With the interests of the Planning and Design Commission and with the City Council.

So staff after that meeting on in September incorporated the comments of the Commission.

We returned to the Commission on October 22nd, had further discussion at that time, and then the commission voted to forward the work plan to city council for adoption.

So to make a long story short, the city council adopted the work plan this past Tuesday, January 19th.

So we'll look forward to working on those items during the new year and reporting back to the commission at a future date on the progress of the work plan.

And that's all that I have for the director's report.

Thanks.

Any questions for Station?

Okay.

The first item on our agenda tonight is the 40 acres placemaking rooftop sign.

Ready on that one.

Yes, thank you, Vice Chair Plecabom.

My name is Sean DeCorsi, Associate Preservation Planner with the Community Development Department, and I'm pleased to present the 40 acres placemaking sign project.

Staff recommends the Planning and Design Commission review the project and pass a motion approving the use of a sequel exemption for accessory structures and approve the site plan and design review and conditional use permit entitlement for installing a rooftop sign on the historic Lewis building, which is listed in the Sacramento Register as both a landmark and contributing resource to the Oak Park Historic District.

The site plan and design review portion of this project and the sequel exemption were reviewed by the Preservation Commission on December 16th.

That commission passed a motion recommending approval of the project by the Planning and Design Commission.

The proposed project would erect a 30-foot wide by 11 foot tall rooftop placemaking sign with yellow neon tube letters at the corner of 34th Street and Broadway.

The sign is proposed to face northeast, set back 10 feet from the building's parapet, mounted to the roof of the building, commonly known as 40 acres.

The project site is a 0.54 acre parcel within the general commercial zone and the Broadway Stockton Special Planning District.

The parcel is currently developed with two separate buildings, a two-story mixed-use building with ground floor retail and residential units on the second level, originally known as the Lewis Building, and the separate Guild Theater Building at 2828 35th Street.

Both buildings were constructed in 1915 and rehabilitated by the St.

Hope Development Company in 2003 when the site became known as 40 acres.

The Lewis building is currently occupied by five tenants, including a restaurant, barbershop, a cafe, a gift shop, and a bookstore.

Your report includes analysis that reviews the project against the relevant plans and policies for this parcel.

Staff concluded the placemaking sign is consistent with the 20 city's 2035 general plan goals and policies, the Broadway Stockton Special Planning District, the Oak Park Historic District Plan, and the Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Staff received two emailed comments from neighbors who requested more information about the project and a follow-up email from one of those neighbors requesting the hours of illumination be reduced to limit the light impact on her dwelling across the street.

Staff considered these comments in consultation with the applicant and provided conditions of approval that would minimize the effect of light on surrounding residences and businesses by limiting the hours the sign could be illuminated and restricting the temperature of the sign to 3,800 degrees Kelvin.

Compliance with these conditions would be verified during the planning and inspection process.

On Monday, staff received an additional email comment raising objections to the proposed sign, citing similar issues associated with light and impacts on adjacent properties.

The email also raised issues related to gentrification in North Oak Park and noted the sign might exacerbate that perception.

The comment letter has been circulated to the commissioners as supplemental material to your staff report.

This concludes my presentation tonight.

I do have a representative from the ownership group, the St.

Hope Company, who would like to say a few words about the project.

And then we also do have the applicant or the architects for the project in attendance who are available to answer any questions but do not have a formal presentation.

So with the uh vice chair's uh permission, I'd like to turn it over to the representative from the ownership group.

Please go ahead.

Hi, thank you.

On behalf of St.

On behalf of Saint Hope, thank you, planning commissioners and staff for considering this project and for the opportunity to speak on on its behalf tonight.

We do not want to miss this opportunity to express just how important this project is to us.

My name is Adrian Hall, and I am the chief administrative officer for Saint Hope.

Having worked for St.

Hope for nearly twelve years, I've also had the privilege of living many of those years in Oak Park myself.

The mission of Saint Hope is to revitalize Oak Park through public education and economic development.

Saint Hope is often most recognized for the public education portion of our mission, which began more than thirty years ago and still continues today.

However, the Forty Acres Complex on Thirty Fifth Street and Broadway launch the economic development portion of our mission.

In two thousand three, Saint Hope completed the renovation of the Woodruff Hotel and Guild Theater, which was overrun by violence, drugs, and prostitution to create what is now known as the Forty Acres Complex.

And has become an impressive cultural gathering place.

Revitalizing this mixed use space on a key intersection of Oak Park has completely transformed the neighborhood and served as a much needed catalyst for the rebirth of new uh development and businesses.

One of our favorite questions when touring the complex is why is it called 40 acres?

The naming of the 40 acres complex was very intentional because it serves as a historical reminder of the post-civil war special order dated on January sixteenth, eighteen sixty-five, that promised 40 acres of land to recently freed slaves.

The sign will not only be a reminder and conversation starter for that broken promise, but also serve as a reminder to the past, present, and future residents and visitors of Oak Park's rich history of diversity and inclusion.

Through much thought and research, we believe the sign meets the integrity of the neighborhood, and it is our own intention that the sign will in essence preserve the history of Sacramento's oldest neighborhood.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Ms.

Hall.

We're gonna uh I know we just got started.

We're gonna take a brief uh recess.

We're having a little audiovisual issue.