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The Portland Design Commission on Thursday got its first look at a proposal for a seven-story mixed-use building at 1331 N.W. 17th Ave.

The project is designed by聽GBD Architects to hold six floors of studios, one-bedroom units, two-bedroom units and three-bedroom units. They will be a blend of market-rate and affordable, including 20 percent affordable at 80 percent of the median family income. Also, one live-work unit is expected to be one of the building’s best features, according to designers.

The building will also include ground-floor retail space, 97 parking spots for motor vehicles and 180 spots for bicycles. Keller Holland Pettygrove Investors LLC is listed as the project’s developer.

Plans call for the building to have a floor area ratio of 6.2 to 1 and stand 120 feet tall.

City staffers recommended the project proposal be denied because of concerns about parking and long-term bike storage, but the Design Commission took issue with other elements. The commission sent the project back for further revisions.

鈥淭his is not very welcoming,鈥� Commissioner聽Don Vallaster said. 鈥淚t’s very monolithic.鈥�

Agustin Enriquez, principal architect with GBD Architects, contended that the large brick structure would fit with the character of the neighborhood.

鈥淚 think it is very common in the area to find pretty muscular buildings,鈥� he said.

Vallaster, however, challenged the length of the proposed building, and said it was out of line with the neighborhood.

鈥淎ll the examples you showed were 50-by-100 buildings,鈥� he said, and 鈥渘ot 200-foot-long buildings.鈥�

The commission acknowledged that the neighborhood is changing, but added that while the corners of the proposed structure gave it a strong modern look, other parts lacked definition.

鈥淓verything kind of blends together,鈥� Commission chairman聽David Wark said.

Commissioners also said the windows gave the building too much of a box-over-boxes-over-boxes feel.

One idea that the design team floated was adding more brick to the lower floor.

鈥淭he idea of bringing the brick down was not one that worked,鈥� Wark said.

Commissioners said they believed the issues could be solved with more transparency and composition changes. Special features, they said, should be accentuated.

One aspect that the commissioners had no problem with was the building’s quality. The use of brick siding was something that many of the commissioners found appealing.

鈥淭he quality is there,鈥� Wark said. 鈥淲e are just talking about character and composition.鈥�

The staff report also criticized the curb cuts on two street frontages that reduced windows and active use at ground level.

The staff report also included concerns about the location of the bicycle parking. Staffers expressed concern that its location in the underground garage would negatively impact cyclists by posing real and perceived danger. Relocation of bike parking could address that, they stated.

Designers are scheduled to return before the commission on聽March 9聽with revisions.

Also on Thursday:

Mixed-use building

The Design Commission got its first look at a five-story townhouse project at 1825 N.W. 23rd Ave. Plans call for ground-floor retail space, 64 market-rate units and 55 underground motor vehicle parking spaces and 222 bike parking spots.

The staff report recommended denial due to a number of issues, including stormwater treatment, massing, car entryways and the location of bike parking. There were also concerns about how the building would affect pedestrians’ use of the area. Exterior lighting was another issue noted in the staff report.

The commission was somewhat split on the use of the stucco siding. Some members expressed concern about the permanence and staining of the stucco; however, most commissioners said they believe the siding is a good material that has been used on other projects.

The commission also discussed the location of a utility door and transformer before sending the project back to聽Works Progress Architecture聽for more design revisions.

The project is scheduled to return before the commission on聽Feb. 16.

Ankeny Apartments

Another meeting for the Ankeny Apartments ended with a denial by the Design Commission, by a 5-0 vote. The city staff report had included a recommendation that the proposal be denied.

Developers plan to appeal the decision to the Portland City Council within the next two weeks.

Plans call for a six-story, L-shaped building designed by聽Yost Grube Hall Architecture. It would include 17 market-rate apartments, ground-floor retail space, three motor vehicle parking spots and 15 bike parking spots.

This was the project’s fifth appearance before the Design Commission. The proposal was on the verge of being denied in previous hearings before developers and YGH Architecture decided to make revisions in an attempt to gain the commission’s approval.

The developers made clear that they intend to appeal any denial, but previously expressed hope that they could secure approval by modifying the building height and a party wall. However, the commission made equally clear that it wasn’t comfortable with the design, despite the revisions.