06.25.20 City Council/Planning and Zoning Commission Joint Workshop

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City Council Meeting Minutes June 25, 2020 Commissioner Moore stated that we made an attempt to simplify our code and is also concerned if we make too many barriers which may create challenges. People are seeking a slower way of life when people use to walk and bike and not have large structures with a number of cars. Would suggest more green infrastructure in our design standards. Mayor Hughson stated we are not looking to create barriers but to define our standards. There was general consensus to include green infrastructure and sustainability. Council Member Baker noted that the idea of design excellence has been mentioned. He asked if we could have a clear policy statement about the type of architecture we want, what design excellence means to us, and what can we do to incentive those standards? Also, looking at the corridors, how we can use the height scale and massing on the approach to and from the downtown areas and to highlight local historic landmarks? Mr. Winter acknowledged the statements. There was consensus by the Council and the Commission that we need an overarching statement of where we want to go with these design standards, that we want to pay tribute to our town, and emphasize what is already here. Commissioner Spell noted that the design standards from 2012 were set to be very broad and very simple and the consequence is that it did not give enough direction about what we want to see. We now have new priorities. We need to be more specific in what we've already discussed. Commissioner Haverland is concerned that we might have such constrained guidelines that we cannot be flexible in future development. We can address that when we receive the report. Mr. Winter stated that we have both design standards and designs guidelines. Standards are the baseline requirements and guidelines offer flexibility using alternative compliance that is already in the code. A basic project follows the standards. He's hearing that we need more restrictive standards as the baseline. Good intent statements and the vision statement will be placed into the guidelines that will allow for creative solutions which meet the intent which is a stronger sense of connection with the historic nature of downtown. Commissioner Moore noted that we attempted to simplify our code and fears that creating so many barriers will take us back and have the opposite effect of what we wish to have. The sense of connection and historic downtown is good. City of San Marcos Page 11