REPORT TO [PLANNING COMMISSION]
SUBJECT
Title
STUDY SESSION: Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan
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, Moore Iacofano Goltsman, 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 a high-density, mixed use neighborhood.
DISCUSSION
The Conceptual Land Use Diagram (Attachment 1) identifies locations for proposed residential and flex land use designations within the Specific Plan through two potential development scenarios, both of which will 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 110,000 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).
|
|
Residential Units |
Office |
Other Non-Residential Uses |
|
Scenario A |
12,000 |
- |
310,000 SF |
|
Scenario B |
10,300 |
785,000 SF |
310,000 SF |
The Conceptual Land Use Diagram also identifies proposed locations for public facilities such as parks, a community room and space for a public library. 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. 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. Buildings heights will also be limited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport height limits.
Parkland and Open Space
Consistent with 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 rights-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 rights-of-way. 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.
Stakeholder Input
The Conceptual Land Use Diagram directly incorporates input from property owner stakeholders and addresses the goals of the City as established in the City’s General Plan. However, it should be noted that in some ways the proposed land use plan does not fully align with stakeholder input. Specifically, one property owner, Z&L properties, indicated a desire to develop 1,600 units on their property corresponding to a density of approximately 420 dwelling units per acre, while the highest density proposed by staff is 250 dwelling units per acre. Z&L has expressed that they would like consideration for this amount of additional density as they are providing multiple amenities including parkland dedication, interior space for a public use such as a library, retail, and new circulation areas. Council directed staff to review the request as a community benefit given the increased density requested coupled with the significant public amenities that would be provided. The general approach is to allow additional development rights (density) beyond what is allowed on the land use plan in exchange for community benefits.
Most of the stakeholders have requested that the amount or parkland, new street, and/or retail or public facility space shown on their property be reduced if possible. The proposed land use plan, however, maintains these uses as they are critical to the successful development of a complete neighborhood. As part of the Specific Plan process, the City will explore a mechanism for distributing the costs of new development across all sites on a per unit basis.
Planning Process Status
The City’s consultant began work on the draft EIR and administrative draft specific plan in early 2020. 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 February 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
This is an informational report only and no action is being taken and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) is required at this time. The Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan will undergo environmental review and an environmental document will be brought to the City Council when the Council considers the Specific Plan for approval.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the City other than administrative staff time.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Planning Commission 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 Community Development Department 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 Community Development Department at (408) 615-2450 or Planning@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:Planning@santaclaraca.gov>.
Staff
Prepared by: Rebecca Bustos, Senior Planner
Reviewed by: Alexander Abbe, Assistant City Attorney
Approved by: Reena Brilliot, Planning Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Conceptual Land Use Diagram