| | Published November 6th, 2013
| Terraces Shrinks, Waiting for Clarity
| | By Cathy Tyson | | |
It is unclear where the developer is headed with the Terraces of Lafayette project. At a recent Design Review Commission meeting, representatives of O'Brien Land Company did not officially abandon the land use application for the 315-unit version of the project, but expressed interest in garnering feedback for a significantly revised 208-unit proposed project. Project manager Dave Baker agreed that the process is confusing and the "details need to be worked out."
When the original proposal for a 315-unit complex was presented, it garnered a fair amount of negative feedback from commissioners in late September. At the Oct. 29 commission meeting, representatives from O'Brien took to heart the negative comments from their last go round and introduced a new re-vamped preliminary iteration that reduces the number of units by one-third, from 315 to 208.
Acknowledging that the original 315-unit project is a "non-starter," Baker discussed a revised version that shrinks the number of buildings, changes the layout and embraces a number of other suggestions design review commissioners made last month. He invited citizens to talk about the design of the project, and specifically asked for feedback.
As the meeting wrapped up, the commission needed to make a decision on the original building application for the 315-unit project. They unanimously voted to reject that proposal, due to their inability to make the findings to recommend approval to the planning commission.
However, procedurally, the developer is still pursuing the official application of the larger 315-unit concept, though it will surely be denied. It's not uncommon for any project to go through revisions, and Baker said they plan to move forward to find something acceptable.
Architect Norm Dyer outlined how they had responded to concerns and suggestions, presenting a summary of plan changes that included 10 items, from reduced unit count to increased green space and minimized grading that conforms more closely to the hillside.
Pointing out a list of positive new design attributes, commissioner Ken Hertel was cautiously optimistic about the initial look of the more petite project, although he, along with other commissioners also suggested facets that had room for improvement. There was general agreement among the design review commissioners that the process should be re-started focusing on the new, smaller version.
To check out physical models of the proposed project, visit the Terraces of Lafayette Information Center in the Clocktower building, 3569 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite E, near Francesca's; open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA