REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Action on Using a Portion of the City's Onizuka Site, located at Moffett Park Drive and Innovation Way, for a Temporary County Cold Weather Shelter for the 2015-16 Winter Season
Report
BACKGROUND
At the City Council meeting on August 25, 2015, motions were passed to set a special Council meeting on September 1, 2015 to consider a possible County of Santa Clara (County) temporary cold weather shelter (CWS) on the City’s Onizuka site, and to oppose locating the County’s temporary CWS on the County’s Fair Oaks/East California Avenue site. An excerpt of the draft minutes of that meeting are provided in Attachment 1, and a location map of the Onizuka site is provided in Attachment 2. The County Board of Supervisors indicated at its prior meeting, earlier in the day on August 25, that it would be open to establishing the temporary County CWS at the Onizuka site with the “unambiguous” support of the City Council.
Through the Federal Base Realignment and Closure process, the City received title to a 4.6-acre site at the southern end of the former Onizuka Air Force Station in 2013. This site was originally conveyed to the City with a restriction to use the site for homeless housing only. This restriction originated from claims filed by two affordable housing providers. These claims have since been transferred to the Armory site, and the Air Force has released the use restriction on the Onizuka site.
The discussion on September 1 is not to approve the use of the Onizuka site for a temporary County CWS for the 2015-16 winter season, but for the City Council to indicate its support to consider this site, and to discuss the approval process and the issues that will need to be addressed to establish the facility at this location.
DISCUSSION
Staff will discuss the following issues for establishing a temporary CWS on the Onizuka site:
• Approval process: A process map will be presented that indicates the public outreach meetings and key milestone dates that must be met in order for the County to open its temporary CWS by December 1, 2015. Preliminarily, staff anticipates holding community meetings on September 10 to allow County and City staffs to describe the proposed project and approval process and to receive public comments. The City Council and County Board of Supervisors are tentatively scheduled to take the necessary actions to authorize the project on September 29.
• Required Approvals: Staff will discuss the existing land use policies and zoning for the site, what approvals or agreement will be necessary to allow the County to use the site for its temporary CWS, and the issues related to these approvals.
• Operational Issues: Similar to the Fair Oaks site, issues related to the client referral process, hours of operation, shelter staffing, daytime support services, public safety support, transit and pedestrian access will be summarized. Issues specific to the Onizuka site will also be discussed, such as coordination with Foothill-De Anza Community College District on construction activity.
• Site Plan: County staff indicated that they will need approximately one acre or more of land for their temporary CWS. While a site plan from the County may not be available by the September 1 meeting, a general discussion of the site proposal and requirements will be presented for discussion.
• Site Improvements: City and County staffs are already having conversations regarding the various site facilities and improvements that will be needed for the temporary County CWS, including water, electrical, sanitary sewer, and solid waste services, and site improvements for the modular building, parking and drainage. In addition to required City encroachment permits, the facility will need building permits and construction inspections from the City’s building and fire prevention divisions.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Future Council action on the project will be subject to the appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, and a CEQA determination will occur when the Council acts on the approvals or agreement which, as mentioned above, is tentatively scheduled for September 29.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website. A notice of this meeting was also sent to all properties within 2,000 feet of the subject property and to nearby residential and business associations.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Direct staff to work with the County of Santa Clara on a proposal for the County to establish a temporary cold weather shelter on the City’s Onizuka site for the 2015-16 winter season.
Staff
Prepared by: Hanson Hom, Community Development Director
Reviewed by: Kent Steffens, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Minutes of August 25, 2015 City Council Meeting (Excerpt)
2. Location Map