LIVE/WORK OR WORK/LIVE OR ARTISTS LOFTS?
(Time for a mid-course correction?)
On a 3 to 2 vote with Egan and Fisler voting against the project, the Planning Commission last night approved the 34-unit live/work condo project at 1036 and 1042 West 18th Street on the Westside Bluffs as discussed in CM PRESS # 436.
What became very clear during the deliberations on this project is the fact that the City Council may need to provide some guidance to the public, developers, staff and the Planning Commission for future developments on the Westside and especially on the Bluffs.
This project is called a live/work project, but it is really mostly a dense condo project with a few tiny office spaces for professionals such as lawyers or accountants added to a few units.
Although this is a nice project and the CM PRESS is pleased it was approved, we would like to see more artists lofts enter the development pipeline for the Bluffs.
One thing that came out of the deliberations last night was that the developer made a fine line distinction between Live/Work and Work/Live and cited the Live/Work Institute as the source of his definitions. LINK
Frankly, this is not a distinction that CRAC and WROC made, but it may be helpful for the City to consider some of the definitions being used by the Live/Work Institute as a guide for future development of the Bluffs.
Of particular interest, perhaps, is the Live/Work Institute's definition of Artists and the fact that the Institute locates them not in a Live/Work project, but in a Work/Live one.LINK
If the City wants to encourage more artists to move to the Westside, it may want to revise some of its definitions so developers will come forward with projects that truly are lofts and which incorporate lots of large windows, etc.
Here's a LINK to the Institute's 10 truths of live/work planning policy, which should be read by all who are interested in seeing the Westside evolve.
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LHC
Section 78 of the LHC is still cooling down. LINK
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OC REGISTER PUBLISHES PUFF PIECE ABOUT RACIST SCOUT ORGANIZATION
LINK
(Well, it would be called racist if it only had you know whos in it)
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
