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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-09-22 City Council (9)Revised City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE:SEPTEMBER 22, 2003 CMR: 447:03 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 872-876 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 at 872-876 San Antonio 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, delays the formal review of certain projects located in or affecting the Charleston Road Corridor pending completion of a transportation corridor study. 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 permits property owners in the affected area to request exemption from the development review delay upon a showing of why an exemption should be granted. The request is first reviewed by the Director of Planning and Community Environment, who forwards his recommendation on the petition to the City Council within 60 days. This is a quasi- judicial decision by the Council. In most circumstances, an exemption request will be based upon a showing that the proposed development does not increase, or in fact, decreases, traffic generated by the site. If the City Council approves this request for exemption, the project will be reviewed by the Architectural Review Board to obtain its recommendation to the Director of Planning and Community Environment. The Director would then make a decision on the application. CMR: 447:03 Page 1 of 3 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. It is not a general planning moratorium on new development or redevelopment of sites. The key consideration is the amount of traffic that would be generated by the proposed project and whether the distribution of that traffic would be likely to affect the Charleston Road Corridor. The Director recommends granting the petition for relief for the project at 872-876 San Antonio for the following reasons: The development site, consisting of two parcels, is approximately 23,987 square feet in area and zoned GM. This district permits administrative offices, manufacturing, warehousing, and housing as a right. At the time the exemption was requested, the uses of the property were described as 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 those uses is 200. There have been some changes in uses on the site since that time. The retail use, an appliance parts and repair store, has vacated the building at 872 San Antonio and a home staging company that uses the facility for storage has occupied the tenant space. Assuming that the two existing buildings were used for permitted administrative office uses, the estimated number of daily trips would be 104; if they were used entirely for warehousing the number of estimated daily trips would be 70. The estimated number of daily trips that would be generated by the proposed nine- unit townhouse project is 55. The proposed nine-unit condominium 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. Therefore, the Director of Planning and Community Environment believes the exemption should be granted. RESOURCE IMPACT A nine unit multi-family residential project would be required to pay a Community Facilities Development Impact Fee of $64,233. 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. CMR: 447:03 Page 2 of 3 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 would reduce traffic generated by the site and is therefore eligible for relief pursuant to Section 4 of Ordinance 4784. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This recommendation (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. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Applicant’s petition for relief Attachment B: Ordinance excerpt Attachment C: Vicinity map PREPARED BY: RUSS REICH Associate Planner DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: EM; Director of anning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: Assistant City Manager CMR: 447:03 Page 3 of 3 Attachment A ALLANA-LIPPERT Archite~ts+E~ngineers 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 6 2003 6103103 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: The proposed site development converts 13,000 square 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 will generate traffic from approximately 2! 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 Rengstorffto E1 Camino. (Mr. 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 playgrounds close to Charleston north of San Antonio. Should you need more information regarding this project, please contact the undersigned. Sincerely Allana-Lippert, Inc. Steve Lippert, Architect Allana-Lippert, Inc. 876 San Antonie Road Palo Alto California 94303 Fax: (650) 354-8828 Ph: (650) 354-8822 www.allana-lippert.co m Attachment B SECTION 4. ADM~STRAT-TVE P~IED~ES. Any residen~ia!or non-residen~ia~ applicant ~= ="_ agg___~_~ by this ordinance shal!, before seeking eu~.y 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 .P!amm.ing *&nd Commum.ity Environment shal! forwardto the City Co~nci! his or her recommendations on the petition. The City Counci! may take appropriate action on such petition by resolution or as other~’ise advised by the City Attorney. The City Council’s action~sha!! be deemed a legislative act.