Amador County – The Plymouth City Council last week discussed having an Architectural Review Committee, during a public hearing on new building design guidelines. Ultimately, the council referred the ordinance back to the Planning Commission for further work. Consultant Richard Prima and City Planner Darcy Goulart explained the ordinance, which included the description of the Architectural Review Committee, and how the committee would apply and judge the new city building design guidelines. Prima said “these are a fairly flexible set of guidelines – they are not all requirements.” He said it was something the committee can work with and the city council could establish as its own in the approval process. City Manager Dixon Flynn said the council would be the highest appeal body of the Committee, so “each applicant for a building permit,” could appeal Committee decisions, first to the planning commission then to the council. Mayor Jon Colburn asked what would happen if someone tried “painting half of the downtown pink.” Goulart said planning could go back and research historic colors. Councilman Mike O’Meara said that occurred when people took issue with the color of Incahoots Restaurant, but it turned out “bright yellow is good for the period they were shooting for, believe it or not.” O’Meara said they “should call it a color palate,” but “not make it too restrictive.” Colburn asked how they could emulate the “gateway to the wine country” if commercial development were not covered by downtown design guidelines. Prima said it could be amended and Flynn said they could expand historic downtown standards to the Highway 49 corridor and elsewhere, even city-wide. In public comment, Gary Colburn said “I don’t go along with this setting up a design review board with absolute control” over the color he paints his front porch. Councilman Greg Baldwin said he thought a council member, a planning commissioner and a council-appointed citizen should make up the review committee, so applicants have “fewer hoops to go through and simple projects are not too costly.” City Attorney Steven Rudolph said a council and commission member both would be part of the appeal process. If they sat on the committee, they could not sit on an appeal panel. Staff recommended and the council agreed to create a professional review committee with background in architecture, building and the like, with a member of the public. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).