REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on El Camino Real Specific Plan (Councilmembers Davis, O’Neill, Watanabe and Mahan are eligible to participate; not eligible are Councilmembers Chahal, Hardy and Mayor Gillmor)
Report
BACKGROUND
El Camino Real is the City’s most visible and identifiable commercial corridor. Redevelopment of the existing low-intensity, auto-oriented commercial uses along the corridor into higher density, residential/commercial mixed use is identified as a key land use strategy in the City’s 2010 General Plan.
While the General Plan established the El Camino Real as a Focus Area for new residential growth, specified land uses and densities for new development, and provided some policy guidance, it also identified the preparation of a Specific Plan as an implementation tool for the Focus Area. The City Council initiated preparation of a Specific Plan for the El Camino Real Focus Area in 2017 to provide a more detailed level of policy and design guidance to support the successful transformation of the corridor.
The objectives for preparation of the Specific Plan are to establish a land use plan, a circulation plan, urban design standards, and a policy framework that will guide future development and provide developers and the community with clear direction regarding form, massing, density and streetscape for new development.
DISCUSSION
A collaborative and broad-based community involvement process has been implemented to engage community members in the planning of the corridor’s future. The City has been working with a consultant, Raimi and Associates, to ensure that community residents and stakeholders have many opportunities to participate in decision making and inform the contents of the Specific Plan throughout the Specific Plan process. The community engagement process and community input is reviewed by a Community Advisory Committee (CAC), formed in January 2018. To date, the CAC has held four meetings. Additionally, the City has hosted five pop-up engagement activities out in the community, two workshops, two online surveys, and one community meeting focused on the potential removal of street parking along El Camino Real to facilitate the creation of dedicated bicycle lanes. Summaries of all of the engagement activities can be found on the El Camino Real website at: www.santaclaraca.gov/ecr <http://www.santaclaraca.gov/ecr>
During the engagement activities, a range of land use and right-of-way alternatives, and pedestrian and bicycle treatments were presented to the community and the CAC for their input. Community input from these meetings shaped the draft Land Use Plan and El Camino Real Right-of-Way alternatives as provided in Attachment 1 and 2, respectively.
Draft Land Use Plan
The draft Land Use Plan (Attachment 1) was developed based on input from the community and the CAC and using the current General Plan as a starting point for the discussion. The concept behind the land use plan is to concentrate density in the “activity centers” or nodes along the corridor to allow lower density development at the in-between areas. At the CAC’s last meeting, the CAC had reached consensus to support the draft with the exception of the Mariani’s Inn development site (2500 El Camino Real). There was no consensus as to whether this particular site should stay as the higher density Regional Commercial land use designation or if it should be changed to the lower intensity Community Mixed Use land use designation. Members of the CAC who lived closest to the Mariani development site were opposed to the higher density designation. However, there was consensus by members of the CAC to require more ground floor commercial somewhere between Lincoln Street and Lafayette Street and at Calabazas Boulevard.
As required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) would analyze the maximum potential new development through build-out of the draft Land Use Plan, and account for development applications (General Plan and Zoning amendments), in order to identify the full potential of environmental impacts that could occur with contemplated development. Accordingly, the EIR would analyze the following growth capacity for the Plan area.
Table: Development Capacity for El Camino Real
|
|
Residential Units |
Commercial Square Feet |
|
Draft Land Use Plan Capacity* |
6,677 |
425,229 |
|
Pending Development Applications |
327 |
32,306 |
|
Total |
7,004 |
457,535 |
|
* The General Plan currently identifies capacity to build 2,274 units within the El Camino Real Focus Area, of which 1,142 units have been approved and/or built. A maximum of 4,403 units would be added through the draft Land Use Plan. |
Community Benefits
As the draft land use plan will potentially allow an increase in residential density in some locations along the corridor or allow lower density residential development without a commercial requirement at other locations, as a next step the Specific Plan process could include an exploration of a structured community benefits requirement for new development projects that benefit from these changes to allowed land uses. This approach would require a developer to provide specific defined benefits in the Specific Plan area in exchange for an increase in density and/or the allowance of a residential only project with no commercial requirement. The specific types of benefits and triggers for obligations for those benefits would be explored with the community and the CAC. Benefits could include a higher level of commitment to on-site amenities (either for residents or the public), green building standards, open spaces, affordability, alternative travel modes, or contribution toward off-site improvements.
Right-of-Way Alternatives
Initially, five right-of-way alternatives for the El Camino Real were presented through the outreach process for community and CAC input. At each outreach event, most favored the addition of bike lanes on El Camino Real, but there was no clear consensus as to how the bike lanes would be achieved and no one alternative was clearly favored. The three alternatives with the most support were presented through a second online survey to receive feedback on those options. Two other alternatives were dropped, both of which included the proposed removal of a travel lane, which would be outside of the scope of the current Specific Plan work plan. Removal of a travel lane on El Camino is both a local and regional issue that would require a much more significant analysis and outreach process. Input from the second survey did not establish a clear community consensus.
The three right-of-way alternatives and the results of the prior community outreach were then presented to the CAC for their input. In general by consensus the CAC supported right-of-way alternative 2A (removal of on-street parking to accommodate a buffered bike lane with a bus boarding island). It is important to note that adding the bike lane will require parking removal. A preliminary parking analysis identified 446 on-street parking spaces available along El Camino Real within the Specific Plan area. The parking occupancy analysis concluded that on the average throughout the day 31% of these on-street parking spaces are utilized. Almost all properties fronting El Camino Real, with the exception of the properties located at the northeast corner of El Camino Real and Main Street (El Camino Coin Wash & Dry, Custom Hairstyling, El Camino Realty, JC Beauty, and Santa Clara Montessori), the north side of El Camino Real just east of Los Padres Boulevard (Diver Dan’s), and the south side of El Camino Real just east of San Tomas Expressway (Gran Prix Power Sports) have sufficient on-site parking to meet their overall parking needs. For the aforementioned properties that lack on-site parking, staff will continue to work with those property owners, and also review bike design alternatives.
Next Steps
The extensive outreach process has informed two key components of the Specific Plan; the draft land use plan and the right-of-way alternatives. The next step in the planning process is to prepare an environmental analysis as required for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This analysis will be conducted using the preferred land use plan and a preferred El Camino Real right-of way design following the City Council direction to proceed.
When the City Council took action authorizing staff to execute an agreement with Raimi & Associates, Inc. to prepare the El Camino Real Specific Plan, in April 2017, the Council encouraged the deferment of the consideration of new development projects along El Camino Real that require either General Plan or Zoning amendments until the initial community outreach or visioning for the Specific Plan was substantially complete. Currently, there are projects in the entitlement process pipeline that are pending the completion of the visioning of El Camino Real. A majority of the outreach for the Specific Plan planning process has now been completed and the draft land use plan and right-of-way alternatives have been developed based on the input provided through this outreach. Staff is seeking confirmation that following the Council’s earlier direction, the Specific Plan process has been completed to the point sufficient for active development projects to move forward in the entitlement process and be brought to hearing for Council consideration.
In summary, staff is seeking direction from the City Council on the following items:
Ø Draft land use plan
Ø Exploration of ‘community benefits’ criteria to be incorporated into the Specific Plan for future development projects.
Ø Preferred right-of-way alternative
Ø Continued processing of applications with recognition that the City has substantially completed the outreach process for the development of the El Camino Real land use plan
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is an informational report that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
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 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. Accept the draft land use plan and preferred right-of-way alternatives as the basis for CEQA review;
2. Accept that the public outreach for the ECR land use plan has been substantially completed so that project applications may be reviewed by the City Council in reference to the preferred land use plan; and
3. Direct staff to explore formal community benefits criteria to be incorporated into the Specific Plan for future development projects.
4. Direct staff to discuss revisions to the draft land use plan and preferred right-of-way alternative and return to the City Council after discussing those revisions with the Community Advisory Committee.
5. Direct staff to discuss revisions to the draft land use plan and preferred right-of-way alternative and proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Report incorporating those revisions.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Accept the draft land use plan and preferred right-of-way alternatives as the basis for CEQA review;
2. Accept that the public outreach for the ECR land use plan has been substantially completed so that project applications may be reviewed by the City Council in reference to the preferred land use plan; and
3. Direct staff to explore formal community benefits criteria to be incorporated into the Specific Plan for future development projects.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director of Community Development Department
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Land Use Plan
2. Pending Development Applications
3. Right-of-Way Alternatives
4. Public Comment