HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-07-28 City Council (4)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
7
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE:July 28, 2003 CMR: 379:03
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF REQUEST FOR RELIEF FROM ORDINANCE
NUMBER 4784 IMPLEMENTING THE CHARLESTON ROAD CORRIDOR
DEVELOPMENT MORATORIUM TO ALLOW THE FORMAL REVIEW OF A
NINE-UNIT TOWNHOUSE PROJECT AT 876 SAN ANTONIO AVENUE.
RECOMMENDATION
The Director of Planning and Community Environment recommends that the City
Council approve the request for relief from Ordinance Number 4784 to allow review of a
nine-unit townhouse project by the Architectural Review Board (ARB) and action on the
project by the Director.
BACKGROUND
Ordinance Number 4784, adopted by City Council on April 14, 2003, prevents the formal
review of certain projects located in or affecting the Charleston Road Corridor. The
applicant was notified of the applicability of this Ordinance on May 7, 2003, and
petitioned for relief under Section 4 Administrative Remedies on June 4, 2003. Section 4
of the Ordinance specifies that the Director of Planning and Community Environment
shall forward his recommendation on the petition to the City Council within 60 days. If
the City Council approves this request, the project will be reviewed by the ARB to obtain
its recommendation to the Director of Planning and Community Environment. The
Director would then make a decision on the application.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of Ordinance Number 4784 is to prevent the permitting of additional traffic
generating development projects in or affecting the Charleston Road Corridor prior to the
implementation of the Charleston Road Corridor Traffic Management and Safety Study.
The key consideration is the amount of traffic that would be generated by the proposed
CMR: 379:03 Page 1 of 3
project and whether the distribution of that traffic would be likely to affect the Charleston
Road Corridor. Staff supports the petition for relief for the project at 876 San Antonio
for the following reasons:
¯The existing uses of the property in question are warehouse, office, and retail. A trip
generation assessment has been done by the Transportation Division. It found that the
estimated number of daily vehicular trips generated by the existing uses is 200. The
estimated number of daily trips that would be generated by the proposed nine-unit
townhouse project is 55. The proposed development has a less intensive parking
demand and would generate fewer vehicular trips per day than the existing uses at the
site.
¯The location of the project allows for freeway access to Hwy 101 north and south
without traveling on Charleston Road north of San Antonio Avenue.
These factors demonstrate that the proposed project would not add additional traffic
within the Charleston Road Corridor and would not degrade traffic conditions.
RESOURCE IMPACT
A nine unit multi-family residential project would be required to pay a Community
Facilities Development Impact Fee of $62,370. This project has a Below Market Rate
(BMR) housing requirement of 1.35 units. One of the nine units in the project would be a
BMR unit and the remaining .35 unit would be paid by an in-lieu fee.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The intent of the moratorium is to postpone actions on projects that could result in
substantial impacts upon traffic along the Charleston Road Corridor. This project as
noted would not degrade traffic conditions and is therefore eligible for relief pursuant to
Section 4 of Ordinance 4784.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Exemption from Ordinance 4784 is not a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act. The project itself will be reviewed under the California Environmental
Quality Act as part of the ARB process. A preliminary staff review of the project
application, (which has not yet been determined to be complete), made clear that changes
will be needed in the project to comply with all of the applicable ordinances. This
exemption only applies to the current application for nine dwelling units, as amended or
conditioned to comply with existing zoning and the Comprehensive Plan.
CMR: 379:03 Page 2 of 3
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A:
Attachment B:
Attachment C:
Applicant’s petition for relief
Ordinance excerpt
Vicinity map
PREPARED BY:
RUSS REICH
Associate Planner
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
of Planning and Community Environmem
EMILY-HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR: 379:03 Page 3 of 3
Attachment A
ALLANA-LIPPERT
Architects+Engineers
Steve Emslie, Director
Department of Planning and Community Environment
City of Palo Alto
250 Hamilton Avenue
P.O. Box 10250
Palo Alto CA 94303
RECEIVED
JUN ~ 2003
6/03/03
Re:03-ARB-27, 876 San Antonio Road
Dear Mr. Emslie,
Pursuant to Russ Reich’s letter dated May 7, 2003, we wish to file for an exemption for
the Charleston Corridor traffic study moratorium. The reasons for our request for
exemption are as follows:
o
The proposed site development converts 13,000 squm-e feet of existing light
industrial space to 9 town homes. The parking requirements for the present
allowed usage requires up to 3 cars per 1000 or 39 cars. Our proposed 9
residential units which wil! generate traffic from approximately 21 cars;
almost one-half the present allowed usage.
The traffic pattern for our proposed residential usage is opposite from
commercial usage. Residential traffic is more scattered though out the day, as
opposed to commercial rush hour traffic; thereby reducing traffic at critical
times.
The location of this site discourages the traffic use of Charleston north of San
Antonio. The site has direct access to San Antonio Road for the freeway
north entrance. In order to go south on 101, we must use a one way street
system that circles around and lets out on Charleston south of San Antonio
Road. In order to go west to E1 Camino, because of the one-way road system,
the easiest traffic route is to use the same route to 101 and then go west on
Rengstorff to E1 Camino. (Mt. View would get this traffic.)
The two master bedroom design of the town homes in a industrial
neighborhood does not encourage potential homeowners with school age
children that may require trips to schools and play~ounds close to Charleston
north of San Antonio.
Should you need more information regarding this project, please contact the undersigned.
Sincerely
Altana-Lippert, Inc.
Steve Lippert, Architect
Allana-Lippert, Inc. 876 San Antonio Road Palo Alto California 94303
www.allana-lippert.com
Fax: (650) 354-8828 Ph: (650) 354-8822
Attachment B
SECTION 4. ADM!~T~STP~ATIrV~ R~gD:ES. Any residential or
non-residential appIicant aggrieved by this ordinance shall,
before seeking ~ny judicia! or other relief and within thirty
(30) days of initial notification that this ordinance affects
their application, petition the Director of Planning and
Community Deve!opment for modification of, or relief from, this
ordinance. Such petition shal! be in writing with a complete
description of the facts and reasons upon ~nich modification or
relief is re_quested. Within sixty (60) days thereafter, the
Director of planning ~nd Community Enviro~nent shal! forwardto
the City Cou_nci! his or her recommendations on the petition.
The City Counci! may take appropriate action on such petition by
resolution or as othe_~w-ise advised by the City Atto_~ney. The
City Counci!’s action shall be deemed a legislative act.
Attachment C
The City of
Palo Alto
Request for Relief
from Ordinance # 4784
Implementing the Charleston Road
Corridor Development Moratorium
w/2001 Aerials
This map is a product of the
City of Palo Alto GIS