HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-12-14 City Council (25)City of Palo Alto
City Manager% Report .....
TO:
FROM:
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE:
SUBJECT:
DECEMBER 14, 1998 CMR:458:98
PAMF/SOFA COORDINATED AREA PLAN STATUS REPORT
This is an informational report and no Council action is recommended.
BACKGROUND
In September 1997, the City Council adopted a policy l~amework for the Palo Alto Medical
Foundation/South of Forest Area (PAMF/SOFA) Coordinated Area Plan (Plan) and
appointed members and alternates to the Plan Working Group. After meeting seven different
times and hosting a public forum for broader community input, the Working Group
presented several plan concepts to the City Council and asked for Council policy direction
on April 6, 1997. A simiIar presentation and request for comments was made to the Planning
Commissionon April 24,1998.
Following the meeting with the City Council, the Working Group met in late April 1998 and
twice again in June 1998 to discuss Planning Commission and City Council comments, and
to develop a preferred conceptual plan.
Since the last Working Group meeting on June 25, 1998, Planning staff and the project
consultants have been working on unresolved issues, coordinating with relevant individuals
and City boards and committees, and preparing an administrative plan document for review
by the Working Group.
DISCUSSION
The original schedule for the preparation of the Coordinated Area Plan called for the
completion of the plan by October 1998. Staffhas not been able to maintain this schedule
for reasons outlined below. Each of these reasons has contributed to delays.of the process
of varying lengths.
The issues that need to be addressed in the plan are compleX and many components
¯ of the process have required more time than was originally allotted. Time allotted for
CMR:458:98 Page 1 of 3
Working Group participation, actual production of the plan document, and internal
review of the draft plan by various City staff was not sufficient in the original
schedule.
The Working Group has on several occasions requested more time and additional
meetings to discuss and consider issues than was originally anticipated.
The Planning Division has not been fully staffed and, therefore, AdvanCe Planning
staff has not been able to devote as much time to the plan as has been needed due to
other responsibilities and Council priorities.
Given these factors, the staff has produced a revised schedule as follows, which realistically
reflects the remaining tasks. This schedule assumes simultaneous review by the Historic
Resources Board (HRB), Architectural Review Board (ARB), and Planning Commission,
after which the Plan will be sent to City Council for its consideration.
December 11, 1998
December 17, 1998
January 14, 1999
January 22, 1999
January 13, 1999
February 3, 1999
February 4, 1999
February 10, 1999
February 17, 1999
March 10, 1999
March 29, 1999
April 19, 1999
Distribution of Draft Plan to Working Group
Working Group Meeting
Final Working Group Meeting
Distribution of Administrative Draft Environmental
Impact Report
Planning Commission Work Session
Historic Resources Board Meeting
Architectural Review Board Meeting
Planning Commission Meeting
Public Arts Commission Meeting
Planning Commission Review, EIR Public Hearing,
End of EIR Public Review period
Final EIR Completed
City Council Public Hearing
CMR:458:98 Page 2 of 3
RESOURCE IMPACT
The increased effort required to complete the project and the delays in the process have
depleted project consultant budgets. To date, this problem has been dealt, with through
increased staff involvement in the project. This increased staff involvement has diverted
time from other responsibilities, such as developing the historic preservation ordinance and
processing City-proposed projects, including the Downtown Parking Structures and the
Arastradero Gateway Project.
PREPARED BY: Brian Dolan, Senior Planner
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
Director of Planning and Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL."’~,y ~~
EMIL
Assistant City Manager
cc:PAMF/SOFA Working Group
~chitectural Review Board
Historic Resources Board
Planning Commission
Public Arts Commission
CMR:458:98 Page 3 of 3