Developers of Goleta’s Old Town Village are proposing a few design changes for the already approved mixed-use project, including lowering the height of some units from three stories to two, altering architectural touches and adding a swimming pool.
The city’s Design Review Board took a first look at the redesigned 175-unit project Tuesday, with members congratulating the developers for moving in the right direction.
The board unanimously continued the item until its Feb. 23 meeting — the preferred outcome for developer City Ventures, which hopes to incorporate input to begin site grading in June, according to vice president of development Ben Besley.
He said developers chose to re-imagine Old Town Village with a more “timeless” design late last year after the previous project manager left the company.
All changes stay within parameters of the previously approved project, planner Mary Chang said.
“I think it’s definitely an improvement and headed in the right direction,” said board chairman Carl Schneider, a local architect.
The Goleta City Council voted 3-2 last October to approve the project, which will be built on a 12-acre agricultural parcel commonly called the Page Site, west of South Kellogg Avenue and Kellogg Way.
Council members Paula Perotte and Michael Bennett opposed the development because they either didn’t see an “overriding need” to change Goleta’s general plan or zoning code (Perotte) or wanted to see a hotel built instead (Bennett).
Old Town Village consists mainly of three-story buildings of 113 traditional town homes, 34 live-work units and 28 shopkeeper units.
A community center, pedestrian and bike paths and other green-space amenities are also planned, along with 489 vehicle parking spaces and 56 bicycle parking spots.
In order to gain approval, City Ventures agreed to throw in $100,000 to build a future pathway and bridge connecting the Kellogg Avenue project to Hollister Avenue.
Developers also gave the city 2.5 acres valued at $2.7 million to extend Ekwill Street through to the project.
Besley said developers hoped to incorporate six two-story units to soften the design (mainly at project entryways), increase the distance between two buildings, and consider increasing the size of the community center — recommendations that accompanied approval from the Goleta Planning Commission.
He also proposed relocating the community center, including more gathering space instead of a fitness room, adding a swimming pool, removing roof decks, adding bike storage units, using individual trash cans instead of trash bins, and better organizing parking to more of a central location as opposed to spread throughout.
“You learn a lot in four years,” Besley said of design changes. “The market changes in four years.”
Design board members liked the idea of changing up the architecture to unify while also differentiating the project’s 39 buildings, and even warmed to the idea of adding more paving and furniture to common community space.
They asked the developers to come back with more information on landscaping and lighting plans, and urged the inclusion of even more two-story units.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.