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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-05-03 City Council (4)City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Repor TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE: SUBJECT: MAY 3, 2004 CMR: 232:04 ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE: STATUS OF SPECIFIC ELEMENTS ADRESSING THE UPDATE OF TITLE 18 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNCIPAL CODE. This is an information report, providing the City Council with a status report and schedule for the comprehensive update of the City’s Zoning Ordinance (ZOU) that includes implementation of Comprehensive Plan policesand programs. No Council action is required. BACKGROUND The City of Palo Alto’s Zoning Ordinance comprises Title 18 of the City’s Municipal Code. The City last prepared a comprehensive update of its Zoning Ordinance in 1978. In 1998, the City Council adopted an updated Comprehensive Plan, including 55 programs and policies identified to be implemented through an update of the Zoning Ordinance. New policies and programs have also been adopted through the City’s update to its Housing Element. The City Council has continued to include the update, as well as other planning issues, among its Top 5 priorities. The Planning and Transportation Commission (P&TC) has to-date reviewed an overall format for the updated ordinance, recommended modifications to code regulations governing industrial and research uses in Palo Alto, and made significant progress by developing a new stand-alone Single Family Residential (R-l) Chapter, including revised definitions for clarity, updated second unit standards, and illustrations. This chapter is being put in final form for P&TC and Council review prior to the Council break. This progress has also provided for the other land use chapters to move forward in formatting for efficiency and clarity. In addition, the P&TC has spent considerable time reviewing and directing the work of the ZOU urban design consultants to develop prototypes for multi-family, mixed use, village residential and transit-oriented residential development types, as called for in the Comprehensive Plan. The Architectural Review Board (ARB) and Historic Resources Board (HRB) have been involved in the progress on the design work, and have expressed strong support for the form code effort. CMR:232:04 Page 1 of 7 DISCUSSION The following is a summary of the status of individual elements of the Zoning Code Update. The summary also includes discussion of schedule and milestones for boards and commissions, and community review (Attachment A). Urban Design and Prototype Development for New Land Use Types. Much of the focus of the ZOU is related to analyzing and preparing prototypes for the three new Comprehensive Plan land use types: mixed use, village residential, and transit oriented residential. The ZOU urban design consultants and staff have proceeded to refine these concepts through work with the Design & Environment Working Group (D&E) of the Planning and Transportation Commission, which includes .representatives also from the ARB and HRB and with the ARB. Some policy principles to guide the preparation of prototypes and standards for these land use types were presented to the Planning and Transportation Commission in January. A sample form-based code format has been reviewed by staff, the City Attorney, and the D&E. The consultants are preparing prototypes and draft code provisions for the three land use types for review in April and May by the D&E, the ARB, and the P&TC. Focus groups of development professionals and interested residents will be coordinated with the presentation of draft provisions to the P&TC. In response to Council direction, the ZOU staff and consultants have also developed location criteria for the new zoning districts in the city and have been utilizing the Housing Element’s Housing Sites Inventory for development of prototypes on a site-specific basis. In addition to the issues papers addressing Transit-Oriented Development, Village Residential, and Mixed Use that have been reviewed by the Council and P&TC, the urban design consultants and staff have completed additional background issues papers for the ZOU. They include sustainability/"green" building design; floor area (FAR) methodology; parking design; open space; and contextual relationships/view corridors. Schedule and Milestones. On April 21, 2004, the D&E Working Group is scheduled to review the draft form code format that will be used for specific land uses and zoning districts. The schedule is to develop a final draft form code with the three new land uses by July 15, 2004. The D&E Working Group, ARB and HRB will continue to review elements of the form code through July. The P&TC is scheduled to review the form code and new land uses at its August 11 and 25 meetings. Focus Groups and community outreach will start in June and July. R-1 District. ZOU staff has developed a draft stand-alone R-1 chapter of the Ordinance, intended to include virtually everything pertaining to development in the R-1 zone. This includes allowable land uses and prescribed development standards for all R-1 .properties, plus Individual Review (IR) criteria and the IR review process, single-story combining district provisions, and the Home Improvement Exception (HIE) process. Draft revisions are now under review by the Low Density Residential (LDR) committee of the Planning CMR:232:04 Page 2 of 7 Commission. Key policy issues (related to second units, basements, and single-story combining district provisions) were discussed by the P&TC in January. ZOU staff is also working with the HRB to ascertain what, if any, incentives can be included in the code to encourage protection and enhancement of historic homes. Staff will then review the proposed revisions with interested residents and development professionals, before presenting a draft ordinance chapter to the Commission. Schedule and Milestone: On April 21, the ZOU staff will review proposed historic preservations standards for low density residential with the HRB. The LDR committee has identified key policy issues for the P&TC review and recommendation. The R-1 zone, as a stand-alone chapter and the key policy issues is scheduled to be reviewed by the P&TC at its May 26 meeting. Focus group meetings are scheduled for May 13. The goal for the ZOU staff is to be prepared to present the R-1 Chapter to the Council in July 2004. Second Units. In June 2003, the City Council adopted a revised second unit ordinance to implement recent State legislation. Based on State law provisions and prior workshops with the community and the P&TC, ZOU staff has developed preliminary recommendations for revisions to second unit regulations. The ZOU urban design consultants have developed prototypes of attached and detached second units to better inform the discussion of potential changes. These suggestions are under review by the LDR committee and were presented along with other R-1 issues at a January P&TC meeting. Schedule and Milestone: The schedule for review of second units is included in the R-1 District review discussed above. Other Low-Density Residential and Special Purpose Districts. The other low-density residential zoning districts (R-E, R-2, and RMD) have been formatted into a single chapter, using tables to outline much of the zoning criteria to provide a more user- friendly document, consistent with the format of the R-1 chapter and that used for the industrial/manufacturing districts. Definitions pertaining to these residential districts, as well as for the R-1 zone, have also been refined and revised as necessary. The LDR committee will be looking at this chapter after completing its review of the R-1 chapter. In addition to low-densitydistricts, ZOU staff has identified specific special zone districts that can be consolidated into a more efficient single chapter in the zoning ordinance. These special zones are currently in individual chapters in the zoning ordinance. The special zone districts include Public Facilities (PF), Open Space (OP), Agricultural Conservation (AC), and Floodplain (F). The optimum goal would be consolidation for efficiency, as well as to update or remove specific regulations in order to be consistent with other regulations in the PAMC. CMR:232:04 Page 3 of 7 Schedule and Milestones: The LDR committee has been reviewing specific regulations in conjunction with R- 1 Chapter. The schedule is for this committee to complete the review of low-density residential and to identify key issues, including the chapter format, for the special use districts in May and June. The ZOU staff will also schedule concurrent review by the ARB and HRB where appropriate. The P&TC is scheduled to review the Low-Density Residential and Special Use District Chapters at its July 14, 2004. Multi-Family Districts. The multi-family districts (RM-15, RM-30, and RM-40) have been reformatted into a single chapter, similar to the approach to the low-density residential zones. ZOU staff has made preliminary revisions to the code provisions. There will also be a form-based component to these zones, and the urban design consultants are using this chapter to develop a sample format for the form-based coding. Schedule and Milestones. On April 21, The D&E Working Group will be reviewing a proposed format for the form code for multi-family districts. P&TC and ARB review is scheduled for June and early July. P&TC is scheduled to review the Multi-Family Districts Chapter, with a draft form code, at its July 28 meeting. Community and focus group review will be coordinated throughout. Parking. The ZOU parking consultant has prepared two technical memoranda evaluating parking requirements for the City, with a particular emphasis on recommending approaches to parking for the mixed use, village residential, and pedestrian/transit- oriented land use types. Staff, along with the urban design and economic consultants, has reviewed the consultant’s proposals and took the report recommendations forward to the P&TC’s Parking Committee in March. There were two focus groups meetings on parking issues prior to development of the technical papers. The ZOU and transportation planning staffs have been working with the parking consultants to develop a parking technical manual, appended to the Zoning Ordiance, that would provide for engineering and design standards to be updated on regular basis. This technical manual is also seen as having potential with other zoning elements in the code. The very successful Tree Technical Manual is being used as the model for this zoning technical manual. Schedule and Milestones: The P&TC Parking Committee directed staff to focus on specific elements for updating the parking chapter. Staff has also met with the Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC) to review the bicycle standards for the ZOU. A second meeting of PABAC is scheduled in June. The ARB will be reviewing proposed parking and bicycle standards at its June 3 meeting. The P&TC is scheduled to review the Parking Chapter, with a technical manual outline, at its June 30 meeting. Focus group meetings. are being scheduled for May and June. Economic Analysis. The ZOU economic consultant has initiated review of market conditions that might relate to development feasibility of the mixed use, village residential, and transit-oriented land use types. The consultant will also be involved in the parking discussions about those land use types, as parking frequently drives the CMR:232:04 Page 4 of 7 development parameters for such projects. As prototypes for these land uses are developed, the consultant will be identifying the key components of financial feasibility, or at least the key obstacles that zoning may help overcome. Schedule and Milestones. The economic analysis feeds into many areas of the zoning ordinance update and runs concurrently with the review schedule presented in other parts of this review. The economic analysis will be presented on specific zoning chapters as they come to the P&TC for review. Industrial/Manufacturing Districts. The ZOU staff has completed, draft revisions addressing outstanding issues about the industrial and manufacturing districts revisions discussed by the City Council last year. In particular, staff has developed revised language to address the office use issue in the Stanford Research Park and some more flexible criteria for biotech and R&D facilities, to reflect their evolving characteristics. These modifications have been developed with input from industrial firms, Stanford, an ARB representative, and the D&E Working Group Schedule and Milestones. The P&TC and Council have reviewed preliminary chapters for the industrial and manufacturing zoning districts. The ARB is scheduled to review the proposed flexible development standards for biotech and research facilities at its May 3 meeting. This will also be an opportunity for the biotech and research firms and developers to participate in follow-up to the ZOU staff’s focus group meeting last year. The P&TC is scheduled to review the final draft of the Industrial~Manufacturing Zoning Districts at its June 6 meeting. Sustainabilitv/Green Buildings. ZOU staff has been working with the urban design consultants to develop sustainability/green buildings development standards that would be appropriate to be included in the ZOU. Staff has also identified other sustainability standards, .regulations, and guidelines that would be addressed in other areas of the PAMC or City regulations. Staff has reviewed an issues paper on "Sustainable Development & Green Building Design" with the D&E Working Group and the ARB. While not all of the sustainability issues or criteria will be addressed in the ZOU, this material could be used by the ARB in response to the Council’s direction for the ARB to develop such criteria. ZOU Staff is coordinating developing a matrix of "Overview of Sustainable Development Criteria" for use by City staff. Schedule and Milestones._ The sustainability analysis feeds into different areas of the ZOU and runs concurrently with the review schedule of specific zoning districts and the zoning form code. This includes coordination with other City departments to ensure that appropriate crossover documentation or hyperlinks within the PAMC can be developed where possible. The D&E Working Group (which includes an ARB member) regularly reviews progress. This analysis will be presented on specific zoning chapters as they come to the ARB and P&TC for review. CMR:232:04 Page 5 of 7 Auto Dealerships. The ZOU staff has been working with the City Manager’s Office and other stakeholders to develop land use policy options for retaining auto dealers in the city, We have identified tools such as potential ZOU overlay standards for auto dealers, location criteria for "dealership synergy" and current zoning impediments for dealers to relocate or grow. The development of a auto dealer overlay will provide for the city to move forward on positive development standards without significant rezoning of sites. Schedule and Milestones. ZOU staff is currently preparing a draft Auto Sales Overlay Zone to provide flexible development standards that address the needs of existing auto dealers in the City. This is very similar to the ZOU approach in the industrial/manufacturing districts for flexible standards for biotech/research to encourage the retention of those industries. The P&TC is scheduled to review the Auto Sales Overlay Zone and initiate the overlay zone on specific existing dealership sites at its June 9 meeting, with Council review in July 2004. Housing Element Implementation. ZOU staff has been coordinating with the Housing staff to implement the rezoning of sites identified in the Housing Sites Inventory. The P&TC has initiated action on one of the inventory sites (Site 8-11, Park Boulevard/Page Mill Road), to amend the Comprehensive Plan to Transit Oriented Residential and rezone the sites to High Density Residential (RM-40). Schedule and Milestones. On August 13, 2003 the P&TC recommended that the Council approve amending the Comprehensive Plan and rezoning of four parcels on Housing Inventory Site 8-11. A City Council hearing date has not yet been scheduled. There are other chapters of the zoning ordinance that the staff is developing for review. These are not major land uses, but do contain important regulations that need updating subsequent to the areas discussed above. These include combining and flexible districts, general development and performance standards, and regulations for specific uses. This would also provide for the ZOU staff to review remaining comprehensive Plan policies that have not been included .and develbp a work program to address them. The ZOU schedules would provide for Planning and Transportation Commission review of these areas during the fall while Council is reviewing the P&TC’s recommendations on land uses and the form code. Concurrent with this review, the Attorney’s Office and Current Planning Staff are also developing revisions to the approval process chapters of the Zoning Ordinance that are consistent with the City Auditor’s recommendations and Council direction. The ZOU staff is preparing an overall Zoning Ordinance organization and Table of Contents that will incorporate these changes into a better and more efficient ordinance for the City. The final goal would have a final Zoning Ordinance prepared for review before the end of 2004. CMR:232:04 Page 6 of 7 RESOURCE IMPACT Contracts and budgeting are completion of the ZOU. in place for consultant and staff work to carry out the POLICY IMPLICATIONS This effort will directly address policies outlined in the 1998-2010 Comprehensive Plan, especially those to develop criteria for mixed use, village residential, and transit oriented residential land uses. [note: copies to P&TC, ARB and HRB] PREPARED BY: SARDI Planning Manager DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: ,,.Director ’lanning and Community Environment EMIL~AR~-~N Assistant City Manager CMR:232:04 Page 7 of 7 April 2004 Attachment A ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE SCHEDULE ZOU Section Review Single Family Residential - (R-1)/second units R&D/ Manufacturing Auto Sales Overlay Parking Low Density Residential & Special Purpose Districts Multi Family (RM15-30-40) Preliminary review of Form Code and New Land Uses Final Form Code with New Land Uses Planning & Transportation Commission 5/26 6/9 6/9 6/30 7/14 7/28 8/11 8/25 ARB 5/3 6/3 TBD* Coordinate with form code and new land uses 5/20, 6/17, 7/15 8/25 HRB 4/21 TBD* TBD* TBD* Focus Group Or Community Meetings 5/13 - two meetings 5/3 (ARB) May/June (TBD) TBD* Coordinate with form code and new land uses June/July August city Council July (TBD) Fall July (TBD) Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall *TBD - If necessary to review specific sections