86 Third Street Project, Downtown Los Altos. View from the North Parking Plaza. The current design is now with more traditional elements including simulated horizontal limestone veneer.
The current plans for the three story 86 Third building in Downtown Los Altos, having passed through City Council approval last May 28, and some tweaks back in the Planning and Transportation committee are now almost through all the hoops. There is one more of those hoops on Oct. 3. There will be a Planning & Transporation Committee meeting which shows off the new exterior materials – simulated limestone with subtle horizontal lines — a change which P&T previously requested. The staff report says this exterior treatment creates a more “traditional look.”
Some the earliest concepts for the project had a more cubic modern design. The project now has slants roofs, big eaves, and cream brick, a contemporary but traditional look. Lalahpolitico: The orginal more modern design might have attracted a younger buyer. This traditional design elements will appeal to the more mature buyer. But that is already who lives in this area, so that is probably for the best.
86 Third Street Project, drawn next to the existing brick colored condo building in Downtown Los Altos. The City Council’s move to required street level, pedestrian view renderings is helping neighbors and the public accept proposed projects.
The City Council and Planning and Traffic Commission have extracted significant developer concessions through the course of the review process
1. Affordable housing units were made large enough to handle households with a child or two: one 2-bedroom, 1-bath unit; one 3-bedroom, 2 -bath unit.
2. Electric charging stations were added for 20% of the garage parking (underground.)
3. Jon Baer asked that one of the office units be n0n-medical in order to ease the impact of the project on parking in North Plaza and on Third Street.
4. Originally set back only 2 feet from the street, the final project has much more generous setbacks.
Staff report for Oct. 3, 2013 P & T meeting.
http://los-altos.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=67&meta_id=35501
