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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 325-07City of Palo5 City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE:AUGUST 6, 20007 CMR:325:07 SUBJECT:RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO SUPPORTING THE FOCUS OUR ~SION (FOCUS) PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION TO DESIGNATE THE AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE CALIFORNIA AVENUE CALTRAIN STATION AS A PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (CALIFORNIA AVENUE PDA) RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that City Council: 1) Adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment A) of Local Support for the California Avenue/Ventura Priority Development Area; 2)Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the necessary documents to accept the designation and to comply with any ABAG reporting requirements. BACKGROUND In 2002, five regional agencies, in conjunction with the multi-sector Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities, began collaboratively planning for future growth in the nine Bay Area counties and produced the first multi-jurisdictional "smart growth" vision for a major metropolitan area in California. The "Focus Our Vision" (FOCUS) program is an outgrowth of that effort. Its purpose is to meld regional and local objectives in order to strengthen planning for the area and identify and implement mutually agreeable strategies that will collectively advance the vision. Generally, this vision incorporates the following goals: ¯Create and strengthen compact, healthy, unique and diverse communities ¯Increase housing supply, affordability and choices ¯Improve transportation efficiency ¯Protect resources and promote sustainability To participate, local jurisdictions must first propose locations for designation as a "Priority Development Area" (PDA) through an application to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). The FOCUS program is intended to implement the goals incorporated in the vision, particularly within a targeted PDA that can accommodate more growth and focused development. Within each PDA, the primary purpose is to support the development of additional housing around transit facilities and to provide opportunities to connect the housing with local jobs and services. CMR:325:07 Page 1 of 4 These areas designated as PDAs would: ¯Encourage infill and efficient use of resources ¯Provide opportunities for compact communities near existing or planned transit ¯Offer a mix of land uses with jobs, housing, retail and services ¯Support community revitalization If approved, a PDA would be eligible for potential future funding from a variety of state and regional sources. The amount of potential funding and sources of funding are undetermined at this time. However, regional agencies are examining funding sources from existing programs as well as from housing and resource bonds passed by voters in the November 2006 state general election to support the program. Potential other existing funding sources include MTC’s Transportation for Livable Communities and Housing Incentive Programs and discretionary transportation funds from MTC’s Regional Transportation Plan 2009 Update. A separate application process will be required for securing funding incentives. In addition to funding incentives, the FOCUS pro~am may include technical assistance to help local governments with planning and outreach activities. DISCUSSION The proposed California Avenue/Ventura PDA is approximately 118 acres, all within a half mile of the existing California Avenue Multi Modal Caltrain transit station (see Attachment B), and has the potential for significant in-fill ~owth. A focused PDA in the California Avenue/Venmra area would implement the following key goals for an inte~ated area growNa strategy: ¯Support the use of public transportation and other non-vehicular transportation modes; ¯Encourage mixed use (mix of housing types, retail, and limited office uses) to reduce the need for vehicle trips and parking; ¯Provide streetscape design that is attractive to pedestrians and bicyclists; ¯Support the economic vitality of California Avenue and nearby businesses; and ¯Implement the City’s Housing Element The intent of the California Avenue/Ventura PDA is to provide higher density residential uses w~thin the California Avenue commercial center, which is located within a walkable distance (2,000 foot radius) of one of the City’s multi-modal transit stations. Designating this area a PDA will enable the City to improve use of the existing area transit and advance smart ~owth principles in this area. The primary goals for furore development in the proposed California Avenue/Ventura PDA are to: ¯Incorporate a mixture of housing types, including higher density residential uses that respect lower density residential transitions; and ¯Provide for mixed uses, particularly ground floor retail and services to support the residential population. The bulk of the proposed PDA area (approximately 88 acres) was zoned in 2006 as the City’s first Pedestrian!Transit Oriented Development Area (PTOD) and allows up to 50 units per acre. PTOD zoning includes performance standards to ensure that projects contribute to the street environment and encourage use of alternative modes of transportation. The City’s Comprehensive Plan outlines CMR:325:07 Page 2 of 4 the basic intent and paran~eters of the PTOD zone, which is intended to generate residential densities that support substantial use of public transportation and especially the use of Caltrain. Abutting the California Avenue PTOD area is a 30 acre area that is included in the proposed PDA where Fry’s Electronics retail use is currently located. The City Council referred this area in June 2006 to the City’s Comprehensive Plan update process for preparation of an area plan that will identify appropriate land uses, and development intensity and scale that will encourage retention of the Fry’s retail use and allow uses compatible with surrounding properties. The Fry’s site is an integral part of the PDA, anchoring the southern portion of the area. Redevelopment of this area could facilitate pedestrian and bicycle linkages to California Avenue and the Caltrain station. It also has the potential for incorporating additional parkland or open space into the area. The proposed California Avenue/Ventura PDA is located adjacent to E1 Camino Real and would further support the vision of the Grand Boulevard Initiative for E1 Camino Real which focuses on the corridor’s potential for housing and retail development, balancing the need for cars and parking with viable options for transit, walking and biking. Both the Stanford University Marguerite Shuttle system and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority provide additional transit service at the Caltrain station, connecting it to the Stanford Research Park, Stanford University and the E1 Camino Real corridor. There is presently a continuous north-south bike route that travels through the proposed PDA and a bike boulevard that incorporates traffic calming devices that reduce vehicular traffic speeds and enhance safety conditions. As part of the PDA, additional bicycle and pedestrian connections to link the area with the Caltrain station will be studied. The California AvenueiVenmra area is an active retail and commercial center. Its role as a transit hub and its close proximity to Stanford Research Park give the area citywide significance. The area’s designation as a Priority Development Area can serve as a template for smart ~owth in the Bay Area. Application Process and Next Steps: Staff initiated the PDA designation application process by nominating the California Avenue/Ventura PDA to ABAG by the June 29 deadline. A Resolution of Local Support (Attachment A) is required to be submitted to ABAG before September 7, 2007 to complete the PDA application process. Nominations will be reviewed and subsequently proposed to the ABAG Executive Board and General Assembly in October 2007 for approval. At that time, the Board is expected to make a decision on the PDA proposals and identify an incentives package for implementing PDAs. If the California Avenue/Ventura PDA application is approved, there is no obligation by the City to develop or alter its Comprehensive Plan to accommodate any specific project within the PDA since the FOCUS pro~am relies upon voluntary participation to fulfill its goals. The basic intent of the designation is to enable future projects in the are to gain access to possible state and regional funds. CMR:325:07 Page 3 of 4 POLICY IMPLICATIONS The proposed California Avenue/Ventura PDA is consistent with City Housing Element policies that direct increased housing density to areas immediately surrounding commercial centers, particularly near transit centers. Other Comprehensive Plan policies focus on the California AvenueiVentura area specifically, including maintaining the scale, character and function of the California Avenue/Ventura business district, improving the transition between the retail area and the adjacent single family neighborhoods and developing the area in general as a well-designed mixed use district with diverse land uses and a network of pedestrian oriented streets. These policies would be consistent with the FOCUS vision for PDAs which supports the development of additional housing around transit facilities and provides opportunities to connect the housing with local jobs and services. RESOURCE IMPACT There are no General Fund impacts resulting from the FOCUS designation; however, the designation of the California Avenue/Ventura PDA will require staff time to comply with any ABAG reporting requirements and eventual funding applications. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The application for PDA designation and the accompanying Resolution is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act and is exempted from CEQA review. ATTACHMENTS A.Resolution of Local Support for the Proposed California Avenue/Ventura Priority Development Area B.Exhibit "A" - Map of Proposed California Avenue/Ventura Priority Development Area BY:,PREPARED /b.,.. Ro ~fi~Ri, ve~ra.. S e~ p1 anner DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: STEVE ENfSLIE Director of Planning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: Emily tlarrison Assistant City Manager CMR:325:07 Page 4 of 4 Attachment A NOT YET APPROVED RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COU~TCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO SUPPORTING THE FOCUS OUR VISION (FOCUS) PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION TO DESIGNATE THE AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE CALIFORNTIA AVENUE CALTRAIN STATION AS A PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (CALIFORNIA AVENUE PDA) WHEREAS, the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in coordination with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Bay Conservation and Development Commission (collectively, the "regional agencies") are undertaking a regional planning initiative called FOCUS; and WHEREAS, FOCUS program goals support a future regional development pattern that is compact and connected; and WHEREAS, the regional agencies seek local government partners to create a specific and shared concept of where growth can be accommodated (Priority Development Area) WHEREAS, a Priority Development Area must meet all of the following criteria: (a) within an existing community, (b) near existing or planned fixed transit (or served by comparable bus service) and (c) is planned, or is planning, for more housing; and WHEREAS, the regional agencies have determined that areas within a community which meet the above-noted criteria may be designated as a Priority Development Area (PDA) and WHEREAS, local governments in the nine county San Francisco Bay Area are eligible to apply for designation of an area within their community as a Priority Development Area; and WHEREAS, the regional agencies are committed to securing incentives and providing technical assistance to designated priority development areas so that positive change can be achieved in communities working to advance focused growth. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE, as follows: SECTION 1. The City Council authorizes submitting an application to designate the area in the vicinity of the California Avenue Caltrain Station within the City of Palo Alto, as more particularly described in the map attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit "A", a Priority Development Area. 070731 syn0120250 STREET il STREET ESiERSON STREET ¯ EI~IERSON STREET RASIONA STREET ALSL% STREET AL ~’L% STREET PARK BOULEVARD pC-302S pC-4354 Legend Proposed Priority Development Area ~ Zone Designation Boundaries abc Zone Designation Labels ~ California Avenue Multi-modal Station .. 1/2 Mile Radius from Cal Ave Transit Station PARK BOULEVARD Attachment B The City of Palo Alto This map is a product of the City of Palo Alto GIS 400’