Staff Conclusion on Civic Arts Building Flawed
— by Jeffrey Wisniewski — 3 July 2008 — Comments Off
The Civic Arts Building is currently on City property zoned as “Public Park.” In evaluating the request for a conditional use permit, City staff has concluded that the “development of a commercial restaurant is consistent with the Public Semi-Public-Park land use designation.”
However, the conclusion seems potentially flawed (emphasis added below)…
First, the general plan states that “other public and semi-public uses associated and compatible with recreational use of a park may be allowed by use permit.” A restaurant that operates after the posted closing time of the park (dusk, as shown on park signs), does not constitute as “associated and compatible” with the recreational use of the park.
Second, the general plan states that the “FAR [floor area ratio] in this category shall range from 0.10 to 0.40 with a typical FAR of 0.25.” However, the staff concludes that the “FAR for the Sala Thai restaurant is 0.087 (the building floor area, 2,059 square feet / 23,522 square feet, the lot area = 0.087).” Simple rounding brings 0.087 to 0.09, less than 0.10, and far, far less than 0.25.