HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14282
City of Palo Alto (ID # 14282)
City Council Staff Report
Meeting Date: 6/21/2022 Report Type: Action Items
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Title: 1237 San Antonio Road (22PLN-0113 and 22PLN-00114) Project
Homekey: Staff and Applicant (LifeMoves) Update to City Council as to
Project Status and Request for Direction on a Third Story Design Option.
Zoning District: PF (Public Facilities)
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Manager
Recommendation
Staff recommends that City Council receive this project update on Palo Alto Homekey (a
partnership with LifeMoves for an 88-unit emergency shelter (also known as interim supportive
housing)) on a portion of the Los Altos Treatment Plant (LATP) site (1237 North San Antonio
Road); and provide direction regarding a proposed third story site design.
Report Summary
LifeMoves, a nonprofit partner, has teamed up with the City to apply for State grant funding to
construct interim supportive housing on a portion of the former LATP site at 1237 North San
Antonio Road.1 LifeMoves has taken the lead on the architectural drawings and submitted the
applications necessary to officially start the planning process. LifeMoves is considered the
project applicant.
In addition to providing a project update, one of the key purposes of this June 21, 2022, City
Council discussion is to receive direction on a possible 3-story design concept. The concept
enhances site functional space for residents and the associated wrap around services. The
design also reduces operational constraints for GreenWaste, the adjacent land user and City’s
refuse disposal service provider. City Council’s feedback on this design option will influence the
project and is required to refine and complete the project plans.
Background
Project Homekey is a program of the State of California Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) that funds eligible applicants (such as municipalities) and facilitates
partnerships with the State to quickly acquire, rehabilitate, or master lease a variety of housing
1 “Interim supportive housing” is a State term that is defined as an “emergency shelter” by the City’s Municipal
Code, meaning it provides temporary housing for a maximum of six (6) months (PAMC 18.04.030(a)(50)).
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types. Once developed, these projects provide interim or permanent housing for persons
experiencing homelessness and at risk of health concerns. To get people housed, Project
Homekey provides many exemptions and requires adherence to rapid deadlines with the
project reviewed, approved, and built within one year or less.
On September 27, 2021, the City Council took a series of actions enabling staff to prepare
necessary materials with LifeMoves to submit an application to HCD for Homekey 2.0 funds.
These actions2 included:
A. Adopt Resolution 9992 declaring an emergency shelter crisis with a one-year deadline
and return to City Council for discussion on renewal;
B. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for California Project Homekey
funds in conjunction with LifeMoves for an 88-unit emergency shelter project at a
portion of the LATP site (1237 North San Antonio Road);
C. Direct Staff to complete due diligence necessary for the application;
D. Direct Staff to return with necessary actions related to capital and operating costs for
the project and include the City’s portion of the operating expenses as part of the City’s
Long Range Financial Forecasting, taking into account the funding from LifeMoves as a
partner as well as financial support from other agencies (e.g., the State, and Santa Clara
County);
E. Direct Staff to identify the costs associated with moving GreenWaste operations within
LATP Area C and to work with LifeMoves to identify funding sources for the relocation;
and
F. Direct Staff to continue to partner with Valley Water to identify a staging area in
preparation for a purified water plant.
On November 1, 2021, the City Council amended the resolution authorizing the City Manager to
apply for Project Homekey to reflect updated capital and estimated operating expenses (CMR
13702; Minutes).
In December 2021, the City and LifeMoves officially applied for the Project Homekey grant with
HCD for an 88-unit, 2-story interim supportive housing project. The City Council approved the 2-
story design and unit count in September 2021.
The Palo Alto Homekey application included notation of the need to reorganize the LATP Area C
site to accommodate the continued operations of the City’s GreenWaste sorting operation in
order to build Palo Alto Homekey.
The application has been reviewed by the State. The City and LifeMoves are awaiting official
response and should hear back by early-mid July 2022. The project is referred to as “Palo Alto
Homekey.”
2 September 27, 2021 Council Action Minutes: https://bit.ly/3mNX9ez
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Requested Entitlements, Findings and Purview
Typically, Site and Design review is required for a new use or a new building within the PF(D)
Zone District and the project would be evaluated for consistency with the zoning code as part of
that process. These discretionary acts, legislative amendment and design review, would also
require analysis in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
However, projects funded under AB 140 (Homekey) are automatically deemed consistent with
all local planning and zoning requirements and no discretionary approvals can be required. This
is outlined in Health and Safety Code section 50675.1.3. Therefore, Site and Design review is
not required; under State law the project must be ministerially approved. In addition, because
there are no discretionary approvals, CEQA does not apply to approval of the proposed
development. The City nonetheless must complete a Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan)
amendment to use the Conservation Land portion of the GreenWaste site (which is currently
used for construction staging and truck parking).
In previous City Council discussions about the Palo Alto Homekey project, the City Council
agreed that, though not required, the project will be heard by the ARB. The ARB’s discussion
would be a courtesy review and provide the public a forum to offer comments on the design.
Accordingly, there will be no review of the project for adherence to the Architectural Review
Findings in PAMC 18.76.020 since they do not apply.
Discussion
Project Update
On April 7, 2022, LifeMoves submitted two Planning applications. The first application (22PLN-
00113) is a request for staff level architectural review to allow for relocation of the GreenWaste
operation in conjunction with a Publicly Funded Interim Supportive Housing Facility (Palo Alto
Homekey). Site improvements include a new transformer, pad, electric vehicle chargers, and
electric service.
The second application (22PLN-00114) is a request for architectural review to allow
construction of a new facility (Palo Alto Homekey) to provide support services and 88 units (64
single/couples units and 24 family units) of temporary housing for formerly unhoused
individuals. On average, individuals will stay in these units for 90 to 120 days, but no more than
180 days. The new facility will be an assembly of modular units certified by HCD and will
incorporate solar panels on the roofs. The modular units include the shelter units, as well as
support structures for programming, case management, storage, and LifeMoves offices. The
project also includes two site-built structures for additional communal space and dining
facilities, and site-built elevator control rooms.
As the designs continue to progress, LifeMoves approached the City with the request for the
consideration of adjusting the project from 2-story buildings to 3-story buildings while
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maintaining the same unit count. The 3-story buildings achieve two critical goals. First, the
arrangement will better serve future residents within the Homekey site. Second, the
configuration will allow more harmonious coexistence of the GreenWaste facility and
operations with the shelter, ultimately serving the needs of Palo Alto in ways superior to the 2-
story configuration.
LifeMoves approached City staff with this proposal in response to the realization that the
GreenWaste site was being constrained operationally by the driveway locations and Homekey
site. City staff requested LifeMoves to consider a modified site design that best accommodated
the City sorting operation in addition to the Palo Alto Homekey proposal. The information that
follows is an overview of the 3-story option, with images from LifeMoves.
The 3-story buildings allow the Palo Alto Homekey site the ability to organize the communal
spaces in a way that better serves the programming needs for future residents. Particularly, it
allows the dining and multi-use buildings to face one another which gives a better flow for
flexible, ongoing programming at the site (such as trainings).
Overview of the 3-Story Option
Attachment A includes a larger version of the 3-story site plan shown below. The 3-story option
reconfigures the family units and the couples/singles units from 2-stories to 3-stories. It
changes the driveway of the GreenWaste facility to the opposite side of the site and changes it
from being a shared driveway with the Homekey site to a dedicated driveway; further
distinguishing and separating the refuse facilities from the sheltering facilities. It also gives
GreenWaste more contiguous open space to use for their sorting operations. Attachment D
includes a larger version of the 2-story option for comparison purposes.
The 3-story design is 11-feet higher than the 2-story option. Height analysis of nearby buildings
is provided further below. The 3-story option proposes 27 parking spaces which is fewer than
the 2-story option but comparable to the Mountain View Homekey site (which has a 100-unit
capacity). Other elements of the 3-story option are the same as the 2-story option, such as on-
site programming and services, and most proposed building materials.
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3-Story Option Proposed Site Plan
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2-Story Option Site Plan (as of June 2022)
Attachment B provides rendering images of the 3-story option from San Antonio view as well as
from the Baylands view.
Considerations of the 3-Story Option
One of the primary drivers for considering the 3-story design is circulation. To meet City
standards, the parking circulation path must be increased in width from 20 feet to 23 feet for
Homekey. One solution to this is reconfiguration of the units, including a third level. If the 2-
story option is preferred over the 3-story option, one or more of the following may be
incorporated into the design:
• Reconfiguration of parking or changes to circulation. The parking back up may be
reduced to 20 feet (minimum required for Fire Access) with a change to angled parking.
Angled parking could reduce total parking spaces by 15-40% of spaces. Angled spaces
would cause circulation for parking to be one-way, with Palo Alto Homekey needing to
access both proposed driveways for regular circulation. The current 2-story option
anticipates Palo Alto Homekey would primarily use one driveway and GreenWaste
would use the other (though there is nothing in the design that signals for Homekey to
only use one driveway in the current 2-story configuration).
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• Loss of parking spaces. Parking could be reconfigured to parallel spaces along the
perimeter of the Palo Alto Homekey site, at a loss of approximately 50% of parking
spaces.
• Changes to building configuration. To maintain a 2-story massing, Homekey would have
to either change the layout of the support facilities or reduce the total unit count. If they
reduce the unit count, that impacts the state application and could reduce the grant
amount (the grant amount is based on number of doors/units). Changing the support
facility layout does not have a financial consequence but may change how LifeMoves as
the operator would operate at the site, including a potential reduction of useable open
space.
• Changes to overall site configuration. Another option would be to increase the leased
area of Palo Alto Homekey and thus further reducing the area available to GreenWaste.
Staff does not recommend this option as it would drastically impact the GreenWaste
operation to a constrained space and it would likely result in the General Fund
compensating the Refuse Fund for the lost space as there is joint ownership of this site.
It would also be counterproductive to the City's sustainability goals by eliminating the
ability to consolidate materials locally resulting in increased long-range truck trips in
smaller trucks in and out of the City.
Benefits to the GreenWaste Operation of the 3-Story Option
In comparison to the 2-story option, the 3-story option provides GreenWaste with its own
distinct entrance and exit that offers them a more direct path into their side of the yard without
sharing a driveway with HomeKey. It also increases the usable and functional space available
for actual operations. Additionally, with more contiguous space in this option, it provides
GreenWaste with enough room for large collection vehicles to maneuver with ease. Similar to
the 2-story option, it provides space for the entire inventory of debris boxes, a modular office,
charging stations, a scale for weighting smaller containers from deconstruction sites, and the
space for the new electrical connections, and infrastructure for the entire site.
Site Location and Surrounding Uses
The Palo Alto Homekey site is located adjacent to the Baylands. To the north are other portions
of the former LATP site (Areas A and B). Area C of the LATP site is where GreenWaste, under
contract with the City, has a sorting operation. Palo Alto Homekey is proposed for the front half
of the LATP Area C site at 1237 North San Antonio. There is one remaining tank structure in
Area B and the exact height of this structure is unknown, but it is estimated to be
approximately 20 feet tall based on Google Maps images. To the south are tall one-story office
buildings currently occupied by Google. The existing grade of these sites are low, approximately
2.5 to 4 feet lower than the adjacent San Antonio Road. Across the street from the project site,
in the City of Mountain View, are additional tall one-story office buildings that are elevated a
couple of feet above the grade of San Antonio Road and separated from San Antonio Road by
landscaped berms.
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Palo Alto Homekey is required by flood zone guidelines to elevate the finished floor by 5 feet,
which brings the grade slightly higher than the height of the existing road, similar to the
buildings across the street, but higher than the neighboring sites on the same side of San
Antonio. The buildings on these sites pre-date the requirement to raise the finished floor above
the base flood elevation.
Land Use Analysis
As previously stated, Homekey projects are deemed compliant with a jurisdiction’s
comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance in order to facilitate a streamlined review process
and ensure units are built within one-year of award. While deemed compliant, staff has
prepared the following analysis to inform the public and decision makers where the project
complies or deviates from policies or standards – if they were applied to the project.
Comprehensive Plan
The MISP land use designation allows for government uses and lands that are either publicly
owned or operated as non-profit organizations. Therefore, the proposed use (Palo Alto
Homekey) is consistent with that land use designation.
There is a 12,065 square feet portion of the LATP Area C land that is designated as Conservation
Land in the Comp Plan. This portion is currently used for construction staging and truck parking.
This area is part of where the relocated GreenWaste operations will be. The relocated
GreenWaste use will not be consistent with the Conservation Land designation, which only
allows for “resource management, recreation and educational activities compatible with
resource conservation.” Therefore, relocation of the GreenWaste operation to this area would
require an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map (Map L-6) as a formality to
make the Comp Plan align with existing and proposed land uses.
This does not change between the 3-story and 2-story options. In addition, because this
relocation is necessary to facilitate the use of the LATP site for Palo Alto Homekey, the Comp
Plan amendment will be exempt from CEQA. Regardless of the 2- or 3-story design, the Comp
Plan amendment will be brought forward for Council consideration.
Zoning
The project’s proposed use is consistent with the allowed uses for the Public Facility (PF) zoning
designation, which includes uses on land owned or leased by a public agency to another party.
The project’s compliance with development standards within the PF Zone, as listed in PAMC
18.28.050 is analyzed below; as explained earlier, this analysis is for informational purposes
only since the project is automatically deemed consistent by virtue of state law.
Height/Massing
The development standards in the PF zone district restrict height to a maximum of 35 feet
within 150 feet of a residential zone district and otherwise allow for a maximum height of 50
feet (PAMC 18.28.050). The site is not within 150 feet of a residential property, therefore, a 50-
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foot height limit is allowed.
The height of the proposed 3-story design is 38 feet 1.5 inches; the structure is 33 feet 0.5
inches and the site would be raised 5 feet 1 inch for flood plane purposes. The 33 feet is well
within the allowed height limit, however, many of the surrounding buildings are tall 1-story
structures and approximately 20 feet in height. Attachment C contains a contextual analysis of
the nearby building heights.
Staff requests City Council advise if the proposed 3-story height is appropriate and consistent
within the context of the surrounding environment of this site, the City’s housing goals, and the
City’s need to provide ongoing and unimpeded refuse operations.
Setbacks
Under typical zoning, structures in the PF zoning district would be required to have a front
setback equivalent to the most restrictive adjacent zone. In this case, the neighboring property
is ROLM, which requires a 20-foot front setback. The proposed project does not conform to this
standard, proposing no setback from the lease line. However, the landscaped berm is not
considered part of the lease area and will separate the buildings from the sidewalk below by
approximately 20 feet for the majority of the site width, though in the 2-story project the
setback decreases to approximately 5 feet for the last two module pods. So, in effect, though
there is not a setback from the lease line, there is a 20-foot setback from the sidewalk.
Parking and Circulation
The proposed project would provide 35 spaces in the 2-story configuration and 27 spaces in the
3-story configuration for 88 units. This is more than the parking ratio that is provided in the
Mountain View Homekey project, which provides 19 spaces for 100 units. The project will also
include some U-shaped bike racks. The site is served by the Valley Transportation Authority
(VTA) ACE Orange and the Mountain View GO shuttle, which operate along the project
frontage, providing bus service during the commute hours. Based on parking use at the
Mountain View site, the parking is used by staff during the day (when many clients are offsite).
In the evenings, those clients with an automobile park either in the parking lot or along the
street on Leghorn. Many of the singles clients ride bicycles instead of using automobiles.
The LATP site access is currently from a frontage road off San Antonio Road. The proposed
design would include direct access to/from San Antonio. A driveway with parking would be
located along the perimeter of the leased area. Access to the GreenWaste site would be
provided by a separate driveway off of San Antonio, though fire access is shared between the
two sites. This access for GreenWaste looks different in the 3-story option than the 2-story
option as described above. Access for GreenWaste is not combined with the Homekey driveway
in the 3-story option.
In both the 2-story and 3-story options, the designs propose eliminating the frontage road
currently on site. The elimination of this frontage road necessitates the need for the creation of
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an additional driveway off San Antonio that can be used to access the northern portion of LATP
(Areas B and A). The 3-story option also extends the distance San Antonio Road is narrowed
down, past the Casey Avenue intersection.
One of the primary drivers for considering the 3-story design is circulation. The proposed fire
lane/parking circulation path must be increased in width by at least 3 feet to meet City
standards. To accommodate that, the architect proposed to remove two family unit module
pods (8 flex units), and one single unit pod (8 units). To preserve the unit count, a third floor
with 22 single units is proposed.
High Quality Design
With private development, the ARB would ensure the project meets the following finding:
“design is of high aesthetic quality, using high quality, integrated materials and appropriate
construction techniques, and incorporating textures, colors, and other details that are
compatible with and enhance the surrounding area.” While not required, the City endeavors to
hold public projects to this same standard. Staff believes there is some room for improvement
of the look of the buildings for the 3-story option before sharing it with the ARB.
Staff provided the following feedback to LifeMoves in a June meeting, and as noted below, they
have collaboratively incorporated many of the changes to enhance the project aesthetic. Staff
requests feedback from the City Council on the appearance of the buildings in the 3-story
design if it is pursued. These could be enhancements to the 2-story design as well but are most
relevant for the 3-story option. The table below provides the ideas and the responses to date.
Staff’s Comments/Direction Applicant Response
• Use various colors on the buildings to
break up the massing
A darker color has been added to the lower
floors of the 3-story structures. An accent
color is provided at each floor and around
the doors and windows
• Paint the proposed building muntins a
darker color to break up the façade. Make
the muntin a wider material to give more
of a Baylands feel.
No change proposed at this time
• Provide a greater setback for some of the
buildings to break up the flat project
façade along San Antonio Road
The security fencing has been setback from
the front building facades by 4 feet to break
up the street façade
• Use balconies/decks to break up flat
facades
No change proposed at this time
• Add roof eaves to all sides of the building
to create additional shadows and visually
reduce the massing of the buildings
1.5-foot roof eaves have been added to all
sides of the buildings
• Change the roof style from a hipped roof
to a shed roof, in keeping with the more
No change proposed at this time
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natural surroundings
• Ensure all windows are recessed from the
façade to create interest/shadow lines
All windows are recessed 5 inches back
from the front façade
• Enhance the proposed security fencing by
using decorative metal panels or similar.
No change proposed at this time
• Other ideas discussed by Council
Another design consideration is the proximity to the Baylands, and visibility from the Baylands
trails. The Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve Design Guidelines (2005) primarily provide
guidance for the trails and parklands. However, the following design principles are relevant and
encouraged for this project:
• Use only muted, natural colors. Choose materials and finishes that will weather without
degrading. Avoid bright, reflective colors, including white.
• Preserve the horizon line with low and horizontal elements. The dominant landscape
feature of the Baylands is the horizon line of the open, treeless landscape and the flat
water of the bay. Vertical elements that puncture this line have a large impact on the
view. Therefore, keep elements low and horizontal.
It should be noted, however, that the Guidelines encourage gray paint, and allowing materials
including wood and metal to naturally weather. For this project, a slightly wider, possibly
darker, natural color palette is encouraged, as well as durable materials that will not degrade
substantially over time. Attachment B shows the rendering of the 3-story design option with a
view from the Baylands as well as from San Antonio.
Timeline/ Next Steps
Following this review, the HomeKey project team will revise their plans as necessary, and are
tentatively scheduled for a courtesy review before the ARB on July 21. The lease agreement is
estimated to be heard by the City Council in early August. When approving the lease, the City
Council will also be accepting the final site design layout, circulation and modular building
design elements.
Staff will continue to review the necessary changes to the GreenWaste site and process this
staff level architectural review concurrently with the HomeKey project. Lastly, staff will work
with the applicant to ensure a driveway is permitted and constructed for access to the northern
portion of LATP.
Staff will also prepare a Comp Plan Amendment, as described earlier, that removes the small
portion of the LATP from conservation land designation (consistent with existing site use). This
will be heard first by the Planning and Transporation Commission and then City Council. This
amendment is necessary to facilitate relocation of Greenwaste facilities, thus creating the area
for the Homekey housing facilities.
Resource Impact
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There has been significant staff time dedicated to this project to date from both the City and
LifeMoves. LifeMoves has secured contractors to perform design and other relevant work to
keep this project moving. The City has funded studies and reports to ensure the site is ready to
build upon (Phase I, Phase II, and soil studies and reports). There is not yet a cost analysis for
the 3-story design. Any changes in the design will not result in additional funding from the State
once the grant award is presented to the City.
Stakeholder Engagement
Per standard practice, a sign has been posted at the site stating that an application for
development has been filed.
Environmental Review
Numerous state laws, including but not limited to AB 140 (2021) and AB 2553 (2020) have
exempted emergency shelter projects, and specifically projects funded by the Project Homekey
program, from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. To the extent any
of the actions contemplated by the City Council in relation to this project are not covered by
these statutory exemptions, they are exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15269 as
actions to mitigate an emergency related to the unhoused population in Palo Alto.
Attachments:
• Attachment A: 3-Story Option Site Plan
• Attachment B: Architectual Renderings of 3-Story Option
• Attachment C: Height and Context Snapshot of Existing Nearby Buildings
• Attachment D: Existing Conditions and 2-Story Site Plan Design
Attachment A: 3-Story Option Site Plan
Attachment B: Architectural Renderings of 3-Story Option
Rendering View of Palo Alto Homekey 3-Story Option from Baylands Trail
Rendering View from San Antonio of Palo Alto Homekey 3-Story Option (no trees shown)
Rendering View from San Antonio of Palo Alto Homekey 3-Story Option (with trees shown)
Rendering Aerial View of Palo Alto Homekey 3-Story Option (note, building colors not shown in this view)
Project Site
Attachment C: Height and Context Snapshot of Existing Nearby Buildings
View of existing grade difference between access road
and San Antonio Road
Attachment D: Existing Conditions and 2-Story Site Plan Design