Howard Meadows, an under construction Middle Housing development at Lake Drive just north of Howard <br />Avenue, illustrates our concern. The project consists of 11-fourplex lots, appearing to have 2 on-site parking <br />places each. The planned Safe Routes to School project to be built this summer will prohibit on -street <br />parking on the south side of Howard Avenue. Howard Meadows residents with additional cars will be parking <br />to the north on Rosewood Avenue which is a one -lane County Local Access Road with limited off-site parking <br />opportunities. Eight other nearby streets are also under County jurisdiction with neither capacity nor <br />authority to regulate parking. This and many other middle housing projects in our neighborhoods will likely <br />result in parking conflicts for neighbors just like we have seen on the streets surrounding ECCO apartments <br />off River Road. <br />We request that the City Council direct the City Manager to explore and report to the <br />Council potential solutions to the parking issues in our Neighborhoods as part of the Climate Friendly <br />and Equitable Community Parking Reform process. <br />2. Potential Loss of Commercial Properties: When we asked our neighbors to set goals for the <br />Neighborhood Plan, they placed strong emphasis on having more commercial opportunities, especially <br />restaurants, gathering spots & groceries. They also called for 20 Minute Neighborhoods-- businesses they <br />could easily walk or bike to. However, the staff decision to eliminate the proposed Corridor Mixed Use zone <br />which would have required commercial use on the ground floor leaves the majority of our current <br />commercial properties in the C-2 Community Commercial Zone. This zone allows 100% of the properties in <br />the zone to be residential with no commercial. <br />The economic study included in Sera Architect's River Road Corridor Study showed that economic demand <br />for housing is high and commercial use is low. Without regulation requiring it or some kind of incentive to <br />encourage it, the commercial facilities we currently have may well be replaced by multifamily housing that <br />ironically will create an even greater need for the commercial properties they replace. <br />At the February 20,2024 Council Public Hearing, staff presented proposed code to require that the building <br />frontage for C-1 & C-2 Mixed -Use Residential Developments include either 80% or 60% of the ground floor be <br />used for commercial or non-residential purposes1. We are requesting that similar language be adopted for <br />C-2 buildings in River Road and Santa Clara. We also question why it is important to preserve commercial <br />uses in C-2 when middle housing is a component of a building but not in the C-2 zoned properties in our <br />neighborhoods likely developed at even higher density. <br />We request that the City Council direct the City Manager to conduct a feasibility study to determine <br />how to encourage more commercial services in the River Road/Santa Clara area and report the results <br />to the City Council for your consideration. <br />3. Need for Neighborhood Specific Regulations for the River Road Corridor: We continue to believe that <br />18 <br />