The project site is 8,000 square feet in size and is located on the east side of Lincoln Street between 5^th and 6^th Avenues. The site is developed with two, single-story commercial buildings surrounding a courtyard; the south building includes a two-story element to the rear of the property. An existing intra-block walkway provides a pedestrian connection between Lincoln and Dolores Streets.

Prior Planning Commission Hearing: On June 13, 2018 the Planning Commission approved a Design Review (DR 18-077) application for additions to the commercial building and alterations to the courtyard and intra-block walkway. On December 12, 2018 the Planning Commission approved a Use Permit (UP 18-390) application for a full-line restaurant with 75 interior seats and 37 outdoor seats. The Planning Commission requested that modifications to the previously approved Design Review (DR 18-077), including the revised pergola design with integrated lighting and heating, be brought back before the Commission for review.

Project Revisions: Following approval of DR 18-077, the applicant obtained a demolition permit and began work in accordance with their approvals. During the course of demolition it was discovered that the restaurant building is a patch work of construction. The building was originally constructed in the 1920’s as a residential cottage and was converted to a restaurant in the 1940’s. Additions to the building have been completed over the years, some of which are not in compliance with the current Building Code (i.e. ceiling height in select areas of the restaurant). Rather than continue the patchwork of construction, the applicant is requesting to demolish and reconstruct the building “in-kind” with the following modifications to the project:

1)     New gable roof on west (front) elevation;

2)     New roof screen for restaurant mechanical equipment;

3)     Replacement of approved stone with siding on the south (side) elevation;

4)     New aluminum clad wood windows painted white;

5)     A 406-square-foot louvered steel pergola with integrated lighting and heating;

6)     Replacement of one proposed tree with potted plants throughout courtyard;

7)     Relocation of the fire element and the addition of new landscaping at the patio; and

8)     Widening of the intra-block walkway to 4-feet on the east (rear) elevation.

Restaurant Building Modifications: The applicant is proposing a 4:12 pitch, front gable roof along the front elevation of the restaurant building. The building height would increase by approximately 3 feet and would be slightly taller than the hipped roof commercial building on the opposite side of the courtyard (refer to Attachment 4, Sheet A3.10). A 5-foot tall rooftop screen is proposed at the rear of the restaurant building to shield the new mechanical equipment. The screen would be clad with wood siding to match the building.

The previous Design Review approval included the replacement of a brick wall on the south elevation of the restaurant building with new stone veneer. The applicant is proposing to replace the stone veneer with wood siding for consistency throughout the restaurant building. All new windows would be aluminum clad, consistent with the prior approval, but are proposed to be painted white instead of black. Condition of Approval No. 19 requires that the color be consistent on all windows throughout the project (Attachment 3).

Outdoor Seating Pergola: The steel pergola approved as part of DR 18-077 was 287.5 square feet and was defined by a low wall with fire element. The plans noted that the pergola would include integrated lighting and heating however, these details were not included in the project plans. Staff anticipated that the final details for the outdoor seating area would be determined as part of the Use Permit application.

The proposed modifications within the outdoor seating area include, increasing the size of the pergola to 406 square feet, adding operable louvers to the top of the pergola, integrated LED lighting (8 fixtures), integrated heating (4 heaters), and replacing the low wall with fire element to a low wall with landscaping.

The integrated LED lights would be recessed in the beams of the pergola, two fixtures per beam for a total of eight fixtures. Each light is 6 watts providing a total illumination of 48 watts (or 4,400 lumens). The lights would be on a dimmer switch. The location of the lights within the pergola are shown on the site plan (refer to Attachment 4, Sheet A1.00) and the light specifications are included on Sheet A3.34.

The integrated heaters would be located on the beams of the pergola as well, one heater per beam for a total of four heaters. The location and specifications can also be found in Attachment 4, Sheets A1.00 and A3.34.

Courtyard Modifications: Minor modifications are proposed to the approved courtyard renovations including, the replacement of a proposed tree located on the west side of the new private residential patio with potted plants throughout the courtyard; and, the relocation of the fire element to the west side of the new private residential patio and adding a raised landscape planter to define the edge of the restaurant outdoor seating. Condition of approval No. 4 (refer to Attachment 3) requires that all landscaping be shown on a landscape plan and submitted to the City for review and approval prior to the issuance of a building permit. The landscaping will be reviewed for compliance with the Design Review approval and with Municipal Code standards (i.e. drought tolerant, drip irrigation, etc). The proposed modifications result in a net increase in courtyard landscaping.

Intra-Block Walkway: The Commercial Design Guidelines encourage courtyards and intra-block walkways as an important design feature of the commercial district providing pedestrians “the anticipation of the unusual, swift and gratifying shifts in prospect and often intriguing connecting routes between two or more streets defining a block”. DR 18-077 included the relocation of a portion of the existing intra-block walkway to facilitate a new elevator to serve the residential units. The relocated walkway will be 4 feet wide; however, the portion of the existing walkway at the rear of the restaurant building was to remain at its current width of 2’-10”.