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Home My WebLink About0203.092\ ; - April 2, 1992 HONORABLE CiT! COUNCIL Pil~ Alto. Califcrr.ia .Alma Corridor {SOFA~ Development Concepts for Ar-cn;tectural StlJdpnt Charett~ Members of t~~ Council; The attached list describes Alma Corridor dev-eTopment concepts, suggested at the March 18 j 1992, Phnning Corrmission wark session, that Cal POlY architectural students will illustrate for t~e Alma Corridor Design Charette OV9.r the weekend between April 3 and April S, 1992. The students will present their illustrated development concepts at an ;nformal public meeting concludIng the Charette on SUNDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL S, 1992, AT 1,00 PM IN ADJOINING STUDIOS A AND B AT THE PALO ALTO CULTURAL CENTER. Respectyul1y submitted, -----..;_ {"( '-l· -. \. GEORGE ~IMMERMAN I.' Assistant PTannin9 O~fic;al ~~ Assistant City Manager f:~r<£d '/C jJlfd~ KENNETH ~. SCHREIBER Director of Planning and Community Environment Attachment: Palo Alto Alma Corr1dor Deve1opm~nt Concepts cc: Planning Commission Architectural Review Board Urban Design Committee Persons whQ attended South of Forest meetings Warren Thoi ts CMR; 203;92 . ' I I April 2, 1992 PALO ~.lTO ALMA CQRRIDOR DEVElOPMtNI CQHCEPTS The fo11owing developm~nt cOflcepts will be illustrated by CaT Poly architectural students in the Alma Corridor Design Charette oiler the weekend between April 3 and April S, 1932. These concepts are synthesized from suggestions made by members of the pub1ic and Planning Cnmmission at a Planning Commission public workshop on ~arch 18, 1992. A 11 st of issues that each of these d!vc·lopment concepts should address follows the descrtptiofl of these concepts. This list represents a compilation of concern$/issues raised by members of the p~blic and the Planning COlTlTlission. I. Development Concept '1 nhe Existing Zoning CQill;ept) -Prinm_~1 features Area for illustration to focus on east side of ~lma: from northeast corner of Alma and Fore5t to boundary of (0-5 zoning at 1027 Alma and between Alma and Rear lot Alley bet~een Alma and Hign. Existing CD-S zoning regulations shall apply for both reuse of eXlsting buildings and new development. PrinCipal Features of CD-S zoning include: Pennitted Uses Floor Area Ratio Maxi mum He i ght Dayl,ght Pl.ne Single and ~u'tiple Residential Retail and Genera1 CommerciGl Office Service Corrrnerchl includir.g Auto Repair o.~ to for Commercial 0,5 to fer Residential 1.0 to for Mixed Residential and Corrrnercial 50 feet For sHes abut~ing residentia1, maximum height of 10 fe~t at site line and rising at a slope of I-foot for each 2-foot distQnce until prevailing height limit is reached l4aximum Density Setbacks Parking 30 u~tt$ per aCre None Required Hultipl. famIly ~.sident1.1: 1.25 spac.es/studio 1.5 spaces/l b~droom 2.0 spaces/l+ b€'drooms Retail : space/ZOO sQ~ar~ feet flo~r are! Offic", spacej250 square feet f100r area Auto Senice: I space/350 square feet floor area Existing parcel configuration shall remain in affect Spe-c:hl features I) illt..:strate a t'lardlWare store for existing b~t!ding It 8i5 Alma 'app~ox1mately S~OOO square feet of fioor area); b} design scuTptural features and buffers for substation facility 1n PF zoned parcel II. pevelopment ConceRt 12 (Retention and Bedevelo~nt at Moderate DenSities Cooc@pt) -Principal Feature! Area for illustration to fotus 01'1 east side of Alma fram north~.ast corner of Alma and Feres! to boundary of CD-S zoning at 1027 A.lm. (same is. Concept '1) but to extend from tne east side of tne Ca1tra~n right-of-way to ~i9h Street. s~ but not a11 sites could have development ixceeding CD-S FAR and height limit,. SO~ but not a)l sites could have merged parcels for new deve' opment. Some existing' buildings sMlAld be considered for reuse {and refacing) 3120/92 Page 2 t I J rl - Special features to include: a) An auto serV1ce mall b) A parKing facility for small scaled development on small parcels ne~ding parking c) Some mixed use r'es i dent; a 1 and COmMerc 1 iii. 1 de\-'e' opment d} A ~liv~/worKw development (e.g., combinations of artist studios and resldencesj e) Closur~ of intersections at A~ma and Forest an1 Alma and Addison f~r i variety of uses, e.g., additional development, parKing or landscaped areas f) Sculptural features and buffers for substation g) "Creative-use of r~ar lot alley (Alma developmer.ts in c.ertain locatio:1s could extend beyond the alley to High) III. Development Concept '3 (Extensive Redevelopment at Medium Densities Concept) -Principal Features Area for nllJstration is simllar to Hat for Concept 12, l.e., it exten1s from the northeast cnrner of Alma and Forest to 1027 Alma, but CGncept ~3 extends from t~e west side ~f the Caltriin right Of-way to High. All sjtes except substation (PF zoned site) co~ld be (ons1dered fDr redevelopment. CO-S FAR and height limits can be exceed~d. (Constraint;s cOIlln'.mitj value fav{lring 1evelcpment re1ative1,)' compatible in height ~nd scale to nearby de~e1opment.} Parcels can be merged to encourage re1ev€lopment. Special features to inc1ude; a) b) c) d) Some mixed use residential and ca~rcial development Some auto service uses (elther in a mall or on smaller sites) An SRO (Single Room Occupancy) facility on pcivate parking site adjacent to Ellison's Garage One mixed-use building with a IS-foot-high retail frontage on Alma connected ~ith taller housin9 component behind. 3/20/92 Page 3 • f { , - eJ Special lar'lc'scapi •. g feitures on A11f1a. f) Public art on ~ome walls, especially those walls facing alleys. IV. De'lelopment r1!l~14 (The Boulevard c.oncept) -Princiual FutLlres Area for ; 11 us t rat i on exte!'1ds from A 1 rna and Hamt1tor. to 1027 Alma a.nd from lands on west side of tracks (known as Urban lane arca) to alley between Alma and High Concept to focus on: a) speclll treatment of Alma as a street; and b) land betwe,="n A1mi and the Caltrilin tracks Concept to illustrate creative solutions for linking the urban lane area with th~ Alma (crridor and the adjacent South of Forest COI'II'!Ierch1 area concept to treat A1ma as a tree lined boule~ard (What hecomes of the high voltage power lines?) ISSUES ALL DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS SHOULD AIIEeP! TO ADDRESS 1. Need to ackno~ledge conflict b~tween residsnti~l and n~nr£sidential use. 2. Understand t"'at Alma northbound at Addjsol"\ be-comes a ·gateway· i",to Downtown Palo Alto, yet this ·gateway~ interfaces with lo~ density residential. As a result, it requires a 50ft edge 'see issue '3). 3. Need to have ·soft edges· near low density residential neighborhood at Addison. 4. Need to address ccnst~aints of nistori: bui1d~n9s at 7;9 Alma (at Ho~r) an at 790 High (at Komer) [Existing Preservation Ordinance limits demolition of buildings at 799 Al~a and 790 High. Modest expansi~n of both buildings is allowed but facades must be preserved.] S. Need tD address interfa.c~ of new developno.ent (either residential or c::mmercia1) witn existing auto repair businesses, e.g .• '"how do you beautify a retail blJslness located next to an auto repair?" 6. Need to recognize that retention of auto repair is important to the cOrilllunity. 7. Need to recognize that new development and intensified reuse of existing buildings will require more parking. How do you ~andle parking? p: \GZVoL""-C:onc: 3/10/91 Page 4 Surface opti~ns are limited. Und~rg~ound parking is co~tly. Much above·ground parking creates ;esthetic problems yet adequate parking ;s a necessity for any type of r.ew development except possibly SRO. 8. Heed to addres~ proper buffers for site~ adjacent to substit1on. 9. Need to recognize challenges of designing buiTdi~gs (both commercial and residential) on a major thoroughfare $0 tnat the street is friendly to pedestrians, and yet accommodates traffic flow. 10. N~ed t~ look at interface of development on Alma with back alley and ,ossible reuse of aney {e.g., alley becoming more pp.destrian·oriented). 11. Development schemes should recognize proximity to Caltrai:'l and County transit staticn. 12. Consider pub1ic art, s1gnage and appropriate lighting in all concepts. ]3. All development on a major arteria', e.g.) Alma, requires creative solutions to access and egress problems. 3/20/92 Page 5