REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Action on Rezoning of 17 Sites Along El Camino Real Totaling 27.7 Acres to MU-RC Mixed Use Regional Commercial, for the Purpose of Adding Additional Sites to the City’s Housing Element
Report
BACKGROUND
The City Council adopted the Zoning Code Update on January 9, 2024 and an implementation step of that adoption is to update the City’s Zoning Map, which will apply the new Zoning Districts as well as rezone properties across the City to Zoning Districts that will be consistent with their General Plan land use designations. Having consistent zoning and General Plan designations on all properties is a requirement of State law. The Zoning Map adoption will be brought forward to the Planning Commission and City Council for consideration in the May through June 2024 timeframe. Rezoning 17 sites on El Camino Real in advance of the Zoning Map adoption process is proposed to enable these sites to qualify for inclusion in the Sites Inventory as part of the City’s Housing Element. For a site to qualify for inclusion in the City’s Housing Element, it must have consistent General Plan and Zoning that would enable housing redevelopment on that site.
The majority of the 17 sites proposed for rezoning have interfaces adjacent to commercial or multifamily development. Six sites proposed for rezoning are partially adjacent to existing single-family residential properties. The MU-RC Regional Commercial Mixed-Use Zoning District includes required transition standards for developments adjacent to single family or duplex properties. A 45-degree Daylight Plane must be provided, which limits the height of new development adjacent to single family homes and duplexes, measured from the property line.
Note the El Camino Real Specific Plan revision process is underway. Based on the draft Land Use Plan for the draft El Camino Real Specific Plan, which the City Council confirmed on August 29, 2023, all the sites currently proposed for rezoning are identified to either retain or increase residential density more than the current General Plan designation on the sites, as part of the Specific Plan process. This provides assurance the inclusion of these sites in the Sites Inventory for the Housing Element is appropriate.
As a part of the Housing Element certification process by the State, the City has been in discussions with the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviewing the City’s adopted Housing Element. To provide a Sites Inventory that demonstrates adequate capacity both to meet the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 11,632 units and to also accommodate the development of HCD’s recommended minimum 15-percent buffer of additional units over the course of the next eight years, the City’s Housing Element includes a program to rezone the identified El Camino Real sites. HCD has indicated that rezoning these sites is a necessary step to obtain HCD’s formal certification of the City’s Housing Element.
DISCUSSION
At the April 17, 2024 Planning Commission meeting, prior to the staff presentation, the Assistant City Attorney asked the Planning Commission to consider the parcel at 2789 El Camino Real separately from the other 16 sites due to the fact that Commissioner Bhatnagar lives within 1,000 feet of that parcel and needed to recuse himself from that deliberation and decision.
Planning Commission Recommendation
The Planning Commission had no discussion on the item and there were no public comments. The Planning Commission unanimously voted (7-0) to adopt a resolution recommending the City Council rezone 16 parcels on El Camino Real to MU-RC Regional Commercial Mixed-Use, consistent with the General Plan Land Use diagram.
Commissioner Bhatnagar then recused himself from the discussion on 2789 El Camino Real, due to the proximity of his residence to the subject site.
The Planning Commission had no discussion on the item and there were no public comments. They then voted (6-0-1, Commissioner Bhatnagar recused) to adopt a resolution recommending the City Council rezone 2789 El Camino Real to MU-RC Regional Commercial Mixed-Use, consistent with the General Plan Land Use diagram.
Conclusion
Staff recommends that the City Council rezone the subject 17 sites to the MU-RC Regional Commercial Mixed-Use Zoning District as the rezoning of these sites will make them consistent with their current Regional Mixed-Use General Plan Land Use designation. Staff recommends that the City Council also include these sites in the City’s Housing Element. The rezoning action of these sites is a condition of certification as indicated by HCD in its April 11, 2024 conditional compliance letter.
Staff has prepared two separate adoption resolutions: the first is for 13 sites and the second is for the other four sites. This is to facilitate Councilmember Chahal's anticipated recusal from the decision on four of the sites.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Given that the Zoning Code Update is an implementation action of the 2010 General Plan Update, the City prepared an Addendum to the 2010-2035 General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to cover the adoption of the Zoning Code, Zoning Map, and related General Plan Amendments. The Addendum indicates that the adoption of the Zoning Code Update and application of the zoning designations to the Zoning Map will not result in environmental impacts beyond those described in the General Plan Update EIR. The Addendum was adopted by the City Council for the Zoning Code Update at their December 19, 2023 meeting. Accordingly, no additional CEQA action is necessary for Council to approve this item.
FISCAL IMPACT
Rezoning of the 17 El Camino Real sites is consistent with the City’s General Plan Land Use Diagram and the proposed Housing Element Update, which is also a part of the General Plan. No additional resources are required beyond those indicated at the time of the rezoning of the subject sites.
COORDINATION
This item was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
A newspaper notice was published in the March 27, 2024 issue of the Santa Clara Weekly describing the rezonings and the locations of the subject sites. On April 4, 2024, notice was also mailed to all 17 sites proposed for rezoning, and all properties located within 300 feet of those 17 sites.
Public contact was also 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. Do not adopt the proposed El Camino Real rezonings consistent with the City’s General Plan land use diagram, for the purpose of adding 17 additional sites to the City’s Housing Element sites inventory.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Adopt a Resolution approving the proposed El Camino Real rezonings for 13 sites (with addresses 3705, 3735, 3775, 2789, 3590, 3580, 3570, 3750, 3740, 3530, and 2240 El Camino Real, 1484 Halford, and 1460 Halford) to MU-RC Mixed Use Regional Commercial consistent with the City’s General Plan land use diagram, for the purpose of achieving consistency between the City’s General Plan and applicable zoning and adding 13 additional sites to the City’s Housing Element sites inventory.
2. Adopt a Resolution approving the proposed El Camino rezonings for four sites (with addresses 2213, 2065, 2200, and 2232 El Camino Real) to MU-RC Mixed Use Regional Commercial consistent with the City’s General Plan land use diagram, for the purpose of achieving consistency between the City’s General Plan and applicable zoning and adding four additional sites to the City’s Housing Element sites inventory.
Staff
Reviewed by: Reena Brilliot, Acting Director of Community Development
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Report to Planning Commission (with attachments)
2. Planning Commission Resolution Recommending Rezoning 16 El Camino Real sites
3. Planning Commission Resolution Recommending Rezoning 2789 El Camino Real
4. City Council Resolution Approving the Rezoning of 13 El Camino Real sites (with addresses 3705, 3735, 3775, 2789, 3590, 3580, 3570, 3750, 3740, 3530, and 2240 El Camino Real, 1484 Halford Avenue, and 1460 Halford Avenue)
5. City Council Resolution Approving the Rezoning of four El Camino Real sites
(with addresses 2213, 2065, 2200, and 2232 El Camino Real)