Architectural Review Board - November 21, 2024

Board recommends 55 affordable homes on El Camino Real

The Architectural Review Board voted 4-1 to recommend approval of a 55-unit, fully affordable rental development at 3265 El Camino Real, subject to conditions addressing garage operation, natural light and exterior materials. The proposal designates 25% of the apartments for low-income households and 75% for moderate-income households. Low-income rents would use targets ranging from 50% to 70% of area median income.

Garage access near Lambert Avenue was central to the discussion, with concerns about vehicle queuing and conflicts with pedestrians and bicyclists. The proposal does not include a dedicated loading or drop-off area in the public right of way. The adopted motion did not require the garage door to be recessed, instead requiring operation in under 10 seconds and audible and visual warnings when the door moves. It also called for consideration of a schedule under which the door could remain open at certain times.

The project relies in part on mechanical parking lifts, whose reliability and maintenance also drew scrutiny. Staff counted 32 parking spaces, while the applicant reported 31. The motion additionally requires natural light in stairwells and the 55-space bicycle-storage area. An ad hoc board committee will review the painted fiber-cement siding, including its material, color, detailing and vertical transitions.

Staff said the revised project had grown from 44 to 55 units after earlier feedback seeking deeper affordability. Public speakers supported its focus on housing for educators, lower rents and transit-accessible location. At the time of the vote, the application was expected to proceed to the Planning and Transportation Commission on Dec. 18, 2024, followed by a City Council hearing targeted for January or early February 2025.

Senior-living project advances with design conditions

The Architectural Review Board voted 5-0 to recommend that the director of Planning and Development Services approve a four-story mixed-use senior-living project at 824 San Antonio Road. The proposal includes 28 homes—15 independent-living units, 12 assisted-living units and one owner’s unit—along with 2,948 square feet of retail space.

The recommendation covers the project’s Major Architectural Review, a parking adjustment and a Housing Incentive Program lot-coverage waiver. The plan has 23 counted parking spaces, compared with 29 otherwise required, plus a loading space that does not count toward parking. A transportation demand management plan addresses the proposed 20% parking reduction. The project also proposes 56% lot coverage where 50% would otherwise be allowed and includes 44 bicycle spaces.

The Board generally supported a revised ground floor that moves assisted-living units upstairs and places dining and other semi-public uses at street level. Members nevertheless sought more work on facade-panel patterns, window and exterior-door configurations, and consistent materials for residential balcony railings. Some questioned whether diagonal facade patterns could cause vertigo or balance problems for senior residents. Those details will return to an ad hoc committee.

The Board also specified that a large transparency screen at the front of the building cannot count as public art. The project must still meet the city’s separate public-art obligation, set at no less than 1% of total building construction cost, through the public-art process. Final action was left to the planning director and was not part of the Board’s vote.

Board seeks circulation changes for Fabian Way school plan

The Architectural Review Board took no formal action on an early design review for converting the commercial building at 3950 Fabian Way into a Girls Middle School campus. Members asked for bicycle parking closer to the school entrance, a bicycle route separated from vehicles and a redesigned sidewalk that does not end in a traffic area before the applicant returns.

The proposal would renovate the existing 32,500-square-foot, two-story building, demolish part of its north end and add an approximately 4,200-square-foot gymnasium. It also includes outdoor learning and play areas, on-site vehicle queuing and 52 vehicle spaces, compared with 38 required. The extra spaces are intended for school shuttles, visitors and overflow parking. The applicant said five school vans carry about 60 students. Records differed on whether the plan includes 44 or 48 bicycle spaces.

The change from office use to a private school requires a conditional use permit. Staff noted that the property is also identified as a housing inventory site with capacity for as many as 88 homes, including 35 low-income and 35 very-low-income units, but said that designation does not preclude the school proposal. Board members also suggested more skylights, broader use of the proposed color palette and further work on the gymnasium’s glazed door and exterior window details. The applicant is expected to revise the design and return for another review.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet