Afternoon, everyone.

This is the Thursday, February the 5th, 2026 Downtown Design Review Board Public Hearing.

May we please have the read uh call to order and the open meetings act.

Thank you.

Welcome to the February 5th, 2026 Downtown Design Review Board Public Hearing.

Specific rules and procedures of these hearings are found in the downtown urban design standards and guidelines, DDRB rules of procedure, and related provisions of Texas state law.

The Downtown Design Review Board requires a quorum of five members to be present and four available for voting.

The following board members are present today.

And Mark Dabney.

Staff present today are myself Laura Young, Brandon Uderbach, Francisco Vega, and Trey Qualls.

Copies of today's meeting agenda and speaker registration forms are provided at the desk near the conference room entrance.

Today's public hearing is being documented by video conference recording, which will be available on the city's website.

To achieve a timely and orderly meeting, the board requests that the following rules of procedure be respected.

Please turn off all cell phones.

Each case will be called in the sequence listed on the agenda, unless otherwise directed by the chair.

All ensuing dialogue shall be directed to the board only.

After the staff presentation, the applicant and other proponents will be asked to speak, and the opposition may then speak.

A completed registration form must be turned in before addressing the board to ensure that your appearance and presentation are officially recorded.

Please state your name and the city in which you reside before addressing the board.

Following the official close of each case hearing, the board will remain in open session to discuss and vote on the item in question.

During this time, no further public testimony or commentary will be allowed unless directed by the chair.

A closed executive session may be held with respect to the posted agenda items to enable the board to receive advice from legal staff.

For additional information on any case on today's agenda, you may contact the Development Services Department by calling 817-392-8000.

And for record, I wanted to mention Commissioner Andrew Blake also just joined our commission.

Thank you.

And thank you for your attention.

Laura, thank you very much.

We appreciate that.

Do we have any announcements this afternoon?

Yes, we have one announcement.

Um by uh let me show you.

Yeah, and uh I do, and I uh am just as excited as last month when I made the announcement to the board.

Uh and I'd like to introduce you to you, the board to uh Cindy Haynes.

I'm sorry, uh president of uh junior achievement of the Chisholm Trail.

And she'll be uh sharing to you all more about JA Inspired Career Expo.

Thank you, Tony.

Hi, so yes, like Tony said, I'm Cindy Hames, uh president of junior achievement of the Chisholm Trail.

We're a nonprofit right here in Fort Worth, and we teach kids how to be um successful in their future.

And if you think back to um how you became to do the work that you're doing, whether you're city planning or whether you're an architect, bill design, whatever role you have, uh even in the public sector, um, our children and our youth need uh inspiration to know what they might want to do as a future career.

And so one of the many things we do at JA is this will be our third annual JA Inspired Career Expo.

We're hosting it on March 4th up at TTI.

They are graciously giving us uh about half of a warehouse, so we have a blank slate to work with.

Um, thanks to the BEC group.

We're designing it uh beautifully.

We won't just have row after row after row, uh, but we have over 1,300 high school students from this area already registered to come to this career expo on March 4th at TTI.

And we have over 50 local companies and higher education institutions already coming.

We actually got um Formula One coming as of today.

Thank you, UTA.

Um, so we're gonna have all sorts of exciting things for the kids to uh expose them and engage them to what some future careers are.

Um, Autobond will have luxury cars there.

Thanks to Tony and his colleagues at the Best Bet Group, we'll have a whole construction zone.

We're gonna have STEM, the Buzz Aldrin Foundation will be there.

Anyway, we're shooting for about 80 exhibitors, so we need about 15 to 20 more.

So I'm asking you, anyone in this room, uh, you, your organization, your company, colleagues, to please join us uh for this very impactful day, helping students think about the sorts of things they can um be and do after high school.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for being here.

Do we have any more announcements?

If not, could we have approval of the January 9th, 2026?

Meeting minutes, please.

Hopefully, we've all read those.

I'd like to make a motion to approve.

Thank you, Tony.

Second.

Second.

Mark, thank you.

Okay.

Mr.

Redima, have they vote?

In favor.

Mr.

Millikan, have they vote?

In favor.

Ms.

Dunn, have they vote?

Mr.

Blake, have they vote?

Favor.

Mr.

Burns, have the vote?

Favor.

Mr.

Fam, have they vote?

In favor.

Mr.

Davney, have the vote?

In favor.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you very much.

U cases.

DG 2026-002.

309 West 7th Street.

I have to recuse myself from this case.

Thank you.

So the applicant is requesting a certificate of appropriateness for the construction of a ballet lane along West 7th Street and a drop of zone along Taylor Street.

And also is requesting the following waiver waivers from the downtown urban design standards and guidelines.

A waiver from the street tree standards to allow non-street trees to be installed.

And B a waiver from the sidewalk standards to allow a sidewalk with a width of 9.24 feet instead of the minimum requirements of 10 feet.

To provide a bit of uh context to the board, the scope of the project is larger than just the streetscape uh improvements.

Um essentially what the applicant is doing with this building is uh renovating it to uh reuse it, and uh the idea is to restore the uh ground floor and all other architectural elements to its original condition.

The image that you can see there on the right is just an exhibit to show how it was uh you know originally uh designed this building.

So um, however, this project was already reviewed and approved by the historic preservation officer.

As you know, when buildings are within our the downtown district and also our historic designated the stricter of the two uh regulations are the ones that uh prevail.

So the historic uh requirements and preservation requirements uh supersede the downtown standards because of the nature of the uh projects.

So uh the applicant will show you some images and all that, but just wanted to clarify that the building itself is not under uh discussion, that there's no need for the problem.

We're gonna focus only on the sidewalks and what's happening uh in both uh sides of the uh on both the streets of this corner.

Um I want to start by showing you some images of the existing conditions.

You can see here in the corner.

Um currently uh we have this traffic lanes here, and we have this traffic lanes here.

Um there's another view from the from Taylor Street from north, looking to south.

You can see again the two traffic lanes, and the sidewalk is uh along this area and all those this area here as well.

Um the applicant is proposing the creation of a drop of sun here along this uh sidewalk and a ballet lane in this uh area.

And what they're gonna uh show you is some improvements they are uh providing to make this walkable uh I'm sorry, this uh um that walking uh experience uh better.

And here's another view that you can see this is the sidewalk under discussion right now.

And um there's just one reason the one uh important item here is the waiver that they are asking for.

The trees is uh they have uh very limited space and also uh there is infrastructure under the sidewalks.

Uh the applicant will uh talk about that more in detail, but essentially they once they build the uh the ballet lanes, they're gonna reduce the width of the sidewalks.

So that's the reason why they're they're uh seeking this waiver to not install street trees.

Um you will see uh in a minute that they are proposing some other solutions in lieu of this uh requirements.

This is another view of the other sidewalk looking on Taylor from south to north is another area where they are planning and creating uh this uh drop off zone.

They will uh relocate designs, and they uh will create some bump outs to uh protect cars and also uh pedestrians and this uh well let me go to this one.

This is this is uh usually uh in side plan showing you the improvements.

So you can see here our West 7th Street, the uh ballet lane they are proposing, and in Taylor Street here, the drop-off zone.

Um I think there was a confusion with the name, but the ballet is over West 7 and the drop-off only so over uh Taylor Street.

The applicant is proposing the installation of pedestrian lights.

Uh, that's something they can do, and they will.

And instead of the street trees, they are proposing some planters that you can see here.

Um along all the facades.

Um they are proposing creating this bump out here and adding the ramps.

Currently, there are there is only one ramp facing uh the west side of uh Taylor.

Let me go back really quick.

Here you see there's only one.

So they're studying the uh adding two.

Uh this project has been reviewing collaboration with transportation development services, and we received feedback from TPW.

They are gonna be uh reducing uh some of the width of the street um and Taylor Street.

I think they're removing, they are using two feet.

Uh the applicant will give you the exact numbers.

But we discussed that with TPW and TDS, and essentially they they saw that that will not cause any issues.

Um, so essentially the waiver for the sidewalks that they are asking for is here.

Um the width that we are gonna have there for the sidewalk is less than 10 feet.

Um in some of the plants, uh the width that they were showing was 9.24.

That's the reason why we added it that way.

But I I think in the most recent drawings that they work with transportation development services, they had to reduce it a bit more, so it's gonna be 7.5 feet, something like that.

Um, but in essence, the waiver is going to be still required because the minimum width for sidewalks is 10.

Now, the good thing is that the minimum walkable area is seven feet, so they have that area.

It's just that they are not gonna have the space that we typically ask for the installation of the street trees and the pedestrian lights.

So that's the reason why they're asking for this waiver.

Um here some of the applicable standards.

All new development and redevelopment shall provide street trees.

That's the reason why we are requiring the street trees.

Uh, and they should be located in the furnishing zone next to the street.

So since they are reducing the width of the sidewall, they don't really have furnishing zone.

That's the reason why they are also asking for this waiver.

Um also again I mentioned the all new sidewalls shall be no no less than 10 feet and have a minimum of seven feet of uh unobstructed pedestrian way.

So what they do not meet is the minimum width for the sidewalks, but they have the seven feet for the unobstructed pedestrian way.

So uh that will not cause any issues for pedestrians walking this area.

Um, and then uh something I forget to mention.

I'm gonna go back to the sidewalk plan.

These uh specific uh drawings shows uh different material for the sidewalk because at the beginning it was proposed to be uh 100% I think brick, but after discussions with uh the transportation team, I think they're gonna uh uh include some uh materials like brick, but it's gonna be also concrete.

And so uh that's still I think under discussion, but uh wanted to show you that it's allowed.

Uh one of the standards is that on all other streets, sidewalks shall be brick, concrete, or a combination of breaking concrete, so that's not a problem.

That's the reason why uh they're not asking for a waiver.

Uh, based on all this information, and again, the applicant will go uh through the details.

Staff is supportive of the application development and recommends approval of the certificate of appropriateness and the associated waiver waivers, subject to the applicant coordinating with staff and DFWI regarding the streetscape improvements.

The reason for that, and I just forget to mention this.

I'll go back to the side plan is because as you can see here, they're also proposing the outdoor seating.

So they're still uh evaluating how it's gonna look like, but essentially they will like to have some outdoor seating in that area that I just uh marked right now.

Um also they are you're still designing, for example, the planters and where what type where the brig is gonna be, where concrete is gonna be.

They have a good idea about how it's gonna look like, and they will show you all these renderings.

But uh that's the reason why we will like to still continue working with them.

If they are still in conversations with the engineers, and anything has to change, we will like just to be involved in those uh updates to the plans.

But it looks like the project is pretty much uh, you know, 100% design.

Um does the board has any questions for stuff?

Quick question, please.

What is the difference between the ballet drop-off on Taylor and the valet lane on 7th Street?

So my understanding is that here in the drop of zone is more like a service uh area where somebody's gonna just drop someone to enter here.

And in the ballet lane, you can actually park here and stay there all the time.

That's that's my understanding.

Is that correct?

Yep.

Oh sorry.

Can I can we have that up again?

Yeah, okay.

Yeah.

Yes, yeah, I'm sorry.

Anyone else want to get it?

Yes.

Yes, that's me.

Hello, everybody.

I'm Samantha Garbarino.

I'm with Bennett Partners, the architect, um, design architecture records, um, working with our clients on this project.

Um, just to explain the difference, your question towards the valet lane and the drop-off.

Um, just to explain, on um on West 7th in front of um the oil and gas building.

This is a drop-off unloading zone at the moment.

There isn't any actual parking here.

It does start once you get in front of the style telegram.

So we're kind of utilizing that drop-off area to be the valet lane for the hotel.

On the the Taylor Street, again, this area doesn't have any on street parking, is a dropping unloading zone.

What we're utilizing this one with is is we have service to this hot um hotel on this area, and then also the entrance to the event space is on it.

So this is just a literally drop off, it's not an organized valet line.

It's we're just utilizing that drop-off area.

Um, and adding the additional um bump house to help protect those people when they're being dropped off.

Um we'd like to um add energy to the corner of the street.

Um the plan is is to have like an inside-outside bar here, and that's why our clients are looking to do some seating out in that area, and that's why we're looking again to kind of um protect the area.

We're not taking away from any of the drive-through lanes.

Um the lanes on Taylor Street existing are um wider, they're both 12-foot lanes.

The other side of West 7th, um, Taylor Street is only 10 foot lanes.

So that's why we're taking a little bit away from the sidewalk and a little bit away um from the drive from the existing drive lanes on Taylor.

I hope that explains.

A little bit clear.

And then one other thing on the street trees, um, just to kind of point out on Taylor side, the building, like many of the old buildings in Fort Worth, its basement actually comes out pretty much to the curb line.

So we have no ability to plant trees on that side.

On the other side, there is a lot of infrastructure right there, and there is like maybe one small little location for a tree.

Um, and that's why we're kind of we're gonna do as many planters as possible and try and soften up um that side of the street.

Is there any other questions or yes?

Actually, um, so you you mentioned the uh the desire to have seating on the corner outside along the sidewalk, and I saw I think a yellow dotted line.

Uh suggesting the location of that.

Uh and it is there a is is the request.

I I'm not clear how that fits within within their waiver requests.

Uh at this time we're not asking.

Obviously, we we we'll be doing a sidewalk cafe application for that.

At the moment, we're not requesting that that will come in as a separate application.

We're still we're trying to work with all the utilities, all the new utilities and everything to understand exactly how much space we will have out there, and obviously to make sure that we still have the clearances that we need for this for the sidewalk for pedestrians.

Okay.

So that that will come separately, just like the signage one will come separately.

Thanks.

I have questions, but you have a presentation you're planning to get for.

Um yes, I can scroll through.

Uh this zoom back out a little bit.

Obviously, um the oil and gas building, it was originally an office building.

Um it's been mostly vacant for quite a while.

Um, and it's kind of a little dead zone on that area right opposite the Fort Worth Club.

Um, our clients are coming in to do um uh boutique hotel here.

We also have can't say at the moment who it's gonna be, um, but there are other amenities.

There will be a spa and wellness um area too in the hotel, a pool deck, um, and there's a vent space on both the basement level and the first floor level, and there's a restaurant and bars and all sorts of things that are going to go on there.

So um the hope is to really like bring life back to this corner.

Um they are doing historical tax credits, both state and federal, so we do have that extra layer um to make sure that we're doing the right thing by the building um for those tax credits.

We are lucky that we have um historical construction documents.

Most of them are as the building is, but there are some um some things that we're going through, and that and hence why we're not doing a full thing to the to the point on the street cafe, because we're still um trying to uh locate things and we're still working with Encore for the electrical service to this.

Um, but we will be replacing the kind of 1980s facade on both the first and the second floor um and putting it back pretty much the way it was um in the original construction drawings.

Um so um this is the and as Francesca mentioned, we have HCLC approval for our COA.

Um we are reinstating where the original um on the very original drawings were the entry was into the building.

We're coming back in with um limestone and a granite base on both the um Taylor and um West 7 streets.

Um we do have a service door.

This is one area where we won't be replacing back with the storefront, and then on the corner, we're having these operable pivot windows um to allow for the bar to have some inside space, but from the exterior, because we're working with um Texas Um Historic and also with an MPS.

The building has to look like there really isn't a bar there.

Um we are adding some canopies.

They you know they are basically trying to just draw a little bit more attention to to the building.

Um shading-wise, the building sits in the shade quite a lot of the time, so um, and we're the hope is that some of the landscaping may be um be able to grow up to that, but we're still kind of working all through that.

Um so this kind of gives you sort of some idea of um how that elevation will change um from the existing both on West 7th and on Taylor.

There is going to be a rooftop um restaurant that we are adding a structure, but the view of it is very minimal, and we just added that um for um HDLC to just see um but that THC has also allowed us where it's pulled in away from the host from the building's existing um parapet line, so it's very hard to see.

It's only that one spot on just outside Burnett Plaza that you might get a glimpse of it.

Anyone have any questions?

Um what are the you know the travel lanes are changing a little bit on the street?

Is that right, or do they remain exactly the same in the valet?

Area cuts only in to the existing sidewalk.

So on West 7th, we are not changing the through lanes at all.

Um it's just that now you have that added um protective bump out.

Um like at the moment, there's there's parking on the opposite side of Taylor to the west.

There's there's on street parking there.

Like I said, there was a loading on um drop-off and unloading zone right in front of the oil and gas building, and then further on in front of the Star Telegram bar building that is on street parking.

We're not affecting the through lanes, all we're doing is just protecting where our drop-off will be.

And then on Taylor Street, we are adjusting the through lanes, um, but they will be 11 foot lanes, like I mentioned, they're 12 foot at the moment.

We're just ceiling two foot from there.

But as I mentioned on Taylor Street on the opposite side, they're only 10 foot lanes.

Currently, on Taylor, there is part, there's street side parking on the west side of the street.

Correct, and that is staying.

Okay.

Yeah, we're not affecting that.

Can you zoom in on that?

Okay.

I this is those existing on-street parking.

There was no on-street parking on this side.

This was just a correct unloading zone.

Right.

Uh I'm super excited.

I'm a neighbor.

That is a dead corner.

It's not pretty, it needs help.

I'm super excited.

However, Kama, I have a question.

Uh-huh.

Right.

Uh-huh.

Is a bus.

Yes.

So what's gonna happen there?

Um, when we were talking with TPW about that, there's enough room in front of the bus to the traffic light for the bus to once it crosses over to the, you know, past our bump out, there's enough room for the bus to maneuver.

Um so there was talk of maybe doing striping on the road on that side to just when the buses aren't there, is just to kind of show that that's really not a drive lane, um, and to help protect the parking that's on that side too.

Okay, thank you.

Um, it's outside of our property line and our control, but you know, our clients are willing if we if we need to go over and stripe that, then to kind of help.

That's and that's kind of what the our engineers are working through with TPW at the moment with our IPRC um application.

I think one of the most common requests we get, um, and I really dislike it, is that people don't want to put in the trees they're supposed to put in.

And you know, uh there are other people who design around it and they put them in the trees, and it's a standard for a reason.

And uh, but all the time we get people to come in and say, hey, we don't want to put in trees.

So I guess my question to you is why can't you put in trees?

Um we would like to put in trees.

We just to be perfectly honest, the small amount and area that we could put a tree.

Um not so sure whether it would survive.

Um, obviously, with the north facing side of the building, and that's why we're taking a little bit longer to make sure that the landscaping that we put in the planters is the right vegetation that it's going to survive.

Um on the Taylor Street side, um the building pretty let me just pause on that.

I guess so.

On the seventh side, there are trees up and down seventh, right?

But there are no trees in front of your property.

There's no tree.

You're not actually changing the width of that seventh, correct?

No.

And so you guys could put trees in there.

Um the problem is is there's a there's a lot of infrastructure underneath the ground.

But the utilities maybe that's why I'm saying there is just there is one small area right here where um we could we could technically plant a tree.

I I think also at the risk of of putting words in your mouth.

I believe you said something about uh a basement extent.

Yes, where is where's that?

On Taylor Street, our basement comes pretty much out to where the existing curb line is.

It's it sticks out over nine foot six from um from the building.

Also, right here is a very large encore electrical vault.

These other kind of dark patches, and I could probably go to the um to the civil drawings.

Just bear it with me.

So this is um this is the existing what's there at the moment.

So our on um Taylor Street, the building pretty much comes out to the curb line, the basement does, all the way until you get kind of right here at the corner.

Um, this is a large encore vault.

This is a vent um coming up from the basement.

So is this vent?

So is this vent?

This is a stormwater inlet here.

Um obviously we have the traffic pole here, which is that's where I'm like the saying there's like a small area that we could um plant where we're um where we're kind of bumping out here.

There's a small area here, but as you can see, there's some water lines, and there's also some, I think there's some data stuff here as well.

So there's this like one area plus if I go to um what we're proposing.

Um this is where um working with the city, this is where the um Mains water and meter um wants to be placed, and then we have the auxiliary water that comes in for the um fire suppression is also here too.

So it's that corner is very busy, and again with the ADA ramps as well required.

Um we've we just kind of are very limited on on space there.

Is and then obviously there is a possibility to be out to put trees right here, and that's pretty that's really another only another kind of area of location where we we could drop trees in, obviously integrating in with the um street lights, but that's something that I would have to talk to our clients because they do very much want to do the planter side of things.

Um, but I'm not sure um lightwise how much um sunlight a tree would get there because it's north facing, it's in the shape from both tall buildings on both sides of the street.

What about um could you scroll back up on this page?

What about the new bump out on Taylor?

I don't know if you looked at what the AC did when they built uh a valet lane, right?

They dedicated the back end of the valet lane to an area that that you know has trees and other vegetation.

I mean, there's we it would be possible if we didn't have the basement going out underneath uh.

I mean, we would end up having to build above ground planter for have enough dirt for the tree to have for its roots.

Um and then that becomes an uh you know a cyber obstruction, which I know in other areas of the city they're trying to limit those above ground planters that's already built in.

Yeah, uh the basement pretty much goes all the way to the parking garage.

Um and pastor, as I see in the renderings if you go take us through the renderings and I see the planters and it's it's a good remedy to that, I think.

If we take a look at the ready uh the renderings along with and tailoring, I see the planters.

So we're we're we're planning, and and our client does very much want to have vertical, we're not just talking about little shrubs.

They do want to go kind of as as vertical as possible with the planting.

Um like I said, at the moment, we're we're still working through with um you know what exactly that plant material is gonna be.

But we can't require you to have planters, right?

Well, maybe maybe that's a question for Francisco as part of the COA.

So no, the requirement is the street trees, and whenever we have this infrastructure issues and all that, we work with the applicant to try to find a uh a solution.

Um in this case, I will say is one of those cases that we have been evaluating the project with transportation development services and uh with TPW and a group uh of people uh engineers tr looking at this project and they are very limited on the space.

The re we explore other areas where to install the trees, but we have seen those uh situations around downtown where they died because of the the shade and the conditions and all that.

So when they decided to add the planters that we thought that it will be a good idea, uh but yes, they are not requiring just something they are doing.

But can we require it as part of the approval of the waiver?

Everyone wants to use the sidewalk for different purposes, right?

And so again, we have applicants that come in here all the time.

We want to do sidewalk seating, or we want to do this or that, and you know, it often comes at the expense of you know putting in trees, you know, where they're required.

And then we have lots of other people who are doing projects downtown, and they just complain comply with the standards because that's the standard.

And so my concern is that you know, uh if there are things that they're working around here, I really do understand that, right?

You know, you can build, you can't put a tree on top of an encore vault.

Yeah, I I get it, right?

Um, but boy, it would be a real shame to just you know waive the tree requirement and yes, and in the future it turns out well, actually they decided it they decided against planters because they have a preference for not doing planters, um, which you know could happen if we don't you know have some requirement.

And so boy, I'd really love to if the answer is we're not gonna do trees, so we're gonna do planters instead.

I'd love to tether the waiver to you know doing the planters.

Yeah, uh tree coring me if I'm wrong, but I think can that be a condition of the approval.

And make that a condition of an approval.

Um conditions just have to be geared at trying to meet the the standards and guidelines.

So yeah.

And that's why we recommended to continue working in that because that way we can ensure uh that they uh do make some improvements to the to decide walks.

We're gonna need to not define planter, but the size, the gallon height, the I mean, how deep does this go?

I would I would personally lean in the direction of avoiding that kind of specificity if we go that direction at all.

Yeah, yeah.

I think just saying that with the condition of installing some sort of landscape enhancements around the building will be enough for us to take action on this project.

I didn't mean to derail the presentation.

Oh, you you're not wrong.

There is one for the BC in the exact location.

On the corner, um, I think you're too total, isn't it?

They've made it about five years so far.

Um but uh but also I realize you know they want to hold their project up with you know imposing one tree on there if they learn at the last minute that it's physically impossible.

So I don't know how to thread that needle.

Um I agree with that.

I'd be fine, you know, approving with uh landscape enhancements.

They can end up putting in a tree, great, and if they go with the landscape enhancements, great.

And we can update the board uh late in a later day once this has been resolved.

They also the certificate of appropriateness always estates what has been approved, subject to what, and they and then we add a note saying how we'd remedied that solution, that condition.

So if the board states that subject to the condition installing planter, we add that to the to the stamp plants and to the definition of the description of the approval.

I would just like to say staff will work hard to make sure that there is a substantial landscape there as possible.

Planters will be as big as possible, as much planting will be as big as possible, and that's what we'll be looking for.

If we can't come to an agreement, if there's just a gallon pot set out there, then we would bring it back saying that we couldn't agree.

Great.

Thank you.

It sounds like also there is a desire, Paul.

Are you saying there's a desire to put a tree there if it is feasible?

Is that right on the corner?

Yeah, I think if they can.

I agree.

So I wouldn't want to lose sight of that.

Um but also I'd don't again don't want to disrupt progress here toward that end.

And also it's it's a great uh when we're designing uh design standpoint.

It's a great opportunity for the design team to come up with creative solutions and how maybe design to plant two is how it integrates with the facade of the building.

This is another challenge that we need to overcome, and I think it's exciting for designers to do that, right?

And just trying to balance with balance too, you know, make sure it's feasible and all that too.

So any additional questions for the applicant.

Thank you very much.

We have anyone else who would like to.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Melissa Konore representing the downtown Fort Worthink design review committee.

Um, we are very supportive of this project.

Um we office across the street from this project, and it's been a vacant building and underutilized for a very long time.

Um you probably know that this the standards call for us to enhance the pedestrian realm and environment.

So we take waivers very seriously when it comes to street trees and infrastructure related to that.

Our goal is to enhance the public realm and the pedestrian experience.

Um, and that interface between the building edge and the sidewalk is critical to uh us as staff and in terms of enhance uh making sure the standards are withheld are held up to.

Um so drop off, safe drop-offs, ballbouts, all that is a little outside of the purview of the DDRB.

You guys are kind of from the sidewalk toward the building edge, the street piece and how that functions is really regulated by TPW.

We staff um make sure we talk to TPW to make sure what's being proposed on the sidewalk works within the street right away.

And so lane widths and parking, we are about making sure we are maximizing the utility of that street in terms of function and for the pedestrian.

I just want to make sure you understand that there's a lot of back of house that happens before you get here.

Um in addition, our east-west streets are pretty infrastructured up.

Many of you may have um experienced that.

That's partially because our north-south streets have a lot of basements because of old buildings.

So before we get here, we are working with the applicants to ensure.

Are you sure you can't do a street tree anywhere?

You know, I mean, I just want to make sure that you understand the given the questions today, the level of energy that goes into working with an applicant before you even see something is pretty uh robust um a conversation.

So we don't take any of this kind of waiver stuff lightly at all.

So D FWI's design review committee is very, very supportive of the project.

Um we also weighed in on the historic uh renovation and provided recommendations to HCLC staff with respect to the building facade.

Um with and I know signage will come back later.

Um are there any questions for me?

I do what are the comments on the canopy along Taylor and what are your thoughts on it?

I I mean it's again it's HCLC, they're getting historic tax credits from the state.

Like I, you know, it seems perfectly someone from a historic standpoint is looking out for that, so we don't have any concerns.

There are canopies along seventh already at the Neil P and other buildings, so it seems in keeping with the rhythm of the street, and just not an issue.

Did anyone on the D FWI board mention about it?

About the canopy.

Okay.

Oh, sorry, one other thing.

When we talk about the street trees and the and the need not to have them, and when you compare it to a site like AC or something like that, it's because they were able to put a street tree there, right?

Like that there was no infrastructure, there was no problem to get in the way, and so that tree was planted.

So we do look at other um projects and try to ensure that we're we're in we're thinking about the standards across the board and and it and and making sure every applicant is um adhering to those same standards if they can accommodate things.

So I just want to make sure you know that.

And then to the extent that they're not, we are obviously asking about planters and what other greenery or enhancement can you put in its place to ensure the public realm is enhanced.

So it's my concluding correctly then that your assessment of the prospect of a street tree at that corner on 7th Street is realistically impossible.

Yes.

I'm trying to refine our our language here.

Okay, thank you.

Any questions for me?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Do we have anyone else who would like to speak in favor of this application?

No.

Okay.

Thank you.

If not, do we have anyone to speak in opposition to this application?

No.

The public hearing is closed.

Discussion by the board, please.

I'm super excited.

That's all.

No objections.

I I would like to hear Paul's thoughts on language regarding uh planners.

Uh, however, Melissa's testimony was very helpful there in clarifying that that was something that was vetted and and it sounds to me anyway, like that should not be part of our motion at all.

Yeah, I'll I'll I would make a motion.

Um if uh if there aren't other comments that folks want to make.

I'm good.

Um, so I'd I'd move to approve the certificate of appropriateness for the construction of a ballet lane along West 7th Street and a drop-off zone along Taylor Street.

Um grant um uh the following waivers from the DUDS uh standards and guidelines.

Uh one, a waiver from the sidewalk standards to allow a sidewalk width of 9.24 feet instead of the minimum required of 10 feet, and two uh waiver from the street tree standards to allow no street trees be installed, provided that applicant install landscape and have enhancements such as planters acceptable to the city.

I'll second.

Okay.

We have a motion and we have a second.

Do we have any further discussion?

If not, will you please call for vote, please?

Perfect.

Mr.

Ridam, how they vote in favor.

Mr.

Milliken, have they a vote?

In favor.

Ms.

Dunn, have they a vote?

Favor.

Mr.

Blake, have the vote?

Mr.

Farm, have the vote?

In favor.

Mr.

Dobney, have the vote?

In favor.

Motion passes 60.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for coming here.

Okay.

Next case.

DG20 26003 at 1305 Waterman Street.

Yeah.

Just for the record, Andrew Blake is walking probably to the res room.

He will be back in a moment.

Request a certificate of appropriateness.

The applicant is requesting a certificate of appropriateness for the construction of a new single family home and request the following waivers from the downtown Norman Design Standards and Guidelines.

However, from the building high massing orientation and setback standards to allow a roof pitch with a design that is inconsistent with those predominantly found on the block, waiver from the building material standards to allow building envelope container home in parentheses that is inconsistent with those traditionally found in the district and see a waiver from the sidewalk standards to install a five-foot wide sidewalk instead of the requirement of a seven-foot wide sidewalk.

For reference, the DDRB review and approve this case back in January.

Something very interesting happened.

And so he wanted to start with one to the right because he wanted to see how the board felt about a new project like the container home and you know, based on that, continue with their uh with their business.

Well, uh it looks like the exact same day this board approved the case, somebody else started the purchasing process and they reached out to me right after the public hearing.

So they actually bought the property.

Um so the applicant knowing that immediately bought the property next to it.

And so we're presenting back this case was exactly the same.

They haven't changed anything.

It's just that uh for transparency of how we uh do this reviews and everything.

We do not grant approval just because you know they move to another property or anything like that.

That's the reason why we're coming back to you.

But again, uh the project is exactly the same.

Uh the location is uh the other property is here, and this one is next to it.

Um the applicant is the is proposing the construction of a single family home with that container uh design.

Here's the the design again, and the waivers are related to the uh design of the roof uh the materials because this the envelope is a container home and C for the sidewalk.

We discussed that uh in these uh residential areas, the sidewalk typically is five feet, so that's the reason why the applicant would like to build uh a five foot instead of a seven foot.

Whenever we have multi-family buildings, we want to see the seven foot, like just the previous one with the oil and gas building.

Um so here are some of the standards.

And uh since then the applicant has worked with staff and they have a revised version and they hear your feedback and they made some adjustments to the facade that he will show you in a moment.

But uh we have been working with uh the applicant, so we are recommending approval of the certificate of appropriateness and the associated waivers.

Are there any questions for staff?

So basically, the neighboring structures are the same that they were a month ago.

Yes, that's correct.

Thank you, Francisco.

Any questions for Francisco while he's still up there?

Would the applicant like to speak, please?

And welcome back, sir.

Good to see everyone again.

Well, this is Michael Stearns, owner of Truly Yours property group, uh requesting the certificate of appropriateness for 1305 Waterman Street.

And so one of the things that Francisco mentioned is is what happened on that same day.

But we had also been targeting the adjacent lot with 1305 Waterman Street, so we were able to get that under contract and move forward accordingly.

Uh since then we did take the DDRB, uh working with staff and Francisco to implement some of those recommendations uh that we initially got back in January as far as extending the porch infrastructure to align with the window in the corner of the building.

The to adjust the railing uh so that instead of wrapping around the columns, it is attached between the columns based on the recommendation.

the porch infrastructure to align with the window in the corner of the building the to adjust the railing uh so that instead of wrapping around the columns it is attached between the columns based on the recommendation um adding some this area adding some other materials to the front facade uh and deciding on on what the best application would be in working with staff uh adding a more prominent uh front door facade front entry facade and then also uh taking the uh recommendations for landscaping elements and being able to give you an idea of kind of what those elements could look like what the opportunities for landscaping uh to make sure that facade is uh um following the the the r b recommendations and also making sure that it fits the the neighborhood and the surrounding areas okay thank you very much questions of the applicant please anyone speak in favor of this application please tfw i design review committee remains supportive of the project thank you thank you melissa anyone else to speak in favor of this application if not do we have anyone to speak in opposition to this application no the public hearing is now closed discussion by the board please we like the changes the updates and uh taking it into comments and applying it in it looks great I just put it out there have friends that are looking for a container home so and it's it's looks great and I would definitely recommend that this is once it's built ask them to take a look at it if you could send me that rendering Zon can share with my friend so thank you for coming back making changes and coming back to us so quickly yeah sorry I'd like to make a motion to for approval okay we have a motion for approval do we have a second no second okay we and Rue second yes okay so thank you very much could we have a vote please perfect Mr.

Rudem how the vote in favor Mr Milliken have the vote in favor Ms.

Dunn how the vote in favor Mr.

Blake how they vote in favor Mr.

Burns have the vote favor.

Mr.

Fyme have the vote favor.

Mr.

Dovney have the vote in favor.

Motion passes unanimously thank you thank you very much.

Good luck hopefully this property won't be sold out from under yeah so thank you okay very good our next meeting is actually four weeks from today on March the 5th so look forward to seeing everyone that time and of course we have Valentine's day before that so everyone celebrate appropriately and with that I'm calling the February 5th meeting adjourned.

So thank you.

Thank you