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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESO 9012Resolution No. 9012 Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Adopting an Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map by Changing the Land Use Designation for 2180 El Camino Real from Neighborhood Commercial to Mixed Use WHEREAS, the Planning and Transportation Commission, after a duly noticed public hearing on October 14, 2009 recommended that the City Council amend the Land Use Map of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan as set forth below, and confirmed their recommendation on December 2, 2009; and WHEREAS, upon consideration of said recommendation after a duly noticed public hearing held on December 7, 2009, the Council desires to amend the Land Use Map as hereinafter set forth; The Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as follows: SECTION 1. The City Council finds that the public interest, health, safety and welfare of Palo Alto and the surrounding region would be furthered by an amendment of the Land Use Map of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan as set forth in Section 2. SECTION 2. The proposed Land Use Map amendment is consistent with the following goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan, as further described in 'Exhibit A,' attached to this document and incorporated by reference: 1. Land Use and Community Design Element Goals and Policies: Goal L-l, Policies L-4-6, L9, Lll, L12, Goal L-4, Policies L-1S-22, Goal L-6, Policies L-4S-50, Policy L-73, L-75 and L-7S. 2. Transportation Element: Goal T-l, Policy T-l, Goal T-3, Policy T-19, Goal T-4, Policy T-23 , Goal T-S. 3. Natural Environment Element: Goal N-3, Policy N-15, Policies N-17-1S, Policies N-20 -23, Policy N-25, Policies N-27-2S, Policy N-42. 4. Business and Economic Element: Goal B-1, Policy B-2, Goal B-2, Policy B-4, Policy B-7, Goal B-3, Policy H-9, Policy B-17, Policy B-25 1 091217 syn 8261213 SECTION 3. The City Council hereby amends the Land Use Map of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan by changing the designation of the area depicted in "Exhibit B" from Neighborhood Commercial to Mixed Use. "Exhibit B" is attached to this resolution and incorporated into it by this reference. SECTION 4. A mitigated negative declaration (MND) for the development project at 2180 EI Camino Real, which included this comprehensive plan amendment, was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and circulated for public review for a 30 day period beginning on October 9, 2009. The City Council approved the MND at its meeting of on December 7, 2009. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: December 7, 2009 AYES: Barton, Burt, Drekmeier, Espinosa, Klein, Morton, Schmid, Yeh NOES: Kishimoto ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: 091217 syn 8261213 2 APPROVED: ()tGd~ Jl~ Director of Planning and Community Environment Exhibit -A Planned Community District-College Terrace Centre 2180 El Camino Real 07PLN-00000-00327 Applicable Comprehensive Plan Policies Land Use and Community Design Element Exhibit A Goal L-l: A well, designed, compact City, providing residents and visitors with attractive neighborhoods, work places, shopping centers, public facilities and open space. The proposed development would be well designed, and of a reasonable density for its El Camino Real location, and provide residences, office work spaces, retail spaces for shoppIng, and open plaza spaces available to the pUblic. Policy L-4: Maintain Palo Alto's varied residential neighborhoods while sustaining the vitality of its commercial areas and publicfacilities. Use the Zoning Ordinance as a tool to enhance Palo Alto's desirable qualities. Use of the PC process provides the City the opportunity to approve a project that would enhance the vitality of the California Avenue commercial area by providing an additional customer base for existing and new businesses. It also ensures the preservation of a neighborhood grocery store at this location. The proposal would be constructed on an existing commercial property and would provide transitions in scale and use to the adjacent residential neighborhood. Policy L-5: Maintain the scale and character of the City. Avoid land uses that are overwhelming and unacceptable due to their size and scale. The current proposal has mUltiple structures of varying heights and different design styles addressing the context along four streets. The project has incorporated use of colors, materials and detailing to reduce the overall scale and mass of the project such that it would not overwhelm the site. There are multiple buildings in close proximity to the project with similar heights. Policy L-6: Where possible, avoid abrupt changes in scale and density between residential and non- residential areas and between residential areas of different densities. To promote compatibility and gradual transitions between land uses, place zoning district boundaries at mid-blockiocations rather than along streets wherever possible. The proposal avoids abrupt changes by concentrating the larger three story retrial/office building toward EI Camino Real and placing a two story residential building between the new commercial development of the project and the existing residential neighborhood. The closest existing residential use across the street from the project is a three story multifamily structure. A open landscaped plaza area separates the two story commercial/retail building from the residential neighborhood beyond. Com prehensive Plan Policy Policy L-9: Enhance desirable characteristics of mixed use areas. Use the planning and zoning process to create opportunities for new mixed use development. The proposal uses the PC to create the opportunity to build a mixed use project. The PC would ensure the preservation of a much desired element ofthe community, the neighborhood grocery store. Policy L-11: Promote increased compatibility, interdependence, and support between commercial and mixed use centers and the surrounding residential neighborhoods. This proposal supports both the commercial and the residential community by placing a mixed use development between them that provides customers for the existing commercial uses and provides retail services, including a neighborhood grocery store, for the local residents. Policy L-12: Preserve the character of residential neighborhoods by encouraging new or remodeled structures to be compatible with the neighborhood and adjacent structures. The proposed structures within the deVelopment have been designed with a village concept in mind. The building designs indicate the uses ofthe spaces within and include a variety of materials and finishes. The new structures attempt to create an eclectic look to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood that does not have a definitive architectural style. Goal L-4: Inviting, Pedestrian-scale centers that offer a variety of retail and commercial services and provide focal points and community gathering places for the City's residential neighborhoods and employment districts. The proposed College Terrace Centre would be inviting to pedestrians, provide a variety of retail and commercial uses, and would contain focal points and public gathering spaces. There would be multiple pedestrian entry points from the new tree lined perimeter ofthe project giving people ample access to the new office, retail, and residential spaces. There would also be an open air market space to draw people to the grocery store and a landscaped open plaza where people could gather and relax outdoors. There would also be entry plaza spaces as well as tower elements to draw people in and provide a sense of place and identity to the Center. Policy L-20: Encourage street frontages that contribute to retail vitality in all Centers. Reinforce street corners with buildings that come up to the sidewalk or that form corner plazas. This proposal brings retail vitality to the street with the open air portion of the grocery market and with retail storefronts along EI Camino Real. The proposal also includes comer plaza areas and buildings with display windows that come up to the sidewalk creating a desirable pedestrian environment. Policy L-21: Provide all centers with centrally located gathering spaces that create a sense of identity and encourage economic revitalization. Encourage public amenities such as benches, street trees, kiosks, restrooms, and public art. The proposed landscaped plaza area with its proposed trees and benches, would provide a comfortable gathering space and is. easily accessible by all of the property users. April 29, 2009 Page 2 Comprehensive Plan Policy Policy L-22: Enhance the appearance of streets and sidewalks within all Centers through an aggressive maintenance, repair, and cleaning program; street improvements; and the use of a variety of paving materials and landscaping. The sidewalks around the perimeter of the project would be replaced with new sidewalks, and new street trees would be planted exceeding the number of street trees that currently exist on the perimeter of the site. Goal L-6: Well-designed buildings that create coherent development patterns and enhance City streets and public spaces. The buildings have been purposefully designed to improve and enhance the existing street frontage. The architectural review process will help to further refine the proposal, so that ARB approval findings including green building can be made. • Policy L-48: Promote high-quality creative design and site planning that is compatible with surrounding development and public spaces. The proposal makes creative use of various colors and materials to break down the perceived mass of the buildings, and provides for a quality pedestrian environment to encourage continued use and vitality. Policy L-49: Design buildings to revitalize streets and public spaces and to enhance a sense of community and personal safety. Provide an orderly variety of entries, porches, windows, bays and balconies along public ways where it is consistent with neighborhood character; avoid blank or solid walls at street level; and include human scale details and massing. The proposed village concept of the project is geared toward providing a safe and inviting environment for pedestrians with human scale detailing, a large variety of entries, porches, and windows as well as easy access for people, bikes, and cars. Policy L-50: Encourage high-quality signage that is attractive, appropriate for the location, and balances visibility needs with aesthetic needs. The architectural review process will ensure high-quality signage that is attractive, appropriate, and does not impede visibility or safety. Policy L-75: Minimize the negative physical impacts of parking lots. Locate parking behind buildings or underground wherever possible. The parking for the project has been located primarily underground with some parking located behind the building. The small amount of surface parking spaces that are included in the project are proposed to have shade trellises to shade the vehicles and reduce the urban heat island effect of the paved parking surface. April 29, 2009 Page 3 Comprehensive Plan Policy Policy N-20: Maximize the conservation and efficient use of water in new and existing residences, businesses and industries. Policy N-21: Reduce non-point source pollution in urban runofffrom residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, and transportation land uses an.d activities. Policy N-23: Reduce the discharge of toxic materials into the City's sanitary sewer collection system by promoting the use of Best Management Practices. Policy N-25: Reduce pollutant levels in City wastewater discharges. Policy N-27: Reduce emission of particulates from wood burning stoves, construction activity, automobiles and other sources. Policy N-28: Encourage developers o/new projects in Palo Alto, including City projects, to provide improvements that reduce the necessity of driving alone. Policy N-42: the City may require proposals to reduce noise impacts of development on adjacent properties through appropriate means including, but not limited to the following: • Construct noise walls when compatible with aesthetic concerns. • Screen and control noise sources such as parking, outdoor activities and mechanical equipment. • Increase setbacks for noise sources from adjacent dwellings. • Whenever, possible, retain fences, walls or landscaping that serve as noise buffers although design, safety and other impacts must be addressed. • Use soundproofing materials and double-glazing windows. • Control hours of operation, including deliveries and trash pickup, to minimize noise levels. The project is consistent with the above listed Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies related to Natural Environment in the following ways: The project would involve removal of 11 existing street trees and replace them with approximately 41 new street trees around the perimeter of the project. This would eventually provide a dense and lush tree canopy that would add to the vitality of the urban forest providing economic, ecological, and aesthetic benefits to the City. Best management practices to control particulates and hazardous materials are required during construction. Conditions related to stormwater runoff from the project once constructed are also included. The proposal includes a green roof over a portion ofthe grocery/office building. A green roof can reduce and slow storm water runoff as well as filter pollutants and reduce heating and cooling costs for the building. As stated in the transportation section above, a multitude of measures and design strategies have been employed to reduce single occupancy trips. Design measures, requirements, and controls have been used to limit potential noise impacts. The parking has been placed underground, the loading dock/trash room for the grocery store has been designed within an enclosure, and the proposed mechanical equipment has been required to' meet City noise ordinance standards. Requirements have also been established to require Conditional Use Permits for any businesses with late night hours of operation. April 29, 2009 PageS Comprehensive Plan Policy Business and Economics Goal B-1: A thriving business environment that is compatible with Palo Alto's residential character and natural environment. Policy B-2 Support a strong interdependence between existing commercial centers and the surrounding neighborhoods as a way oLencouraging economic vitality. Goal B-2: A diverse mix of Commercial, Retail, and Professional Service businesses. PolicyB-4: Nurture and support established busines,ses as well as new businesses. Polic~B-7: Encourage and support the operation of small, independent businesses Goal B-3: New businesses that provide needed local services and municipal revenues, contribute to economic vitalilli and enhance the city's Rhysical environment. PolicyB-17: Where redevelopment is desired, encourage owners to upgrade commercial properties through incentives such as reduced parking requirements, credit for on-street parking, and increases in allowable floor area. Use such incentives only where they are needed to stimulate redevelopment or contribute to housing or community d~sign goals. Policy B-25: Strengthen the commercial viability of businesses along EI Camino Real. Encourage the development of pedestrian-oriented neighborhood retail and office centers along the El Camino Real corridor. The project is consistent with the above listed Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies related to Business and Economics in the following ways: The construction of the project and the establishment of the proposed office, retail, and residential uses at the site will revitalize the site and the area. The employees of the office spaces and the new residents will help to provide an additional customer base for the existing businesses on EI Camino Real as well as the California Avenue Business District. The project provides spaces for a large variety of businesses as well as preserving the existing neighborhood serving grocery store. A multitude of new uses would have the opportunity to be located within the new retail and office center located on the EI Camino Real. Corridor. Specific limitations within the proposed PC zone ensure the preservation of the neighborhood grocery store and maintains 5,580 square feet of ground floor area for retail uses. Housing Policy H-4: Encourage mixed use projects as a means of increasing the housing supply while promoting diversity and neighborhood vitality. Policy H-10: Encourage and foster diverse housing opportunities for very low, low and moderate- income households. April 29, 2009 Page 6 Comprehensive Plan Policy Policy H-23: Reduce the cost of housing by promoting energy efficiency, resource management, and conservation for new and existing housing. The project is consistent with the above listed Housing Policies in the following ways: While the proposal is primarily a commercial development, it does include eight Below Market Rate housing units to add to the City's affordable housing supply. The units would be small one bedroom affordable units that are a rare and welcome addition to the City's BMR supply. The homes would be constructed to meet the city's Green Building requirements which promote energy efficiency, reduction in the use of resources, and improved indoor air quality. 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