Legislative Public Meetings

File #: 16-0973   
Type: Report to Board/Commission Status: Agenda Ready
Meeting Body: Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission
On agenda: 10/20/2016
Title: Forward recommendation to the City Council related to the Horizon 2035 Land Use and Transportation Element
Attachments: 1. General Plan Table of Contents, 2. Links to Horizon 2035 Website and Other Sources, 3. Council Policy, Jobs-Housing Imbalance, 4. Open City Hall Results-Snapshot, 5. Comparison of Goals & Policies: Adopted LUTE to Draft LUTE

REPORT TO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMISSION

 

SUBJECT

Title

Forward recommendation to the City Council related to the Horizon 2035 Land Use and Transportation Element

 

Report

REPORT IN BRIEF

The Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) <http://www.pmcworld.com/client/sunnyvale/documents/aug2016/1._Draft_LUTE.pdf> draft is currently available for public review. The LUTE includes two of the seven State required elements of Sunnyvale’s General Plan and establishes goals and policies for the physical development and transportation system of the city. The LUTE will be incorporated into the Land Use and Transportation chapter of the General Plan; the chapter also includes Economy and Open Space sections which will not be modified by this update. Attachment 1 is the Table of Contents for the entire adopted General Plan. The Housing Element (Chapter 5) was updated in 2015; other elements will be updated in the future. The LUTE incorporates major land use and transportation changes in areas highlighted in the Changing Conditions map (Figure 1 on page 11 of the Draft LUTE), including areas of the Peery Park Specific Plan, Lawrence Station Area Plan, El Camino Real Plan, and Village Centers. The Horizon 2035 LUTE plans for the potential buildout of 72,100 housing units and 59.8 million square feet of industrial, office and commercial space; compared to the currently adopted General Plan, levels represent an increased potential of 5,530 housing units and 4.3 million square feet of industrial, office, and commercial space. Transportation policies in the draft LUTE focus on a regional approach to reducing vehicle miles traveled, complete streets, alternative transportation, and supporting mixed use development that allows for car-light and car-free living in Sunnyvale.

 

The LUTE Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) <http://www.pmcworld.com/client/sunnyvale/documents/aug2016/2.1._LUTE-DEIR_August-2016.pdf> analyzes the potential environmental impacts of LUTE policies and mitigates those impacts to less than significant levels, if feasible. The Draft EIR was available for a 45-day public review and comment period from August 26, 2016, through October 11, 2016, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Final EIR will streamline the review of potential development projects in the city under CEQA when those proposed projects are consistent with applicable policy documents.

 

The Commission is not being requested to provide a recommendation on the EIR, although commissioners may do so as individuals. Staff recommends the Commission recommend to City Council: adoption of the Horizon 2035 Land Use and Transportation Element.

 

BACKGROUND

The current update to the Sunnyvale LUTE began in 2011 as part of an effort titled Horizon 2035; the effort combined the preparation of the City’s first Climate Action Plan (CAP) with the update to the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) of the General Plan. A 15 person committee made up of residents and business representatives was appointed by a City Council sub-committee. The Horizon 2035 Committee recommended a set of integrated goals, policies and actions for both of the documents. Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report commenced in 2013, however, due to a flaw in one of the studies, work was temporarily put on hold. The CAP was revised to reflect the adopted General Plan and was adopted by the City Council in 2014. In 2015, an updated transportation analysis was completed and additional community outreach was conducted using Open City Hall (an online participation center that allows additional community engagement and input). Study sessions were held with the Planning Commission and City Council to update them on the progress and receive feedback on the proposed LUTE policies. A revised draft LUTE (see Attachment 2 for link to the draft LUTE) was prepared to address some of the feedback. The new Draft LUTE and a Draft EIR were released in August 2016. Comments on the adequacy of the Draft EIR closed on October 11, 2016.

 

The Draft LUTE is being presented to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, the Sustainability Commission and the Housing and Human Services Commission in October 2016. After the Final EIR is available, public hearings will be scheduled for the Planning Commission to make a recommendation and for the City Council to consider actions on the EIR and Draft LUTE.

 

EXISTING POLICY

The existing LUTE has the following themes for the goals that guide land development and transportation in Sunnyvale:

 

                     Appropriate housing

                     Strong economy

                     Transportation efficiency

                     Community character

 

Complete text of the current Land Use and Transportation element can be found in the General Plan, Chapter 3, available on the City’s website (see link in Attachment 2).

A detailed comparison of the Draft LUTE and the currently adopted LUTE is available as Attachment 5.

 

Land Use and Transportation Element DISCUSSION

The Land Use and Transportation Element of the Sunnyvale General Plan establishes a land use plan and related transportation plan for development in the City for approximately the next 20 years. Compared to 2014 conditions (referred to as “existing conditions” in the EIR), the updated LUTE will allow for an additional 15,100 housing units and 13 million square feet of office, industrial, and commercial development. The plan also represents an additional 5,500 housing units and 4.3 million square feet of office, industrial, and commercial development over the adopted LUTE at build-out, primarily in Peery Park, Lawrence Station, El Camino Real, Reamwood and mixed use Village Centers. The following table highlights the growth expected from the adoption of the updated LUTE:

 

 

 

2014 Conditions

Existing LUTE Buildout

Horizon 2035 LUTE Buildout

Population

147,055

161,099

174,500

Housing Units

57,000

66,570

72,100

Industrial/Office/Commercial (million s.f.)

47.3

55.5

59.8

Jobs*

82,000

109,901

124,410

Jobs-to-Housing Units Ratio

1.44

1.65

1.73

*Jobs as reported by Census (2014) and as estimated by ABAG (2035) for existing LUTE; Horizon 2035 estimate uses similar jobs/sf plus 5%.

 

The above table does not illustrate how the plan will guide the manner in which growth and change will be accomplished in the City. The proposed Horizon 2035 LUTE draft sets forth 12 objectives for land use and transportation in the city over the next 20 years. The goals, policies, and actions reflect these guiding objectives.

 

To achieve these components, the plan emphasizes mixed use and village centers, the jobs/housing ratio, and a multimodal transit system. The following three sections provide a brief overview of each of these planning concepts with historical context and a description of how the concept will be brought to fruition.

 

Mixed Use and Village Centers

While transit mixed use and corridor mixed use developments are already present in Sunnyvale, the goals and policies of the updated LUTE provide for additional mixed use areas, and introduce the Village Centers concept. Village Centers will serve existing lower density residential neighborhoods by providing retail and service uses along with additional variety of residential types. They will be accessible via multiple modes of transportation and include gathering spaces such as plazas and parks.

 

Mixed use development is not a new concept for Sunnyvale. It was introduced to Sunnyvale when private developers offered mixed use retail/housing projects on El Camino Real; two such sites were built in the 1980s. The 1989 101/Lawrence Specific Plan envisioned mixed use (although the non-residential component was not exercised). The nearby Lakeside Specific Plan (2005) allows hotel and residential uses on the same site. Horizontal mixed use with shared driveways was accomplished in 2001 at the Cherry Orchard shopping center and apartments, also on El Camino Real. In 2006 the Precise Plan for El Camino Real enabled more mixed use developments in the corridor; however, the Precise Plan provided more guidance on preserving the retail nature of the corridor and little guidance on desirable residential densities. The Horizon 2035 Committee has recommended an increase in allowable housing along El Camino Real (2,700 dwelling units more than the adopted plans); an update to the Precise Plan is currently underway.

 

The 2003 update to the Downtown Specific Plan required and encouraged mixed use development at higher residential densities than allowed elsewhere in the community. This is the first mixed use transit village for Sunnyvale. No change to the Downtown Specific Plan is included in the Draft LUTE. The Lawrence Station Area Plan, an area confirmed by the Horizon 2035 Committee to accommodate a mixed use transit village with increased development potential (both office and residential) is also pending and action is expected on that plan prior to the Planning Commission and City Council hearings on the LUTE.

 

A mixed use retail with high density housing site was enabled through updated zoning at the Tasman Fair Oaks Light Rail Transit station (completed in 2011) and a mixed use zoning combining district was developed in 2008 and implemented at Lawrence Station Road in 2012.

 

The Horizon 2035 Committee recommends mixed use village centers at several existing shopping centers throughout the City. These sites would be required to provide the basic retail/service needs for the neighborhood, in a redesigned form that incorporates residential uses. Each of the village center sites would be subject to the preparation of a more detailed plan before it could transition to mixed use. These sites allow “neighborhood-serving commercial uses integrated with residential uses, typically located near arterial intersections or major collector streets providing pedestrian and bicycle connections.” Page 72 of the Draft LUTE <http://www.pmcworld.com/client/sunnyvale/documents/aug2016/1._Draft_LUTE.pdf> provides more details about these areas and Figure 5 (page 71) shows where they would be located.

 

Jobs/Housing Ratio

In 1979 the City Council adopted a policy on the Jobs-Housing Imbalance acknowledging that the problem was endemic to all cities in Santa Clara County and that all the cities needed to be part of the solution (Attachment 3). In 1972 the General Plan buildout predicted 52,604 housing units; there was not a prediction of buildout for jobs (compare, also, to the 1955 General Plan which estimated 120,000 jobs at buildout and 47,789 housing units). The City embarked on a series of planning and housing programs over the next 25 years to increase the housing supply, increase the availability of affordable housing and decrease the number of potential jobs. These efforts included:

 

                     rezoning industrial and commercial properties to allow for additional housing (three phases over 13 years, including the final phase called Futures);

                     implementing controls on the intensity of industrially zoned developments and require payment of a housing mitigation fee for developments approved by Use Permit to exceed 35% floor area ratio (FAR);

                     allowing higher density housing in transit rich areas such as the downtown (and later on, Lawrence Station);

                     allowing the development of accessory living units on single-family and duplex properties of minimum size; 

                     allowing housing in all zoning districts;

                     preserving the mobile home parks by creating a Mobile Home Park General Plan designation (previously, most mobile home parks had an underlying industrial general plan designation);

                     requiring inclusionary affordable dwelling units (Below Market Rate);

                     requiring housing mitigation fees for net new non-residential development regardless of zoning district; and,

                     in compliance with State requirements, removing barriers to obtaining approvals for new residential development.

 

Although net new industrial/office development has taken place in Sunnyvale since 1979, the number of jobs has decreased (i.e., ABAG reports the number of jobs in 1990 was 121,000 compared to 82,000 in 2014). This decrease in jobs is a result of changes in the character of industry (fewer businesses supporting two or three daily shifts of employees) and also changes in the local economy (a considerable number of jobs were lost during the recession in 2008). In 1989 the City of Sunnyvale formalized the Economic Development program and created staffing positions to coordinate with long-range planning activities and development services, and to support and represent business as business needs changed. As part of the business-attraction program was a recognition that the across-the-board 35% FAR requirement limited the variety of job types that would be attracted to the City. This recognition resulted in the Futures intensification areas that allowed higher FAR developments on industrial properties in Moffett Park (50% FAR) and Peery Park (70% and 100% FAR). Later, specific plans for these areas further increased the allowable development; the increase allowances were made dependent on the reduction of vehicle trips through transportation demand management (TDM) programs, requiring up to 35% reduction in peak hour trips.

 

Multimodal Transit System

A significant change from the currently adopted LUTE is the stronger emphasis on complete streets, carpooling, transit, and the integration of land uses so that a resident had choices to live without or to live with less reliance on automobiles. The use of Level of Service will be phased out over a number of years with direction to focus on vehicle miles travelled, and, when available, multi-modal measures of effectiveness (see Policy 29 on page 28 of the Draft LUTE). The policies and resulting design of the transportation system will create safer and more convenient travel while providing greater choice in mobility and reducing traffic, emissions, and the need for large, multi-lane streets.

 

The 1972 General Plan Circulation chapter focused largely on automobile use of the street system, better flow and traffic signal interconnects, and keeping roads safe and efficient (for automobiles). Transit use was promoted, with policies about coordinating with transit agencies. Only one goal addressed bicycles, which was to provide an experimental bike route on Hollenbeck. The 1981Transportation Element of the General Plan introduced goals for convenient and efficient alternatives to the automobile and for increased use of non-auto travel and off-peak travel (demand management). In 1997 the combined Land Use and Transportation Element continued the trend to support more modes of travel; however, the level of service standards measuring automotive use at intersections were still important values in the community. The element was updated in 2008 when complete streets policies were added with a focus on modal balance and transport vs. non-transport uses.

 

Since 1981 the City has supported a number of infrastructure, policy and regulatory changes to address a broader set of transportation modes.

 

                     Industrial sites prior to 1982 had no sidewalk requirements. Sidewalk installation is required on new industrial development and for additions and change of use over specified sizes.

                     New standards requiring wider sidewalks were adopted in 2014.

                     A bicycle master plan has been adopted and will be updated in 2017.

                     Bicycle infrastructure and network have been significantly expanded through the City:

o                     31 miles of bike lanes in 1993, 79 miles in 2006, 169 miles in 2016.

                     New bicycle standards have been developed including the use of buffered bike lanes, bike boxes, and green bike lanes.

                     Bicycle parking is required in new multi-family residential and non-residential development.

                     Light Rail was constructed through the northern portion of Sunnyvale.

                     Area plans have been adopted to support transit ridership near Caltrain and Light Rail Transit stations.

                     Sense of Place plans have been adopted for transitioning neighborhoods to expand pedestrian and bicycle connections and to improve the overall experience on public streets.

                     City Staff members and Council participate in regional transportation planning activities: staff on technical/advisory committees at Valley Transportation Agency (VTA); Councilmembers serve on the VTA advisory committees and the Board of Directors, as Sunnyvale’s rotation allows.

                     The City has partnered with the Santa Clara Valley Water District on pedestrian pathways as a joint use with streams and flood control channels. The SCVWD will be constructing the East-West Channel trail in 2017-2018.

                     Traffic signals have been timed to interconnect and optimize vehicle travel but also been modified to provide safe pedestrian crossing.  The new signal system includes SafeWalk 3D pedestrian detection system and an infra-red bike detection system.

                     Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs are required for higher intensity non-residential development.

                     Residential TDM requirements were adopted recently.

 

Plan Organization

The LUTE is organized into the following sections:

 

                     Chapter Lead-in

                     Introduction

                     Plan Structure

                     Goals and Policies

                     General Plan Land Use Framework

                     Area Plans

                     General Plan Transportation System

 

The Chapter Lead-In provides background and legislative information that will not be included in the final adopted LUTE. It describes the California Government Code requirements for general plans, the relevant Sunnyvale planning documents, and a description of the Complete Community purpose and strategies.

 

The Introduction describes that the purpose of the General Plan is to guide the development and transportation system of the City by establishing a framework for decision-making regarding land use and transportation over the next 20 years. This section also summarizes the policy direction of the document, and provides information on addressing climate change, creating a complete community, and the character of change in Sunnyvale.

 

The Plan Structure includes the guiding principles for the Sunnyvale LUTE (listed below), and a list of the goals included in the element.

                     Complete Community. Create a place to live that is less dependent on automobiles and reduces environmental impacts, with distinctive activity centers and neighborhoods with character and access to nearby services.

                     Regional Planning Coordination. Coordinate regional and local planning efforts with other agencies and organizations to ensure Sunnyvale’s competitive edge in the regional economy.

                     Neighborhood and Transit-Oriented Place-Making. Develop mixed use areas that incorporate commercial, public, and residential uses that are compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods, create dynamic gathering spaces, establish unique visual character, provide nearby services, and reduce reliance on automobiles.

                     Economic Development. Foster an economic development environment which provides a wide variety of businesses and promotes a strong economy that can resist downturns within existing environmental, social, fiscal, and land use constraints.

                     Environmental Sustainability. Provide environmental leadership through land use patterns, renewable energy opportunities, and a multimodal transportation system.

                     Multimodal Transportation. Offer the community a variety of options for travel in and around the city that are connected to regional transportation systems and destinations.

                     Healthy Living. Maximize healthy living choices by providing easy access to fresh and healthy food, a range of recreation and open space options for community members of all ages, and convenient and safe biking and walking options throughout the community.

                     Attractive Design. Protect the design and feel of buildings and spaces to ensure an attractive community for residents and businesses.

                     Diverse Housing. Provide residential options for all incomes and lifestyles, including a variety of dwelling types, sizes, and densities that contribute positively to the surrounding area and the diversity of the community.

                     Special and Unique Land Uses. Allow for land uses such as child care, nursing homes, and places of worship that complete the community fabric.

                     Neighborhood Preservation. Ensure that all residential areas and business districts retain the desired character and are enhanced through urban design and compatible mixes of activities.

 

Goals and Policies follow, with a description of each goal’s context and purpose, followed by supporting policies and action items.

 

The General Plan Land Use Framework section includes the land use designations for residential, mixed use, and commercial, office, and industrial designations with descriptions and allowed density and intensity. It also includes maps of the allowed designations and their locations throughout the city.

 

The Area Plans section describes the existing and future area and specific plans in place for Sunnyvale. These plans include the following:

 

                     Arques Campus Specific Plan

                     Downtown Specific Plan

                     East Sunnyvale Sense of Place Plan

                     Fair Oaks Junction Sense of Place Plan

                     Lakeside Specific Plan

                     Lawrence/101 Site Specific Plan

                     Lawrence Station Area Plan

                     Moffett Park Specific Plan

                     Peery Park Specific Plan

                     Precise Plan for El Camino Real

                     Reamwood Light Rail (future)

                     Mixed Use Villages (future, one per site)

 

The Southern Pacific Corridor Specific Plan, adopted in 1984, was intended to guide redevelopment of older industrial sites (mostly canneries) and included nine areas adjacent to the railroad tracks. Several of these sites have been incorporated into other plans (Peery Park, Downtown) and others have been redeveloped in accordance with the plan. Staff recommends repeal of the remainder of the SPCSP.

 

The General Plan Transportation System section covers the classifications of roadways and their descriptions, and explains that the updated LUTE prioritizes investment in pedestrian, bicycle, and transit improvements. It also states that to stay ahead of state legislation and transportation advancements, Sunnyvale will require that all new projects assess both level of service (LOS) and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) impacts. The LOS approach measures levels of congestion at specific intersections and roadway segments resulting from a project and grades them from a free-flowing LOS A to a stop-and-go LOS F. The VMT approach focuses on the anticipated vehicle travel distances associated with a project. In the future, multi-modal measures of effectiveness will provide better insight into the impacts or benefits on all methods of transportation.

 

General Plan Land Use Map

The updated General Plan Land Use Map looks very similar to the current plan. What is different is the plan updates the General Plan designation on several sites to reflect the current use of the property when it is not expected that the use will change (e.g., lower density townhouses in a higher density designation). The map also employs new descriptions of land use designations, better aligning the residential densities to the zoning maximums. The current range reflects a 10% increase in density that was allowed through inclusionary zoning categories. State laws have changed the landscape on inclusionary housing and density bonus so that a simpler General Plan density range is maintained. Policies in the housing element to support at least 75% of maximum zoning density are unchanged.

 

Addressing Public Feedback

In response to City Council and Planning Commission requests to identify ways to address public feedback, the staff developed possible changes to the LUTE in response to the results from Open City Hall. The following two changes were developed:

 

1.                     Consider lowering the number of allowable residential units in certain portions of the mixed use areas or removing a few potential mixed use village sites.

2.                     Revise policies on reduced parking to phase in parking reductions for mixed use projects or allow case-by-case consideration of reduced parking.

 

Next Steps

After adoption of an updated Land Use and Transportation Element, staff will embark on several implementation efforts and updates to other plans. These include:

 

                     Transportation Strategic Plan - update

                     Noise and Air Quality Elements of the General Plan - update

                     Climate Action Plan - implementation items and potential update

                     Housing Element - implementation items

                     Bicycle Plan - update

                     Green Building Program - update

 

FISCAL IMPACT

Costs associated with the preparation of the LUTE and EIR were covered with operating budgets (primarily staff hours), and from a special project (EIR) funded with General Plan Maintenance fees and from other general fund revenues. The special project included funding for EIR consultants and project specific expenses.

 

The updated General Plan Land Use and Transportation Element will allow the City to be more competitive for funding, particularly transportation projects.

 

The plan will support reinvestment in properties which generate additional revenue through increased property taxes, sales taxes, and in-lieu fees (such as transportation impact fees) which can be utilized for capital improvements and services throughout the City. In addition, proposed Community Benefits policy (Policy 104 of the Draft LUTE) ensures that future development projects provide appropriate improvements or resources to meet the City’s future infrastructure and facility needs, and that in turn, the City provides development incentives that result in community benefits and enhance the quality of life for residents and workers. These Community Benefits revenues can be used to support specific City projects that will be prioritized by the City Council.

 

As no specific development projects are proposed by the LUTE, no financial analysis has been prepared to assess any potential increase in land values that could be realized from adoption and implementation of the LUTE or value of revenue that could be realized by the City under the Community Benefits policy.

 

PUBLIC CONTACT

The Horizon 2035 Committee met 29 times from December 2010 to September 2016 to work on the LUTE and the CAP, including hosting public outreach/information sessions and reconvening twice after the first document was prepared. In January 2015, staff updated the committee on the reinvigorated work on the LUTE and its relation to other specific plans and projects under way, and requested guidance on incorporation of certain key existing LUTE policies into the proposed Horizon 2035 policies. In September 2016, staff provided the committee with a summary of the revised Draft LUTE and the Draft EIR, answered questions, and accepted comments. The Committee generally endorsed the changes to the plan. Staff presented two potential modifications to the LUTE that could be considered to address community feedback from the Open City Hall topics: several committee members expressed concern about these possible modifications to the plan. Agendas, handouts and notes of the Horizon 2035 committee meetings are available on the project website: Horizon2035.inSunnyvale.com <http://www.Horizon2035.inSunnyvale.com>

 

Staff also held an All Commissions Congress in September 2016, presenting the Draft LUTE to a broader audience than the boards and commissions who will provide formal feedback on the Draft LUTE. The Sustainability Commission, Housing and Human Services Commission and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission will consider the draft LUTE at their October 2016 meetings.

 

The LUTE was shared for public review on the Horizon 2035 website, tabled at community events, and shared on business and neighborhood group listservs.

 

In summary, between 2010 and 2016, public contact regarding the LUTE included outreach through the following:

 

                     City Council Study Sessions (see details below)

                     Neighborhood associations

                     Business groups

                     Boards and commissions

o                     Planning

o                     Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory

o                     Housing Commission

o                     Sustainability

                     Interested-party mail and email lists

                     Open City Hall (see fuller description below)

                     Paper and online surveys

                     Pop-up venues

                     Project Website (Horizon2035.inSunnyvale.com <http://www.Horizon2035.inSunnyvale.com>)

 

Open City Hall

The most extensive public outreach conducted for the LUTE over the last two years took place through Open City Hall, Sunnyvale’s online public participation tool. Four topics were posted for public participation and open comment. These topics and participation rates are summarized in the table below. Summary results are available in Attachment 4 and full results including all comments made on Open City Hall are available on the Open City Hall website (see link in Attachment 2).

 

LUTE Open City Hall Topics and Response

Topic

Time Period

Views

Responses

LUTE Objectives

May, 2015

468

110

Alternative Transportation

September, 2015

333

134

Mixed Use Areas

September, 2015

420

140

Growth and Development

December, 2015

256

104

Total

1,477

488

 

2015-2016 Study Sessions with City Council and Planning Commission

May 5, 2015 Joint Study Session with Planning Commission

                     Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) 

August 18, 2015 City Council Study Session:

                     Update on Draft Land Use and Transportation Element and Consideration of Land Use Alternatives for Environmental Impact Report

August 23, 2016, Joint Study Session with City Council and Planning Commission:

                     Draft Environmental Impact Report and Land Use and Transportation Element

 

ALTERNATIVES

Recommend to City Council:

 

1.                     Adoption of the Horizon 2035 Land Use and Transportation Element.

2.                     Adoption of the Horizon 2035 Land Use and Transportation Element, with modifications.

3.                     Provide comments to the City Council.

 

STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Recommendation

Recommend to City Council Alternative 1: Adoption of the Horizon 2035 Land Use and Transportation Element.

 

The LUTE includes the fiscally, economically, and environmentally sustainable land use and transportation policies necessary to support the goals established in the other General Plan chapters. The LUTE will be incorporated into the Land Use and Transportation chapter of the General Plan. Adoption of the LUTE will provide a consistent and comprehensive framework for the City over the next 20 years, and will provide clear policy direction and regulations for development to proceed in a well-planned and coordinated manner. Further, the LUTE EIR will provide the opportunity for tiering and streamlining the development review process for individual projects in the city which are consistent with the LUTE.

 

If the LUTE is not adopted, development applications and transportation improvements would be considered on an individual and incremental basis subject to the existing LUTE. This approach, however, does not reflect the more current vision of the community and the needs for future of development in Sunnyvale. Additionally, not adopting the LUTE could result in inconsistencies and conflicts between adopted specific plans and projects. The LUTE is a proactive and coordinated development strategy that can address issues facing the city today and in the future.

 

Staff

Prepared by: Dana Hoffman, Staff Planner

Reviewed by: Jeff Henderson, Senior Project Planner

Reviewed by: Manuel Pineda, Director, Public Works

Approved by: Trudi Ryan, Director, Community Development

 

ATTACHMENTS

1.                     General Plan Table of Contents

2.                     Links to Horizon 2035 Website and Other Sources

3.                     Council Policy, Jobs-Housing Imbalance

4.                     Open City Hall Results-Snapshot

5.                     Comparison of Goals and Policies: Adopted  LUTE to Draft LUTE