The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About0365.092- August 6, 1992 HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo Alto, California S:ATUS OF Cln COUNql DIRECTIVES ON A PLMININ'~-EQ\-ICY AUDIT O. RETAIL AREAS Members of the Counc1l; Report ir. Bdef This is an 1nf~rmat;onal report that desc~ibes the status of City Council approved actions on the study •• ,.. Planning Policy Audit of Retail Areas ll (see CMR:227:92 of 4/23/92 and Council mioute. of 4/27/92 and 5/4/920.) Background On July 8, 1991, the City Council authorized I study to assess the economic health of several of the City's cOlTll'lerC'ial areas, including ttlree neigtJb<lrnood sJ,opping centers and f1 Camino Real. The study also was to examine possible effects of the 65,OOO-square-foot limit applied to future expansions of the Shnf.ord Shopping Center until sud time as improvements that could 1 ink San{j Hill Road with El Camin, .eal are completed. The study was prepared by the economic consulting firm of Gruen Gruen + Associates. Or. February 26 and March 11, 1992, the Planning Commission heard public testimon~ on the study's findings and recommendations. After conc1uding public testimony on March 11, 1992, the Plar.ning Commiss~on approved a set of recommendations on the study for City Council consideration. (Pianning Corrmission recollt'M:!ndations are su"",ariz.d in CHR 227;92 of 4/23/92.) On April 27, 1992, the City Cnunci1 heard public testimony on the study. SubsequentlYt on Hay'. 1992, the City Council took action on all Planning Commission-recommended items except Item #7 (see list in CHR 227:92). that pertained to e~tendin9 the amortization period for nonconforming uses on [1 Camino Real south of Page Hill Road. rn Qrder t~ permit further discussion of E1 Camino Real and nonconforming uses in conjunction with tne work program for revisfng the Comprehensive Plan. the City Council continued action on this latter item until June 15. 1992. Tne proposed work program included a work item to s.tudy El Camino Real. City Council action on extending the 1993 amortization of nonconforming uses ultimately occurred on July 6, 1992, when CMR:365:92 ~ ___ . _h __ L - thE C,"uncil vote-d 3-5 agair.st a m<ltiOl1 to inttiate i termination exception proc:e-ss for .'1 nonconformir'l9 uses in Palo Alto tnat are slJbject to a 1993 terminaUon. This report describes the 3tatus of the City Council actions on tne ~Planning Polley Audit af R~ta1l Areas~ study. The action it~ms ~ill be identified in the sa~ sequence as tney appeared ~n the February 21, 1992 staff report to the Planning COll1!ljs;ion and ir, CMR;227:92 dated April 23, 1992. I. DeTa~ the remQvil of the 65,OOC~sQuare-foot deve10pment cap on the Stanf~rd Shopping Center until such time as the Sand Hill Road extension is re'Soo'v~<1. City Council Action: Approved as policy to "'Delay the reman1 of the 65~OOO-square-f()ot deve10pment CliP Oll the St~nf()rd Shopping Center unt n StlC,'l ti(9f! is the cjrcu1atian and parking issues !lave been dea1t with. II Stat1Js: No fUrther action is necessarj' it this time. 2. RemovE-the floor area ra.tio limitations within the Hotel Overlay Zone. Citl CounciJ Actictn: Approved as policy to "Remoye the Hote7 O'r'er1ay Zone floor ,rea rat io resttictions." Status: Staff will SUbmlt to the Planning Commiss;on~ in early autumn, a proposed zoning ordinance amendment remo __ '1ng the floor area ratlo restriction from the Hotel Overlay lone. l. Remoye the ZO,OOO-square-foot cap on grocery st~rfS within the Neighborhood COll1!lOrcial (eN) Zones. Cit,. CouneU Action: Approved as policy to "RelJ<,lve or increase the ZOJOOD-square-foot cap on grocery stores wjt~in the Neighborhood C.,..rei" (eN) Zones:" Status: Staff will schedule an informa1 Planning Corrmission study session in ~arly iutumn to discuss both tne CN grocery store cap and Dthf.r ~" eistrlct us~ taps (identified in it~m .6) in the context of COMmunity values and retail market conditions. Residents, representatives from food stores and business owners will be invited to attend and participate. Discussion at this meeting will determine how staff will prcce!d on the issue of CN district business caps. C. lower the parking requirements in order to al1{lw rem~de1ing and Expansion within the City's neighb{lrhood commercial c~nters. City Council Action; Approved IS po1icy to ~Consider lower parking requirements in neighborhood commercia1 centers, on ~ 10'111 priority CMR;36S;9Z p:~ '. L 8/5/92 Page 2 - basls. given recent c!'limg~s to the Cfty's parling rf~9r!7'tio;'l:S 'Which ,7]ow some decreas! in reqlJired parkin'.] for reta f 1 lJse.· Status: Staff will assess tne effects of the recent modification to parking requfrements for retail uses within the n:,xt year. At tnat ti~, staff will determ1n~ whether further rfductions i~ parking nQuirements are advisable, before initiating additiona1 modifIcations to reta.il use parking r~qu; reme-rrts for rehil bus. inesses in r,eigt1borhood commercial centers. 5. Revise-the City's Multiple Family Zones ttJ relax floor area ratio reQuiremer.ts. City CC(Jnci1 Action: Approved as po~ icy to "direct staff to study flJrther the issues of I!JUltiple f-imi1y deve10pmMt in relat ion to floor area ratios. townholJse-style pr()jects (pa r tfctJ7ady in the RK 30 lone)3 and einimum densities.*' Status: Staff wi1l wark witn the Planr~ing Commission to co~sider pDss1bl! establisnrnent of a P7anned U~it Dev~lopme~t (PUO) Zo~e distrlct for multiple-family projects. The PUO concept has b!en discussed ~y i subconmittee composed of ARB and Planning COi1ll'1ission members, who are formulating a proPQsed Design fnnancement £xcepti~n process for multiple faRliTy and cOlTlTler'cial projects. Subsequent action: initiating the estabiishment of a PUD district is expected in early 1993. ~. Facilitate parcei mergers along £1 Camino Re~l by: A) 5fm~lifying the parcel map process; and BJ illow;~9 use entitlement to be cumu7ative where mergers otcur. City Council licticn: Approved as policy to "facilitate parce1 mergers i'1ong E1 Cam;no ReaT· in Ii .inner identified a-bove. Councii also directed st.ff to: a) Investigite a fort!lU1. for use entit7~,'IIents in conjunctio" with parce7 mergers that relates to parcel size or other alternatives which ~rnJld promote parcel mergers (as oppos~ to simply aJ!cwing them) -; ind b) Return with analYSIS and recormenditions regarding the approprla.teness of use CijJ! within the eN districts, and to recol1Jl!Jend, .... here desirab1e. e1 ),lJination of such restrictions. Stat~s: Staff is evaluating mecnanis~~ allowing use entitlements to be cumulative ~here mergers Dccur. In addition, a simplified parcel merger process is scheduled for Planning Cormlission and City Council review in CMR:36S:92 P:'L~ 8/5/92 Page 3 -t, - ::.-';i,", ·~~:~~tt~ --.' ~ ...... - early autumn. Staff arod the Commission also will a5$e~S tne appropriateness of caps in eN districts in an inform~' study session ear1y autumn. Tnis 'ssue interrelates with th~ issue of grocery store ups discusse<t in itel'll r3. lhis topic becomes particularly ri!levant i:'1 the ,l!idtown area, with the c.1osin9 of Bergmann"s departme-nt store. Rcyse of this ipproximately 13.00~~sQuare4foot facility is of substantial interest to nsidents lhing near the Midtown area. i, Extend the 1993 amortization period to e)(isting noilconforming uses a':'ong [l Camino Real soutt1 of Page Mi 11 Road, until such time a:; the (omprehensive Plan update is camp'!te and attendant Ioning actions are lri platt!. City Council Action: On July 6, 1992. tho City Council voted 3·5 agrJ i nst a mo e jon i fl jf i at j ng , terminlt ion except jon process for property owners of uses slibje("t to a 1993 tert!inatiol'l. This motion would have applied to both E1 Camino Real and other Cl'tywide properties ~here nonconforming uses subJect to a 1993 imcrtizlt ion are 10cated. As a resu1t of Ods Courlei' action, aJl nonconforming !Jses in Pi]a Alto that are subject to I 1993 tel'1lljnation iIIin be required ta ten:finrJte at that tille. Status: In early August, staff will r1!notice all property and business owners of nonconfol"l1ing use s'Ubject to a )993 terminatior., stating that such uses will be required to terminate at that time. Notices this year were sent to property owners i~ January 1992. S. Allow for a voluntary process for conceptual re~iew by City Council of major project proposal s in the Planned COillllunity Zone and Site and Design protess. City Council Action: Approved.ls poJ icy to fmpiement the above review process. status: fn t~e,future, staff will forward such ~~ujectsl .ith the al='PI ica.nt's a.ppro~al, 'to the City Council for conceptual review. The referral of such projects is expected to occur on a very li~ited ca~is. Examp1es of potential reft!rrals could include public:/pl·; .... ate Joint ventures and projects expected to generate substantia.l i nt.erest or controversy wit"in the community. SUmmary and Conclusion The study. -A Planning Policy Audit of Retail Areas in Palo Alto,· suggested a number of posslble actions for designated commercial areas in Pale Alto that would improve the respective district's market viability, reverse possible deterioration in certain areiS. and modify the re~iew process in order to CMR:365:92 8/6/92 Page 4 p;\~ L , - - impr{lve the qua1ity cf new prujects. This report hilS identified thr; actions that staff is either undertak1ng or e~pects to ir.itiate in respo~se to City Counc;l actiGns on this study. Respectfully submitted, GO~~~~~ A~i~lra~~~a~~ng Of~iCiill ~R.~dtUk£ , / ~~ Assistant City Manager cc: Archit~ctural Review Board KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Director of PTan1ng and CO!Mluni t.y ErnlironTM!nt Attendees at 2/13/92 Cnamber of COII"II'W!TCe Meeting JilftIeS L Baer Barron Park Associat10n (John Joynt, Bob MossJ Barron Square Condo Associ.tion Chamber of Commerce Charleston Meadows Neighborhood AS$ociation Chestnut-Wilton Ho~~owners Assocfation College TerraCE Neighborhood Assaelation hergree-n Park NeighborhlJ~ ~.ssoc;ation Economic Outlo~k Committee Membe~5 Economic R~50urces Planning Commjtt~€ Memb€rs Grant Avenue Condominium OWners Association Greenmeidow Community Association Joseph Hirsch Hoover Park Ne1ghbcrhoQd As~ociation rnterdale Way Homeowners Association Charles Keenan Park Central Commercia' Condominium As~ociation Pla"ning Commission Stanford University {Andy Doty. Oian~ Hea1ey, Phil Williams) Stanford Shopping Center (Oavid Longbine) warren ihoits ~entura Neighborhood Association CNR:365:92 J--\~ 8/6/92 Page 5