Plans to build a new mixed-use facility at the Northwest corner of the Town Center received preliminary approval from the Design Commission last Wednesday night.

Under conditions of the approval, the architects and developer of the planned structure at the old Safeway on 76th Avenue S.E. must satisfy the revisions requested by the commission and return with an update in about a month.

In addition to the revisions required by the commission, the six commissioners and City Council liaison Dan Grausz expressed a few other concerns with the project regarding its compliance with city codes. Those concerns included a default entailment surrounding the square footage of the proposed public plaza and the loading space that will be provided for delivery and moving trucks.

Developer John Stevens of BRE Properties in San Francisco said vehicle access to an existing driveway that connects the True Value parking lot to the main drag — just north of where 76th Avenue S.E. turns into 27th Street -— will be preserved until that property is slated for redevelopment.

However, designating the 200 square feet of plaza as a road reduces the square footage of the public plaza such that it does not meet the current code requirements.

Stevens assured the commission that the small portion of roadway will become additional public plaza space in the future. Stevens also said the roadway will visually be the same as the plaza, only physically designated as a roadway by bollards. Once the neighboring liquor, hardware and other stores close for redevelopment, the bollards would be removed and the roadway would be gone forever.

Stevens said he made the agreement with the adjacent property owner so that the new development would not choke the businesses by taking away a major convenience for their patrons.

“We agreed with the other property owner not to take away access while it’s still under its current use,” Stevens said.

Jim Bedoia, the architect of the project, now officially named The Arterra, also told the commissioners of a back-up plan should the legal battle feared by the commissioners ever emerge.

“The entire square footage [of the plaza] is much larger than what is required,” Bedoia said, “and we did not do this just to be over the required amount. We did it because we wanted the space to attract a really good restaurant that is going to want to have outdoor seating and serve food and alcohol out there. If we had to, we would scale back the restaurant seating to get more public space.”

And concern went beyond the temporary loss of public space in the plaza.

Councilmember Grausz shared his worry that delivery trucks won’t use the garage and will instead park in the center turn lanes of the roadway, as they often do in front of The Mercer and Island Square, causing traffic problems. Bedoia said the structure’s plans include a double-wide, extra-high section in the garage specifically for delivery, moving and garbage trucks.

That load zone is also adjacent to the back doors of the retail spaces, Bedoia pointed out.

Other revisions required include reducing the height of the stairway house on the roof and reducing its “blocky” look. The commission also wanted improvements in the articulation of the entryway and a list of the exact species and sizes of the plants that will be on the site.

During the official public comment period for the project, the city only received one letter. The two people who signed the letter expressed concerns about the structure’s impact on traffic in the Town Center and the loss of privacy for the homes on the hill to the west.

“It would be helpful if the developers would … plant tall trees or other screening devices to help maintain the character of the neighborhood,” the letter read.

Bedoia told the commissioners the large trees to the west of the building would be a significant buffer between the structure and the residents behind it.

The new development is the first under review with the new Town Center code text amendments that the City Council approved last month.

Foreseeing the code changes, the developer and architects worked with city planners in advance. Despite some initial confusion among commission members, the majority of the commissioners’ comments favored the project.

“This is such the right thing for the city,” Commissioner Carla Weinheimer said. “I hope [the developers] and the city do whatever needs to be done legally to make sure that the driveway won’t be needed when [True Value] is redeveloped. Overall, I’m really excited about this project.”