 |
Issues meeting notes 7/25/07 Design Review Board
|
|
|
Our guest was Elee Tsai, current member of the city’s Design Review Board
(DRB). We were delighted to have Elee provide us with a view of a board
that holds great power, but is relatively unknown to most people, even
activists.
Elee is a practicing architect and one of seven members of a board asked to confirm projects’ adherence to the city’s Design Guidelines. They review commercial projects, and residential projects of more than four lots. That review in recent years has begun with a Concept Review, a chance early in the process for an applicant to learn if his/her project has major flaws that need remedying before they make substantial investment, or if it simply doesn’t meet Design Guidelines. Then the project moves to Preliminary Design Review, during which process neighbors can weigh in with suggestions to reduce its impact on their area. Often the project returns for a second or third Preliminary Review to refine the project according to the DRB’s suggestions. The Final Design Review recommendation is then sent on to Planning Commission and the Council. It is expected that the final review will result in “Superior Design”, which, design being a matter of opinion, is a difficult matter. Through our discussion, we identified several concerns: - The surrounding neighborhood is not notified about the Concept Review. - Often there is no topographical map attached to the project (think Varenna). - The surrounding neighbors are notified of Preliminary Design Reviews, but often projects come back a 2nd or 3rd time, and the neighbors might not learn that their objections had not been addressed because they aren’t notified of those review meetings. - The DRB objects to suggestions that their meetings be televised. - The BIGGIE – the DRB meets at 1:30 pm, when hardly anyone can attend. Plan: Advocate for later meetings and televising. The latter might be easier after some planned revisions to Council Chambers are done. Attend their meetings. |