Note: What is shown below is a copy of the original letter, made for this website. It is included here only so that the contents of the original letter can be searchable. (The PDF received from the City is in the form of an image, and so is not a searchable document.)

Planning Commissioners,
CRTP has the following comments regarding building placement, massing and design in the Gateway area form‐based
code, which we understand are the primary topics to be discussed at your 2/11/2023 study session:
 We strongly encourage you to prohibit any kind of garage door from facing a public street. Garage doors not
only create an unfriendly pedestrian environment, they also decrease safety by introducing vehicles directly into
the pedestrian zone and require curb cuts which make mobility more difficult for people using wheelchairs and
other mobility devices, as well as strollers, carts, etc.
 We support a prohibition on parking structures, which are pedestrian‐unfriendly (no matter how much art or
landscaping you slap on them) and an expensive subsidy for car use in what should be a pedestrian‐oriented
area. In the absence of a complete ban on structured parking, there should at least be a prohibition on podium
parking and any other type of structure which does not allow the perimeter to be occupied by pedestrian‐
friendly commercial or residential uses.
 All buildings should have build‐to lines (BTL), and setback requirements ‐ if any ‐ should be minimized. Requiring
a minimum setback with no corresponding maximum setback or BTL would allow buildings to be built far from
the street at low densities that do not support walkability, good public transit, or an engaging pedestrian
environment.
 We support a BTL percentage above 50% to ensure a more vibrant pedestrian environment.
 We encourage you to keep stepback and related requirements modest so as not to place unnecessary
restrictions on density and housing production.
 Previously discussed building facade articulation and massing standards include horizontal variations, which
would be intended to break up boxy or monolithic building appearance. We encourage specifying both
minimum and maximum depths for such features, to prevent extremely deep recesses or alcoves which could
create an unwelcoming pedestrian environment under some conditions, especially if poorly lit.
 We encourage you to consider increasing minimum building height to 3 stories to ensure adequate density. As a
reminder, desired community amenities like high‐quality public transit can only be supported at relatively high
residential densities.
Thank you for your consideration.
‐‐
Colin Fiske (he/him)
Executive Director
Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities
www.transportationpriorities.org