REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Comprehensive Sign Program for Parcels 4 and 5 for the Related Santa Clara Project
Report
BACKGROUND
The Related Santa Clara project (Project) is planned as a dynamic, mixed use, pedestrian friendly district located on an approximately 240-acre site north of Tasman Drive. The Project developer is now requesting approval of a Comprehensive Sign Program (CSP) for the Project (Attachment #3).
On June 28, 2016, in addition to certifying the Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the Project, the City Council adopted the following entitlements:
• General Plan Text and Map Amendments, approved to reflect a new Urban Center/Entertainment designation and to amend the City’s Climate Action Plan to address the new designation and establish respective minimum vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction requirements.
• Rezoning of the 240-acre Project site from Public/Quasi-Public (B) and Commercial Park (CP) to Planned Development - Master Community (PD-MC), and approval of an accompanying Master Community Plan (MCP) and conditions of approval as the implementing zoning documents for the Project.
• A Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) between the City and Related Santa Clara, LLC, as the Master Developer. The DDA contains lease conveyance terms, including ground lease conveyances that may begin following approval of the first Development Area Plan (DAP) and each DAP thereafter. The schedule of performance for commencement and timing of construction are captured in the DDA.
• A Development Agreement between the City and Related Santa Clara, LLC, establishing the terms and obligations of development as well as the order and timing of these obligations.
In accordance with the procedures set forth in Appendix C of the MCP, Development Area Plans (DAP) were submitted and approved by the City Council for the first two phases of the Project. To date, the City Council approved Addendums to the previously-certified Project EIR and approved the DAP for Phase I addressing development in Parcel 5 on March 24, 2020 and the DAP for Phase II addressing development in Parcel 4 on July 13, 2020.
Master Community Plan (MCP):
As noted above, the City Council adopted the MCP on June 28, 2016 (Attachment #2). The MCP was updated on April 5, 2017 as required by the conditions of approval to reflect the City’s other final approvals. The MCP is intended to ensure a) that development within the planning area will be consistent with the General Plan; and b) that development of the planning area’s private and public realms will be in accord with the MCP’s vision and design intent. The MCP provides a comprehensive program to govern the use of land and provides for orderly development of the Project site. As such, it incorporates a conceptual development framework, and other development regulations in the form of standards and guidelines; it also identifies and coordinates necessary infrastructure improvements, addresses public and private financing for infrastructure improvements and describes development phasing.
Section 7 of the MCP calls out the vision and sign typologies for project, tenant, and advertising/sponsorship signage within Related Santa Clara; however, the MCP requires that specific design, placement, and numerical standards for signage be developed through subsequent Comprehensive Sign Programs (CSP), calling out one CSP for Parcels 4 and 5 (portions of the project site west of Lafayette), which constitute the City Center, and subsequent CSPs for Parcels 1 and 2 (portions of the project site east of Lafayette).
DISCUSSION
In accordance with the requirements of the MCP, the applicant has submitted the proposed CSP for Parcels 4 and 5 of the Project site. The MCP states that the CSP is to be approved in conjunction with the issuance of the first DAP; however, while the applicant was working closely with staff on the development of CSP concurrently with the City’s review of DAP 1 and DAP 2, the document was not ready for review or approval when the City Council took action on DAP 1 and DAP 2. Conditions of Approval were included in both DAP 1 and DAP 2 to require the applicant to apply for and receive subsequent approval of the corresponding CSP prior to the issuance of the first building permit for development within DAP 1 or DAP 2 for any above grade buildings but excluding the below grade Tasman garage.
The MCP states that conformance to the MCP should guide the City’s approval of the CSP, and provides that the City’s sign ordinance found in Chapter 18.80 of the Santa Clara City Code is not applicable to the Project. Chapter 7 of the MCP outlines the Project signage requirements and allowances (MCP, page 181). While the CSP sets the standards for City approval, the approval of individual signs will follow the permitting process outlined in the CSP and included in the Discussion section below. Section 7.1 of the MCP defines seven Signage Design Principles, which the CSP is intended to implement:
1. Coordinated Project Signage.
2. Complementary Tenant Signage.
3. Wayfinding System.
4. High-Quality Signage.
5. Legible Signage.
6. Durable Signage.
7. Civic Art Potential.
More specifically, signage within the Project is intended to further the City’s objective to create a vibrant mixed-use, urban core, creating a pedestrian friendly “live, work, and play” environment. Parcels 4 and 5 include the “City Center” component of the Related Santa Clara site, which is the most pedestrian oriented area of the Project. As such, diverse and dynamic signage is proposed to be permitted throughout the Project within the parameters defined in the CSP.
Types of Signs
The CSP covers primarily three types of signage:
1) Project signage, which announces the entire Related Santa Clara project site;
2) Tenant signage, which is signage to call out the occupants of buildings; and
3) Sponsorship and Advertising Signs, which are limited areas and circumstances where off-site advertising is permitted.
In keeping with the dynamic, vibrant environment planned, all signs, except Major Gateway, supergraphics, & temporary signs, are allowed to be digital but need to meet the lighting criteria in the CSP (Section 7.11 of CSP, page 38). Digital signs are prohibited in MCP Lighting Character Zone A and Zone B (Exhibit 7-3 of the MCP, page 200). All signs are to be constructed with high quality, durable materials that are weather- and vandal-resistant.
Project Signage
Project signs include highly visible gateway markers, traffic control, and vehicular and pedestrian wayfinding. Gateway signs, in addition to advertising the Project and/or its districts, will enhance project identity and establish a welcoming point of arrival. Exhibits labelled “Project Identity Typology” on page 185 of the MCP and further by Exhibit 03A on page 15 of the CSP show the locations of different Gateway signage, and Section 7 beginning on page 26 of the CSP defines sign dimension criteria.
Gateways are classified as Major Gateways and Minor Gateways. The Major Gateway signs identify the Project at vehicular points of entry and provide information (or place identification). They are scaled to their surroundings and in accordance with their function as primarily vehicular-oriented project identifiers. The Major Gateway elements may include landscape, hardscape and light displays and establish the overall character of the signage program. Major Gateways may also include “ceremonial gateways,” which combine sculpture, lighting and/or signage in concert with adjacent architecture and landscape to create a sense of arrival. Minor Gateways identify important Project features and districts within the Project, and would be smaller in scale than Major Gateway signage. Off-site advertising is not permitted on Gateway Signage.
Traffic control and pedestrian and vehicular directional signs serve the main purpose of orientating and directing pedestrians and vehicles throughout the project site. Wayfinding signs/information kiosks are to be located in high pedestrian traffic or gathering locations and may include maps to locate points of interests and essential services. The wayfinding signs/information kiosks can also include advertising, public service announcements, retail engagement (information to engage customers in specific retail activities), parking, and/or sustainability information. They can also serve as community boards to highlight upcoming events.
Tenant Signage
In keeping with the vibrant districts created throughout the Related Santa Clara site, tenant signage is available in a variety of formats including: freestanding/monument signage; building mounted signage; store-front signage; projecting signage; and rooftop signage. The size and placement criteria of tenant signs are found in Section 7 of the CSP (CSP, page 26).
In addition to these more common sign types, Section 7 of the CSP also permits supergraphic/building integrated signage. Supergraphics are identified as a potential signage type on page 192 of the MCP. Supergraphics are a modern signage application, where a sign is adhered through vinyl or a mesh application or projected onto a building wall. As further explained on page 36 of the CSP, permissible supergraphics are temporary in nature with specific regulations dependent on whether the subject supergraphic is applied for a shorter-term in connection with events, and being limited in duration to no more than 35 calendar days, or for a longer term, being limited in duration for no more than 120 calendar days.
Sponsorship and Advertising Signage
Off-site advertising and billboards are by and large prohibited in the Related Santa Clara project, with limited exceptions. Section 7.1 of the MCP states on page 182:
“By adopting this MCP, the City Council finds that creating a specific, limited exception to the limitations on outdoor advertising (billboards) for outdoor advertising in City Center that faces inward into City Center or faces toward Levi’s Stadium on Tasman Drive pursuant to a Comprehensive Signage Program approved by the City Council will facilitate the City’s objective to establish a vibrant mixed-use, urban core, creating a pedestrian friendly “live, work, and play” environment that will function as a well-defined center for the Santa Clara community.”
As proposed, off-site advertising signs that are within the City Center Core Sub-District (illustrated in Exhibit 01B of the CSP) and face inward toward City Center are permissible provided that they must adhere to all other applicable standards for signage in Chapters 2, 5, & 7 of the CSP and may not exceed 40 feet in height. If these permitted off-site advertising signs are within 100 linear feet of a residential building or include animation, they are further restricted and may not exceed 12 feet in height. Off-site advertising signs that are located outside of the City Center Core Sub-District are only permitted if they face toward City Center, meet all applicable CSP criteria, do not display animation, and are limited to 12 feet in height.
Consistent with Section 7.1 of the MCP, up to four Billboards or Large Format Wall Signs are permitted to include off-site advertising along Tasman Drive. Section 5.3.3 of the CSP includes height, size, and display restrictions for these four off-site signs. For instance, they may display animation, but only on event days at Levi’s Stadium when there is no through traffic on Tasman Drive between Lafayette Street and Great America Parkway.
Permitting Process
Section 1.4 of the draft CSP provides the permitting processes for the City’s future review and approval of signs within Parcels 4 and 5 of the Project (CSP, page 7). A separate sign permit shall be required for each sign, except for temporary signs governed by Chapter 8 of the CSP, which include signs for construction, real estate sales and leasing, pre-opening, and fewer than 10 event signs associated with a Special Event. Sign permit applications shall be approved at an administrative staff level and shall be reviewed for conformance to the CSP, as adopted.
An applicant may also submit a Building Signage Plan application for individual buildings or groups of buildings in accordance with Section 1.4.3 of the CSP (CSP, page 7). The purpose of the Building Signage Plan process is to allow for City review and approval of an entire package of signs associated with a particular building or group of buildings. A Building Signage Plan application may be included with a DAP application that includes Architectural Materials as provided in Exhibit 2 to MCP Appendix C, in which case, it will be reviewed and approved as part of the DAP following the procedures outlined in MCP Appendix C; or (ii) submitted to the City as a separate package of materials concurrently with, or after, the applicant submits the Architectural Review Application for the applicable building.
Temporary Event Signs are required to be submitted and approved by the Director of Community Development for Special Events that includes ten (10) or more signs.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The EIR certified for the Project on July 28, 2016 (PLN2014 10554/ CEQ 2014 01180/ SCH 2014072078) analyzed the impacts associated with the implementation of the Master Community Plan, including signage, and thus the EIR addresses any impacts associated with the Comprehensive Signage Program (Attachment #1). Light and glare from signage was considered a significant impact under the category of Aesthetics in the EIR (Impact AES-2) because the Project would add exterior lighting to the project site, where there currently is little or no lighting. With mitigation measure AES-2.1 (installation of low-profile, low-intensity lighting directed downward to minimize light and glare), the impact was reduced to less than significant. The CSP implements the MCP and was sufficiently analyzed through the EIR.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City for processing the requested application other than administrative staff time and expense.
As was previously considered by the Council in the decisions to offer development of the project site and subsequent approval of the initial land use entitlements, it was noted there will be social and economic benefits that will accrue to the City and region in terms of new retail and entertainment opportunities not readily found in the South Bay area, as well as creation of jobs, property tax and sales tax revenues, and land lease revenues. Development of the Project will provide substantial land lease revenues to the City. Development fees and other exactions paid for and provided by the Project will also benefit the City.
COORDINATION
The report was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and City Manager’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
A notice of this hearing was mailed to properties within 1,000 feet and posted in three conspicuous locations within 300 feet of the project. 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. Adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the Comprehensive Signage Program for Parcels 4 & 5.
2. Recommend the City Council deny the Comprehensive Signage Program for Parcels 4 & 5.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1:
Adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council approve the Comprehensive Signage Program for Parcels 4 & 5.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Web Link Slip Sheet - 5155 Stars and Stripes Drive City Place FEIR and MMRP
2. Web Link Slip Sheet - Master Community Plan (MCP) Volume I
3. Draft Comprehensive Signage Program (CSP) for Parcels 4 & 5 of Related Santa Clara Project
4. Resolution to approve Comprehensive Signage Program