concept plans- part a

8/8/2019 Concept Plans- Part A

1/14

TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCILFROM: CITY MANAGER

DATE: OCTOBER 4, 2010REPORT TYPE: STUDY SESSION

DEPARTMENT: PLANNING ANDCOMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT

CMR: 367:10

SUBJECT: Status Report on the East Meadow Circle/Fabian Way and CaliforniaAvenue/Fry's Area Concept Plans

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe purpose of the study sessionis for staff to update the CityCouncil on the progress inpreparation of the East MeadowCircle/Fabian Way Area andCalifornia Avenue/Fry's AreaConcept Plans and to allow anopportunity for the City Councilprovide direction as appropriate.The Concept Plans are part of theCity's Comprehensive Planupdate, which is currently inprocess. The intent of the EastMeadow Circle concept plan is toevaluate retention of commercialuses, limitations on newresidential development,providing support services andenhancement of pedestrian andbicycle connections. The intentof the California Avenue/Fry's area concept plan is to evaluate alternative developmentintensities, potential for housing increases, preferred uses for the Fry's site, and enhancedpedestrian and bicycle connections. Following this study session, the two concept plans willbe heard by the Planning and Transportation Commission for its recommendations. Theitems will then return to the City Council for direction to evaluate the plans in theComprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report.

CMR: 367:10 Page 1 of 12


2/14

PURPOSE AND RECOMMENDATIONThe purpose of this report is to inform the Council about the status of the East MeadowCircle/Fabian Way Area and California Avenue/Fry's Area Concept Plans - currently underpreparation as part of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Staff recommends that theCouncil review the general direction of both plans and provide comments to staff.BACKGROUNDThe City is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan to ensure that its land usedesignations and policies support projected needs and the City's land use visions through2020. To help evaluate where specific land use designation and policy changes may bcneeded, in 2006, the Council directed staff to conduct studies and develop concept plans fortwo areas: I) the East Meadow Circle/ Fabian Way area and 2) the California Avenue/Fry'sarea.The East Meadow Circle/Fabian Way area was initially identified for study because ofconcerns regarding land use changes from industrial to residential that have taken place inthe area since 2000.The goals of the study have been to:

I. Identify appropriate uses and type ofdevelopment that would be desirable in the area2. Update land use designations and policies to reflect and encourage those usesThe focus of the study has been to:

I. Evaluate the desirability/undesirability of additional housing in the area2. Retain service commercial and light industrial uses and also encourage retail uses3. Ensure the provision of adequate amenities and services for residents and employees,including bike/pedestrian connections

The California Avenue/Fry's area, which includes the California A venue business districtsouth to the properties that house the existing Fry's Electronics store, was identified for aconcept plan study because most of t is within the zoning district designated Pedestrian andTransit Oriented Development (PTOD), and within the Transit-Oriented Residentialdesignation in the current Comprehensive Plan, intended to allow high intensity residentialdevelopment. Higher density residential development is planned in the PTOD area oncommercial, industrial and multi-family parcels within a walkable distance of he CaliforniaAvenue Caltrain station. The concept plan process provides an opportunity for the City toevaluate the area and target specific sites for future intensification. Although on theperiphery of the actual PTOD area, the Fry's site was also included within the plan area toaddress long range future uses on the property. The existing Comprehensive Plan includesthe following relevant policies adopted for the California A venue area that provide contextfor the concept plan: Connect the area with the transit station and California Avenue. Provide streets and

pedestrian connections that create a walkable neighborhood. Develop a program for the Fry's site for its future use for mixed density multi-familyhousing and a park or other open space. (note: more recent Council direction

includes evaluation of the feasibility of retaining commercial use on the site).

CMR: 367:10 Page 2 of 12


3/14

Develop one or more of the City-owned parking lots with primarily residential uses,provided that public parking spaces are replaced.

Improve the Park Boulevard streetscape.DISCUSSIONBoth concept plans have been in development for approximately 18 months. This reportsummarizes the work completed to date for each of the plans.East Meadow Circle/Fabian Way Area Concept PlanThe East Meadow Circle! Fabian Way area was chosen for study because of thesubstantial land use changes since 2000.Changes included:

I. Echelon residential development2. Vantage residential development3. Altaire residential development4. Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life

During 2009, staff and the City's consultants collaborated with community members toconduct a scries of stakeholder meetings and three community workshops which yieldedthe following list of concerns and opportunities:

Impact of additional residentialdevelopment on services-particularly on schools

Traffic impacts of additionaldevelopment Loss of manufacturing and lightindustrial uses Need for neighborhood-serving

commercial uses Need for year-round access to theBaylands Need for off-street parkingfacilities Need for park/open space Need for increased public transitservice in the area

The meetings and workshops alsoidentified these five key areas/issues forfurther consideration:

1. East Meadow Circle SubareaII. East of San Antonio SubareaIII. Charleston Road SubareaIV. Path along Adobe CreekV. Improved access to the Baylands

" , ,

, ,I'jII

..

J

t \ r ~ n s of the ib-SUCS that were i ~ I C ' t 1 h f j c \ 1 as a result .oflhestakeholder meeting-'i find community workshops

Input from the participants at the workshops guided staff and consultants in developing

CMR: 367:10 Page 3 of [2


4/14

alternatives for each area/issue and ultimately in distilling preferred alternatives thatgenerally reflected the collective input provided at the community meetings.Early in 2010, staff prepared the Draft East Meadow Circle/Fabian Way Concept Plan. Itreflected concepts developed during the community workshops and the input ofstakeholdermeetings, separate research and analysis conducted by staff and the consultant team, andconsideration of Comprehensive Plan policies and planning principles. The following is asummary of the draft concept plan, presented to the Planning and TransportationCommission on February 10, 20 IO.

I: East Meadow Circle Subarea:The draft plan envisioned a revitalized business park for East Meadow Circle andidentified areas where design requirements would be needed to ensure a successfultransition between new development and existing single-family neighborhoods.Recommendations for this subarea included:I. Modity developmentregulations to allow increased

floor area for research/officeuses and consider 3-storydevelopment.

2. Restrict or prohibit potentialincompatible uses such asmulti-family residential,schools, and day care andrequire conditional-usepermits for senior-housing andassisted-living residential uses.

3. Create amenities-tied toincreased developmentpotential-such as parking, apark, and enhancedbicycle/pedestrianconnections.

4. Develop design guidelines forlandscaping and architecture.

II: East of San Antonio Subarea:

East Mcadol\' Circle Subarea

The draft concept plan envisioned larger-format retail stores-possibly with a grocerystore as the anchor--{)n a swath of parcels along Charleston Road. The plan emphasizesthe need for a balance of auto-oriented and pedestrian friendly streetscape.

CMR: 367:10 Page 4 of 12


5/14


6/14

IV and V: Pedestrian/Bike ConnectionsIn addition to the preferred alternativesfor the three subareas, the plan calls fora bike/pedestrian path along the AdobeCreek right-of-way and abike/pedestrian overpass acrossHighway 101 to provide year-roundaccess to the Baylands.On February 10,2010, staff discussedthe draft concept plan with the Planningand Transportation Commission(Commission). The Commission'smajor comments on the draft were:

For I, the East Meadow Circle Subarea,the Commission:I. Requested that the subarea beexpanded-to consider changes toland use designations and creation of

development policies for additionalparcels i.e., the parcels frontingHighway 101 and along Fabian Way

2. Did not support the creation of a newpark but did support the concept of agreenbelt providing open spaces.

3. Introduced the concept of a floorarea cap for consideration.

CMR: 367:10

: Possible Adobe Creek Path

( Possible Overpass to Baylullds

,,"/\\Possible e ~ p a l l s i o n of theEasl Mcadow Circle Subarea

"""

Page 6 of 12


7/14

For II, the East of San Antonio Subarea, theCommission:4. Supported new retail development but

requested that the area identified for retaildevelopment be expanded-potentially toinclude all the parcels north to Highway101.

For III, the Charleston Road Subarea, theCommission:5. Introduced the concept of an overlay forBlock A-to encourage mixed use with

housing that is senior, assisted-living, orsuch that it complements uses at the TaubeKoret Campus for Jewish Life.

6. Introduced the concept of changing the landuse designation of Block C from LightIndustrial to Neighborhood Commercial.

California Avenue/Fry's area Concept PlanSeveral stakeholder meetings with property ownersin the area, a meeting with business owners alongCalifornia Avenue and three communityworkshops were held to discuss the CaliforniaAvenue/Fry's area and options for a proposed plan.The main issues/concerns and opportunities raisedat the workshops included:I.2.3.

4.

5.

Retaining the unique neighborhood serving,small town feel of California Avenue.Providing support for neighborhoodserving businesses.Mixed use development on Park Blvd. thatdoes not compete with California Avenueas a retail area.Addressing impacts on schools, traffic,parking and infrastructure from additionalresidential development in the area.Traffidcirculation and safety in the ParkBoulevard area.

CMR: 367:10

/

"

\ , : ~ : : - : - \ qPossiblc cxpallsioll ofEast of Sail Alltollio Sllbarcnnlld thc C I ~ 1 r l c s t o l l Rond Sllbarcn

,~ . ,

""" ' ._ . . ....1

Cnlifo"'ia Avclluc Fry's COllcept Plnll$ubnreas

Page 7 of 12


8/14

6. Improving pedestrian/bicycle connectivity and providing adequate open space.7. Encouraging retention of FlY'S Electronics. If Fry's relocates, new uses shouldconsider other retail, high density residential or mixed use.The business owners along California Avenue also stressed the desire to retain the current"unpretentious" nature of the retail area and were concerned about the current lack ofparking particularly during mid-day and supported increasing the capacity of the garages.The proposal to change the lane configuration on California Avenue from four lanes to twolanes to accommodate pedestrian use as part of the related streetscape project was alsodiscussed. Some business owners and area residents were concerned that the traffic alongthe street would be impeded and adversely affect businesses and customers alike. Otherssupported the idea of slowing traffic and enhancing safety and the overall pedestrianexperience. The streetscape project was discussed again in two recent meetings withbusinesses and the community in mid-September and the two-lane configuration continues tobe an issue.The owner's of the Fry's property on Portage expressed concern about the site's viability asa commercial use and the site's future should Fry's Electronics leave after their lease expiresin 2014. They prefer higher density housing on parcels located in the interior of the site,while commercial may be possible along EI Camino Real. The owners of 395 Page Millwould like to pursue a higher floor area than the maximum allowed under the current landuse designation for additional office development to support California Avenue businesses.Draft California Avenue Concept Plan AlternativesThree specific subareas for the Concept Plan have been identified:

I. California Avenue co. . . I .II. Park BoulevardIII. Fry's Site

These subareas were chosenbecause of their geography, uniquecharacteristics and developmentpotential. Three draft Concept PlanAlternatives were developed by theconsultants and staff for each of thethree subareas. Generally, withineach subarea one alternative wasproposed with little or no change, asecond with moderateintensification and a third withhigher intensification.

_ f\,IV mrn rlity Co;J"(lYt(otI _ l'l * r rl1Uutbr!b- E'hJ. E V . , . , . . , 1 X t_ Pra; t o.:.1 Q.(urJ.l! "1 @I- SlJl.JI'\l8ou)j u>____ , ....._ _ _Calilomia AWlIlIO S l l b a r ~ a Existing l.'lId Uso Designatiolls

Subarea I: California Avenue SubareaThe California Avenue subarea includes the business district and surrounding streets.Alternative A would propose no change to the existing Regional/Community CommercialComprehensive Plan land use designation. This alternative would allow the area to continue

CMR: 367:10 Page 8 of 12


9/14

to develop as it has been. If no changes are made, it is anticipated that existing buildingsmay modernize gradually or may not change without incentives for redevelopment.California Avenue would remain a four lane road with possible tree plantings in the medianin this version.Alternative B would propose changing the land use to allow medium density residentialdevelopment. This density could yield two to three story buildings with retail on the groundfloor and housing above. To facilitate the higher intensity development, three-story parkinggarages would be provided.Under Alternative C the land use would allow buildings between three and four stories inheight. Because this would allow a greater intensity, redevelopment would become moreeconomically feasible, and, therefore, more new buildings and other changes could result.Changes could include a substantial new park in the area; and, as in Alternative B, moreparking structures would be providedCalifOrnia Avenue Streetscape PlanAs mentioned above, staff has held several meetings with the neighborhood includingbusinesses, property owners, and residents on California A venue as well as residents in thegeneral vicinity to discuss the future streetscape for California Avenue. Past planning effoltsfor the area envisioned a multi-modal street that encourages pedestrian and bicycle usage andensures safety for all types of travel. Changing the street from four lanes to two lanesenables the provision of amenities such as additional trees, bulbouts, reconfigured and addedparking, and possibly widened sidewalks that encourage people to walk in the area andpatronize the existing businesses. The plan for the lane reduction, however, has beencontroversial. Staff submitted a grant proposal last week to the Valley TransportationAuthority (VT A) for funding for streetscape improvcments that may be granted only if thestreet is reconfigured to a two lane street. The grants will be announced in late November.If the Council does not support the lane reduction, staff can request withdrawal of thesubmitted application or can discuss with VTA acceptable modifications to the streetscapedesign.Subarea 2: Park Boulevard SubareaThe Park Boulcvard subarea consists of the propelties located between Park Boulevard andAlma Street, including 395 Page Mill Road, fOlmerly the Agilent building.Alternative A for this subarea would propose two land use designation changes to reflectexisting or already proposed uses on 2 sites. Street improvements such as sidewalk bulboutsat the intersections ofPark Boulevard and Sheridan Avenue and replacing the dedicated rightturn lane on Park Boulevard with street parking couldalso be implemented to improve circulation in the area.Alternative B for Park Boulevard includes changing the properties on Park Boulevard and195 Page Mill Road from Light Industrial to allow mixed use development with two to threestories ofhousing. 2747 and 2785 Park would be redesignated from Light Industrial to allowmulti-family residential. Other potential changes includc the same strcct improvements as_ .......::=--:-:-----CMR: 367:10 - - - - - : ; : -_ ...... -Page 9 of 12


10/14

Alternative A and pedestrian improvements atPage Mill Road and Park Boulevard.Alternative C would propose the four land usechanges similar to Alternative B but at a higherdensity. The existing Light Industrial ParkBoulevard properties would allow mixeduse buildings to be three to four stories tall. Thetriangular property located across 395 Page MillRoad would be changed to Re search/Office Park.Other Park Blvd. properties would be changed toallow mixed use development at a higher density.As a result of the more intense development,additional infrastructure improvements couldinclude a new traffic signal (i f warranted) on ParkBoulevard, closing the ramp entering OregonExpressway from Page Mill Road and/orimproving the bicycle connection along ParkBoulevard.

Subarea 3: Frv's Site SubareaThis subarea includes thecommercial uses to the west andsouth of Fry's Electronics as well assome of the low density residentialpropelties to the north.

-

_ Regio(\:\VCOI"M'II"nil y O l ' M l ~ " 6_ RcscardllO fflCf! Parkb.- B i r d Eye w p ~ n- Project I\ound"rr- Subarea Boun


11/14

Alternative B would result in two land use changes. While the designation for the portionofthe property that actually houses Fry's would remain Multi-family residential, the portionthat fronts Park Boulevard would be changed to Neighborhood Commercial. Should theproperty be redeveloped, housing would be developed in the interior of the site; however,parcels with Park Boulevard frontage could be developed with retail shops or offices.Redevelopmentofthe site would allow Portage and Acacia Avenues to be extended throughthe site to connect to Park Boulevard. Matadero Creek could also be used to create a linearpark. The single family residential properties to the nOith along Olive Avenue could beredesignated as Village Residential, creating a logical transition from the single familyneighborhoods to the north and east.Alternative C for the Fry's site would allow an even more intense redevelopment of thesubarea. In this proposal, the interior parcels fronting Park Boulevard and the residentialproperties to the north would be changed to allow mixed use. This would allowredevelopment with a range ofoffices, retail and residential, offering the greatest amount offlexibility. Redevelopment could take the form of three to four story buildings developedaround interior open space. Matadero Creek could also be developed as a linear park andmore significant park and open space would be provided internal to the development.Portage and Acacia Avenues could be reconfigured to provide connections to ParkBoulevard. Pedestrian and bicycle improvements would also be incorporated.Next StepsFollowing this hearing, the concept plans will be reviewed by the Planning andTransportation Commission (PTC). The Draft California Avenue/Fry's Concept Planalternatives will be discussed at a hearing on October 27. The East Meadow Circle/FabianWay Concept Plan will be discussed by the Commission on November 17'h. Subsequently,the PTC will recommend to the Council, and Council will then tentatively adopt ConceptPlans to be evaluated in the Comprehensive Plan EIR.POLICY IMPLICATIONSThe two draft concept plans are generally but not entirely, consistent with the existingpolicies in the Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive Plan policies as a whole are beingrevised conCUlTent with this effort, which will require some reconciliation of the plans andpolicies.ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWNo Council action on either concept plan is requested at this time. The concept plans will beevaluated in the context of the Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report.

CMR: 367:10 Page 11 of 12


12/14

PREPARED BY:

DEPARTMENT HEAD:URTIS W I

Director of Planning and CommunityEnvironment

CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:

ATTACHMENTSAttachment A:Attachment B:

CMR: 367:10

East Meadow Circle Area Concept Plan BoundaryCalifornia Avenue/Fry's Area Concept Plan Boundary

Page 12 of 12


13/14

ATTACHMENT AEast Meadow/FabianConcept Plan Area Map

/ '

, '

/, . '

/

/

' . l

,,

"'C

. ".... ,'

,;->\ \

r...,/

,'.

" .

?> e.o 0,0


14/14

I

. . . '

'. \ ,.I

.. I J-..

. "< \". - I91 .-

ATTACHMENT B '1:1in'3o - " " iii' California A venue- .o " Concept Plan Area Map< -,; &c

concept plans- part a

Documents