Proposed Framework for Meeting “Significant Community Benefits” Requirement (Municipal Code Section 23E.68.090.E)for Downtown Tall Buildings
The 2012 Downtown Area Plan and Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 23E.68 (Commercial Downtown Mixed-Use District) permit five buildings of exceptional height (above 75 ft. height limit) in the Downtown area. Three residential buildings are permitted up to 180 feet, with one being a hotel-conference center. And two residential buildings are allowed up to 120 feet in height. In order for the City to approve a project to exceed the 75 foot height limit in the Downtown, the City must find that the project provides “significant community benefits, either directly or by providing funding for such benefits to the satisfaction of the City, beyond what would otherwise be required of the City.” -more-