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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 7894 City of Palo Alto (ID # 7894) City Council Staff Report Report Type: Study Session Meeting Date: 5/1/2017 City of Palo Alto Page 1 Summary Title: 3200 El Camino Real Hotel Pre-Screening for Zoning Amendment Title: Prescreening of a Proposed Hotel Development at 3200 El Camino Real and Proposed Modification or Elimination of the 50'-0" Special Setback Along Hansen Way From: City Manager Lead Department: Planning and Community Environment Recommendation Staff recommends that Council conduct a prescreening review of the applicant’s proposed hotel development as it relates to the removal or modification of the 50’-0” special setback at 3200 El Camino Real and provide comments. No formal action is requested. Executive Summary The applicant is pursuing redevelopment and expansion of an existing hotel at the corner of El Camino Real and Hansen Way. The proposal would require approval of either a variance or a legislative change to the special setback along Hansen Way. This a 50-foot special setback that extends the full length of the property adjacent to Hansen Way and along all the other properties fronting on Hansen Way; it dates from the establishment of the Stanford Research Park and its annexation to the City. The property immediately adjacent to the subject site includes buildings that intrude into the special setback by about 14 feet. A prior pre-screening request was heard by the City Council on April 4, 2016. (The staff report from that meeting can be found at http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/51665.) At that time, Councilmember comments favored a legislative change to reduce the special setback because the findings for a variance could not be made. In addition, there was discussion about having a holistic approach to the setback along Hansen Way rather than addressing the single property. Councilmembers also sought better elevation and perspective drawings that would provide more information about compatibility with the surrounding, and asked to conduct another prescreening. There was also interest in having as few new vehicular trips as possible for the new square footage. City of Palo Alto Page 2 The applicant has revised the original proposal and is seeking to gauge the City Council’s support for a legislative change to reduce or eliminate the special setback along the southern edge of the property. Project revisions provide a different massing approach to the corner and illustrations are included in the attachments. Because this is a prescreening, staff has not conducted an in-depth review of the submittal, and no analysis of parking or traffic has been conducted. If the applicant chooses to proceed based on the Council’s input this evening, their proposal would require review by the Architectural Review Board (ARB), the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC), and the City Council. Staff would also conduct a detailed analysis for code compliance, prepare the required ordinance, and conduct environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Background The subject property contains an existing two-story 16,943 square foot hotel with 36- guestrooms, which would be replaced with a four-story, 48’-0” tall hotel and 93 guestrooms with a two-level basement parking garage. In order to implement the project, or some variation of the project, the applicant seeks the removal or reduction of the special setback along Hansen Way and is considering a ordinance (zoning map change) to modify/eliminate the setback requirement. As depicted in the aerial below, the majority of the property’s existing improvements (buildings and parking is located within this 50-foot setback. The property line is located where the exsiting building footprint is along Hansen Way. City of Palo Alto Page 3 Google Maps (2017) The project site consists of a 28,878 square foot parcel (0.62 acres), located at the southwestern corner of the Hansen Way and El Camino Real intersection (see location map, Attachment A). The site is within the Commercial Service (CS) zoning designation. The present hotel was constructed in 1947 before the 50’-0” special setback was established along Hansen Way in 1959, rendering the hotel a “non-complying facility” subject to Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Section 18.70. Properties to the east along El Camino Real and directly across Hansen Way are zoned Research Park (RP) and include surface parking facilities to support research and development offices at 607 Hansen Way. Properties to the west of the site, zoned CS, include the Fish Market and McDonalds restaurants. To the north of the site, across El Camino Real, properties that are also zoned CS include Footlocker, and personal services uses. To the south of the site (rear) are research and development uses as part of the Stanford Research Park, zoned RP. City of Palo Alto Page 4 The CS zoning district was established to create and maintain areas accommodating citywide and regional services that may be inappropriate in neighborhood or pedestrian oriented shopping areas, and which generally require automotive access for customer convenience, servicing of vehicles or equipment, loading or unloading, or parking of commercial service vehicles. The PAMC allows for a maximum of 0.4:1 for development with the exception of 2.0:1 for hotel development. The height limit is 50’-0” for buildings within the CS zoning district. The conceptual project includes a setback along Hansen Way of three feet, where the existing required setback is 50’-0”. The applicant seeks relief from the setback in the form of a Zoning Amendment to the City’s Setback Map (established by Ordinance 1896 in 1959) to amend the setback pursuant to PAMC 18.80. The special setback limits development on one half of the 100 foot wide lot adjacent to Hansen Way. The special setback applies to both above ground and below ground structures. Surface parking can be situated within the special setback area. Origins of the Setback & Existing Intrusions Staff has been unable to definitively determine the original purpose of the 50’-0” special setback. However, it may have been established to accommodate future street widening in the Stanford Research Park, or to provide for landscape screening (and privacy) of Research Park buildings and uses. While there is no capital improvement plan to implement street widening of Hansen Way at this time, the legislated setbacks here and throughout the Research Park effectively constitute a “reserve” for possible future above ground or below ground improvements (which could theoretically involve roads, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, landscaping, utilities, etc.). The special setback, however, is also located on private property and the city does not have authority at this time to access or use the area within the special setback. The adjacent office complex at 600 Hansen Way was constructed in 1983 and does not conform with the special setback. The complex has its closest building setback approximately 36’-0” from the property line along Hansen Way. This represents an encroachment into the special setback. There is no justification stated in the project file for this deviation and staff is unable to uncover a reason as to why this occurred. Staff has explored the idea that this condition may provide a rationale for a similar encroachment into the special setback by the hotel proposed at 3200 El Camino Real if there were Council interest to reduce the special setback formally through an ordinance. El Camino Real Design Guidelines and South El Camino Real Guidelines The project is subject to the El Camino Real Design Guidelines and the South El Camino Real Guidelines. The Guidelines consider the site a part of the California Avenue Corridor Area. According to the Guidelines, new buildings should front El Camino Real with prominent facades. Entries should face El Camino Real, or be clearly visible and easily accessible to pedestrians. Auto-oriented development should include pedestrian-friendly design elements to City of Palo Alto Page 5 accommodate those arriving by foot or transit. The project includes what appears to be a secondary entry from El Camino Real. The policies within the Guidelines support having new buildings situated closer to the street and furthermore when considering corner properties, such as the subject site, the building should define the corner. Discussion The proposed project includes a four-story, 48’-0” tall hotel totaling 53,745 square feet (1.99:1 FAR). The project also includes two levels of underground parking that includes 90 spaces. There are three surface level parking spaces provided along with a drop-off area adjacent to the lobby. There has been some recent discussion from the City Council to explore increasing hotel FAR beyond 2.0 in the upcoming Comprehensive Plan. The concept plan below demonstrates the constraints of the site. The current plans differfrom the previous plans, both of which are illustrated below. While the footprint is similar, the design is slightly shorter and steps the building away from the corner, maintaining a second floor balcony at the corner. City of Palo Alto Page 6 Project Plans (2017), Architectural Dimensions April 2016 Proposal Project Plans (2017), Architectural Dimensions City of Palo Alto Page 7 March 2017 Proposal Project Plans (2017), Architectural Dimensions The proposed project appears to be consistent with the City’s zoning development standards and South El Camino Real Design Guidelines except for the Hansen Way setback. The project would remove the curb cut and vehicular entry along El Camino Real and relocate it to Hansen Way, which would be an enhancement. There is no change proposed to the “pork chop” island allowing for a free right from El Camino Real to Hansen Way, but there is city interest in removing this feature and improving vehicular movement at this corner. A zoning amendment as proposed by the applicant would allow the project to proceed in conformance with the City’s zoning development standards and would only affect the setback for the subject property (and not the balance of Hansen Way). The amendment would allow for the property to develop and be consistent with the South El Camino Real Design Guidelines, which encourage development to be located close to the street. However, any further encroachment into the special setback could be limit future, unplanned infrastructure improvements in the area. Next Steps If there is City Council interest in the proposal and the applicant elects to proceed, then the applicant would submit for a Zoning Amendment to be processed concurrent with an Architectural Review application. The requests would require recommendations from both the Architectural Review Board and the Planning & Transportation Commissions to the City Council for final consideration. The Zoning Amendment is a legislative action requiring an ordinance. The entire request would require evaluation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Attachments: City of Palo Alto Page 8  COI Map 3200 El Camino Real  Attachment A: Location Map  Attachment B: Applicant Project Narative  Attachment C: Project Plans 50 50 RM- 637 CS CS CS RP 611 52 3225 3239 3255 3295 455 3305 3337 3339 592 572582 3150 3170 3200 3300 607 60 550 447 3 429 451 441 431 3159 411 435 3250425 435 3200 455 460 3201 450 430 400 3263251 0 3802862450 456 470 71 299929512905 461 3000 30173001 3128 3127 850 700 600 3398 3111 473 3225 440 620 630 429 660 3215 3275 3327 3399 3333 3201 3051 3101 3160 3260 2 3265 LA M BERT AVENUE EL CA MINO REAL HANSEN W AY EL CA MINO REAL HANSEN W AY W AY ACACIA AVENUE PORTAGE AVENUE OLIVE APE EL CA MINO REAL L CA MIN O REAL EL CA MIN O REAL EL CA MINO REAL This map is a product of the City of Palo Alto GIS This document is a graphic representation only of best available sources. Legend Special Setback Frontages Zone Districts abc Zone District Labels 3200 El Camino Real (Project Site) 0' 200' 3200 El Camino Real Area Mapwith Zoning Districts CITY O F PALO A L TO I N C O R P O R ATE D C ALIFOR N IA P a l o A l t oT h e C i t y o f A P RIL 16 1894 The City of Palo Alto assumes no responsibility for any errors ©1989 to 2015 City of Palo Alto rrivera, 2015-08-10 12:07:543200ECR zone (\\cc-maps\gis$\gis\admin\Personal\rrivera.mdb) Attachment C Project Plans Hardcopies of project plans are provided to ARB Members. These plans are available to the public by visiting the Planning and Community Environmental Department on the 5th floor of City Hall at 250 Hamilton Avenue. Directions to review Project plans online: 1. Go to: https://paloalto.buildingeye.com/planning 2. Search for “3200 El Camino Real” and open record by clicking on the green dot 3. Review the record details and open the “more details” option 4. Use the “Records Info” drop down menu and select “Attachments” 5. Open the attachment named “3200 El Camino Real 02-02-2017 full set”