REPORT TO THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR
SUBJECT
Title
Proposed Project:
USE PERMIT: to allow for education-recreation and enrichment use (Pilates studio) within an existing commercial center.
Location: 500 Lawrence Expressway Unit H (APN:216-44-118)
File #: PLNG-2025-0367
Zoning: M-S/POA - (Industrial and Service / Places of Assembly Combining District)
Applicant / Owner: Michele Liu (applicant) / Manton and Johanna Wong (owner)
Environmental Review: Class 1 Categorical Exemption relieves this project from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions.
Project Planner: Christian Mendoza, 408-730-7429, cmendoza@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
BACKGROUND
Description of Proposed Project
The proposed project is a Pilates Studio within the Tenant H suite which would be filling the vacancy of a previous recreational use. The proposed education-recreation and enrichment use would require a Use Permit per Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) Section 19.22.030. The business is offering classes seven days a week with two separate schedules for the weekdays and weekends. In addition to the allowance of 15 minutes between classes to alleviate on-site parking.
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 Tenant units H and I were once interconnected and the space used as a yoga studio called Yoga Cindy’s. The prior Use Permit (#2011-7522) has expired as the space has been vacant for over four years.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Categorical Exemption Class 1, Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) (d) (l) relieves this project from CEQA provisions. The project is exempt from further environmental review because the project entails minor building modifications to an existing commercial development that is limited to interior tenant improvements to allow for a recreational and enrichment facility.
DISCUSSION
Proposed Use
The applicant is requesting a Use Permit to allow for the operation of an 1,872-square foot recreation and enrichment facility, a Pilates fitness studio for adults, within the Lawrence Commercial Center.
The proposed use will accommodate a maximum of one instructor, one staff member, and 12 clients at any given time. The proposed hours of operation will be every day between 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Each class is typically forty-five minutes long. The venue is intended to be fitness oriented and for recreation, and there will be no food or beverage sales, or service provided on site.
Site Layout and Architecture
The Lawrence Commercial Center was developed in the 1970s and is on the east side of Lawrence Expressway close to the intersection at Lawrence Expressway and East Arques Avenue. The 1.97-acre site is comprised of one building with a multitude of office and commercial uses. The rectangular building is configured with rear walls facing Lawrence Expressway, and the front facade oriented toward the internal parking lot (See Attachment 5, Site and Architectural Plans). Customer accesses to the businesses are directly from the internal parking lot. Vehicle and pedestrian access to the site is from a shared driveway off of Lawrence Expressway on the northside of the lot. The proposed use is located at the northeast corner of the building. Surrounding land uses include industrial buildings and uses to the east, commercial service and retail buildings and uses to the west and north, and a religious center to the south.
Floor Plan
The proposed interior improvements include the removal of unpermitted showers, returning the unit to a previously permitted state. The interior is for a Pilates fitness studio dedicating a majority of the 1,872-square space to the studio area. The remaining space would be for storage space, corridor, restrooms, customer waiting and business administration.
Architecture
No proposed exterior changes will be included in this proposal; any proposed signage will be provided on a separate building permit.
Development Standards
Staff finds that the proposed change of use from an unoccupied space to education- recreation and enrichment use meets the required development standards of the zoning district. As mentioned before no other improvements to the exterior building, site landscaping, parking layout, or any other site conditions are proposed as part of the project.
Parking
As shown on the site plan (Attachment 4), the project site has a total of 146 parking spaces. When conducting a parking analysis, staff has concluded that the existing parking conditions would be sufficient as only 135 of the 145 parking spaces would be required. The proposed use will also be providing the site with one class 1 bicycle parking and six class 2 bicycle parking’s in order to meet the bicycle parking requirements.
Staff has also included a condition of approval to schedule special events beyond the hours that they have submitted so as not to impact the adjacent tenants and surrounding businesses (see Attachment 4). The project meets all other development standards.
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACTS/COMPATIBILITY:
Minimal neighborhood impacts are anticipated, as the proposed use complies with parking requirements. During high noise generating activities involving music and classes the doors and windows will be kept closed to minimize noise impact on neighboring properties. In addition, noise reduction mitigation measures, such as applying sound absorbing materials and re-sealing openings within existing construction materials, to reduce the impact on the rest of the tenants in the commercial center and the adjacent properties. The proposed Pilates use further adds to the vitality of the commercial center that consists of various retail establishments, offices and restaurants.
Staff finds that the proposed change of use from an unoccupied space to education- recreation and enrichment use meets the required Use Permit findings, as the use meets the General Plan policies that encourage a mix of uses that serve neighboring residential properties, complies with all development standards, and does not result in negative impacts to neighbors. See Attachment 3 for required Use Permit findings.
PUBLIC CONTACT
64 notices were sent to surrounding property owners and residents adjacent to the subject site. At the time of writing this report staff has not received any comments on the item. In addition, the notice of the Public Hearing was published in the Sun newspaper.
Public contact was made by posting the meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the Use Permit with recommended Findings in Attachment 3 and the recommended Conditions in Attachment 4.
2. Approve the Use Permit with modifications.
3. Deny the Use Permit.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1. Approve the Use Permit with recommended Findings in Attachment 3 and the recommended Conditions in Attachment 4.
Staff
Prepared by: Christian Mendoza, Permit Technician
Approved by: Momo Ishijima, Senior Planner
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity and Noticing Map
2. Project Data Table
3. Recommended Findings
4. Recommended Conditions of Approval
5. Site and Architectural Plans
6. Letter from the Applicant
7. Use Permit Justification