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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-03-18 City Council (18)City of Palo Alt City Manager’s Report--" TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Planning and Community Environment AGENDA DATE: March 18, 1996 CMR: 185:96 SUBJECT:Initiation of Community Commercial Zone Text Change for the Stanford Shopping Center REQUEST Council action is requested to initiate Planning Commission consideration of a Community Commercial (CC) Zone text change to amend the language which places a development cap on expansion of the Shopping Center. This change has been .proposed by Stanford University in conjunction with their various applications for development and circulation changes in the Sand Hill corridor (see attached for a brief description of the various projects). Under the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Section 18.98.080, Zoning Ordinance text changes (unlike actions to rezone property) must be initiated by either the City Council or the Planning Commission. This request is being made at this time to allow for consideration of the proposal simultaneously with the various other Stanford proposals. Initiation of the Zoning Text Amendment is a procedural action and.as such does not signify an intent on the part of the Council with respect to the merits of the requested amendment. RECOMMENDATIONS Staffrecommends that the Council initiate consideration of a CC Zone text change pursuant to PAMC Section 18.89.080(a) by referring this matter to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation. BACKGROUND In October 1992, Stanford requested consideration of an expansion to the Stanford Shopping Center along with various road improvements, including the extension of Sand Hill Road to E1 Camino Real and widening of the road from two to four lanes. Shortly thereafter, Stanford initiated a public outreach process to gather input on not only these proposals, but also two housing proposals, the Stanford West Apartments and the Stanford West Senior Housing, which had been submitted earlier in the summer. As a result, in November 1994, CMR: 185:96 Page 1 of 3 Stanford resubmitted a revised and more complete package of proposals, which included a specific request to expand the Shopping Center by 160,000 square feet. Since the Community Commercial zoning limits the amount of new development allowed at the Center to 65,000 square feet, of which 16,000 square feet have been constructed, it would be necessary to amend the Zoning Ordinance in order to allow such an expansion. This is described in greater detail below. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Presently, the CC zone site development regulations (Section 18.43.050, attached) limit the amount of additional development allowed at the Stanford Shopping Center to a maximum additional of 65,000 over the amount existing as of August 1, 1989. This cap was put in place as a result of the Citywide Land Use and Transportation Study. Due to additions at the Center since 1989, there is approximately 49,000 square feet of new space that could still be constructed. Stanford has proposed amending the cap from 65,000 square feet to 160,000 square feet. However, the EIR, currently being prepared to evaluate the impacts of Stanford’s various project proposals, includes reduced density alternatives along with Stanford’s proposed square footage for the Shopping Center. Actual consideration of the proposed text amendment by the Planning Commission would be done after its review of the draft EIR, and by the Council only after certification of the final EIR. DISCUSSION Consideration of the CC Zone text change is one of many discretionary actions required for the various development and circulation proposals for the Sand Hill Corridor, which will be reviewed by the Planning Commission, Architectural Review Board and City Council later in 1996. Stanford has submitted plans indicating how the 160,000 square feet would be added to the Shopping Center, including a proposal for two parking structures, and other landscaping and related improvements. Stanford has indicated that many of the road circulation improvements in and around the Shopping Center have been proposed in response to policy adopted by the City Council during its review of the Gruen + Gruen Retail Policy Audit (May 1992, CMR:365:92). This policy stated: Delay removal of the 65,000 square foot development cap on the Stanford Shopping Center until such time as the circulation and parking issues have been dealt with. ALTERNATIVES Should the City Council choose not to initiate consideration of a text change to the CC District Regulations, staff would advise Stanford to withdraw their application. Staff could not process an application for ARB approval for a project which was inconsistent with the Zoning Ordinance. CMR: 185:96 Page 2 of 3 FISCAL IMPACT The fiscal impact of raising the development cap for the Shopping Center will be evaluated in a Fiscal and Economic Considerations report to be published in conjunction with the Draft EIR. This information will be available prior to any action by the Planning Commission and City Council to adopt amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT A Draft Environmental Impact Report will be distributed (tentative publication date of April 30, 1996) for a 45-day public review period. Public hearings before the Planning Commission on the Draft EIR and project applications are tentatively expected to occur in June and July, with Council review to begin in late October. The subject text change, if initiated by the Council, would be scheduled for Commission and Council hearings at those times. STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL Should the City Council choose to initiate consideration of the proposed zone text change, the item would return for Planning Commission and City Council consideration concurrent with the various other development and road improvement requests Stanford has proposed for the Sand Hill corridor. ATTACHMENTS A.Project Description B.Excerpt from Chapter 18.43, Community Commercial District Regulations PREPARED BY: Lori Topley, Senior Planner DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Director of Planning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: FL]EMING (’* anager CMR: ! 85:96 Page 3 of 3 ATTACHMENT A PROPOSED STANFORD SAND HILL CORRIDOR PROJECTS PROJECT DESCRIPTION The proposed project consists of four separate but r,elated components including the Stanford West Apartments, Stanford West Senior Housing Complex, Stanford Shopping Center expansion, and the extension and widening of Sand Hill Road other related roadway improvements. The individual projects are described below: Stanford West Apartments The Stanford West Apartment project is proposed for a 47.8 acre vacant site located on the north side of Sand Hill Road immediately northeast of the Oak Creek Apartments. The project consists of 630 rental apartment units oriented towards employees at Stanford University and employees working on Stanford lands. Stanford West Senior Housing The Stanford West Senior Housing Complex is proposed on the site of the Old Children’s Hospital, a 22.3 acre site located on the north side of Sand Hill Road immediately northeast of the proposed Stanford West Apartment site. The project is proposed to consist of total of 388 independent living/condominium units for senior citizens, a 70 unit assisted living facility, and a 46 room skilled nursing facility. The existing hospital buildings, temporarily occupied by the Children’s Health Council during reconstruction of their building, would be removed from the site. Stanford Shopping Center .Expansion This proposed project involves the addition of 160,000 square feet of retail space in several locations to the existing Stanford Shopping Center which currently contains 1.3 million square feet. The project also includes the construction of a new, four level parking structure accommodating 842 cars, a new four level parking structure accommodating 2,332 cat’s, and various circulation, pedestrian and landscaping improvements. All of the proposed improvements would be located within existing developed areas of the shopping center. Sand Hill Road Extension and Related Roadway Improvements The proposed project would involve the extension and widening of Sand Hill Road, the widening of Quarry Road, and other related transportation improvements, as described below: Extension of Sand Hill Road in a four-lane configuration from the existing Arboretum Road to E1 Camino Real. The new intersection at E1 Camino Real would allow all movements except the through movements between Sand Hill Road and Alma StreetiPalo Alto Avenue and the left turn from Alma Street to E1 Camino Real; Widening of Sand Hill Road from two lanes to four lanes between Arboretum Road and Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park; Widening and improvement of Quarry Road to a four-lane road from Arboretum Road to E1 Camino Real. The Quarry Road/El Camino intersection would be improved to allow left and right turns to and from E1 Camino Real; Construction of a new two-lane road from Sand Hill Road to Quarry Road (behind the existing Nordstrom store and referred to as "Vineyard Lane"); Construction of a new frontage road with a cul-de-sac, parallel to Sand Hill Road between Oak Avenue and Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park; Extension of Stockfarm Road from Campus Drive west to Sand Hill Road; Realignment and extension of Palo Road between Palm Drive and Quarry Road; Various related intersection, traffic signal, entryway and bicycle and pedestrian circulation changes and improvements. ZONING 18.43.060 (a) Site area. No requirement is established. (b) Site width. No requirement is established. (c) Site depth. No requirement is established. (d) Front yard. No requirement is established. (e)Rear yard. No requirement is established. (f)Side yard. No requirement is established. (g)Floor area ratio. The maximum floor area ratio shall be as follows: (1) The maximum floor area ratio for the Town and Country Village Shopping Center shall be .35 to 1; and office uses at said shopping center shall be limited to fifteen percent of the floor area of the shopping center existing as of August 1, 1989. For the purposes of this section ’"rown and Country Village Shopping Center" is defined as all properties zoned CC and bounded by E1 Camino Real, Embarcadero Road, Encina Avenue, and the Southern Pacific fight-of-way. (2) Stanford Shopping Center shall not be permitted to add more than sixty-five thousand square feet of floor area to the total amount of floor area of the shopping center existing as of August 1, 1989. For the purposes of this section, "Stanford Shopping Center" is defined as all properties zoned CC and bounded by E! Camino Real, Sand Hill Road, Quarry Road and Arboretum Road, and the properties bordering Afooretum Road to the south. 0a) Site coverage. No requirement is established, except as provided in Section 18.43.070. (i) Height. The maximum height shall be 15.2 meters (fifty feet). (j) Accessory facilities and uses. Regulations governing accessory facilities and uses, and governing the application of site development regulations in specific instances, are established by Chapter 18.88. (k) Outdoor sales and storage. (1) Except in shopping centers, all permitted office and commercial activities shall be conducted within a building, except for:. (A) Incidental sales and display of plant materials and garden supplies occupying no more than one hundred eighty-six square meters (two thousand square feet) of exterior sales and display area, (B) Outdoor eating areas operated incidental to permitted eating and drinking services, (C) Farmers’ markets which have obtained a conditional use permit, and (D) Recycling centers which have obtained a conditional use permit. (2) Any permitted outdoor activity in excess of one hundred eighty-six square meters (two thousand square feet) shall be subject to a conditional use permit. Exterior storage shall be prohibited, except as provided under (D) of this subsection. (1) Site and design review. Residential and nonresidential mixed use projects shall be subject to site and design review in accord with Chapter 18.82. (m) Special setbacks. Where applicable, setback lines imposed by a special setback map pursuant to Chapter 20.08 of this code shall be followed for the purpose of determining legal setback requirements. (Ord. 4140 §14, 1993: Ord. 4016 §26, 1991: Ord. 3890 §8, 1989: Ord. 3757 §12, 1987: Ord. 3657 §1, !985: Ord. 3465 §§13, 34, 1983: Ord. 3048 (part), 1978) 18.43.060 Parking and loading. (a) Off-street parking and loading facilities shall be required for all permitted and conditional uses in the CC community commercial district, in accord with Chapter 18.83. All parking and loading facilities on any site, whether required as minimums or optionally provided in addition to minimum requirements, shall comply with the regulations and design standards established by Chapter 18.83. (b) Location of parking and loading spaces. No requirement is established, except as es- tablished by Chapter 18.83 or other applicable provisions of this title. (Ord. 4079 §2, 1992: Ord. 3048 (part), 1978) 1869 Rev. Ord. Supp. 6/93