair Darcy Kremin Thomas Bassett Brian Kilian Joseph Gorny None Victoria Walker, Assistant Planning Manager Scott Harriman, Senior Planner Jeremy Lochirco, Senior Planner Deborah Han, Associate Planner Scott Wikstrom, Associate Civil Engineer OPENING Chair Lopez called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, City Hall. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION Carol Vogl, 724 Savannah Circle, said she was very concerned about the eucalyptus trees located near the creek at the corner of Wiget Lane and Mitchell Drive. She said that one tree fell during the last storm and she is concerned that one of these trees could fall on her house. She said she had spoken to the property manager with Cardoza Properties and there is some uncertainty as to who owns the property that the trees are on. Ms. Walker asked Scott Wikstrom, Associate Civil Engineer to meet with Ms.Vogl to assist in determining if the trees are on the canal district s property. CONSENT CALENDAR Commissioner Bassett pulled items b and d from the Consent Calendar. a. Approve minutes of December 5, 2007 It was moved by Commissioner Kremin, seconded by Commissioner Kilian to approve the minutes of December 5, AYES: Kremin, Kilian, Gorny, Bassett, Lopez

2 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 2 of 11 c. DESIGN REVIEW APPLICATION NO. Y MERCER TEMPORARY SIGNAGE. PUBLIC HEARING on a request for a sign exception to the Walnut Creek Zoning Ordinance, Section (c) (Sign Ordinance) pertaining to the placement of temporary signage on commercial properties for the purposes of sales office/building identification. The subject site is located at 1655 N. California Blvd. ZONING: Planned Development Zoning District, P-D It was moved by Commissioner Kilian, seconded by Commissioner Gorny to approve Design Review Application No. Y AYES: Kilian, Gorny, Bassett, Lopez, Kremin b. SIGN REVIEW APPLICATION NO. Y NORTH CREEK CHURCH MONUMENT SIGN REPLACEMENT (Public Hearing). Request for approval of a replacement monument sign as part of the North Creek Church expansion at 2303 Ygnacio Valley Road (APN s , & 011). ZONING: R-10, Single-Family Residential. Commissioner Bassett asked if the subcommittee had reviewed the North Creek Church monument signage and Commissioner Gorny confirmed that the signage was reviewed by the sign subcommittee. Scott Harriman, Senior Planner, stated that the signage was reviewed in November He said the sign has been reduced from 11 feet in height to a 4 feet 9 inch sign on top of a two-foot seat wall in a corner plaza. He said the church will use the existing sign letters and there is no change in the landscaping. Commissioner Bassett noted that the staff report has the height at 7 feet 7 inches. Mr. Harriman said there is a six-inch ledger stone plus a base. Commissioner Bassett expressed concern about the types of plantings in front of the sign as there is lettering very low on the sign. Mr. Harriman stated that the C.3 basins have changed and he would follow up on the plantings and lettering. It was moved by Commissioner Gorny, seconded by Commissioner Kilian to approve Design Review Application No. Y AYES: Gorny, Kilian, Bassett, Lopez, Kremin

3 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 3 of 11 d. DESIGN REVIEW APPLICATION NO. Y04-136, 555 YGNACIO TEMPORARY SIGN. PUBLIC HEARING on a request for a sign exception to the Walnut Creek Zoning Ordinance, Section (c) (Sign Ordinance) pertaining to the placement of temporary signage on commercial properties for the purposes of construction identification. The construction site is located at 555 Ygnacio Valley Road. ZONING: O-C, Office Commercial District. Jeremy Lochirco, Senior Planner, reported that there were two proposals for temporary signs at the construction project. He said the original one proposal had graphics and the other option had a single panel all the way around. He said the sign subcommittee suggested the original plan, but replace the two end panels with a neutral beige color. He said the panels are vinyl which will be placed on the chain link fence. He confirmed that this signage would be on a temporary chain-link fence which is moveable to allow construction equipment entrance. Commissioner Gorny commented that the area should be kept clean and the fence kept straight. Mr. Lochirco stated that there is a limit of 15% sign coverage, but the applicant wanted almost 62% coverage. The subcommittee recommended a 42% coverage. Mr. Lochirco stated that the fence footings will be reassessed to ensure that the T-braces are straight so the fence won t fall over onto the sidewalk. It was moved by Commissioner Gorny, seconded by Commissioner Kilian to approve Design Review Application No. Y with the 42% coverage option. AYES: Gorny, Kilian, Bassett, Lopez, Kremin PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. DESIGN REVIEW APPLICATION NO. Y YGNACIO. PUBLIC HEARING on a proposal to construct a 4-story residential structure with 11 condominium units and 18 parking spaces, on a.22-acre parcel at 235 Ygnacio Valley Road. The applicant is requesting final design review approval of the building architecture and materials, landscape and lighting plan, and site design. ZONING: PD, Planned Development District. Jeremy Lochirco provided a summary of the staff report, including a brief background of the application. COMMISSION QUESTIONS Commissioner Gorny asked if there is a right turn only when exiting the project site. Mr. Lochirco answered that there is a median in the street which will only allow right turns. Commissioner Bassett asked about the pavers in the driveway.

4 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 4 of 11 Brian Griggs, applicant, said that the paving in the drive aisle is a semi-permeable paver with pea gravel at the paver corners. However, decomposed granite can be used if the Commissioners request it. He said the walkway, near the front door, is made of interlocking pavers. He stated that on the east elevation there will be hinged trellises which will act as a buffer. Commissioner Gorny asked about lines in the plaster walls and the railings. Paul Ferro, architect, said the wall in question was composite wood panel. He said the lines in the stucco wall will be made with an aluminum reveal. He said that he was open to using flat rails as the vertical members of the railings, but would prefer cable rails that are thick enough to be seen. Commissioner Bassett asked about the size of trees and the material used for the planters. Pam Winther, landscape architect, stated that the City arborist requested 24 inch boxed Quercus Shumardii (Shumard oak). She said that the planters are copper-faced steel boxes. She said that sequoias will be used in the rear as a screening tree with small flowering trees in the front. Commissioner Kilian stated that there was not enough room for redwoods or Quercus Agrafolia (live oak) as shown in the plans. Ms. Winther said that she would like to have one tree, probably a live oak in the northeast corner. Commissioner Kilian asked about the path on the west side and drainage for the planters. Ms. Winther said there are drains on the podium, but was unsure of the details. She said the path is decomposed granite with a binder and the path gets steeper at the north end. Commissioner Kilian asked if the retaining wall was exposed. Ms. Winther said the wall is a couple of feet high and then tapers down at the end by the public sidewalk. She said it is an unpainted concrete wall. Commissioner Kilian said that the metal fence on top of the wall looks generic and suggested using cable to tie it in with the building. Commissioner Kilian asked about the moveable metal trellis with vines. Ms. Winther stated that the vines will be planted in the ground and attached to the trellis, which is hinged at the base to the building allowing it to be pulled forward for building maintenance. Chair Lopez opened the Public Hearing. PUBLIC HEARING None Chair Lopez closed the Public Hearing. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Gorny said he likes the architecture and the revisions. He said he wants the details to come back to a subcommittee. He said the plants need to be heavy duty because of the heavy traffic next to the site. He said he wants to see the landscape plans in scale on the elevation drawings. Commissioner Bassett said he wants the full landscape plan to come back to a Design Review Commission subcommittee. He stated that decomposed granite will move on a sloping driveway, so wants it to be stabilized or use a different material. He said that pavers may not work on the slope. He said he likes the architecture. He said the applicant needs to check with the arborist about using 24-inch boxed trees. Ms. Walker said Staff would verify with the arborist what size tree to use.

5 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 5 of 11 Commissioner Kilian said he likes the building. He said that the two street trees by the pedestrian walkway will need to be trimmed at the six-foot level, so 24 inch boxed trees will not be big enough. He said the driveway needs to be a solid material. He said to bring the wrought iron fence up to the design level of the building. Commissioner Kremin said that the project is looking good. It was moved by Commissioner Gorny, seconded by Commissioner Bassett to approve application Y with a detailed landscape plan and a review of pavers, street tree size, architectural details come back to a subcommittee of Commissioners Gorny and Kilian. AYES: Gorny, Bassett, Kremin, Kilian, Lopez 2. DESIGN REVIEW/CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT / VARIANCE / TENTATIVE MAP / DRIPLINE ENCROACHMENT APPLICATION No. Y LINCOLN AVENUE TRIPLEX. STUDY SESSION of revised plans for a proposed three-story, three-unit residential condominium development at 1229 Lincoln Avenue (APN ). The project is subject to design review, and requires approval of a conditional use permit for a parking reduction, variance from parking design standards, a tree dripline encroach permit and a tentative subdivision map. ZONING: M-1, Multi-Family Residential and O-16, Creek Overlay Zone. Scott Harriman, Senior Planner, presented a summary of the staff report, noting that the building has the same footprint, but it is a different architectural style as previous submittals. He stated that the 0-16 Creek Overlay Zone requires a 10-foot setback from the creek, the City prefers a 30 foot setback and the County prefers a 50 foot setback. The project intends to conform to the 0-16 creek overlay setback. Commissioner Gorny noted that he had met with the civil engineer regarding this project. Commissioner Bassett said that at the end of the previous Design Review hearing, the applicant was directed to take the application to the Planning Commission for review due to the numerous exceptions requested. Mr. Harriman said that the applicant wanted another opportunity to present a design to the before going to the Planning Commission. Gary Balsdon, applicant, stated that he is allowed under the Zoning Code to have 70% lot coverage. He said that from the 10-foot setback he is at a 58% coverage. He said the building setback averages 16 feet. He noted that there are several decks on different levels and 30% of the building will be hidden behind a large buckeye tree. He said the trees on the west side are five-stories tall and his building has only three stories. He noted that his original plan was for a four-story building and he downsized to three stories.

6 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 6 of 11 Mr. Balsdon described the units, noting that they contain gourmet kitchens and large bedrooms. He said he believes he complies with the General Plan. COMMISSION QUESTIONS Commissioner Bassett asked about the geo-technical zone and special foundation requirements in relation to a major oak tree on the site. Mr. Balsdon said that the foundation is on a six-inch slab on 25-foot piers. He said his plan reduces non-permeable surface near the tree dripline by 40%. He said that the site is constrained with parking, elevators and stairways. He said the building cannot be seen from Broadway. He said that he is providing seven parking spaces, but can only count three in the plan as the remainder are open parking in the proposed driveway. Commissioner Bassett asked how the building related to the creek. He suggested putting the Great room on the side of the creek. Commissioner Gorny said that he would like to see the bedrooms on the creek side. Commissioner Kilian stated that the reason the application should have been taken to the Planning Commission was to determine the project s allowable parameters, particularly as he is requesting variances from the Muni Code. Mr. Balsdon said he did not follow the Design Review Commission s recommendation to go to the Planning Commission as he felt that the Design Review Commission would have given his previous plans a negative recommendation. He said that if it had been a neutral recommendation, he would have taken the application to the Planning Commission. Chair Lopez opened the Public Hearing. PUBLIC HEARING Julia Maxwell, 1632 Live Oak Way, said she hates to see old homes taken down and replaced with large buildings. She said the building is too big for the lot. Other homes in the neighborhood are one and two story. She said if the City makes exceptions to allow reduced parking at this site, then other applicants in the future will expect the same. Lesley Hunt, representing Friends of the Creek, said there needs to be a balance between the creek overlay and the building size and density. Chair Lopez closed the Public Hearing. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Bassett said the project is improved. He said the top of the creek bank looks like it should be established further back. He said he has no problem with the massing, the parking and backup spacing. He said he likes the extended balcony and the ins and outs of the building. He said he has concerns about the columns coming down in the middle of a glass wall. He said the integration with the creek setting is better than the previous plan. Commissioner Gorny said he agreed with Commissioner Bassett. He said the density is good and wood on the building, if it were proposed, would be fine. He said that a three-story building on this site needs to be innovative. He said that the huge stucco decks may not be usable and it might

7 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 7 of 11 be better to make them smaller. Commissioner Gorny said the interior space needs to be reevaluated and he would like to see 3-d sketches with landscaping. Commissioner Kilian stated that he agreed with these comments. Commissioner Kremin said she also agreed with these comments. She added that she had no problem with the building being three-story or with the size of units. She hopes he proposes a plan that he could afford to build. Chair Lopez said that he agreed with the comment that this project needs to go to the Planning Commission as a next step. He said that there is critical information that needs to be reviewed and decided before the can do their job. He said the slope of the roof is too steep. He said that there are too many decks and the decks on the east side to not appear to be functional. He said these decks add to the bulk of the building. He suggested making the decks more open instead of a solid stucco wall. He said he does not have a problem with a well-designed three-story building or the size of the units. He suggested more attention to the creekside setting. At this time the Commission took a brief break and Commissioner Bassett and Victoria Walker left the meeting. 3. DESIGN REVIEW, TREE REMOVAL PERMIT AND DRIPLINE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT APPLICATION NO. Y07-084, NEW BUILDING FOR VARIAN PUBLIC HEARING on a request to demolish an existing 37,100 sq. ft. building and construct a new 42,500 sq. ft. building in the same location on the Varian site located in the Shadelands Business Park at 2700 Mitchell Drive. The application includes tree removals for nine trees and tree dripline encroachment permits. ZONING: Business Park, BP-200. Deborah Han, Associate Planner, presented a summary of the staff report. She corrected the staff report, stating that 33 trees are to be removed, not 37 as stated in the report. Commissioner Gorny asked about the back parking lot and landscaping. Ms. Han said that the plan calls for that parking lot to be restriped. Mr. Harriman noted that the City guidelines suggest landscaping between every ten parking stalls. Jann-Paul Fabrin presented a slideshow and background of the Varian company. He said there will be a new median added next to the existing median in order to meet the C.3 requirements. He said the two medians will be bisected by a pathway so the employees can access the new building. He said turf block will be used in the new area for emergency service trucks. He described the outdoor employee patios and noted that the exiting volley ball court will be kept. He said that the new building s parapet height is 19 feet, the top of the roof plate for the lobby is 24 feet and the top of the high screen wall hiding the mechanical units is at 27 feet. Mr. Fabrin said the lobby will have a glass canopy. Mr. Fabrin said the corner signage will not be lit and is only for daylight use. He said the monument sign will be uplit with surrounding landscaping that will be lit. He described the exterior design including 12-inch metal paneling, different window styles, and pilasters. He said two-thirds of the building will be offices. Mr. Fabrin said that the mechanical equipment will be located over the research and development area. He said the new roof screen will match what is on the existing building.

8 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 8 of 11 COMMISSION QUESTIONS Commissioner Gorny asked about the in-lieu fee for public art and a gas line. Mr. Fabrin said the owners were in favor of paying the in-lieu art fee. He said the gas line is conduit through which liquid nitrogen is pumped. Commissioner Gorny expressed concern over landscaping space for the proposed trees. Mr. Fabrin stated that on the north side there is eight feet and on the south end there is seventeen feet. Commissioner Gorny noted the distance from the parking lot to the building was very long. Mr. Fabrin said that the handicap and visitor parking is close to the building. He stated that currently the drive aisle is 17 feet and the requirement for fire vehicle access is 26 feet. Commissioner Gorny asked about lighting. Mr. Fabrin said there are small uplights on the four front columns, bollards at all crosswalks and at exit pathways from the patio, and exit lights over each exterior doors. He said there is no change to the proposed lighting in the parking lot. Commissioner Kremin asked about any changes to buildings 2 and 2A. Mr. Fabrin stated that there are some long-term plans to be done in phases. He said Phase One is to redo the interior of buildings 2 and 2A, and later the exterior will be done to coordinate with the new building and the brick-red canopies. Commissioner Kilian asked about the glass. Mr. Fabrin said the glass was Solar Ban 60, which is a low E, dual glazing one-inch insulated glass. Commissioner Kilian asked about the reflective factor of this glass. Mr. Fabrin said it would not reflect. Chair Lopez confirmed that this low E film is very low reflective and will not be a problem. Commissioner Kilian asked about the front entry. Mr. Fabrin said that planters might be okay, but the idea is to draw people into the building. He said the patios are designed for people to spend time outside. Commissioner Kilian said there is no variety in the building and asked how the lawn area relates to the building. Mr. Fabrin said the glass sets back about three inches from the front of the building. He showed renderings of the exits used to access the lawn and volley ball area. Chair Lopez asked Staff to clarify the parking ratio. Ms. Han said the building is parked at the ratio of one space for 250 square feet of office space. Mr. Fabrin said that building 1 is all offices and the campus as a whole is overparked. Chair Lopez suggested a higher caliber fencing than the existing chain link with slats. He said that the building needs more visual interest. He suggested adding a tree or a trellis to the outdoor seating area to make it more people friendly. He said that the angled wall could be angled more to create interest. Mr. Fabrin said that the wall was angled to correlate with the street. Ms. Han confirmed for Commissioner Gorny that is the only review needed for this application. Commissioner Kilian asked the landscape architect about the tree placement in front of the building. Carol McCardle, landscape architect said the spacing can be adjusted to line up with the columns. She said that in answer to the earlier question about the narrow planting area, the proposed tree is a columnar tree. She said there is a large overhang at the front of the building and planter areas will hold ferns and shade garden plants.

9 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 9 of 11 Commissioner Kilian asked about the lack of trees in the islands. Ms. McCardle said that there is a drainage structure in the island and a vegetative swale. Scott Wikstrom, Associate Civil Engineer, stated that small trees and shrubs are allowed in bioswales. Mr. Wikstrom noted that landscaping does contribute to pollutant removal or uptake in bioswales. Mr. Wikstrom confirmed for Commissioner Kilian that regular landscaping can be planted in bioswale areas, just not plants that require fertilizer. Ms. McCardle commented that trees may need root barriers and there are C.3 percolation requirements to follow. Commissioner Kilian suggested moving the piping to the side and putting a tree more centered. Commissioner Kilian asked about the volley ball open lawn area. Mr. Fabrin noted that the volley ball area is pre-existing. He said that a sidewalk and vegetative plantings are being added along the building side. He said that small shrubs could be added. Ms. McCardle noted that the volley ball area is a fenced utility area for delivery access. Commissioner Kilian asked about the front walkway towards the street. Ms. McCardle stated that there are canopy trees existing along that frontage. Commissioner Kilian suggested that the south outdoor area needs something inviting such as a fountain element. He said that he would like to see a 20-scale plan at the next review. He said that trees need to be added in the parking area on the west side at a rate of one tree every eight stalls. Ms. McCardle confirmed for Commissioner Gorny that the arborist said to take out the tree near the volley ball area. Commissioner Gorny asked about the using the public art funds for trees instead of in-lieu fees. Ms. McCardle said that she could envision adding landscaping around the patio area as it would be visible from the front. Mr. Fabrin asked why planting fingers are being requested for the west parking area when it only needs to be restriped. Commissioner Gorny stated that the scope of work on the property brings up reviewing the parking and site as it relates to and supports the building. Chair Lopez opened the Public Hearing. PUBLIC HEARING Primo Facchini, President of the Historical Society, stated that Varian was the first tenant in that district. He said they have been a good tenant and an asset to the City. He said that the City needs to make sure they will stay with the City. Seamus Flanagan, Director of Operations for Varian, said that the site will be the center for North America to showcase their products. He said that there will be an increase in jobs from about 120 to 400 jobs. Chair Lopez closed the Public Hearing. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Gorny said it is an industrial building in the right place, but there is room to bring a friendly feel, to soften hard lines. He said to add big trees to create shade. He said building 1 is fine and the edge could be softened with landscaping. He said the lighting can be playful, something to add life to the outside. He said he is okay with the tree removal and the dripline

10 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 10 of 11 encroachment. He said there needs to be more landscaping across the back of the site Commissioner Gorny suggested a pathway in the parking area should have landscaping. He said he does not support the in-lieu fee for art. He said that there could be something in an art form that can be added. Commissioner Kilian said he agreed with Commissioner Gorny, except on the in-lieu fee. He said that there is a disconnect in the architecture and it is a very industrial look. He said that if the landscape was upgraded it would help soften the flat planes of the building. He said if the landscaping is to be minimized, then the architecture needs to upgraded. He said the landscaping needs to planned, then upgrading of tree size, etc to mitigate the tree removal can be developed. Commissioner Kilian said that the bioswales need to be integrated into the landscaping, not isolating them. He said the patios need to be more inviting. He said the entry landscaping can be inviting through landscape color. He said there is no shade in the parking lot, so trees need to be added. He said he wants to see more details on the lighting. Commissioner Gorny noted that one set of plans shows sunshades and trellises on the front of the building, but later plans do not show these details. Mr. Fabrin stated that the details were eliminated due to budget issues. Commissioner Kilian said that because the project site is in a business park, the public at large would benefit more from art placed in a more prominent downtown location. Commissioner Kremin said she likes the building design and more trees and landscaping. She agreed that the parking lot needs trees. She suggested having car pool parking. She said there needs to be more bike racks and the plans may not have the racks in the right place. She wants to see more lighting details. She said the front entry could use seating furniture and be more welcoming. She said the trash enclosure needs to be upgraded. She said she is fine with the in-lieu fee, so art could be located in the downtown area. Chair Lopez commented that the project is very quality oriented. It was moved by Commissioner Gorny, seconded by Commissioner Kremin to continue application Y07-084, with the comments made regarding the building architecture and the landscape architecture with a goal to liven up the outdoor spaces being used by people. Application to return for full review. AYES: Gorny, Kremin, Bassett, Kilian, Lopez Commissioner Kilian reminded the applicant to bring drawings in at 20 scale. Chair Lopez commented that the City should honor the company s preference in regards to the inlieu fee.

11 February 6, 2008 Minutes Page 11 of 11 Mr. Fabrin asked for clarification on the roof screen on building 2. Following a discussion, the Commissioners were in agreement that the proposed screening was acceptable. COMMISSION CONSIDERATIONS None CORRESPONDENCE None STAFF S BRIEF ANNOUNCMENTS OR BRIEF REPORTS ON HIS OR HER ACTIVITIES Mr. Harriman noted that there have been a few applications for the two available Commission seats; however, none are landscape architects. COMMISSIONERS BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENTS OR BRIEF REORTS ON HIS OR HER ACTIVITIES Mr. Harriman noted that the next meeting will be Commissioners Bassett and Kilian s last meeting. Commissioner Gorny commented that there needs to be a discussion on the structure of subcommittees. Chair Lopez adjourned the meeting at 10:35p.m. to the next meeting, February 20, /s/ VICTORIA WALKER, Secretary, Walnut Creek Approved March 5th 2008