REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Direction to Staff on the Revised El Camino Real Specific Plan Land Use Plan
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Promote and Enhance Economic, Housing and Transportation Development
BACKGROUND
Staff is working with a consultant to complete preparation of a revised draft of the El Camino Real Specific Plan, per prior City Council direction. City Council action on the revised Land Use Plan is a key step to allow completion of the revised Specific Plan. Initial preparation of the Specific Plan took place between 2017 and 2021, including multiple City Council check-ins. The first completed draft Specific Plan was presented to the City Council in June of 2021. The subsequent City Council actions are summarized below.
2021 City Council Action Summary
At the June 15, 2021 City Council meeting, the Council reviewed the draft El Camino Real Specific Plan and directed staff to significantly modify the three proposed Specific Plan General Plan Land Use Designations so that the maximum heights for the three designations would be two, three, and four stories, respectively, and to modify the allowed densities to correspond to these heights.
On July 6, 2021, staff returned to the City Council to provide direction on the next steps for the El Camino Real Specific Plan. Staff explained that the revised height limits would likely correspond to significant reductions in land density from what had been studied in the project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and require additional funding for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis. Based on this, the City Council voted to direct staff to move forward with the significant modification consistent with the densities and height directed by the Council at the June 15, 2021 hearing, including revision to and recirculation of the project EIR.
On September 28, 2021, staff provided the City Council with more specific information on the process and costs to revise the Specific Plan per the prior direction. The Council then further directed staff to proceed with the preparation of the new, reduced density Specific Plan while also continuing to consider the original draft Specific Plan and to prepare economic feasibility analyses for both alternatives. The City Council did not however, at that time, approve an accompanying amendment to the City’s budget to fund the work.
2022 City Council Action Summary
In June 2022, as part of the adoption of the FY 2022/23 and FY 2023/24 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget, the City Council approved funding of $1.0 million for staff to proceed with preparation of the reduced density Specific Plan for El Camino Real and directed staff to return to the City Council with alternatives for the scope of the Specific Plan work, including consideration for how to reduce the overall cost.
In September 2022, the City Council directed staff to prepare a significantly modified Specific Plan that retains enough density (4,400 residential units) and elements (e.g., a range of densities that support mixed-use) of the prior Specific Plan so as to be consistent with the prior draft EIR, include the activity zones with building heights of up to six stories as proposed in the 2021 draft Specific Plan, and to prepare an economic feasibility analysis of both Plans.
2023 City Council Action Summary
In March 2023, the City Council approved the agreement with Raimi & Associates, Inc. for services to revise the El Camino Real Specific Plan as previously directed.
DISCUSSION
Since approval of the consultant service agreement, staff has worked with the City’s consultant to develop an updated land use plan that addresses objectives expressed by the City Council, including: 1) minimization of potential impacts upon adjacent single-family residences, and in particular shading of properties immediately to the north of the Specific Plan area; 2) alignment with a reduced density of 4,400 residential units; and 3) retention of the proposed “activity centers”.
The proposed updated land use plan adds a new low-density land use designation, Corridor Residential - Low (12-25 dwelling units per acre (du/ac)), that would support development at a lower density than previously envisioned within the Specific Plan. Application of this lower density designation will serve to reduce the overall density of the plan and reduce the potential for land use impacts at sensitive locations. Sites along the corridor were designated Corridor Residential - Low based on lot conditions and adjacency to single-family residences. The revised proposed draft Land Use Plan now includes four land use designations:
• Corridor Residential - Low (12-25 du/ac)
• Corridor Residential (26 - 45 du/ac)
• Corridor Mixed-Use (46 - 65 du/ac)
• Regional Commercial Mixed-Use (55 - 100 du/ac)
Three exhibits have been prepared to illustrate the proposed revised land use plan:
• Attachment 1 Proposed El Camino Real Specific Plan Draft Land Use Plan - illustrates the proposed land use plan with four land use designations for the revised Specific Plan.
• Attachment 2 Proposed Land Use Changes that Differ from 2021 Draft Plan - identifies parcels in the proposed draft plan that differ from the 2021 draft plan by showing only the land use designation only for parcels that were changed.
• Attachment 3 Proposed Plan Parcels remaining consistent with 2021 Draft Plan - shows areas where the proposed draft plan remains the same as the 2021 draft plan by showing the land use designation only for parcels that did not change.
As shown on the Proposed Land Use Change Parcels Map (Attachment 2). approximately 60 properties were redesignated to Corridor Residential - Low (12-25 du/ac). These properties are primarily located on the north side of El Camino Real with direct adjacency to single-family residences to respond to the Council’s feedback regarding concerns of taller buildings casting shadow on single-family lots. In addition to parcels that were modified to reduce density, some other parcels were modified to align with land use entitlements. Seven properties were redesignated to Corridor Residential and Corridor Mixed Use, respectively, to reflect recently approved or pending projects, which are also indicated on the attached maps with an overlay hatch mark.
The intent of the new Corridor Residential - Low (12-25 du/ac) land use designation is to reduce the overall number of units within the plan area to approximately 4,400. This will also reduce the overall average density to approximately 35 dwelling units per acre. The consultant will prepare the final growth projections once the updated draft Land Use Plan is accepted.
If the City Council approves the draft Land Use Plan, staff and the consultant will begin drafting the updated specific plan and policies. Council approval will also provide a final draft Land Use Plan to enable the CEQA process to commence. The El Camino Real Specific Plan Citizen Advisory Committee will be reconvened to comment on the revised Draft Specific Plan document once it is complete.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Because the City Council did not certify the previously prepared Environmental Impact Report document in 2021, the revised plan will go through the CEQA process again, including a new Notice of Preparation and the circulation of the EIR. Revisions will focus on changes to the regulatory requirements, changes to the existing conditions, and updates to the analysis.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City Council previously voted to fund $1.0 million for the consultant agreement through the FY 2022/23 and FY 2023/24 CIP Budget in June 2022. City Council approved the carryover of the project’s remaining balance ($0.9 million) as part of the adoption of the FY 2023/24 and FY 2024/25 Biennial Operating Budget on June 27, 2023.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Direct staff to continue planning work with the draft Land Use Plan as proposed.
2. Direct staff to modify the draft Land Use Plan.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Direct staff to continue planning work with the draft Land Use Plan as proposed.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Jōvan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed El Camino Real Specific Plan Draft Land Use Plan
2. Proposed Land Use Changes that Differ from 2021 Draft Plan
3. Proposed Plan Parcels remaining consistent with 2021 Draft Plan