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The design for developer Kevin Cavenaugh’s art-inspired 鈥�Fair-Haired Dumbbell鈥� buildings at the Burnside bridgehead wasn’t approved at Thursday’s meeting of the Portland Design Commission, but it wasn’t rejected either.

FFA Architecture + Interiors‘ design received its third review, when projects are usually approved or denied by the commission. But after a spirited discussion, the commission was split and decided to continue the final review on Oct. 15.

Only four members of the six-member commission were present. After two hours of discussion, Chairman David Wark and Vice Chairman Ben Kaiser were still on the fence whether to approve the project that will hold an iconic place at an entrance to downtown Portland.

Commissioner Julie Livingston, however, indicated that she was ready to give her approval and Commissioner Jeff Simpson said he was leaning in that direction as well.

One thing quickly became clear at the meeting, however: The Florentine design that Cavenaugh had copyrighted to use for the building’s skin could not be used. Because it’s copyrighted it qualifies as a sign, which is prohibited by city code, city planner Jeff Mitchem said.

鈥淭he city attorney said the Florentine pattern was a sign, and we threw it out the window,鈥� he said.

Instead, FFA will work with the Regional Arts and Culture Council to find an artist to design an original mural to entirely cover the buildings.

Mitchem said city staffers met last month with RACC’s public art advisory council and approved the acrylic stucco finish over which the mural will be applied.

鈥淩ACC will approve the mural after (the Design Commission) approves the building,鈥� he said.

The project’s design, which won a city competition, calls for two six-story, cantilevered buildings, slightly angled away from each other and joined at every floor level by eight-foot-wide, 30-foot-long open walkways.

The absence of a covering for the top walkway bothered Kaiser.

鈥淵ou’ll have to shovel snow at times, and I think it’s a misstep on Kevin’s part in terms of tenants’ happiness and maintenance,鈥� he said.

Karl Refi of FFA told commissioners that the design had received several minor adjustments since its last review, including removal of exterior exposed columns below the lower bridge.

鈥淲e took a different strategy in how we are binding the bridge to the building and found we could do away with them,鈥� he said.

Refi said FFA also decided to use clear safety glass instead of perforated metal panels on the sides of the walkways and changed the roof panel from an all-around louvre to a flat metal panel.

鈥淭hat’s so we can extend the artwork,鈥� he said.

Commissioners expressed concern about exterior maintenance of a building that will be a work of art, and FFA senior associate Joe Zody said that was also a concern for his firm.

鈥淜evin is on board and will work with the city and RACC to create a maintenance fund,鈥� Refi said. 鈥淗e is also very open to working with an artist and going through the process.鈥�

That process could involve a nationwide search for an artist, he added.

Livingston asked if the art would cover all of the walls plus the roof, and Zody responded that it would.

Kaiser then brought up the percentage of glass in the building’s windows and asked why it seemed to be less than 50 percent.

Zody said he wasn’t sure about the total percentage, but that at the ground level, it’s greater than 50 percent.

鈥淲e have 421 windows and the floor plates are 60 (feet) by 60 (feet), which is only 3,500 or 3,600 square feet,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he depth there is not huge.鈥�

Kaiser also criticized the open walkways because of Portland’s rainy winter weather, but Zody said adding a roof over the top walkway would interfere with Cavenaugh’s artistic vision.

鈥淎s a sculptural image, and putting on a rain cap would interfere with the imagery,鈥� Zody said. 鈥淚t is Portland, and people are used to the rain.鈥�

Zody added that the cantilevered walls will provide a deeper recess at the upper level.

Kaiser asked whether a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating would be pursued, and Zody said it wouldn’t.

鈥淚t’s not LEED certified, but we will make it as energy efficient as possible,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he two (foot) by six (foot) exterior wall is beyond code,鈥� he said.

But Kaiser pressed.

鈥淲e are known for leading in green conservation and this is at the gateway to Portland,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e would ask that a lot be wrapped in that box, but I’m not quite seeing that.鈥�

Livingston said she was not concerned about the inoperable windows and other issues. She liked that the process was being RACC-driven and that Cavenaugh was being flexible, she said.

鈥淲e should all look forward to an art project at the Burnside bridgehead,鈥� she said.

Simpson said looking at drawings of the building without art was like looking at a blank canvas, but he favored conditional approval.

鈥淚’m prepared to vote on the conditions crafted by Jeff (Mitchem),鈥� he said.

Those conditions, Mitchem said, include RACC’s approval of the pattern, which will be selected through a public project, and covenants for maintenance of the artwork.

Wark said the project is a first for the city.

鈥淚t’s unprecedented 鈥� a surreal project,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hings keep clashing, but we are breaking new ground. There is no clear precedent to what it’s going to become over time.鈥�

After more discussion, Zody agreed to return to finish the review on Oct. 15.

鈥淚t sounds like if you voted today it would be in a dead heat and we’d lose,鈥� he said.