by Peter Gauvin
The City Council has enthusiastically paved the way for approval of developer Charles "Chop" Keenan's plans to convert the historic Varsity Theater into a 23,000-square-foot bookstore and espresso cafe. On Tuesday, the Council agreed to change a zoning rule that would allow Keenan to receive two square-footage bonuses totaling nearly 7,500 square feet for his plans to do both a seismic and historic upgrade of the 1927 building. Currently, a 25 percent bonus is allowed for either a seismic or historic upgrade, but doing both does not mean a 50 percent bonus.
In this case, the additional 3,743 square feet, which would be added internally on the theater's mezzanine floor, is the difference between a feasible project and no project at all, Keenan maintains.
The Council members concluded that these were reasonable allowances in order to preserve the building as a downtown landmark. The Varsity is one of only two buildings downtown that is designated on the highest level of the city's historic building inventory, noted Council member Lanie Wheeler.
The Council voted unanimously to have staff members draft an amendment to the zoning rule and, after comments from the Architectural Review Board and the Planning Commission, return it to the Council sometime in May.
There was also general agreement on the Council that a large bookstore such as Barnes & Noble or Borders would be a good anchor store that would reinvigorate the eastern end of downtown. "I think a large bookstore is exactly what downtown needs," said Council member Gary Fazzino. "I would much prefer to have a wonderful bookstore there than another restaurant."
Small, independent bookstore owners were less enthusiastic. "May I respectfully remind you that downtown Palo Alto currently has eight bookstores and more espresso bars and coffee houses per capita than any place in California--and perhaps the universe," Faith Bell of Bell's Books told the Council.
Regarding concerns about parking, Fazzino said there is plenty of unused parking in the Cowper-Webster garage, especially on weekends and evenings, which he believes would be the bookstore's peak period.
@jumphead:Varsity
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