REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Action on a Conditional Use Permit (PLN2018-13109), Mitigated Declaration, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Existing Muslim Community Association (MCA) School Expansion at 3080 Alfred Street and 3003 Scott Boulevard.
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Applicant: Amin Adil Qazi
Owner: MCA B.O.T & North American Islamic Trust Trustee
General Plan: Low Intensity Office / R&D
Zoning: Light Industrial
Site Area: 9.9 Acres
Existing Site Conditions: Existing Muslim Community Association (MCA) school at 3003 Scott Boulevard and vacant office/warehouse building at 3080 Alfred Street.
Surrounding Land Uses
North: Office and gym uses
South: Industrial and office uses
East: Industrial and office uses
West: Industrial and office uses
Issues: Consistency with the City’s General Plan and Zoning Ordinance
Staff Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration and associated Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and adopt a Resolution approving a Conditional Use Permit to allow an expansion of the Muslim Community Association School at 3003 Scott Boulevard and 3080 Alfred Street.
BACKGROUND
On February 22, 2018, Amin Adil Qazi (“Applicant”) filed an application (File No. PLN2018-13109) to amend the Use Permit (File No. U.1970), which currently allows for an existing pre-school through eighth grade school, the “Muslim Community Association (MCA) School,” at 3003 Scott Boulevard. The application proposes a school expansion within the existing building (known as MCA-1), which is approximately 90,000 square feet, and within the building on the adjoining property at 3080 Alfred Street (known as MCA-3), which is approximately 34,000 square feet.
A full-time school operates at the existing MCA-1 building on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The current Use Permit allows an enrollment of up to 400 students. For the last several years, the school obtained Special Permits to allow a temporary 90-student increase (which has been granted annually by the City). The school currently has 437 students (pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade) enrolled.
A weekend religious school occurs at the site on Saturdays and/or Sundays. The school’s morning session is from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and the afternoon session is from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Students typically attend only one of the two sessions with the maximum number of attendees not exceeding 200 students (i.e., half of the full-time school capacity).
The building also has two prayer halls that have a maximum occupancy of 1,800. The only time the two prayer halls are occupied at a maximum capacity is during special prayer events. The special prayer events occur on Fridays, during evening prayer of the religious fasting month, and the twice per year for holiday prayers.
The existing MCA facility operates under a Conditional Use Permit approved by the Santa Clara City Council in 1994. The proposed expansion of the MCA facility into the adjacent MCA-3 building would require an amended Conditional Use Permit pursuant to Santa Clara City Code Chapter 18.110 (a classic zoning code reference, since the project was deemed complete prior to the adoption of the current zoning code) that would incorporate restrictions on the uses of the site so as not to limit the allowable industrial land uses in the surrounding project area.
DISCUSSION
Project Overview
The proposed project would expand the existing MCA school, recreation, and meeting room facilities into the MCA-3 building to include a fitness room, youth lounges, a game room, a medical consultation clinic, offices, meeting rooms and a multi-purpose room to support the MCA community. Half of the building would serve the existing MCA members and staff and would not result in an increase in membership. The other half of the building would include classrooms for middle school and high school students, a school lab, offices, and a basketball court. Students and staff from the MCA-3 school would also utilize the amenities, offices, and meeting rooms in the other half of the building.
With the proposed expansion of school services to the MCA-3 building, the project proposes to increase the school’s allowed capacity from 400 to 900 students, including the addition of up to 150 high school students and 350 middle school students.
The project proposes façade improvements, including installation of new windows and decorative metal accents. The project would enclose the existing roof covered entrance areas to incorporate the space into the interior floor area of the building, which would increase the square footage of the MCA-3 building by 900 square feet (to a total of 34,900 square feet). The proposed elevation in one area of the building would be raised from 24 to 34 feet above the ground surface to accommodate the interior basketball court’s raised ceiling.
Transportation & Parking
A new five-foot wide pedestrian sidewalk would be constructed along Alfred Street, in front of the MCA-3 building. There is currently no sidewalk in front of the MCA-3 building. The new sidewalk would connect with the existing sidewalk fronting the MCA-1 building. In addition, the project proposes to construct pedestrian improvements at the intersections of Scott Boulevard and Space Park Drive and Alfred Street and Space Park Drive.
Based on the identified Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) impact thresholds for the analysis of the project, the project would need to implement measures to achieve a 10 percent VMT reduction (17.2 VMT per employee to 15.56 VMT per employee) to reduce the impact to a less than significant level. The project applicant shall implement a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that could include carpooling, ride share assistance, flexible/alternative work schedules, vanpool assistance, and bicycle end of trip facilities to reduce the number of drive-alone commute trips to the project. A combination of the TDM measures would reduce the project’s VMT per employee to a less than significant level. The TDM measures shall be approved by the City’s Director of Community Development prior to issuance of an occupancy permit.
The project applicant shall complete annual monitoring and report to ensure mitigation measures MM TRN-2.1 and MM TRN-2.2, included in the projects Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), are implemented and effective in reducing the project VMT to 15.56 miles per employee. The project applicant shall consult with the City’s Director of Community Development as needed to ensure the monitoring and reporting meets the City’s standards.
Currently for MCA-1 there is an approved Variance for a 48 parking spaces that was granted by the City concurrently with the original Use Permit to address the peak parking scenario during special prayer events. With MCA-1 and MCA-3, there are 482 parking spaces and the required parking during special events is 413 spaces. With the excess parking spaces, the current Variance would not be required.
Shelter-in-Place Plan and Evacuation Plan
Due to the MCA’s location within an industrial area, the existing campus has adopted and is implementing a Shelter-In-Place (SIP) emergency plan. The site is required to have an SIP emergency plan and an evacuation plan that would ensure the safety of the students, staff, and other site users from an accidental airborne release of chemicals from industrial facilities in the vicinity of the project as part of the amended Conditional Use Permit. The proposed SIP plan is consistent with the SIP at the existing facility and includes lock down procedures to protect students and faculty. No evacuation plan is currently in place for the MCA-1 facility. An evacuation plan will be required for both properties as a condition of approval.
There are six phases to the SIP emergency plan: (1) preparation; (2) alarm activation; (3) lock down procedures; (4) roll call and head count; (5) communication with the fire department; and (6) clearance from the fire department. Preparation for the SIP includes registering with the Santa Clara County Emergency Alert System, staff training, identifying emergency personnel contacts, and drills for the staff, students, and community members attending the religious services. Evacuation would require the transportation of students off the site, in case of a toxic release warrants evacuation. Refer to Section 4.8, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, for details.
General Plan and Zoning Consistency
The project site, which includes buildings MCA-1 and MCA-3, is currently designated Low-Intensity Office/Research & Development (R&D) in the General Plan. The designation is intended for campus-like office developments that includes office and R&D. General Plan Policy 5.3.1-P21 allows for Public/Quasi Public uses, including schools and places of worship, in all General Plan designations when the use is consistent with applicable General Plan policies, accessible by a large roadway or collector, and compatible with planned uses on neighboring properties. The proposal is an expansion of an existing use on a site that is within half mile from large roadways such as San Tomas Expressway and Central Expressway.
The applicable ML - Light Industrial zoning designation (Chapter 18.48 of the Classic Code) is intended for (but not limited to) commercial storage and wholesale distribution warehouses, plants and facilities for the manufacturing, processing, or repair of equipment and merchandise, and retail sales of industrial products. The maximum permitted building height within this zone is 70 feet. The ML zoning district does not allow for the creation of schools by right. However, per Section 18.48 of the Classic Code, the Planning Commission can determine if the conditional uses that are not normally permitted for a zoning district are appropriate under the circumstances. The MCA-1 property currently operates under a Conditional Use Permit allowing up to 400 students.
Conclusion
The proposed project is consistent with the General Plan policies to allow for schools and places of worship, in all General Plan designations when the use is consistent with General Plan policies. As the current school and recreational facility is proposed to be expanded in the Light Industrial district, approval of the requested Conditional Use Permit is required by the City to allow the applicant to operate. There is sufficient parking on-site to accommodate both employee and visitor parking.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered takes into account the potential environmental impacts of the project addressed in a Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and circulated for public review between July 20, 2023 and August 21, 2023 (30-days). In accordance with CEQA, no new information has come forward since the public circulation period to require any recirculation of the document.
The MND and Notice of Availability (NOA) were posted on the City’s website at <https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planning-division/environmental-review-ceqa> <https://www.santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/BusinessDirectory/BusinessDirectory/487/3649?fsiteid=1&alpha=M>. The Planning Division did not receive any comments on the MND.
The MND examined potential environmental impacts associated with project development and identified air quality, biological, cultural resources, and transportation impacts that with incorporation of mitigation measures into the project would reduce all potential impacts to less than significant. A detailed discussion of the potential impacts and mitigation measures to be applied to the project are specified in the MND and would be implemented through project conditions of approval and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the proposed project.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City for processing the requested application other than administrative time and expense typically covered by processing fees paid by the applicant.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
On March 14, 2019, the applicant held an in-person community meeting for public feedback. Staff did not receive comments at this meeting.
On August 7, 2024, a notice of public hearing on this item was mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the project site. On August 16, a notice of public hearing was posted in three locations within the City. At the time of this staff report, Planning staff has not received public comments in support or opposition to the proposed project.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Adopt a Resolution to adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Muslim Community Association School Expansion; and
2. Adopt a Resolution approving the Conditional Use Permit to allow an expansion of the Muslim Community Association School at 3003 Scott Boulevard and 3080 Alfred Street, subject to conditions.
Staff
Prepared by: Steve Le, Senior Planner
Reviewed by: Alexander Abbe, Assistant City Attorney
Reviewed by Sheldon S. Ah Sing, Development Review Officer
Approved by Lesley Xavier, Planning Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
2. Resolution to Adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
3. Resolution to Approve the Conditional Use Permit
4. Conditions of Approval
5. Vicinity Map
6. Project Data
7. Development Plans