HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESO7688RESOLUTION NO. 7688
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
AMENDING VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE PALO ALTO
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RELATING TO ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE SAND HILL ROAD CORRIDOR
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, after duly noticed public
hearing, has recommended that the Council amend various elements of
the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has held a duly noticed public
hearing on the matter, and has reviewed the contents of the
Environmental Impact Report ("EIR") prepared for the project and all
other relevant information, including staff reports, and all
testimony, written and oral, presented on the matter;
NOW, THEREFORE, 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 require amendments to various elements of the
Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan as set forth in Sections 2 through 6
hereof.
SECTION 2. The City Council hereby amends the
Transportation Element of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan by
amending Policy 5, to read as follows:
Policy 5: Avoid major increases in street capacities
except as necessary to remedy severe traffic congestion in the Sand
Hill Road corridor. In other portions of the City, undertake only
critically needed intersection improvements connected with severe
traffic congestion or neighborhood intrusion problems or both.
Where capacity is increased, balance the needs of motor vehicles
with those of pedestrians and bicyclists.
SECTION 3. The City Council hereby amends the
Transportation Element of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan by
amending Program 19 to read as follows:
Program 19: Reduce traffic congestion on Sand Hill Road
while prohibiting a direct connection from Sand Hill Road to Palo
Alto Avenue/Alma Street across El Camino Real.
Sand Hill Road has severe traffic congestion problems.
Major improvements need to be made, in a comprehensive manner,
including widening the road and extending it to El Camino Real; as
well as upgrading and coordinating traffic signals, bike lanes,
sidewalks and crosswalks as minimum safety actions. In addition,
in order to ease the severe congestion in the Sand Hill Road
corridor, other roadways must be improved to create new and better
use of existing routes of travel. These include widening and
upgrading Quarry Road to allow two way traffic from El Camino Real
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to Arboretum; upgrading Arboretum; creating Vineyard Lane;
extending Palo Road to connect with Quarry Road; and extending
Stock Farm Road to connect with Sand Hill Road. However, any
connection of Sand Hill Road to Palo Alto Avenue and Alma Street
would encourage traffic increases on Alma Street and nearby
residential streets, especially north of Downtown and, therefore,
should not be approved.
SECTION 4. The City Council hereby amends the Land Use
Element of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan by amending the
discussion under "Transportation" of the "Objectives, Policies and
Programs" to read as follows:
Transportation
The Plan Map reflects the policy of avoiding major increases
in automobile traffic capacities in most cases.
The Plan Map includes an extension of Sand Hill Road from
Arboretum Road to El Camino Real. In .solving the severe traffic
congestion problems in the Sand Hill corridor it was concluded that
improvements in addition to extending Sand Hill Road were needed.
These improvements include widening Sand Hill Road; widening and
upgrading Quarry Road to allow two way traffic from El Camino Real
to Arboretum Road; upgrading Arboretum Road; creating Vineyard
Lane; extending Palo Road to connect with Quarry Road; and
extending Stock Farm Road to connect with Sand Hill Road.
Major transportation policies are to improve mass transit and
increase transit ridership. Existing and proposed bus routes are
mapped in the Transportation section. Transit planning is
primarily the responsibility of Santa Clara County and the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
SECTION 5. The City Council hereby amends the Urban Design
Element of the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan by amending Program 26
of Policy 8, to read as follows:
Scenic Highways
Policy 8: Provide safe, attractive scenic routes which will serve
the motoring public, the bicyclist, the pedestrian, and in some
areas the equestrian.
Program 26: Add Sand Hill Road, University Avenue, Embarcadero
Road, Page Mill/Oregon Expressway, Interstate 280, and Arastradero
Road from Foothill Expressway to Interstate 280 to the list of
protected scenic routes in Palo Alto.
Four attractive urban streets --Sand Hill Road, University Avenue,
Embarcadero Road, and Page Mill Road/Oregon Expressway --are
proposed scenic routes.
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Sand Hill Road provides a linkage between El Camino Real, a
state historic route, and Interstate 280, a California Scenic
Highway. The intersection of Sand Hill Road and El Camino Real is
located adjacent to the north gateway into Palo Alto at the San
Fransquito Creek Bridge. It is here that the relationship of the
scenic corridor to the creek is most obvious, as an approximately
1,500 foot long segment of wooded and riparian vegetation remains
open to public views on the northwest side of the scenic route.
The Sand Hill Road scenic corridor is designed to modern arterial
standards, with development along major segments of its extent.
Adjacent land uses include the Stanford Shopping Center, housing,
medical, professional, research and development, and administrative
office uses, among others. The scenic route is characterized by
its broad setbacks and rural, oak -dominated landscaping. Informal
groupings of oak trees, California natives, and eucalyptus set in
natural grasses and wildflowers are the common landscape elements.
Significant portions of the roadway are visually enhanced with
planted medians, containing trees and shrubs that either extend the
rural landscape theme, or provide a more formal landscape
character, as in that portion of the route that adjoins the
Stanford Shopping Center. As it approaches the scenic Juniperro
Serra Boulevard and Interstate 280, the undeveloped foothills are
a significant scenic element of the background landscape.
University Avenue east of Middlefield is a curving street,
lined with gracious magnolia trees. Many visitors remark on the
striking entrance to Palo Alto that this tree -lined street affords.
It passes the historic Squire House, whose facade has been
preserved by a special easement. West of Middlefield, a beautified
University Avenue traverses the City's Downtown and leads directly
into Palm Drive, the formal main entrance to Stanford University.
Embarcadero Road, from Harbor Road to El Camino Real, is the
main access to the Palo Alto Baylands. Embarcadero west of
Bayshore Freeway is lined with trees and some houses of historic
interest. The Baylands portion contains the site of historic
Wilson's Landing on the former San Francisquito Creek and expansive
views of open space.
Page Mill Road/Oregon Expressway, from Bayshore Freeway to
Interstate 280, has wide setbacks in Stanford Industrial Park west
of El Camino Real. Design criteria imposed upon its tenants by
Stanford University have set a high standard for this route. The
width and landscaping make the Oregon Expressway portion visually
pleasing. The route leads to the Palo Alto Baylands and the
foothills.
SECTION 6. The City Council adopts this resolution in
accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA")
findings adopted by Resolution No. 7685.
SECTION 7. This resolution shall be effective upon the
thirty-first day after its adoption, but shall be suspended and
inoperative unless and until the Ordinance Adopting the Development
Agreement Between the City of Palo Alto and the Board of Trustees
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of the Leland Stanford Junior University has been approved by the
City Council and, if submitted to a referendum by the City Council
on its own motion or by a certified sufficient petition of the
electorate, pursuant to the Article VI, section 3 of the Charter of
the City of Palo Alto, until approved by the voters. This delayed
effective date is intended and shall be construed to provide a
sufficient period of time between adoption of the resolution and
its effective date to allow a complete and exclusive opportunity
for the exercise of the referendum power pursuant to the Charter of
the City of Palo Alto and the Constitution of the State of
California. A referendum petition filed after the effective date
shall be rejected as untimely.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED: June 30, 1997
AYES: ANDERSON, EAKINS, HUBER, KNISS, MCCOWN, ROSENBAUM, SCHNEIDER, WHEELER
NOES : FAZZINO
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
its r-- 643. �a e
Senior Asst. City Attorney
irector of Planni
Community Envir.- -nt
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