HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-11-12 City Council (5)City of Palo Alto
CRy Manager’s Report
9
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
DATE:NOVEMBER 12, 2002 CMR:446:02
SUBJECT:REQUEST FOR $30,000 IN RESOURCES FROM THE BUDGET
STABILIZATION RESERVE TO PREPARE A MASSING MODEL
FOR SOFA 2
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council .allocate $30,000 needed to build a traditional
massing model for the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) area because it is a useful tool for
analyzing physical changes in an area.
DISCUSSION
The City Council requested a model of the SOFA 2 area at its October 7, 2002 meeting
regarding the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) Coordinated Area Plan (CAP). At that
meeeting, staff was prepared to recommend that a computer simulation be completed
rather than a traditional massing model. Now, after having additional time to consider
the possible uses of a model, staff recommends pursuing a traditional massing model. It
is more accessible to the general public and easier to physically change building
prototypes on the sites most likely to redevelop.
The massing model will be available for Architectural Review Board, Historic Resources
Board and Planning and Transportation Commission reviews in early January 2003 and
will require that the City Council’s review of the SOFA 2 plan be postponed until late
January 2003. This will mean that the November 18, 2002 Council meeting on SOFA 2
will be continued to January 27, 2003.
RESOURCE IMPACT
Approximately $30,000 would need to be reallocated from the General Fund through a
budget amendment ordinance to reimburse the City Manager’s contingency fund, which
will pay for the model preparation until the BAO is approved.
CMR:446:02 Page 1 of 2
TIMELINE
The ARB, HRB and PTC will be scheduled to review this item in January 2003.
City Council will be scheduled to review this item on January 27, 2003.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This model is not a project under California Environmental Quality Act.
The
PREPARED BY:
Lisa Grote, Chief Planning Official
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
ST~EPHEN EMSI~IE
Director of Planning and Community Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
EMILY H~SON ~
Assistant City Manager
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