HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-06-30 City Council (7)TO:
City of Palo Alto
C ty Manager’s Report
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Planning and
Community Environment
DATE:
SUBJECT:
June 30, 1997 . CMR:303:97
SAND HILL CORRIDOR -- POLICY STATEMENT
REGARDING CITY REVIEW OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
PROPOSALS
~REOUEST
On June 2, 1997, the City Council included, as part of a motion related to unincorporated
Stanford University land (i.e., Area B and West Campus) direction to Staff to provide a
Council policy statement indicating the City’s intention regarding future development in the
Sand Hill Corridor, including:
¯Monitoring new development and traffic conditions in the Corridor; and
¯Using the Stanford Sand Hill Corridor Projects Environmental Impact Report and
monitoring information to evaluate future projects in the Corridor, including the
unincorporated area.
The attached Resolution responds to the Council’s June 2 direction to staff.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the Council adopt the attached Resolution.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
It is City policy, established in the 1985 City-County-Stanford joint land use policy
agreement, to review and comment on Stanford’s development proposals for development
outside of the City limits. Use of relevant information in preparing City comments is
established practice. City staff also collects and analyses land use and traffic information for
CMR:303:97 Page 1 of 3
a.v,ariety of locations. Thus, the attached Resolution is consistent with City policy and is a
refinement of City land use and traffic monitoring and project review practices.
DISCUSSION
The Council’s June 2 action is intended to ensure that the Sand Hill Corridor Projects EIR
continues to be used in evaluating future projects in the Sand Hill .Corridor. The attached
Resolution contains three key operative sections.
Section 1.c.- This section will lead to a Comprehensive Plan requirement for City
staff to monitor and report annually to the Planning Commission and City Council on
Stanford development activity and traffic conditions in the Sand Hill Corridor.
Stanford has an obligation, under the County General Use Permit, to annually report
to the County, with a copy to the City, a wide variety of data, including development
activity. If the Resolution is adopted, City staff will coordinate with Stanford in
providing development information to the Commission and Council. The Draft
Comprehensive Plan contains a program regarding tracking citywide development
activity and traffic. Staffwill prepare a Sand Hill Corridor traffic monitoring program
as an ,element of the Citywide traffic monitoring program. Regarding the specific
Comprehensive Plan amendment, staffwill coordinate with the Planning Commission
to add a new program reflecting the Council direction.
Section 2. -- This section establishes the City’s intent to use the Sand Hill HRas an
information base in commenting on projects proposed .to be located in Santa Clara
County. The extent to which the Sand Hill EIR is useful in commenting on County
projects will vary, given the location of the project in relation to the Sand Hill
Corridor and the size and nature of the proposed development. If the Resolution is
adopted, City staff will coordinate with Stanford to have adequate lead time for
project reviews; evaluate projects for their relationship to the Sand Hill Corridor; and
alert the Council~to projects of particular relevance to the Corridor.
Section 3. This section establishes a City staff obligation to seek Council direction
regarding projects proposed for the area west 0f Campus Drive West and Welch Road
that impact the Corridor and do not make use of or are inconsistent with the
information and conclusions of the Sand Hill EIR. Stanford staff have testified that
they have no building plans for this area and expect future development to be
primarily surface parking lots and low-intensity University support facilities.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council could modify the Resolution to create a more active City presence in the County
review process or not adopt the Resolution and continue current practices.
CMR:303i97 Page 2 of 3
FISCAL IMPACT
Some resources will be needed for monitoring traffic. For 1997-98, staff anticipates using
funds already allocated in the proposed 1997-98 City budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Adoption of the Resolution is not a Project under the California Environmental Quality Act,
and no environmental analysis or finding is necessary.
STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL
Staff will coordinate with Stanford
implementation of the Resolution.
University and Santa Clara County regarding
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution
PREPARED BY: Kenneth R. Schreiber, Director of Planning and Community Environment
KENNETH R. SCHREIBER
Director of Planning and
Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: ~-~
CC:Stanford University (Larry Horton, David Neuman, Andy Coe) ’
Stanford Management Company (Curtis Feeny, Bill Phillips, Diane Healey)
Santa Clara County (Leode Franklin)
City of Menlo Park (Jan Dolan, Don de la Pefia)
CMR:303.’97 Page 3 of 3
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
ESTABLISHING CITY POLICY FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ON
COUNTY CONTROLLED STANFORD LANDS IN THE SAND HILL
ROAD CORRIDOR
WHEREAS, in 1985 the City of Palo Alto, County of Santa
Clara and Stanford University entered into a joint land use policy
agreement to establish PrOcedures and protocols for Stanford land
use development on lands subject to County jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, the 1985 agreementacknowledged that Palo Alto and
stanford each have "a legitimate interest in planning decisions
made by the other, to the extent that the actions of one entity may.
impact housing supply, traffic, parking, and utility systemsin the
other;" and
WHEREAS, Palo Alto andStanford have conducted an extensive
environmental and planning, review process of the Sand Hill Road
Corridor Projects, including the Stanford Shoppin~ Center,
extension and .expansion of Sand Hill Road,~ the Stanford W@st
Apartments and Stanford West Senior Housing projects; and
WHEREAS, Palo Alto is being asked by Stanford to rely upon
the information contained in the EIR to make major planning
decisions that will affect housing, traffic, open space, utilities
and natural resources well into the next century; and
WHEREAS, Palo Alto believes it is appropriate to establish
a common environmental database to facilitate planning of Stanford
development in the City and in the County
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does
RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION I. The City Council finds and determines as
follows:
A. The Sand Hill Road Corridor Projects EIR contains
accurate and valid "reasonable worst case" projections and analyses
of traffic and other environmental impacts in .the Sand Hill Road
corridor.
B. The Santa Clara County General Use Permit for
Stanford lands includes a no new trip standard and a transportation
demand management program.
C. Palo Alto will initiaZe a ~change to the
Comprehensive Plan that requires the City to closely track Stanford
development proposals in the County, and to monitor and report
annually to the Planning Commission and City Council on traffic
conditions within the City related to the Sand Hill Road Corridor.
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D. Under the terms of the Protocol adopted pursuant to
the 1985 Land Use Policy Agreement, Palo Alto has the right to
comment to the County and Stanford on any Stanford proposal pending
before the County, and Stanford must consider carefully Palo Alto’s
comments, and attempt, where feasible and appropriate in its
judgment, to accommodate the City’s views.
SECTION 2..The. City Council hereby further finds that it
is not in the public interest, and it is further contrary to the
public health, safety and general welfare, for Stanford proposals
before the County to be considered without detailed technical
consideration and integration of’ the information contained in the
Sand Hill Road Corridor Projects EIR.
SECTION 3. The City Council.hereby directs staff to take
all appropriate actions to assure that this resolution is
implemented. Staff shall seek Council direction as to whether to
oppose formally any Stanford project west of Campus Drive West and
Welch Road that impacts the Sand Hill Road Corridor and which does
not make use of, or is inconsistent with, the information and
conclusions set forth in the EIR.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
ATTEST:APPROVED:
City Clerk Mayor~
APPROVED AS TO FORM:City.Manager
City Attorney
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