REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Proposed Project:
SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT: to redevelop the Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park to a 62-unit townhouse development with associated site improvements (net increase of eight units);
VESTING TENTATIVE MAP: to subdivide one lot into 62 lots and three common lots.
Location: 617 E Evelyn Avenue (APN: 209-02-001)
File #: 2017-7217
Zoning: R-3/PD - Medium Density Residential / Planned Development
Applicant / Owner: East Dunne Investors, LLC (applicant)/Chien-Nan and Sue Chuang Trustee (owner)
Environmental Review: Mitigated Negative Declaration
Project Planner: Momoko Ishijima, (408) 730-7532, mishijima@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
General Plan: Medium Density Residential
Zoning: R-3/PD - Medium Density Residential / Planned Development Combining District
Existing Site Conditions: Former Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park of 54 dwelling units
Surrounding Land Uses
North: Multi-family apartment complex
South: Retail commercial and multi-family residential development
East: Sunnyvale west channel (flood control) and multi-family residential development
West: Commercial and multi-family residential development
Issues: Land use compatibility and Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) deviations for front setback, height, and distances between buildings.
Staff Recommendation: Alternative 1: Make the findings required by CEQA in Attachment 3, adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration, and approve the Special Development Permit and Vesting Tentative Map with the recommended findings in Attachment 3 and conditions of approval in Attachment 4.
BACKGROUND
Description of Proposed Project
The project site is 3.26 acres in size and is the former Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park. The applicant proposes a Special Development Permit and a Vesting Tentative Map application for the construction of 62 townhouses, one amenity building, and the creation of 62 residential lots and three common lots.
• Special Development Permit
A Special Development Permit (SDP) is required for site and architectural review on project sites with the Planned Development (PD) zoning designation. A SDP also allows for the consideration of deviations from specified development standards in exchange for superior design, environmental preservation or public benefit. The applicant is requesting deviations from the requirement for front setback, 26-foot separation between buildings, and to allow additional building height. The findings required to grant a SDP and deviations are discussed in Attachment 3.
The Vesting Tentative Map is required prior to a Final Map for the creation of 62 individual ownership lots and three common lots. The Vesting Tentative Map shows the location of the proposed lot lines, public and private streets and other improvements (see Attachment 6). A Vesting Tentative Map grants the developer the right to build the project for the life of the map and secures the approved project against future Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) amendments that might otherwise affect the project. The Vesting Tentative Map is valid only in conjunction with the approved site plan and conditions of approval. The Tentative Map conditions of approval are listed in Attachment 4. The Final Map is approved and recorded by the Director of Public Works and must be in substantial conformance to the Vesting Tentative Map.
See Attachment 1 for a map of the vicinity and mailing area for notices and Attachment 2 for the Data Table of the project.
Previous Actions on the Site
The Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park was constructed in 1960. Prior to this, the area was part of an orchard. On March 17, 2017, City Council approved a Conversion Impact Report as required to allow for the closure of the Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan Goals and Policies: Key goals and policies from the Land Use and Transportation Chapter of the General Plan and Citywide Design Guidelines which pertain to the proposed project are provided in Attachment 3.
The current zoning of R-3/PD allows for the conversion of a mobile home park to a multi-family residential development through approval of a Special Development Permit. A total of 59 units would be the minimum number of units to meet the General Plan policy that a minimum 75% of the allowed density be considered for this site. The project proposes 62 townhouse units.
Applicable Design Guidelines: The City’s Design Guidelines provide recommendations for site layout, architecture, and design. These guidelines are referenced in the discussion and analysis below.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions and City guidelines (see Attachment 5). An Initial Study determined that construction of the proposed project would not experience or create any significant environmental impacts with implementation of the recommended mitigation measures. Environmental issues that required mitigation include potential impacts to historical and cultural resources and noise. The Mitigation Measures have been incorporated as Conditions of Approval (see Attachment 4).
DISCUSSION
Present Site Conditions
The project site is one lot located at 617 East Evelyn Avenue at the northeast corner of East Evelyn Avenue and Elm Court. The Blue Bonnet Mobile Home Park currently has eight mobile home residences and one care taker remaining on the site. Once the mobile home closure is complete, the remaining mobile homes and other structures (such offices and a pool) would be removed. There are apartments and townhouse developments to the north, south, and east, single family residences to the southwest, and commercial developments to the south (604 Fairoaks Commercial Center) and west (Bert’s Stadium Sports Bar). The Sunnyvale East Channel, a channelized drainage creek, is located adjacent to the property on the east side. A portion of the western part of the project site is in Flood Zone AO (1% annual chance shallow flooding of one to three feet depth).
The project site has an 800-foot frontage along East Evelyn Avenue, and a narrower frontage along Elm Court of approximately 175 feet. The project site is located near several transit routes, including bus service operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) and passenger rail service operated by Caltrain. VTA bus service stop for Route 32 is located directly in front of the project site at the East Evelyn Avenue frontage. VTA bus service stops for Route 26 and 55 are located less than 100 feet from the project site on South Fair Oaks Avenue. The Sunnyvale Caltrain Station is located approximately 0.75 mile to the west on East Evelyn Avenue. Class II bicycle lanes are located on East Evelyn Avenue.
Special Development Permit
Use and Site Layout: The application is for the construction of 62 three-story townhouses. The proposed project includes one two-bedroom, 39 three-bedroom, and 22 four-bedroom units that range in size from 1,461 to 1,847 square feet (excluding a two-car garage). There is a total of 16 buildings. There are 11 three-unit buildings on the north side of the lot and on the Elm Court frontage and five buildings along the East Evelyn Avenue frontage ranging from four units to seven units. The site is accessed by two driveways, one on East Evelyn Avenue and one on Elm Court, connected by a private drive aisle. Common open space is provided between Building 6 and 7 including a 680-square foot amenity building and landscaping. Private porches and/or balcony areas are also provided for each unit (“Site and Architectural Plans” are provide in Attachment 6).
Development Standards: The project complies with most of the applicable development standards in the SMC, such as lot coverage, parking, landscaping, usable open space and solar access. The applicant is requesting deviations from the requirement for front setback, 26-foot separation between buildings and to allow additional building height. The Project Data Table in Attachment 2 summarizes the project's compliance with Sunnyvale Municipal Code development standards.
Architecture: The project architecture can be described as contemporary with traditional elements with the use of stucco and horizontal siding as exterior materials, metal awnings, window and door trims, and horizontal cedar planks as an accent material between windows, on porch and balcony railings, and gable ends. The roof has hipped and gable roof styles with the use of composition shingle roof material, and standing seamed metal roof material as accents. Both the front doors and garage doors are metal with opaque transom windows. The garage door designs are contemporary and varied to provide interest as seen along the long drive aisles.
The project site has a long frontage along East Evelyn Avenue, and the project addresses the massing and length of this frontage by designing five buildings with varying projections, height, and color schemes. Each unit within the building groups have distinguishing details with varying architectural accents and materials which add visual interest from the street.
Lot Coverage
Lot coverage, building height, and setbacks are used to gauge the visual bulk and mass of a project. Regarding lot coverage, the project complies with the standards with 32% lot coverage, where 40% maximum is permitted.
Setbacks: As a corner lot, the site maintains two front yards. The SMC requires an average of 20 feet and a minimum of 15 feet for the front yard setback. The end unit (Unit #34) has a front setback of 12 feet on the Elm Court frontage and the second unit on East Evelyn Avenue (Unit #35) measures 14 feet on the East Evelyn Avenue frontage. Staff is supportive of the front setback deviations at the corner as the applicant has designed the end units to be unique with curb appeal, and the project exceeds the average front setback requirement on both frontages with 20’-3” on both East Evelyn Avenue and Elm Court.
In determining the front yard of a corner property, the narrowest property line is the front yard and the longer property line is the reducible front yard. Thus, the side opposite of Elm Court requires the 20-foot rear yard setback, and the side opposite of East Evelyn Avenue requires a 12-foot side yard setback. The project complies with the setback requirements.
Distance Between Buildings: The Zoning Code requires a 26-foot separation between buildings on the same lot. The separation between buildings 2 and 3, 4 and 5, 8 and 9, and 10 and 11 on the north side of the property is 20 feet. Staff has worked with the applicant subsequent to the Planning Commission Study Session on January 9, 2018, to offset the balconies to create more separation. Buildings 12 and 13, 13 and 14, and 15 and 16, along the East Evelyn Avenue frontage also have slight deviations from the 26-foot building separation requirement.
The project site is challenging due to its long and narrow shape. Allowing deviation for building separation allows for a reasonable number of residential units on the site, and enables a selection of larger units with functional landscaped open space. Deviations from this requirement have been granted to similar infill townhome projects developed on East Evelyn Avenue.
Building Height/Green Building: A minimum of 80 Build It Green points are required for new multi-family residential construction. With 110 points or greater, the project may increase building height, lot coverage, or density. A Green Point Rated checklist was prepared by the applicant with 118 points targeted (see Attachment 8). The applicant proposes to utilize the incentive to increase building height from 35 feet to 40 feet,
as measured from the top of the nearest curb along East Evelyn Ave. The property will be graded up 2 to 3 feet to comply with flood zone requirements. The project proposes building heights of 38’ 2” to 40’ 2”. Two buildings (Buildings 13 and 15) exceed the 40 feet height limit as allowed by the incentive. The two-inch deviation can be approved through the SDP approval. Staff is supportive of the deviation as the varying heights provide visual interest and breaking up of the townhouses along the East Evelyn Avenue frontage and many of the multi-family developments along East Evelyn Avenue have been granted approval for similar heights.
Parking: Parking requirements are based on the type of assigned spaces, such as the two-car garage, and number of bedrooms, which results in a minimum of 159 total parking spaces (average of 2.56 spaces per unit), including 124 minimum spaces assigned and 35 minimum spaces unassigned. A summary table of parking requirements is provided on Sheet A1.01 on Attachment 6. The proposed project meets the parking requirements by providing a total of 159 parking spaces. Each unit includes a two-car garage and there are 35 unassigned uncovered parking spaces located throughout the development. The SMC requires all new multi-family residential uses to participate in a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program. A minimum of six points is required from the menu of strategies in the City’s TDM program. The project attains 11.5 points (see Attachment 9 for information concerning the TDM plan).
Landscaping and Tree Preservation: The project exceeds the minimum landscaped area requirement by providing a total of 47,708 square feet of landscaping (37% of the site), where 28,389 square feet is required (20% of the site). A tree survey was provided for the project. Eleven of the protected trees are proposed for removal, of which eight are street trees. Protected sized trees are required to be replaced per the City’s Tree Replacement Policy. The applicant proposes 61 new trees and 26 new street trees, which meets the policy.
Usable Open Space and Amenity Building: Usable open space is provided within the courtyards between buildings and in a central open space area between Buildings 6 and 7 with a 680-square foot amenity building. The project exceeds the minimum usable open space requirement by providing approximately 413 square feet per unit, where 400 square feet minimum is required.
Solar Access and Shadow Analysis: The SMC limits shading caused by proposed buildings to a maximum of ten percent of the roof area of nearby properties during the hours of 9 AM to 3 PM during the solar cycle. The applicant’s shadow study demonstrates that shadows cast by the proposed buildings do not shade
more than ten percent of the roof area on existing buildings on nearby properties. The shadow study is in Attachment 6 (Sheets A1.41-A1.42).
Solid Waste and Recycling Access
The project proposes three solid waste enclosures throughout the development with each located within 150 feet of each residential unit. Environmental Services and Public Works staff have determined that the solid waste and recycling plan satisfies established guidelines for trash and recycling collection in townhome developments. A final trash management plan is required per Conditions of Approval (Attachment 4).
Below Market Rate Housing
The project will comply with the 12.5% below market rate (BMR) requirement by providing the required seven (7) BMR unit and paying an in-lieu fee for the fractional unit.
Fiscal Impact
The project is subject to payment of traffic and park in-lieu fees to the City and school impact fees to the Sunnyvale School District as noted in the Conditions of Approval. The project is not expected to be have a negative fiscal impact to the City.
Public Contact
Neighborhood Outreach Meeting
The applicant held a community outreach meeting on January 11, 2018. Property owners and residents within 2,000 feet of the site were notified. The meeting was held in an open house format at the Murphy Park Community Building. Over 30 community
members attended the meeting. Most community members commented favorably regarding the project. Some noted questions were related to the construction timeframe; site layout, bedroom count, size, and pricing of the units.
Planning Commission Study Session
A study session was held with the Planning Commission on January 8, 2018. At the study session, Commissioners provided comments related to the site layout and architecture of the project. The Planning Commissioners commented favorably related to the architecture. Specifically, concerns were noted regarding the use of high quality material including the low wall and fencing, estate sized native tree selection, building separation, below market rate housing units, and programs for the amenity building.
In response to input from the Planning Commission, the applicant has enhanced the
design as noted previously in the report by offsetting the balconies between the three-unit buildings to create larger separation between the buildings, modifying the design for the low walls, stone veneer and fencing, and providing seven Below Market Rate units.
Public Comments
As of the date of staff report preparation, staff has received no comments from the neighbors related to the project. One call was received from a neighbor to the south of the development related to the poor condition of the fencing and debris along the Sunnyvale East Flood Control Channel, the condition of Ellis School at the corner of Olive Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue, and the ongoing traffic and noise from the developments along East Evelyn Avenue and the neighborhood.
Notice of Public Hearings
• Published in the Sun newspaper
• Posted at the site
• 4,250 notices were mailed to property owners and tenants within 2,000 feet of the project as shown in Attachment 2
• Notices were sent to the Heritage District Neighborhood Association
Staff Report
• Posted on the City of Sunnyvale’s web site
• Provided at the Reference Section of the City of Sunnyvale’s Public Library
Agenda
• Posted on the City’s official notice bulletin board
• Posted on the City of Sunnyvale’s web site
ALTERNATIVES
1. Make the findings required by CEQA in Attachment 3, adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration, and approve the Special Development Permit and Vesting Tentative Map with the recommended findings in Attachment 3 and conditions of approval in Attachment 4.
2. Make the findings required by CEQA in Attachment 3, adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration, and approve the Special Development Permit and Vesting Tentative Map with the recommended findings in Attachment 3 and modified conditions of approval in Attachment 4.
3.Do not make the required findings and direct staff where changes should be made.
4.Deny the project.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Make the findings required by CEQA in Attachment 3, adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration, and approve the Special Development Permit and Vesting Tentative Map with the recommended findings in Attachment 3 and conditions of approval in Attachment 4.
The project meets all development criteria except front setbacks, building height and distances between buildings, which staff feels is reasonable given the unique size and shape of the property, while meeting all other criteria and maximizing the number of residential units on site.
Staff
Prepared by: Momoko Ishijima, Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Gerri Caruso, Principal Planner
Approved by: Andrew Miner, Assistant Director of Community Development
ATTACHMENTS
1. Noticing and Vicinity Map
2. Project Data Table
3. Recommended Findings
4. Recommended Conditions of Approval
5. Mitigated Negative Declaration
6. Site and Architectural Plans
7. Applicant Project Description
8. Green Point Rated Checklist
9. Transportation Demand Management Plan