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March 18, 2025 Page 6 8. Landscaping and Lighting. The applicant has provided a landscaping plan that consists of ornamental plantings around the west and north sides of the building and natural landscape perennial plantings in and around the ponding area. Included in the plan is the requisite number of overstory trees per City requirements. As noted above, there is no foundation planting along the south side of the building. Staff would encourage some additional landscape plantings in the landscape rock mulch area, designed to minimize impacts on underground utilities, and to enhance the building materials/design recommendations noted above. The applicant has provided a lighting plan that relies on wall-pack downlighting on the building’s west, north, and east walls. Parking lot pole lighting (at 18 feet) is shown in two locations, also downcast as required by code. No lighting is proposed for the south side of the property. The photometric plan shows zero foot-candle intensity at all property lines, consistent with city code requirements. 9. Sustainability Features and Other Elements. The R-4 District includes a section suggesting that sustainability features may be factored into the City’s analysis of any R-4 development project. Examples in the code include “. . . charging stations for electric vehicles, storm water treatment and re-use for landscape irrigation, accommodations for sustainable energy provisions, such as roof-top solar or wind, and other measures”. The plans do not include particular notice of these specific features. It is noted that a significant portion of the site (more than 25%) is devoted to stormwater management, and landscaped with trees and natural grasses and perennials, consistent with the City’s natural landscape code elements. Finally, the applicant has provided a sign location in the front of the building, with a listed size of 34 square feet. This would be consistent with the requirements for such ground signs, and will be reviewed under separate sign permitting. CONCLUSION AND STAFF RECOMMENDATION The applicant is seeking approval of a Conditional use permit for a senior housing project in the R-4 zone (assisted living), and two variances, one for setback to the south property line, and another for parking design and supply (surface parking only). Conditional Use Permit considerations relate to the general consistency of the use with other neighboring parcels, consistency with the intent of the zoning district and other site considerations. Although the project proposal includes 34 units, at the top of the density range, the units are designed for assisted living care, which tends to have a much lower resident density, and, usually, no personal vehicle ownership by tenants. This results in a much lower demand for parking spaces, and a very low traffic generation compared to other multi-family projects. For variances, the City’s review criteria are focused on a showing by the applicant that there are unique conditions on the site that create practical difficulties in putting the property to what would otherwise be a reasonable use. For the side setback, staff believes the existing site conditions, including a restricted lot width and existing storm sewer line along the north property boundary create these conditions – it is not reasonable to shift a building 10 feet north, as it would eliminate some necessary feature of the project – reasonable driveway width, sidewalk, and/or landscape area.