REPORT TO THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR
SUBJECT
Title
Proposed Project:
SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT to allow auto sales on an existing commercial property. No building expansion or exterior modifications are proposed. Site modifications include repaving, restriping, and landscape upgrades.
Location: 975 W. El Camino Real (APN: 165-01-038)
File #: PLNG-2026-0077
Zoning: ECR-C
Applicant / Owner: Mahsa Nicknam (applicant) / F & N Holding LLC (owner)
Environmental Review: Class 1 Categorical Exemption relieves this project from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions.
Project Planner: Gino Victoria, 408-730-7430, GVictoria@sunnyvale.ca.gov <mailto:GVictoria@sunnyvale.ca.gov>
Report
BACKGROUND
The project site is currently developed with a 530 square-foot commercial office building constructed in 1958, and landscaping along the street frontage and along the perimeter of the site. The project area is 0.76 acres in size, located to the north of W. El Camino Real. The site is bordered by a quick-service drive-through restaurant to the west, a used auto dealership to the east, and single-family homes to the north.
The project site is zoned El Camino Real - Commercial (ECR-C) and is located in the El Camino Specific Plan District (ECRSP) West Segment close to the El Camino Real and South Mary Avenue intersection.
The property was recently acquired by F & N Holding LLC and they intend to relocate their used auto dealership to this property. The existing location of their auto sales business is 680 W. El Camino Real.
Description of Proposed Project
The proposed project is a request to allow auto sales within an existing 530-square foot office building located approximately 100 feet from the street frontage. The use will also utilize approximately 28,686 square feet of the paved surface surrounding the building as the outdoor vehicle display area. No significant exterior changes are proposed to the existing building. Site improvements are proposed to perform ADA compliance upgrades, provide customer parking lot striping, repair broken pavement, remove damaged fencing, and renovate landscaping.
Per Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) Table 19.36.060B, a Special Development Permit (SDP) is required for auto sales in the ECR-C zoning district. See Attachment 1 for a map of the vicinity and mailing area for notices.
Previous Actions on the Site
The project site had been the location of a used auto dealership in the past, however no records of approved Planning entitlements for this use have been located. Prior to its current vacancy, the site had most recently been used as an overflow lot for vehicle inventory for a nearby auto dealership, however no actual sales activities were conducted on site.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Class 1 Categorical Exemption (15301) relieves this project from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions. The Class 1 exemption applies to the operation, maintenance, or minor alterations of an existing building, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The project proposes a change of use which would not require or result in major physical alterations.
DISCUSSION
Proposed Use
The proposed auto sales use is to be located within an existing 530-square foot office building and 28,686 square feet outdoor vehicle display area. The hours of operation will be Monday through Sunday, 9:30AM to 7:00PM. The business will hire three employees who will be on site. Two customers are expected to be on site at any given time.
Development Standards
The project does not propose any changes to the building footprint. As such, the project maintains existing building setbacks, building square footage and floor area ratio, lot coverage, and height. Improvements to the parking area are proposed and will be used for employee parking, customer parking, and outdoor vehicle display area. The proposed project complies with all applicable development standards, as set forth in the Sunnyvale Municipal Code.
Site Access, Circulation, and Parking
The site contains an off-street parking area in front of the office building, and the project proposes improvements to repair damaged pavement and provide striping for customer parking. The auto sales use requires a minimum of three parking spaces and 10 parking spaces are proposed.
There are two driveways on W. El Camino Real. The parking lot is accessed through the existing east one-way driveway and is exited through the existing west one-way driveway. The building contains one entrance, which is accessible from the sidewalk along W. El Camino Real.
Trees and Landscaping
The project proposes minor landscaping modifications along the W. El Camino Real frontage.
Staff finds that the proposed use of auto sales meets the required findings for a Special Development Permit, as the use ensures that the general appearance of proposed structures, or the uses to be made of the property to which the application refers, will not impair either the orderly development of, or the existing uses being made of, adjacent properties.
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACTS/COMPATIBILITY:
Located in the ECR-C zone, the proposed auto sales use is compatible with the surrounding uses that include commercial businesses such as restaurants, offices, an auto repair shop, retail, and auto sales. The use will have minimal impact on surrounding businesses as it is not expected to generate significant customer traffic. The use will result in improvements to the site as it is currently underutilized and in a dilapidated state. The project proposes improvements to restore the site, which will be beneficial to the surrounding area.
The project complies with all development standards. Outdoor activity would be limited to the customers and employees examining vehicle inventory. Exterior noise would be limited to vehicular generated sounds but should not exceed the existing ambient noise levels produced by vehicular traffic on W. El Camino Real. In addition, the proposal would reintroduce a use that had been operated on the site in the past. For these reasons, staff finds that the proposed use is compatible with the neighborhood and would not significantly impact neighboring uses.
See Attachment 5 for the Project Description Letter and Attachment 2 for the required Special Development Permit findings.
PUBLIC CONTACT
96 notices were sent to surrounding property owners and residents adjacent to the subject site. In addition, the notice of the Public Hearing was published in the Sun newspaper.
Public contact was made by posting the agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board at City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue and on the City’s website. Staff has received no comments on the item as of the time of staff report production.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the Special Development Permit with recommended Findings in Attachment 2 and recommended Conditions in Attachment 3.
2. Approve the Special Development Permit with modifications.
3. Deny the Special Development Permit.
RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1. Approve the Special Development Permit with recommended Findings in Attachment 2 and Conditions in Attachment 3.
Prepared by: Gino Victoria, Assistant Planner
Approved by: Momoko Ishijima, Senior Planner
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity and Noticing Maps
2. Recommended Findings
3. Recommended Conditions of Approval
4. Site and Architectural Plans
5. Project Description Letter
6. Special Development Permit Justification Form