Workshop Schedule
Focus Group Meeting #4
Questions?
Contact:
- Jeff Gamel
- Planner
- (916) 874-6141
- GamelJ@saccounty.net
- Nedzlene Ferrario
- Planner
- (916) 874-6141
- ferrarion@saccounty.net
Focus Group Workshop #4: Design Review Process
On August 4, 2004, 24 people participated in the final Focus Group meeting for the Commercial and Mixed-use Guidelines effort. The group included County staff, developers, design professionals, community representatives and Planning Commissioners. The workshop-style meeting had two purposes. The first was to provide an overview of the Guidelines and using a mock review process by project proponents and the Planning Commission. The second part of the meeting focused on reviewing design review process options.
Mock Review
Participants worked as members of four teams using case studies to explore how understanding context and citing the Guidelines are an effective approach to reviewing and critiquing development proposals. Each team wrote a brief description of the site context, what portions of the Guidelines pertained, and the best design features of their projects. The teams then presented their projects to a mock planning commission hearing. The "commissioners" then reviewed the projects by discussing the context, what the Guidelines had to say about this type of project, and THEN asked a question or made an observation about the planning and design.
Design Review Process
County staff presented three options for conducting design review. The group discussed the best features in each.
- Option 1: Design Review Committee
- This approach adds a Design Review Committee (DRC) to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors public hearing process. The DRC would review projects for their design quality and response to their context.
- Option 2: Expanded Planning Commission Role
- The second option expanded the role of the Planning Commission to include design review activities. This approach would not require adding a public hearing.
- Option 3: Expanded Role for Subdivision Review Committee
- The third approach expanded the role of the Subdivision Review Committee (SRC). The SRC membership would be augmented to include designers.
Best Design Review Features
The participants felt these features were worthy of continued study regarding the design review process:
- Use the SRC for the design review body. They are use to using and interpreting codes and standards.
- The SRC could serve as the pre-application meeting body that reviews project sites for technical and design context criteria to be addressed by the project applicant.
- Explore adding CPAC members to the SRC or work with the proposed community advisory commissions to review projects before they are designed.
