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BUSINESS CALENDAR C. COMMISSIONER COMMUNICATION DISCLOSURE (REGARDING AGENDIZED PROJECTS) Commissioners Betancourt, De La Torre, Gartner, and Leo spoke with developer, Jim Magstadt, regarding the Village Green project, Item D. WORK STUDY SESSION D. DISCUSSION OF VILLAGE GREEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AT 2833 NORTH BRISTOL Associate Planner Ann Ni gave an overview of the Village Green project which consists of 380 homes: Live/Work, Podium, Townhome and "Great House". Jim Magstadt, representing SunCal Development, provided background on the property assemblage efforts for the site and their neighborhood outreach efforts. Mr. Magstadt introduced Damien Taitano of KTGY Architects who provided a presentation on the current development concept for the site. Commissioner Mill asked how many existing residents of the current apartments would be displaced. Mr. Magstadt responded that approximately 245 families would be displaced and that a relocation plan to assist them in finding new homes is being put in place. He also stated that SunCal will provide a 12-day notice to vacate, will provide relocation assistance, reduced rents, rent-free for the last month of occupancy and priority purchasing opportunities. He also indicated that they are currently discussing options for providing affordable units with the City. Commissioner Gartner stated that he supports the idea of recycling the property, but that the design was, in general, too suburban and tract-house like. He discussed the need for the design to be more urban, more contemporary, suggested the use of more glass in the live/work units. Mr. Gartner also expressed the need to mitigate for the noise and dust generated by traffic on the Bristol Street frontage. He encouraged the developer to create a unique design that is more in character with the high-quality urban projects already under construction in Santa Ana, such as City Place, rather than mimicking the designs found in the surrounding neighborhoods. Commissioner Betancourt affirmed Commissioner Gartner's comments regarding the need for a unique design. She stated that the Bristol frontage, in particular, should have a more experimental design. Ms. Betancourt stated that the design must be of the very highest quality and must stand the test of time, including any building materials that are used. She stated that the entry could have a more inviting shape that could incorporate curving edges rather than the proposed sharp entry edges. She commented that how the project works at eye-level is very important and that details, such as palm trees, which look fine from an aerial view, appear more as poles from the pedestrian standpoint. She stated that the entry needs more lush planting, an entry water element feature and more of a landscape focal point for the park entry and that landscape amenities be designed to take long-range views into account. She suggested that the townhouses could be designed to step back at the corners around plaza areas in order to create more gathering spots on the podium level. She expressed concern with the size of the proposed central park (Village Green area) and stated that it appeared to be too small given the number of units proposed. She commented that she would prefer to see single-family detached homes at the project edges instead of the proposed Great House product. Ms. Betancourt stated that special attention should be paid to floor plans on all units and expressed concern with the design of the Great House kitchens that have the cooktop area facing the wall instead of located in the kitchen island where the cook could face the family. She commented that the bridges connecting the Planning Commission Minutes 2 February 12, 2007