REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Proposed Project:
SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT to redevelop six City-owned parcels totaling 1.44 acres into a 90-unit affordable housing project (89 affordable units plus one manager unit). The project consists of four-story apartments along S. Mathilda Avenue and W. Iowa Avenue, two-story townhome style units along Charles Street, underground parking, and private amenity spaces on the ground floor.
Location: 365 S. Mathilda Avenue and 402 Charles Street (APN: 135-13-045),
396 Charles Street (APN: 165-13-046),
397 S. Mathilda Avenue (APN: 165-13-068),
403 S. Mathilda Avenue (APN: 165-13-069),
406 Charles Street and 407 S. Mathilda Avenue (APN: 165-13-073), and
388 Charles Street, 365 and 377-9 S. Mathilda Avenue (APN: 165-13-074)
File #: 2019-7269
Zoning: DSP-15 - Downtown Specific Plan Area Block 15
Applicant / Owner: The Related Companies of CA (applicant) / City of Sunnyvale (owner)
Environmental Review: The project is consistent with the City’s General Plan and no additional environmental review is required pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183 and Public Resources Code Section 21083.3.
Project Planner: Momoko Ishijima, (408) 730-7532, mishijima@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
General Plan: Transit Mixed Use
Zoning: DSP15 - Downtown Specific Plan Block 15
Existing Site Conditions: Single-Family and Duplex Residences, and Vacant Land
Surrounding Land Uses
North: Single Family and Multi-family Residences, Commercial Restaurant
South: Single Family and Multi-family Residences, Commercial Bank
East: Sunnyvale Downtown District
West: Single Family Residences
Issues: Neighborhood compatibility and Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) deviations for distances between buildings and individual apartments proximity to solid waste enclosures/trash rooms.
Staff Recommendation: Alternative 1: Make the required Findings to approve the CEQA determination that the project is consistent with the City’s General Plan and no additional environmental review is required as noted in the checklist in Attachment 5, and Approve the Special Development Permit subject to the recommended findings in Attachment 3 and recommended conditions of approval in Attachment 4.
BACKGROUND
Description of Proposed Project
The project site is 1.44 acres in size and is currently comprised of six (6) City-owned parcels with single-family and duplex residences and vacant land. The applicant proposes a Special Development Permit application to construct a 90-unit affordable housing project. There will be four-story apartments consisting of 83 units along South Mathilda Avenue and West Iowa Avenue, and seven (7) two-story townhouse style units along Charles Street. The project includes one (1) manager unit in the total unit count, underground parking, and amenity spaces on the ground floor. The proposed housing project provides units for households with Extremely Low (30% area median income) to Moderate (110% area median income) income with 25% of the units for households with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The project utilizes the State Density Bonus Law.
A Special Development Permit (SDP) is required for site and architectural review on development projects located in the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) zoning district. An SDP allows for consideration of deviations from specified zoning standards in exchange for superior design, environmental preservation, or public benefit.
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 project site is located in an area with older subdivisions in the City of Sunnyvale. The properties were used for agricultural land and housing as early as 1930, with a former roadway bisecting the property as early as 1911. Two parcels on the project site are vacant (APNs: 165-13-068 and 069). 388 Charles Street includes a circa 1930 single family house and detached garage, 365-377 S. Mathilda Avenue includes a duplex constructed in 1942 (APN: 165-13-074). 396 Charles Street (APN: 165-13-046) includes a circa 1930 single family house and detached garage. 402 Charles Street (APN: 165-13-045) and 406 Charles Street (APN: 165-13-074) both have single family houses constructed in 1948.
The Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) was adopted by the City Council in 2003 (last updated in 2013) and contains policies, design guidelines, and development standards for the approximately 125-acre plan area generally bounded by the railroad to the north, Bayview Avenue to the east, El Camino Real to the south, and Charles Street to the west. The project site is located on Block 15 of the DSP, which is on the west boundary of the plan area. Block 15 is bounded by South Mathilda Avenue to the east, Charles Street to the west, West McKinley Avenue to the north, and West Iowa Avenue to the south and is designated for very high-density housing (total 152 units in the block, before density bonuses, at an approximate density of 54 units per acre) and a maximum of 10,000 square feet of retail commercial as primary uses.
Over several years the City purchased the subject properties in order to assemble land to facilitate redevelopment of the existing low density commercial and residential uses to a higher density multifamily/commercial mixed use, as envisioned in the DSP for this area. These properties were purchased over time with the last purchase occurring in 2015. This last acquisition enabled the City to have greater control over the future use of the southern portion of Block 15. Ultimately the City Council decided that an affordable housing development was desirable.
In 2016 the City issued a Request for Proposals for the 1.44 acres of City owned property in Block 15 for affordable housing, with an emphasis on projects that could provide at least a portion of the housing for special needs households (i.e., seniors, disabled adults). In March 2018, the City entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with The Related Companies of California, LLC for the development of the affordable housing project on the City owned properties at Mathilda Avenue/Iowa Avenue and Charles Street. In November 2018, the City Council approved a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) between the City and the applicant providing financial assistance to construct the affordable housing project. Extensive community outreach and input was incorporated into this process.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan Goals and Policies: Key goals and policies from the General Plan Land Use and Transportation Chapter, Housing Element, and Downtown Specific Plan which pertain to the proposed project are provided in Attachment 3.
The current zoning of DSP15 allows for high density residential and mixed-use type developments, with an appropriate transition from the commercial core across Mathilda Avenue to the lower density housing that exists along the west side of Charles Street. The proposed use attains the objectives and purposes of the General Plan of the City of Sunnyvale and the Downtown Specific Plan by providing a transit and pedestrian oriented mixed-use development (residential with private community serving space) that supports the diversified uses of the Downtown. Further, the project provides much needed affordable housing for a range of household incomes: Extremely Low (30% area median income) to Moderate (120% area median income), with 25% of the units for households reserved for households that include persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The project will be affordable for at least 55 years.
Applicable Design Guidelines: The Downtown Specific Plan includes Design Guidelines which provide recommendations for site layout, architecture, and design. These guidelines are referenced in the discussion and analysis below as well as in Attachment 3.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The project is consistent with the City’s General Plan and no additional environmental review is required pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 and Public Resources Code Section 21083.3 (see Attachment 5). Under Section 15183 of the CEQA Guidelines, projects that are consistent with the development density established by existing zoning or general plan policies for which an environmental impact report (EIR) was certified do not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site. The consistency checklist prepared for the project (Attachment 5) demonstrates that all the project’s significant impacts were either studied in the EIR that was adopted for the City’s Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) or can be substantially mitigated by uniformly applied development policies or standards.
DISCUSSION
Present Site Conditions
The project site is zoned DSP-15 (Downtown Specific Plan Area Block 15) and has a General Plan designation of Transit Mixed Use. The CityLine project and Bank of the West are located to the east across S. Mathilda Avenue (in DSP Block 18). Tri Counties Bank and single-family and multi-family residences are located south across W. Iowa Avenue, and single-family and duplex residences are located across Charles Street to the west. On the north side of Block 15 directly adjacent to the project site are single-family and multi-family residences, and a 75-unit mixed use project, with the restaurant on the ground floor, is under construction on the north end of Block 15. As mentioned above in the “Previous Actions on the Site” section of this report, there are two vacant lots, and four parcels with six single-family and duplex dwelling units.
The project site currently has driveway access from all three frontages. The project site is located near several transit routes, including a bus service operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) and a passenger rail service operated by Caltrain. The Sunnyvale Transit Center, serving several bus routes (#20, 21, 53, 55, and 523), and the Sunnyvale Caltrain Station are located approximately 0.4 miles to the northeast of the project site.
Special Development Permit Use and Site Layout: The application is for the removal of all existing structures and the development of a 90-unit affordable housing project. There will be four-story apartments consisting of 83 units along South Mathilda Avenue and West Iowa Avenue, and seven (7) two-story townhouse style units along Charles Street. The project includes one (1) manager unit included in the total unit count. The proposed project includes 12 studio, 32 one-bedroom, 23 two-bedroom, 16 three-bedroom, and seven (7) three-bedroom townhouse style units. The gross floor area is 124,833 square feet with apartment units that range in size from 400 square feet to 1,319 square feet. The footprint of the proposed building will occupy 52% of the lot with ample private open spaces, and the massing will range from two stories on Charles Street to match the single-family residential neighborhood increasing to four stories on South Mathilda Avenue above one level of subterranean parking.
The main pedestrian entrance to the project site, with the leasing office and private community amenity space, is oriented towards the corner of South Mathilda Avenue and West Iowa Avenue. There are private pedestrian access points to the site from sidewalks on all frontages. The driveway entrance to the subterranean garage will be located on West Iowa Avenue providing 90 parking spaces for residential tenants, guests, and staff. A surface driveway located on Charles Street will be available only for solid waste and recycling services and a loading zone for residential delivery and moving trucks.
The development provides sufficient indoor and outdoor amenities for the future residents including a multi-purpose room, kitchen, learning center, teen center, laundry, and an outdoor courtyard that includes seating and a raised garden area.
Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) Chapter 6 (Subdivision and Parcelization Standards) states that development must not create remnant parcels (properties that are smaller than the minimum development size, 0.75 acre, and cannot be assembled with other contiguous parcels to meet that minimum), which this project would create. If the proposed development plan creates remnant parcels, the developer is required to either acquire the parcels to eliminate remnants or provide a letter of justifications indicating the properties are not able to be aggregated for the following three reasons:
• The property owner is unable/unwilling to sell.
• There is reason to believe that the property will not redevelop at any time within the next 10-15 years.
• Allowing remnant parcels will not conflict with the intent of the DSP
When the Denny's development at 311 S. Mathilda Ave, Lane Partners/Bay West Development engaged with the property owner at 345 S. Mathilda Ave (APN 165-13-065) - 0.17 ac, the owner was not interested in selling the property, at that time. 344 Charles St (APN 165-13-049) - 0.15 ac - is owned by the City of Sunnyvale and there are currently no tenants at this site. 374 Charles St (APN 165-13-048) - 0.15 ac - is owned by a private party. The total of the 3 parcels remaining are approximately 0.47 acre and would be remnant and do not meet the minimum 0.75 acre for development.
The applicant has provided justification in the Project Description Letter (Attachment 8) that the remaining properties are not available for purchase and inclusion with the planned project. Staff is supportive of allowing for the remnant parcels to remain as the public benefit of allowing the proposed affordable housing development outweighs the deviation from the DSP parcelization standards. Furthermore, the three parcels are contiguous and not scattered on Block 15. There may be an opportunity in the future for the properties to redevelop together with a deviation from the minimum 0.75-acre requirement.
State Density Bonus: Chapter 19.18 of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) allows a density bonus of up to 35% above the maximum allowable density if the project provides affordable units in accordance with the State Density Bonus Law (California Government Code Sections 65915 through 65918). To be eligible for the density bonus, State law requires at least 5% of the base units to be available to very-low income (VLI) households.
Block 15 of the Downtown Specific Plan has an associated density of 54 units per acre which will allow for a maximum 67 units on the net 1.25-acre site. To reach the proposed 90 units, the project intends the following:
• Apply the 35% California State Density Bonus Law by providing 100% affordable housing units with a range of Extremely Low (30% area median income) to Moderate (110% area median income) Income units, with 25% of the units for households with developmental or intellectual disabilities), which adds 23 additional units to the base 67 units for a total of 90.
State Density Bonus Concessions
The project applicant is allowed concessions from development standards for projects that include at least 10% very low-income units [Government Code Section 65915(d)(2)(B)]. These concessions are allowed by right if the applicant provides justifications why the concessions are needed to make the project feasible. These concessions are not discretionary deviations. The project is requesting the following two concessions:
• The 26-foot distance requirement between main buildings (SMC Section 19.48.030). The proposed distance between the townhouse style units on Charles Street and the main apartment buildings range between 10 to 18 feet.
• The requirement that recycling and solid waste enclosures must be located within 150 feet of any dwelling unit (SMC Section 19.38.030). The project proposes a trash room with a trash chute located on the north side of each floor of the main apartment building. 47 units of the proposed 90 units exceed the 150 feet distance to the trash room with the furthest distance to the townhouse on the southwest corner exceeding the requirement by 98 feet, and the furthest unit on the southeast corner in the apartment building on level 2 exceeding the requirement by 83 feet.
A condition has been included to require dwelling units for the developmentally or intellectually disabled to be located within the 150 feet distance to the trash room (Attachment 4).
Development Standards: Except for the permitted State Density Bonus Concessions, the project complies with the remaining applicable development standards in the SMC, such as setbacks, landscaping, open space, lockable storage, height and solar access. The Project Data Table in Attachment 2 summarizes the project's compliance with Sunnyvale Municipal Code development standards. Therefore, no deviations are requested through the SDP.
Architecture: The proposed contextual contemporary architecture draws architectural elements from the adjacent residential neighborhood, such as peaked roof forms, linear siding, two-story scale along Charles Street, monochromatic color scheme, and simple forms. The architectural approach is to translate these traditional elements into a more modern and abstract style. The design is further enhanced with variations in materials, building forms, offset planes, and accent colors. The South Mathilda Avenue elevation includes the main entrance to the development on the ground floor which is distinguished with the large storefront windows and masonry veneer under formed metal roof projections. The formed metal roof projections help to break up the plane and massing along the street elevation with lighter toned fiber cement sidings on the lower floors, and darker fiber cement sidings on the higher floors. The sidings alternate between vertical and horizontal with variations in width. The angles of the peaked roof lines vary along the top of the building and this rhythm is reflected on the lower elevation on the formed metal roofs. The southeast corner of the building is recessed with a plaza and a gated access into the interior private courtyard of the development.
The façade on West Iowa Avenue has varying projections which break up the vertical massing. The formed metal roof, fiber cement siding, and roof lines on the South Mathilda Avenue elevation are reflected on the Iowa elevation. The building height steps down to two stories closer to Charles Street. The Charles Street elevation is designed as two-story residences which provide an interface compatible with the single-family, duplex and low scale multi-family apartments that are located on Charles Street. Front porches are maintained along the ground-floor units to provide a connection to the street. The two-story residences have been designed to be less contemporary incorporating more traditional elements that relate to the neighborhood, such as deep roof overhangs, fiber cement shakes and board and batten siding on the exterior, lower pitched roofs, and lighter color tones (See Attachment 11, Material Board and Keynote Renderings). Staff has included Conditions of Approval for the developer to continue working on the final design of the railing for the pedestrian link between the apartment buildings and the gate at the Charles Street driveway. Both elements shall be of high quality and integrate into the architectural design so as to not call attention to it (Attachment 4, Condition PS-1).
The project complies with the DSP Design Guidelines by incorporating high quality materials, enhanced pedestrian level detailing, varying wall and roof planes, and properly transitioned heights.
Setbacks: The project site has three frontages. SMC Section 19.28.100(e) requires a 5-foot minimum and 10-foot average setback along South Mathilda Avenue and a minimum 10-foot setback on West Iowa Avenue and Charles Street. The side setback is 6 feet. The project meets the required setbacks.
Landscaping and Tree Preservation: The project is required to provide a minimum of 20% landscaping per SMC Section 19.28.110. The project proposes 22% or 11,755 square feet of landscaping where 20% is required. The proposed development is an urban project with 52% lot coverage with below grade parking. Landscaping is also provided in the outdoor amenities and open space in the courtyard.
Out of the 44 trees proposed for removal, 18 are considered “protected” per SMC Chapter 19.94. Protected sized trees are required to be replaced per the City’s Tree Replacement Policy. Three street trees along Charles Street, one of which is protected, will be preserved during construction. The project site is characterized by an abundance of palm trees and redwood trees along South Mathilda Avenue. Tree removals are required due to the construction of a below grade parking garage and the building footprint exceeding 52%. Staff finds that the removal of the protected trees is necessary to achieve the proposed density and underground parking that is encouraged by the DSP. Tree removal is reviewed through the Special Development Permit process and replacement trees are required to be planted as a condition of the approval. The project proposes planting of 73 new trees including 29 new street trees.
Solid Waste and Recycling Access: Recycling and solid waste is collected on the ground floor (Main Trash Room) on the northwest side of the building by maintenance staff and regular trash pick-up will be scheduled on the driveway on Charles Street. The main trash room will be internal to the building and will not be visible from adjoining streets or properties.
Parking: The project qualifies for reduced parking under the State Density Bonus Law, which is 0.5 parking spaces per bedroom (59 parking spaces for 118 bedrooms) and 0.3 parking spaces per bedroom for units with persons with disabilities (13 parking spaces for 41 bedrooms). The project exceeds the minimum 72 parking spaces required by providing 90 parking spaces. There will be 17 compact stalls that are tandem and 7 stalls for guests and staff. An additional three stalls for electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) are proposed; however, these spaces are not included in the total parking count. The residential parking would be located below grade with access from West Iowa Avenue. The project proposes 23 secured bicycle parking spaces, on the ground floor, for the residents and additional bicycle racks on the property. Overall, the project exceeds the vehicle parking requirement by 18 parking spaces (21 with the EVCS) which will help to reduce potential spillover parking onto adjacent public streets.
Green Building: A minimum of 90 points on the GreenPoint Rated checklist are required for new multi-family residential construction. A preliminary GreenPoint Rated checklist was prepared by the applicant with 121.5 points targeted. The project does not propose to utilize the Green Building incentive to increase allowable density, lot coverage or height (Attachment 7 - Sheet G0.03).
Transportation Demand Management (TDM): The SMC requires all new multi-family residential uses to participate in a TDM program. A minimum of 9 points is required from the menu of strategies in the City’s TDM program. The project attains 16 points (Attachment 7 - Sheet G0.01).
Traffic: A Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) was prepared for the project by Wood Rodgers Inc., dated April 2018, in conjunction with the proposed redevelopment at the Denny’s site on the north end of Block 15 at 311 South Mathilda Avenue. The traffic analysis included the proposed affordable housing development in its Cumulative plus Project traffic assumptions. The model assumed 92 dwelling units with 5,400 square feet of commercial space and driveway access from W. Iowa Avenue. The project has since been reduced to 90 dwelling units with no commercial space, which will result in less traffic than evaluated in the TIA. The TIA analyzed 17 “study” intersections and based on the VTA and City of Sunnyvale significance criteria used in this TIA, the traffic impacts were found to be “less than significant” at all 17 study intersections under “Existing plus Project”, “Background plus Project”, and “Cumulative plus Project” AM and PM peak hour conditions.
For informational purposes, the LUTE consistency checklist (Attachment 5) also contains a qualitative discussion of the project’s potential impact on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). The project is located within one-half mile of the CalTrain station and therefore, is presumed to have no impact of VMT pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.3.
The site has significant limitations given the traffic load on South Mathilda Avenue, which is an arterial, relatively small dimensions on the West Iowa Avenue side, angled alignment at the intersection, and the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) policy to not have a driveway onto Charles Street. The main driveway into the parking underground parking garage will be on West Iowa Avenue. The loading area and trash enclosure could not be accommodated on either South Mathilda Avenue nor West Iowa Avenue, so it was located along Charles Street since the use of this driveway will be relatively limited.
Neighbors have also raised concerns about parking on Charles Street. The applicants have informed the neighbors that data and experience from other similar affordable housing projects show that a lower percentage of residents own or drive vehicles. In addition, staff will be reviewing the landscaping, building projections, and no parking zones adjacent to the driveways during the onsite and offsite improvement plan reviews. Staff further finds that the potential for spillover parking is reduced, as the project provides at least 25% additional parking spaces than the minimum required.
Usable Open Space and Amenities: Usable open space is provided within the patios of the townhome style units and the courtyards in the center of the project on the ground floor. The project exceeds the minimum requirement by providing 104 square feet average per unit where 50 square feet minimum is required. The development will provide sufficient indoor and outdoor amenities for the future residents including a multi-purpose room, kitchen, learning center, teen center, laundry, and an outdoor courtyard that includes seating and a raised garden area.
Easements and Utilities
A Parcel Map will be recorded to merge the lots and vacate existing public utility easements. Existing curb, gutter, sidewalks, curb cuts, and driveways on all frontages would be removed, and new curb, gutter, sidewalks, driveway approaches, street trees and streetlights will be installed in the public right-of way per City standard specifications. S. Mathilda Avenue, shall be upgraded per Downtown Streetscape Standard Detail requirements. Per the Mathilda Avenue Plan Line, a future 15-foot wide street dedication in the form of an easement is required on S. Mathilda Avenue frontage and will include the installation of a 12-foot wide attached sidewalk with 4-foot square tree wells and decorative street lighting and enable a future bike lane. On W. Iowa Avenue, a future street dedication of varying widths in the form of an easement is required, and on Charles Street, a future 3-foot wide street dedication in the form of an easement will be required to accommodate a wider sidewalk and landscape strip. Charles Street will require a 4-foot planter strip and 6-foot sidewalk. Standard water, sewer, storm drain, and dry utility upgrades will be provided as required by the SMC. Overhead utilities on the Charles Street frontage will be required to be undergrounded or relocated.
Fiscal Impact
The project is subject to payment of a transportation impact fee (TIF) and school impact fees to the Sunnyvale School District. Other standard fees and taxes apply. Affordable rental development is exempt from park in lieu and rental housing mitigation fee requirements.
The project will not impact the City’s General Fund. The City has conditionally committed $12.5 million from the Housing Mitigation Fund and Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Funds (LMIHAF) to this project for a period of up to three years. This fund exists for the purpose of funding affordable housing projects of this type.
Public Contact
Neighborhood Outreach Meeting
The applicant has facilitated five community outreach meetings beginning June 29, 2017 to November 6, 2019. Property owners and residents within 1,000 feet of the site, interested parties, community organizations, and neighborhood associations were notified. The meeting was held at a nearby church and covered topics such as introduction of the project, design visioning, tour of affordable housing project in Palo Alto, and design feedback. Over 20 community members attended each of the meetings and expressed their support for the project and design, especially on the Charles Street frontage. Concerns were related to parking on Charles Street, ratio of parking, preference for Sunnyvale residents, length of time for the project to proceed, need for loading area for public transit/VTA paratransit access, and safer crossing on Mathilda Avenue for the disabled community.
Planning Commission Study Session
A study session was held with the Planning Commission on November 11, 2019. At the study session, Commissioners provided comments related to the site layout and architecture of the project. Comments related to the design were mixed with some Commissioners expressing support of the unique design and asymmetry of the buildings and alternating siding. Some Commissioners expressed that the design and colors should blend in more with the existing architecture along Mathilda Avenue. The Planning Commissioners requested to match eaves on Charles Street on the Mathilda elevation, higher quality exterior materials, a richer color palette, and landscaping on the frontages. The final design set has been modified to reflect input from the Planning Commission.
Public Comments
As of the date of staff report preparation, staff has received 12 letters and correspondences supporting the project (Attachment 10).
Notice of Public Hearings
• Published in the Sun newspaper
• Posted at the site
• 938 notices were mailed to property owners and tenants within 1,000 feet of the project as shown in Attachment 2
• Notices were sent to the Charles Street 100 Neighborhood Association, Sunnyvale West Neighborhood Association, and Heritage District Neighborhood Associations
Staff Report
• Posted on the City of Sunnyvale’s web site
Agenda
• Posted on the City’s official notice bulletin board
• Posted on the City of Sunnyvale’s web site
CONCLUSION
Staff was able to make the required Findings for the Special Development Permit shown in Attachment 3. The project contributes towards the City’s affordable housing goals and fulfills the Transit Mixed Use envisioned by the General Plan. The project’s location is within a pedestrian and transit-oriented neighborhood with walkable access to local commercial services, as well as close proximity to major transit centers. The Downtown Specific Plan Design Guidelines have generally been met, and the architecture will create a unique visual element to the area and the City. The requested concessions are reasonable considering the significant gain in affordable rental housing and will not adversely impact neighboring properties. The project incorporates environmental mitigation measures that create an environment suitable for residential development in
accordance with the General Plan.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Make the findings required to approve the CEQA determination that the project is consistent with the City's General Plan and no additional environmental review is required as noted in the checklist in Attachment 5, and approve the Special Development Permit based on the findings in Attachment 3, and recommended conditions of approval in Attachment 4.
2. Make the findings required to approve the CEQA determination that the project is consistent with the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) of the City's General Plan and no additional environmental review is required as noted in the checklist in Attachment 5, and approve the Special Development Permit based on the findings in Attachment 3, and modified conditions of approval.
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 to approve the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determination that the project is consistent with the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) of the City's General Plan and no additional environmental review is required as noted in the checklist in Attachment 5, and approve the Special Development Permit based on the findings in Attachment 3, and recommended Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
Staff
Prepared by: Momoko Ishijima, Senior Planner
Reviewed by: Noren Caliva-Lepe, Principal Planner
Reviewed by: Andrew Miner, Assistant Director of Community Development
Reviewed by: Trudi Ryan, Director, Community Development
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Noticing and Vicinity Map
2. Project Data Table
3. Recommended Findings
4. Recommended Conditions of Approval
5. CEQA Consistency with the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) EIR
6. LUTE Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program
7. Project Site and Architectural Plans
8. Project Description Letter
9. Applicant Presentation to Planning Commission - Long Version
10. Public Comments
11. Material Board and Keynote Renderings