Council formally adopts city Design Review Board handbook, asks staff to finish illustrations

City Council approved an updated Design Review Board handbook on June 4, adopting a nonbinding guidance document intended to help petitioners and board members interpret the city’s design expectations. The handbook will be used by the DRB and planning staff to guide reviews of building and landscape design across the city, but council asked staff and the city attorney to finalize clarifying language and add visual illustrations before widespread publication.

Why it matters: The handbook gathers guidance on massing, facades, materials, landscaping and public‑realm treatments so that applicants and board members can evaluate projects with shared expectations. Council emphasized the handbook should not supplant the city code: where text mirrors regulatory requirements, staff was asked to cite the exact code section, and "should" language was preferred to "shall" to preserve council’s and staff’s flexibility.

Council direction and next steps: Attorneys and planning staff will produce a clean final version that incorporates suggested edits, adds code citations and inserts graphic illustrations showing recommended street levels, parking treatment and facade examples. Council asked for an annual review schedule and for staff to publish a final handbook linked to city webpages once graphics and legal checks are complete.

Ending: The handbook passed by unanimous vote. Council directed staff to return with a final, publication-ready version after illustrations and legal citations are integrated.