INFORMATIONAL REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Update on Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan Conceptual Land Use Diagram and Project Schedule [Council Pillar: Promote and Enhance Economic, Housing and Transportation Development]
Report
BACKGROUND
The City formally commenced preparation of a Specific Plan for the Patrick Henry Drive (PHD) area following the City Council’s approval of a contract on August 22, 2018 with planning consultants, MIG, Inc. (MIG). The Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan area is designated as a Phase III Future Focus Area for high-density residential development in the City’s 2010-2035 General Plan. Preparation of the Specific Plan will identify new General Plan land use designations and associated policies for urban design, amenities, infrastructure, and other land use elements to support the redevelopment of the PHD area from low-intensity office and industrial park use into high-density, mixed use neighborhoods.
At the December 10, 2019 meeting, the City Council reviewed the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the PHD Specific Plan. The project description in the NOP included two scenarios that would both be analyzed in the EIR:
• Scenario A includes approximately 12,000 net new residential units and 310,000 net new square feet of non-residential uses, of which 200,000 square feet is net new retail or public facilities space for uses such as library and/or community room space. The remaining non-residential uses include 110,00 square feet for educational facility uses.
• Scenario B substitutes office for high-density residential in the “High Density Flex” zone along the eastern edge of the Plan Area, amounting in an approximate total of 10,300 net new residential units, 785,000 net new square feet of office, and 310,000 net new square feet of other non-residential uses (e.g., retail, community space, library, educational facility).
Council directed staff to return with the Conceptual Land Use Diagram based on the NOP as an informational item.
DISCUSSION
The Conceptual Land Use Diagram (Attachment 1) aligns with direction provided by the City Council at previous meetings by identifying locations for proposed residential and flex land use designations within the Specific Plan area that could implement the two Scenarios discussed for the NOP while also providing flexibility for developers to utilize different building types. The Conceptual Land Use Diagram also identifies proposed locations for public facilities such as parks, a community room and space for a public library consistent with prior Council discussion that such amenities should be included within the Specific Plan area.
The land use plan supports the development of the segment of Patrick Henry Drive perpendicular to Great America Parkway as a new “Main Street” for the Patrick Henry neighborhood, with civic uses and open space areas arranged along this east-west axis. Generally, the most intense land uses are located in the center of the Plan area, with a lower density residential designation proposed for the Specific Plan properties nearest to Calabazas Creek and the City of Sunnyvale border. The High-Density Flex designation is proposed for the property fronting Great America Parkway, where either high-intensity office uses or high-density residential are appropriate land uses. Ground floor retail square footage and public uses are distributed among several properties fronting onto Patrick Henry Drive to foster a new pedestrian-oriented street with active ground floor uses and amenities to support the development of a complete neighborhood.
Proposed Land Use Designations
The proposed Specific Plan land use plan would utilize three residential land use designations and one flexible residential/commercial designation:
• Very High Density (51-100 du/ac);
• Urban Village Residential (100-150 du/ac)
• Urban Center Residential (120-250 du/ac); and
• High Density Flex designation (60-150 du/ac or up to a 2.0 floor area ratio of commercial development).
These densities correspond to building heights ranging from five stories at the lowest allowed density to 25 stories at the highest.
Parkland and Open Space
As previously presented to the City Council, and following the precedent established in the adopted Tasman East Specific Plan, 22% of the Specific Plan area, or approximately 11.4 acres, is proposed to be designated as public parkland or publicly accessible privately maintained open space. The proposed parkland includes a central park spine running north/south through the center of the new neighborhood and two smaller parks located at opposite edges of the Specific Plan area, adjacent to Calabazas Creek and Great America Parkway, respectively.
Circulation
The Conceptual Land Use Diagram makes use of the existing street right-of-way but also identifies a limited amount of new vehicular and multimodal circulation roads and/or paseos throughout the plan area. These new circulation routes will promote pedestrian and bicycle use and break up the existing superblocks to support intensified land use. The new roads are intended for low speed vehicular use, emphasizing shared facilities where pedestrians, bicycles and cars all have an equal ability to use the right-of-way. Two potential locations for a new roadway connection point to Mission College Boulevard are shown on the concept diagram with the intent that one be selected following completion of the EIR analysis. A new greenway is proposed fronting along Patrick Henry Drive that would utilize an existing gas line easement that does not allow structures. New greenway connections are also proposed in the interior of the central block to promote pedestrian and bicycle circulation and break up the massing of future development.
Next Steps
The City’s consultant has recently commenced work on the draft EIR and administrative draft specific plan. City Council acceptance of this report will allow this work to continue per the City’s contractual schedule with the consultant (Attachment 2). Preparation of the draft EIR is scheduled to require approximately twelve months, including preparation of a traffic analysis, with anticipated release for public review in March 2021. Responses to EIR comments would be drafted in Spring 2021, and the Specific Plan and EIR would tentatively be scheduled for adoption in August 2021. Additional outreach, including another community workshop, stakeholder steering group meetings, and technical advisory committee meetings would be held through January 2021.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered is simply to accept a report on the Specific Plan process, and as such does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5), in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment. For the underlying project, the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, the City will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
FISCAL IMPACT
The City’s consultant costs for preparation of the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan will be covered through funding agreements with affected property owners.
The proposed change in land uses would significantly increase land values as well as demand for services, having both positive and negative fiscal impacts upon the City. While the City has not conducted a fiscal analysis for the Specific Plans, it is understood that residential land uses generally have a net negative fiscal impact (as increased land value revenue does not completely offset increased costs for service), but infill development and higher density development, particularly utilizing Type I or Type III construction, can provide for more efficient delivery of services and support more tax revenue generating activity, potentially resulting in net neutral or positive fiscal implications. Consistent with the General Plan, the addition of new residentially designated land helps the City to achieve its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goals for housing production.
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.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Accept the report on the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan Conceptual Land Use Diagram and schedule as presented by staff.
2. Do not accept the report on the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan Conceptual Land Use Diagram and schedule as presented by staff and provide alternative direction.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1:
Accept the report on the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan Conceptual Land Use Diagram and schedule as presented by staff.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Conceptual Land Use Diagram
2. Project Schedule