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The Portland Design Commission on Friday got its first look at a proposal for an 11-story, mixed-use complex at 1500 S.W. Taylor St., and agreed with city staffers’ recommendation to send the project back for revisions.

SERA Architects is working on the project with three development groups 鈥� Molasky Group, Trinity 3 Investment and Langley Investment Properties.

The proposal calls for 146 apartment units, 80 vehicle parking spaces, 219 bike parking spaces and two loading spaces. Also, ground-floor retail space is planned.

The primary concern for both design commissioners and city staffers is that the building would lack activation and pedestrian use at the ground level. Kurt Schultz, a SERA Architects principal, said that plans call for a fitness center that would be open to public membership. The project team’s hope, he said, is that the fitness center and a 10-foot setback from the property line to add sidewalk space would help increase activity.

鈥淲e spent a lot of time (focusing) on the first floor and what it adds to the neighborhood,鈥� Schultz said.

The idea of including a fitness center is 鈥渧ery reasonable,鈥� commissioner Tad Savinar said. He also complimented the plan to include larger sidewalks.

Commissioner Julie Livingston praised the designers’ decision to create a canopy covering the sidewalk, but was less certain about the placement of balconies primarily on the corners of the building.

鈥淭he balcony placement was primarily based on the unit types that wanted them,鈥� Schultz said.

Livingston questioned the need of the balconies from an architectural standpoint.

鈥淚 get that from a program perspective, but I don’t think it’s helping the architecture,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think there is a better way to make the decision architecturally about where these balconies live.鈥�

Ground-floor entryways also became a target. The building’s main entry is planned near the intersection of Southwest 15th Avenue and Taylor Street, and accentuated with a glass canopy and floor-to-ceiling glazing. But design commissioners questioned its size and whether it would provide convenient access to pedestrians.

They added that pedestrians wouldn’t have enough places to stop, view the surroundings, socialize and rest.

Design commissioners spent a large amount of time examining the location of the ground-level garage door. They agreed with staffers that a better solution is needed to address glare from vehicles’ headlights.

Though the Design Commission took issue with some aspects, it generally supported the concept proposed by the development team. The project will be refined and brought back before the commission on聽Feb. 9.

Also on Friday:

Mixed-use proposal approved

The Design Commission followed city staffers’ recommendation and approved plans for a seven-story, mixed-use building at 1015 and 1033-1039 N.W. 16th Ave. The building will include 128 studio-size residential units and ground-floor retail space. The total floor area ratio (FAR) will be 4:9:1.

No parking is planned by the project’s developer, Koz Development, based in Snohomish, Washington.

The only condition the commission added was to lengthen fiber cement panels in horizontal bands between floors so that fewer breaks would occur.

The proposed building was approved by a vote of 4 to 1, with two commissioners abstaining. Final findings will be published in about two weeks.