Architectural Review Board - April 17, 2025

University Avenue redevelopment gets feedback but faces code conflicts

The Architectural Review Board gave informal preliminary feedback, but no approval, for a proposed redevelopment at 530 and 540 University Avenue. The proposal would demolish two legal nonconforming structures and construct an approximately 30,375-square-foot, three-story commercial building with retail-like ground-floor uses, upper-floor offices and a private rooftop terrace.

Staff identified significant conflicts with current zoning rules. Relocating legal noncomplying floor area outside the existing building envelope would require a zoning code text amendment. Staff also said the rooftop improvements would violate the 45-degree daylight-plane requirement and bring the proposed height to 57 feet, exceeding the 50-foot limit. A separately filed downtown zoning amendment is expected to undergo City Council pre-screening after the council’s July break, potentially followed by Planning Commission and council review.

Board members generally supported preserving the pedestrian passage to the public parking garage, strengthening the University Avenue retail frontage and using a transparent treatment between 500 and 530 University Avenue. Chair Kendra Rosenberg requested more justification for rooftop canopies that breach the daylight plane and consideration of moving them back. Peter Baltay raised concerns about the building’s massing, rooftop features, blank-wall fallback design and relationship to the adjacent building at 500 University Avenue.

The site has no existing parking spaces. Staff said it has no minimum parking requirement because it is within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop, although a formal application would require a transportation demand management plan. Public commenters questioned how additional parking demand would be handled and how the commercial project would affect the city’s jobs-housing imbalance.

During a broader discussion about downtown housing incentives, Baltay and Yingxi Chen supported exploring additional height allowances for residential development. David Hirsch questioned the value of adding only a few units to a primarily commercial building and favored focusing on larger housing opportunities. The board made no motion or formal recommendation on housing-related code changes.

The applicant may return with a formal application and more detailed building-code, lot-merger and architectural analyses. A lot merger would be required under either parcel configuration discussed by staff, and the rooftop deck would require a conditional use permit.

Board unanimously defers work plan for housing and report revisions

The Architectural Review Board voted 5-0 to defer its draft 2025-26 annual report and work plan rather than recommend them for submission to the City Council. Chair Kendra Rosenberg moved for the delay so staff and board members could complete revisions and additional review before the item returns at a later meeting.

Members favored revising the first work-plan goal so housing applications would not receive priority over commercial and other applications. At the same time, they supported retaining housing generation and feasibility as a separate, higher-priority goal. Because the board deferred the document, those changes have not been formally adopted.

Board members also requested revisions to the annual report’s recommendations and further review of project renderings. Staff will incorporate the proposed edits and provide updates about board-reviewed projects scheduled to go before the Planning and Transportation Commission or City Council.

Chair says counsel found no Brown Act violation

Chair Kendra Rosenberg rejected a public commenter’s allegation that individual meetings between board members and representatives connected to a prior hearing violated the Brown Act. Rosenberg said members met individually rather than together and did not discuss the matter among themselves. She said counsel reviewed the contacts and the allegation and found no violation.

Applications for three board positions close April 30

Applications for three Architectural Review Board positions will be accepted through April 30. Staff said applications from the previous recruitment will not carry over, so prior applicants who still want to be considered must submit new applications.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet