The Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) held a study session on interim design standards for multi-family housing proposals put forth by Senate Bill 35 at its Thursday meeting. The goal of SB 35 is to require cities to approve qualifying multi-family housing projects consistent and objective and design review standards when the California Department of […]
HPRC to go over interim design standards
The Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) will be conducting a study session to review interim objective design standards for multi-family housing proposals eligible for streamlined permitting under recent state law at its Thursday meeting. Senate Bill 35, authored by Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), went into effect on Jan. 1. The goal is to […]
HPRC approves design review guidelines for City Council consideration
The Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) voted to adopt design guidelines to the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan (DHCP). The guidelines will now go to the City Council for approval. The DHCP was adopted in 1990 with amendments in 1992, 2008 and 2009. Principal Planner Suzanne Thorsen said the biggest changes were the adoption of the […]
HPRC to vote on new modifications for Bella Siena
After more than a year of planning and renovation, the new Italian-American restaurant Bella Siena opened its doors in the Tannery Building on June 4. The fine dining establishment has been a hit, drawing a massive amount of five-star reviews on Yelp and filling a space that had been largely unoccupied for nearly a decade. […]
HPRC OKs Accessory Dwelling Unit amendment proposals
Recommendations will next go to Planning Commission The Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) adopted a resolution to approve amendments to the Benicia Municipal Code (BMC) and Downtown Mixed Use Master Plan (DMUMP) related to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations at its Thursday meeting. ADUs, also called secondary or in-law units, are additional units added on […]
HPRC to discuss design guidelines for awnings, balconies and more at Thursday’s meeting
If the recent slate of Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) meetings are any indication, 2018 is shaping up to be the year of downtown design guideline updates in Benicia. That will not change with Thursday’s meeting where discussion topics from last month’s meeting will be carried over. Benicia is in the process of updating design […]
HPRC provides feedback on draft for design guidelines
The Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) provided feedback on the first draft of the new guidelines within the Downtown Historic Conservation District at Thursday’s meeting. Benicia is in the process of updating design guidelines in the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan (DHCP), which was adopted in 1990 to provide guidelines for construction on commercial and residential […]
First Street bakery, coffee shop slated for HPRC design review
Two First Street businesses are slated to arrive in the next few months. Due to their location in the historic downtown, they will have to undergo design review by the Historic Preservation Review Commission at this Thursday’s meeting. The first new business is One House Bakery, an upscale bake shop in the former location of […]
Priority-Based Budgeting presented to HPRC
For the past month, the city has been promoting Priority Based Budgeting (PBB), an economic approach centered around local governments reassessing their priorities to make long-term funding decisions and establish a results-driven budgeting process. The city partnered with ResourceX to assist with the process and created a Benicia Town Hall survey to solicit feedback from […]
HPRC to hear update on downtown historic design guidelines at Thursday’s meeting
Discussions on updating the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan guidelines are moving along, Principal Planner Suzanne Thorsen wrote in a staff report, and a presentation will be provided to the Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) on Thursday for feedback. The DHCP’s design guidelines were adopted in 1990. However, city staff, the HPRC and community members have […]