The DRA LUC reviewed the proposal for a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) at 1620 Blanshard Street. A number of comments and concerns were raised by Land Use Committee members. these included:
Surface parking lots are not an approved use in the downtown.
The proposal to demolish an existing commercial building, which already provides surface parking, to create a parking lot, does not constitute any public benefit to the downtown community.
If the TUP is approved, what certainty does the community have that this project won’t sit idle for another 6 years? And once the 6 years have passed, what becomes of the property?
It seems that the developer is looking to side step their commitments under the Master Development Agreement. There are simply no provisions for altering the use outside those specified in the MDA.