Item 4 - PH/Ord. on Kaufman Hse - Laserfiche WebLink

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Kaufman Senior Center Page 2 Special Area Zone Response to Public Testimony It is not acceptable to the city to deem "Administrative, General, and Professional Office" and "Scientific and Educational Research Center" uses conditional in the Kaufman Special Area Zone. To do so would compromise the mission of the project by subjecting EECA and potential future buyers to a costly, time consuming and uncertain land use process. This risk would cause the city to abandon the Special Area Zone process, likely leading to an empty building and split R-2/R-3 zoning on the site with the potential for high density residential infill in the garden area. The Applicant still believes that because of the review processes that apply to every new use or occupancy, even outright permitted uses receive a significant amount of review and consideration. Any change in use will require new analysis of parking requirements and an adjustment if code standards can't be met. Any change to the exterior of the building or garden will require Historic Alteration review. And, importantly, all new uses will have to comply with applicable building code standards, effectively limiting the available space within the building and the types of uses likely to locate there. The following text briefly responds to comments contained in the JWN letter. JWN comments are in italics and responses are in plain text. The Applicant wishes to provide clarifying information with regard to items 3 and 4. 3. The d-WN supports special area zone uses, identified in Table 9.3610, that support the continued use of the Kaufrnan Center as a senior center or those uses permitted in the underlying R-2 zone. The only use necessary for the continued operation of the Kaufman Center as a senior center is the designation of "Community and Neighborhood Center" as a permitted use. As explained above, it is not tree that the "Community and Neighborhood Center" use would cover all likely EECA partners needed to assure their financial survival. 4. The dWN objects to the following office uses as "permitted" uses: "Administrative, General, and Professional Office" and "Scientific and Educational Research Center. "JWNproposes that these uses be subject to a conditional Use permit. a. These additional uses are not necessary for the operation of a senior center, but have been added as permitted uses to facilitate sale of the Kaufman Center in the future. As explained above, the additional office uses are necessary to allow EECA sufficient flexibility to meet their financial obligations. In addition, a reasonable list of permitted uses is necessary for any future lessee or owner to make financially feasible use of the building. b. Staff asserts that the Kaufman Center property will not sell if&ese office uses are not "permitted" uses. City staff believe &at designation of&ese uses as conditional will "make the property impossible to sell" The immediate reason to allow a flexible use list is to facilitate use of the building by EECA and their potential partners. In addition, a conditional use designation for office