REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Revised Design Guidelines for Mixed-use Developments, known as the Toolkit for Mixed-use Developments; Find that the project is exempt under CEQA pursuant to Guidelines 15060(c)(3) and 15378(b)(5) (Study Issue)
Report
BACKGROUND
On April 21, 2015, the City Council held a public hearing to consider new land use guidelines called the Toolkit for Mixed-use Developments (see Attachment 4 for excerpted minutes from the meeting). There was input from Council members and others about specific aspects of the guidelines, and the Council requested staff to consider the input and return with changes to the Toolkit. Attached is a red-lined version of the Toolkit for Mixed Use (Attachment 1).
The Toolkit is a part of the contract for grant funding the City has with Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for the Lawrence Station Area Plan, but it is intended to address mixed-use projects throughout the City, including El Camino Real, downtown, and other areas. The Toolkit is a set of guidelines, and not zoning standards, and is meant to augment zoning, the General Plan and other City policy.
Staff recommends that Council approve the revised Design Guidelines for Mixed-Use Projects.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan:
From Land Use and Transportation (LT):
GOAL LT-2 Attractive Community - Preserve and enhance an attractive community, with a positive image and a sense of place, that consists of distinctive neighborhoods, pockets of interest, and human-scale development.
Policy LT-2.1 Recognize that the City is composed of residential, industrial and commercial neighborhoods, each with its own individual character; and allow change consistent with reinforcing positive neighborhood values.
Policy LT-3.4 Determine appropriate density for housing based on site planning opportunities and proximity to services.
From Community Character (CC):
Policy CC-1.7 Encourage neighborhood patterns that encourage social interaction a...
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