HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-03-25 City Council (6)TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER
6
DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
MARCH 25, 2002 CMR:193:02
800 HIGH STREET (02-PC-01) - INITIATION OF A PRELIMINARY
REVIEW (PAMC 18.97.030) FOR A PROPOSED PLANNED
COMMUNITY REZONING CONSISTING OF 61 RESIDENTIAL
CONDOMINIUM UNITS AND 1,921 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE.
THE PROPOSED PROJECT SITE CONSISTS OF THREE PARCELS
THAT TOTAL 42,000 SQUARE FEET.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council initiate preliminary review of the proposed
development project at 800 High Street, as allowed by Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter
(PAMC) 18.97.
If this preliminary review is initiated, the Planning and Transportation Commission will
have two options:
To make comments about the project to the City Council; or
To recommend that. the Council not comment on the preliminary review
application until Phase II of the SOFA Plan is completed.
This site is in the South of Forest Area (SOFA), and staff is presently working with the
Advisory Group for Phase II of the SOFA Plan.
DISCUSSION
The proposed project consists of the demolition of all existing structures on the site and
the construction of 61 for-sale residential condominium units; 1,921 square feet of
retail/restaurant space on the corner of Homer Avenue and High Street; and a two-level
subterranean parking garage. The proposed project also requires a zone change from
Commercial Downtown Service (CD-S(P)) to Planned Community (PC). Both .the
Architectural Review Board (ARB) and Historic Resources Board (HRB) have held study
CMR: 193:02 Page 1 of 2
sessions on the project at a preliminary level, but no formal board or commission review
has yet taken place.
The project applicants wish to pursue preliminary review by both the Planning and
Transportation Commission (Commission) and City Council in order to obtain comments
on broad project issues such as land use, building intensity, urban design, and public
benefit. PAMC Chapter 18.97 allows preliminary screening of development projects by
the Commission and City Council to provide project proponents with the opportunity to
obtain early, non-binding preliminary comments on development projects.
TIMELINE
If the City Council initiates the preliminary development review of the proposed project,
the Commission will review the project at a preliminary level on March 27, 2002. The
project will then return to the City Council for its preliminary review.
Once the .preliminary review process is complete, the project will return to the
Commission for formal review at a program/conceptual level: This will be followed by a
formal HRB review, in which the HRB will make recommendations to the ARB. The
ARB will then review the project and make recommendations to the Commission, who
will formally review the project a second time and make a recommendation to the City
Council. The City Council will then take final action on the project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Supplemental Environmental Impact Report is being prepared for this project.
PREPARED BY:
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
Director lanning and Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
cc: Applicants
HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
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