HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-11-21 Architectural Review Board Agenda Packet
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=================MEETINGS ARE CABLECAST LIVE ON GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 26======================
Thursday, November 21, 2013
REGULAR MEETING - 8:30 AM
City Council Chambers, Civic Center, 1st Floor
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
ROLL CALL:
Board members: Staff Liaison:
Lee Lippert (Chair) Russ Reich, Senior Planner
Randy Popp (Vice Chair)
Alexander Lew Staff:
Clare Malone Prichard Diana Tamale, Administrative Associate
Robert Gooyer Amy French, Chief Planning Official
Elena Lee, Senior Planner
Margaret Netto, Contract Planner
Clare Campbell, Planner
PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS
Please be advised the normal order of public hearings of agenda items is as follows:
Announce agenda item
Open public hearing
Staff recommendation
Applicant presentation – Ten (10) minutes limitation or at the discretion of the Board.
Public comment – Five (5) minutes limitation per speaker or limitation to three (3)
minutes depending on large number of speakers per item.
Architectural Review Board questions of the applicant/staff, and comments
Applicant closing comments - Three (3) minutes
Close public hearing
Motions/recommendations by the Board
Final vote
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. Members of the public may speak to any item not on the
agenda with a limitation of three (3) minutes per speaker. Those who desire to speak must
complete a speaker request card available from the secretary of the Board. The Architectural
Review Board reserves the right to limit the oral communications period to 15 minutes.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
November 7, 2013.
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
AGENDA
City of Palo Alto Page 2
AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS. The agenda may have additional
items added to it up until 72 hours prior to meeting time.
NEW BUSINESS:
Preliminary Review:
1. 777 Welch Rd. [13PLN-00417]: Request by Stoecker and Northway, on behalf of The Board of
Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University, for a Preliminary Architectural Review of a
proposal to demolish a 3,046 sq. ft. building of a larger 14,142 sq. ft. three-building complex
and construction of a new three-story 11,724 sq. ft. building for a new overall total of 22,820 sq.
ft. Zone District: MOR (Medical Office and Medical Research).
Minor Review:
2. 4190 El Camino Real [13PLN-00338]: Request by Kevin Stong for minor board level
Architectural Review to allow the construction of a new 3,024 sq. ft. service building for
McLaren/Volvo in the Service Commercial Auto Dealership ((CS)(AD)) zoning district. This
item is continued to the regular meeting of December 5, 2013.
Major Reviews:
3. 2209-2215 El Camino Real [13PLN- 00396]: Request by Karen Kim on behalf Tai Ning
Trading & Innovations Co. for Major Architectural Review of a new 8,560 sq. ft. three story,
mixed use development on a 5,392 square foot lot to replace an existing 3,803 sq. ft. restaurant
and retail use. Environmental Assessment: Exempt from the provisions of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines Section 15332.
4. 500 University Avenue [13PLN-00391]: Request by Thoits Brothers Inc. for Major
Architectural Review to allow the construction of a new 26,806 sq. ft. three-story office and
retail building in the CD-C (GF) (P) zone district replacing the one-story 15,899 sq. ft.
commercial building. Environmental Assessment: Exempt from the provisions of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines Section 15332. This item is
continued to the regular meeting of December 5, 2013.
BOARD ITEM:
5. El Camino Real Guidelines Discussion
BOARD MEMBER BUSINESS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
REPORTS FROM OFFICIALS.
Subcommittee Members: Alex Lew and Randy Popp
SUBCOMMITTEE:
6. 1400 Page Mill Road [13PLN-00188]: Request by Hanover Page Mill Associates for ARB
Subcommittee review of project details pertaining to the west facing building facade for an
City of Palo Alto Page 3
approved project for a two-story 86,925 sf commercial building with below and at-grade
parking on behalf of Leland Stanford University in the RP (Research Park) zone district.
Environmental Assessment: A Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared in accordance with the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was adopted for this project.
STAFF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW:
Project Description: Proposed signage within an existing cabinet located on the north elevation of an
existing office building
Applicant: Brooke Wilson
Address: 310 University Avenue [13PLN-00385]
Approval Date: 11/6/13
Request for hearing deadline: 11/19/13
Project Description: New four foot tall fence in front of the restaurant
Applicant: Ambjorn Lindskog
Address: 2363 Birch Street – Bistro Elan [13PLN-00397]
Approval Date: 11/6/13
Request for hearing deadline: 11/19/13
Project Description: Installation of two halo-illuminated brushed aluminum channel letter wall signs
Applicant: Patrick McCormick
Address: 390 Lytton Avenue [13PLN-00386]
Approval Date: 11/6/13
Request for hearing deadline: 11/19/13
Project Description: Review of 10 foot tall, approximately 790 gallon, liquid nitrogen tank & enclosed
fence
Applicant: Sayed Rizvi
Address: 3788 Fabian Way [13PLN-00400]
Approval Date: 11/7/13
Request for hearing deadline: 11/20/13
ADA. The City of Palo Alto does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations to
access City facilities, services or programs, to participate at public meetings, or to learn more about the City’s compliance
with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), please contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 650.329.2550 (voice)
or by e-mailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org.
Posting of agenda. This agenda is posted in accordance with government code section 54954.2(a) or section
54956.Recordings. A videotape of the proceedings can be obtained/reviewed by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (650)
329-2571.
Materials related to an item on this agenda submitted to the Architectural Review Board after
distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the Planning and Community
Environment Department at 250 Hamilton Avenue, 5th floor, Palo Alto, CA. 94301 during normal
business hours.
A.~~ .. W
Agenda Date:
To:
From:
November 21, 2013
Architectural Review Board
Elena Lee, Senior Planner
Architectural Review Board
Staff Report
Department: Planning and
Community Environment
Subject: 777 Welch Road [13PLN-00417]: Request by Stoecker and Northway for Preliminary
Architectural Review ora proposal to demolish a 3,046 sq. ft. building of a 14,142 sq .
. ft. three building complex and construct a new 3 -story 11,724 sq. ft. building for a total
of 22,820 sq. ft. Zone District: MOR.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff requests the Architectural Review Board (ARB) conduct a preliminary review of the proposed
proj ect and provide comments on the design to staff and the applicant. No formal action may be taken
at a prelinlinary review; comments made at a preliminary review are not binding on the City or the
applicant.
BACKGROUND
Site Information
The subject site is located on a 70,381 square foot (sq. ft.) site on the south side of Welch Road'
adjacent to the Stanford Hospital and Clinics and other nledical buildings. The property is developed
with three single story medical office buildings with a total of 14,142 square feet of floor area. The
buildings are connected by covered corridors. The three buildings are occupied by primarily dental
businesses, as permitted in the Medical Office and Medical Research (MOR) zoning district.
Vehicular access to the site is current provided by a driveway from Welch Road on the northwest side
of the property. Parking is located at grade along the perimeter of the site, with one row of parking
adjacent to the east side of the building. Landscaping is provided at the front of the site and along the
perimeter of the buildings. The site is located south of the recently constructed 800 Welch Road
medical office building and the recently approved companion medical office building to be located at
780 Welch Road.
Proj ect Description
The applicant is proposing a two phase project. However, the intention is to move forward with Phase
I initially. The applicant's preliminary plans include the demolition of the front 3,046 sq. ft. one story
building of the complex. The first phase would be to construct a new 3 story, 11,724 sq. ft. building at
the front of the property. Each floor would be dedicated to on.e individual tenant. Roof access would
be provided only for mechanical equipment, located towards the west side of the building. The parking
area along the Welch Road frontage would be reconfigured to accomnl0date accessible parking.
Page 1 of 3
However, the remainder of the parking lot is proposed to be maintained as existing. The northeast
comer along Welch Road would remain available for emergency fire truck access.
Phase two would include replacement of the two remaining buildings located at the interior of the site
with one new three-story, 23,400 sq. ft. building. The first floor of the building would be dedicated to
parking, including the use of parking lifts. The remainder of the surface parking area would then be
reconfigured to accommodate the additional parking requirements and landscaping. Additional
landscaping is also proposed around the Phase I building, along with new paving. The parking along
Welch Road would be better screened by additional landscaping. Phase II would propose to enhance
the landscaping both around the new buildings as well as the parking lot.
The Phase I and II buildings are proposed to be similar, with a strong emphasis on the horizontal and
dark earth tones. The lobby and primary entry to the buildings would consist of a structural steel
glazing system with spandrel glass bands. This entry feature would be located near the northwest
portion of the site for the Phase I building. The buildings would also feature stained IPE wood siding,
painted cement plaster and an aluminum glazing system. The two buildings would be connected on the
upper levels by a glass corridor above the primary lobby area.
The conceptual plans provide context in site plan, floor plans, three dimensional renderings, elevations
and building sections to assist the ARB review. The applicant had received planning entitlements for
two previous proposals, but the owner chose not to pursue either project. The formal application for
the project will be subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Architectural
Review Board review. Comments from City department staff have been forwarded to the applicant for
consideration. The ARB's feedback will be used to inform the applicant and staff on what is expected
for reviews of the formal applications and other miscellaneous permits, in accordance with the
requirement of the Municipal Code.
DISCUSSION
Zoning Compliance
The placement of the buildings would meet the required minimum setbacks. The MOR district
requires setbacks of 50 feet for the. street frontages and ten for the interior side yard. Parking is also
placed a minimum of 10 feet away from the front property line as required. The buildings appear to
meet the 50 foot height limit. The Zoning Code does allow utility or mechanical features to exceed the
height limit by not more than fifteen feet, which this project does include. The current maximum Floor
Area Ratio (FAR) for the site is 0.50: 1. The buildings for both phases would comply with the
Municipal Code. Phase I would result in an FAR of 0.32: 1 or 22,820 sq. ft. Implementation of Phase
II would bring the site closer to the maximum with an FAR 0.50:1 or 35,124 sq. ft.
Parking
Per the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC), 22,820 sq. ft. of medical office use would require a
minimum of one space per 250 sq. ft. or 92 total spaces in the MOR zoning district. The applicant is
proposing to provide 96 stalls. However, at least two existing stalls do not conform to Municipal Code
size requirements. Two accessible stalls are being relocated from the east side of the building to the
Welch Road frontage.
Page 2 of 3
Design and Compatibility on Welch Road
The City has within the past few years approved a redesign of Welch Road as part of the Stanford
Medical Center project as well as new buildings within this area, including 780 and 800 Welch Road.
780 and 800 Welch Road buildings were designed to complement one another in terms of materials
and color, setting a pattern for the area. The constructed and approved building materials for those
buildings included concrete, curtain wall windows, terra cotta panels, limestone, wood decking and
metal panels, in a lighter color palette. An important component of both developments was the
treatment of the ,parking facilities. The applicant, Stanford University, requested the use of landscape
reserve to defer meeting the full parking requirement per PAMC Chapter 18.52.050 (b). The parking
facility was also designed to be located primarily to the rear of the site or located within a below grade
garage. These approaches allowed significant amount of landscaping to be planted along the front of
the site, within the 50 foot front setbacks which would have other wise been developed with parking.
The currently proposed project is distinctively different in its treatment of parking at the front of the
site and design approach to the building. Minimal changes are proposed to the parking in both phases
as parking still is proposed along the perimeter. The design treatment includes a darker palette with a
greater emphasis on horizontal elements. Although, it should be noted that the proposed colors and
building materials would serve to tie the new building with the existing buildings that would renlain in
Phase I. This is a concern shared by Stanford University. The applicant has provided street views of
the proposed building and the adjacent medical center buildings for context. Staff requests ARB
feedback if these same standards and design approaches should be applied to this project for both
Phase I and II.
City Department Comments
The plans were routed to other City departments for review and the written comments provided are
included in Attachment C. Based on the preliminary plans provided to staff, the most significant
concern was provided by the Urban Forestry Division, Public Works and Utilities. The primary
concerns are the storm water treatment of the site, including the installation of bio-swales, during both
phases and landscaping.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
No environmental review is required for a Preliminary Review as it is not considered a project under
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Project Description*
Attachment B: Zoning Compliance Table
Attachment C: Development Plans (Board Members Only)*
* Prepared by Applicant; all other attachments prepared by Staff
COURTESY COPIES
Cynthia Munoz: Cynthia@stoeckerandnorthway.com
Prepared By: Elena Lee, Senior Planner
Manager Review: Amy French, Chief Planning Official
Page 30f3
777 Welch Road Attachment A
Design Narrative
The proposed building is a contemporary design with an emphasis on horizontal' lines and massing that
makes use of thick monolithic wall forms to define the different parts of the building. The building
provides a strong presence along Welch Road with the intent of a future Phase 2 building tying into this
structure on the south side. A conceptual Phase 2 design is reflected in this package for reference.
The main portion of the three-story building houses office space for medical and dental office suites.
This mass is anchored on the east and west ends by thick plaster wall forms with bands of glazing
alternating with horizontal sections of sustainable ipe wood siding. Eyebrows over the windows and
bands along the base of the building further emphasize the clean horizontal lines desired on this main
building mass.
The lobby core, which was designed and sized with a future Phase 2 in mind, is defined by a thick L
shaped wall/roofline that steps down and back from the main portion of the bUilding. Full height glass
facades on both the north and south sides are intended to provide a bright and elegant feeling to this
public core.
The east and west ends are anchored by more solid forms that further step down and back from the
main building and house the toilet room core and secondary exit stairs. These forms are punctuated by
a playful arrangement of smaller windows that let natural light into these functional spaces.
The color palette consisting of natural buff and gray-green colored cement plasters, smooth metallic
finished dark bronze horizontal bands and window frames are intended to complement the clean and
elegant natural colors of the new hospital buildings that will be surrounding this project.
The landscaping incorporates plants that are drought tolerant, low maintenance and low on allergens.
There is a layering of plantings that tell the story of the seasons with some plant selections providing
rich fall color and others providing bright spring blooms. The future Phase 2 work will allow for an
increase of the perimeter landscape buffer and provide opportunities for sitting areas that building
inhabitants can use.
An open walkway is developed between the new building and existing one-story buildings to the south,
which will be retained upon the development of the future Phase 2. Phase 2 is conceived to be a two
story building over parking on-grade. The connection between the two buildings would be through a
glassy bridge that connects into the lobby of Phase 1. The same types of materials and use of thick wall
forms with horizontal bands will allow the two buildings to blend together harmoniously with each other
and with the surroundings.
Stanford University has provided their comments and concerns regarding the proposed project and we
have included a copy of those comments for your review. We would appreciate the ARB's feedback
regarding their concerns.
September 13, 2013
Dr. Jim Cox
The Dental Plaza LLC
777 Welch Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304
)
Stanford University
Re: 777 Welch Road-Dental Plaza Design Submittal
Dear Dr. Cox:
)
As you are aware we have been working through the review of a new building design for The Dental
Plaza with your architects Cynthia Munoz and John Northway of Stoecker and Northway Architects. The
project as we understand it will be to demolish one of the single story buildings and construct a three
story building on the Welch Road side of the property (Phase 1). The remaining single story buildings
would be removed and replaced with a larger building provided financing is available (Phase 2). At this
time we are unable to approve the design as submitted. However, in the spirit of cooperation we have
signed the City of Palo Alto's Development Review Application to allow the project to be submitted for
preliminary ARB review. Attached are our architectural comments for the project which have not been
resolved to our satisfaction. Also attached are environmental questions and requirements.
In addition to these comments we are seriously concerned about the conditional commitment to
complete the 2nd Phase of this project.
We look forward to the opportunity to review a modified design after your preliminary ARB hearing.
Thank you.
Very truly yours,
a~ 4f3ajr-r-j:. -~
Leonie F. Batkin
Director, Asset Management
Cc: Cynthia Munoz and John Northway, Stoecker and Northway
Amy French, Chief Planning Official, City of Palo Alto
Land, Buildings and Real Estate""3160 Porter Drive, Suite 200N Palo Alto, CA 94304
Stanford University
EXHIBIT A
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW
Subject: 777 Welch Road, Palo Alto Dental Plaza Renovation Re-submittal
Comments and recommendations
We very much appreciate the response to our previous comments; however, we still find the
current proposal to be an inappropriate design solution for this site. We provided design
drawings for several of Stanford University Medical Center's recent and under-construction
projects including: The SU School of Medicine's 780 and 800 Welch Road Medical Office
Buildings, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Expansion, and the New Stanford Hospital. We
asked that the architects study the 777 Welch Road design in the context of these new projects,
which will establish an important new tone for the Medical Center district. The hope was that the
777 Welch Road design team would look for possible synergies and formal relationships with
these other projects. Unfortunately the updated package of drawings has remained, in many
essential ways, unchanged from the prior submittal.
We still feel that this proposal is unsatisfactory and appears to look too much toward the past
rather than the future. The building design is a bit dated looking, but more importantly, the
approach to site planning is unchanged from its current condition: an island of buildings
surrounded by asphalt. All of the recent Medical Center projects have employed a new paradigm:
minimizing paving, maximizing outdoor amenity space, and utilizing attractive landscape areas as
the gesture of the entry sequence. We believe strongly that the natural landscape is a character
defining element for Palo Alto and Stanford, and that it plays an especially significant role in the
healing process for the Medical Center's patients, staff and visitors. We've provided specific
comments below which, it is hoped, can be thoughtfully addressed.
Land, Buildings and Real Estate 13160 Porter Drive, Suite 200 1 Palo Alto, CA 94304
T: 650.724.47151 F: 650.724.5059
Stanford University
1. Massing:
a. The current proposal creates an overly imposing impression along Welch Road.
with a minimal setback from the street edge (featuring parking lot) and the
building constructed to its maximum allowable height in this area.
I. Consider stepping the building down as it approaches the street edge;
constructing Phase One as 2-stories above grade, and Phase Two as 3
Stories above grade (with parking below grade).
1. This would be more consistent with the new Lucile Packard
Children's Hospital Expansion and the new Stanford Hospital
(both currently under construction).
Ii. Consider simplifying the maSSing of Phase 1. Currently, there are 4
different floor plan areas which are each expressed in a different
massing, fenestration and materials: office, lobby/restrooms, north stair
tower, and south stair tower. All of this stark differentiation actually
makes the building seem larger than it is.
1. See the design of the new Stanford Hospital parking garage
(further south on Welch Road), which is a much a larger building
with a much simpler massing and fenestration approach.
iii. Consider eliminating expression of vertical fin elements (in green
stucco), and simply expressing the building in pure volumetric forms.
1. This would be more consistent with the all of the new buildings
on Welch Road.
2. Base Condition and Entry
a. The building crashes into the ground, with no differentiation of the ground level
from the upper stories.
i. Consider modifying the treatment of the ground level to express a "base"
that is comfortable and enjoyable for pedestrian circulation.
1. This would be more consistent with the expressed base
condition featured at the new 780 and 800 Welch Buildings -
which utilizes a change in plane as well as a change in material
and fenestration.
Ii. Consider a safe pedestrian path at the perimeter oUhe building
(especially after Phase Two), which provides safe access to the building
entry from all surface parking locations.
iii. Consider alternatives for embellishing the building entry for improved
patient/visitor wayfinding and a more welcoming entry experience (e.g.
Introduce a canopy or awning)
3. Fenestration
a. The window pattern at the stair towers is distracting and foreign to the rest of the
composition.
i. Consider simplifying the window pattern in order to be more consistent
with the rest of the proposed window types.
Land, Buildings and Real Estate I 3160 Porter Drive, Suite 200 1 Palo Alto, CA 94304
T: 650.724.47151 F: 650.724.5059
, , )
Stanford University
4. Material and Color
a. The proposed material palette seems quite dark and more consistent with older
buildings on Welch Road.
5. Parking
i. Consider replacing the window systems with a lighter color aluminum
finish (e.g. Champagne, Clear-Anodized, etc.)
ii. Consider replacing the "Sandalwood Tan" plaster color with a warmer
value (e.g. Tan, Cream, etc.)
iii. Consider reducing the amount of the dark IPE Wood (e.g. as a highlight
material near entries and public portions of the building, rather than a
primary siding on the office block).
a. Consider eliminating the at-grade parking between the street and the building,
and replacing with an outdoor amenity space featuring landscape/hardscape
improvements to support the building program. The current proposal has the
parking area so tight to the building, that the corner of the building must be
wrapped in bollards for protection at the building entry.
1. This would be more consistent with the "green belt" concept
featured at the new 780 and 800 Welch Buildings.
b. The current proposal features an at-grade parking lot in Phase Two, with 2 levels
of office above. This creates an unattractive fa(fade and a confusing
disconnected entry experience.
6. Landscape
i. Consider locating the parking below grade, and reducing the overall
height of the building.
a. The Tree Species being proposed are quite small, even when full-grown.
i. Consider species that have a larger canopy, in order to weave better into
the scale of the building.
b. Provide location and details of:
7. PhaSing
i. Bike Parking (ideally located near main entrance)
ii. Site Lighting
iii. Surface material (e.g. lawn, mulch, shrubs, etc.)
a. The current proposal constructs Phase One at the front of the site (adjacent to
Welch Road), and Phase Two a mere 10' away, creating an extremely narrow
but tall exterior corridor between the two buildings. This is not only a strange
exterior condition but also an unfortunate leasing condition, as there will be 3
levels of tenants whose suites look directly into each other.
i. Consider increasing the distance between the two buildings, thereby
creating a more comfortable exterior and interior condition.
ii. Consider constructing Phase One at the rear of the site, and stepping the
massing of the building down toward Welch Road.
Land, Buildings and Real Estate 13160 Porter Drive, Suite 2001 Palo Alto, CA 94304
T: 650.724.4715 1 F: 650.724.5059
Attachment B
Zoning Code Compliance Table (Phase I)
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS STANDARD PROPOSED CONFORMS
FOR CN ZONE DISTRICT PROJECT
Site coverage (building footprint) 30% 20% Project Complies
Floor area (gross floor area) 0.50:1 0.32:1 Project Complies
(22,820 sq. ft.)
Building setbacks
Front 50 ft. 50 ft. Proj ect Complies
Rear 10 ft. 160 ft. Project Complies
Interior Side 10 ft. 60 ft. Project Complies
Building Height 50 ft. 45 ft. Project Complies
Parking Spaces Required per Proposed Conformance
J PAMC 18.52 Pro.iect
Vehicle spaces 1 space per 250 96 spaces Project Complies
sq. ft. (92)
Legend
~ Historic Site
:;:-;~ Special Setback
~ Near Creek (SCVWD)
Curb Edge
Sidewalk
• Tree (TR)
It:llfabci'!'1 Known Structures
.. ,.----.---U nderly ing Lot Line
:'1Ii ~ Easement
abc Lot Dimensions
~ Water Feature o Railroad
The City of
Pal o Alto
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Location Map
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