Title
Study Session Summary of March 7, 2017 - Land Use and Transportation Element and Environmental Impact Report
Summary
Call to Order:
Vice Mayor Larsson called the meeting to order at 5:50 p.m.
City Councilmembers Present:
Mayor Glenn Hendricks
Councilmember Jim Griffith
Councilmember Larry Klein
Councilmember Nancy Smith
Councilmember Russ Melton
Councilmember Michael S. Goldman
City Councilmembers Absent:
None.
Study Session Summary:
Director of Community Development Trudi Ryan provided the staff report summarizing the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) content related to Village Centers and transportation mode and parking. Staff identified key narrative and policies for each of these topics and included staff recommendations for alterations to text or policies to respond to comments on these items.
Staff briefly summarized the existing conditions and zoning for each of the proposed Village Center locations and requested Councilmembers feedback on each.
Staff listed the transportation mode and parking policies that were deemed of most heightened concern and provided potential language. Staff requested Council comments on policy language.
Vice Mayor Larsson opened the discussion for questions and comments.
Comments and Questions from Councilmembers:
Village Centers
General
• Would like clarification about what makes village mixed-use different from mixed-use more generally.
• Generally, neighborhood compatibility is a primary concern for constituents. Although, the LUTE is a policy level document, would like to have additional measures to ensure that the specific developments at each Village Center are appropriate in scale and provide adequate transition in design and feel to surrounding residential neighborhood development.
• Interest in other key intersections with commercial opportunity in ITR areas also being identified as village mixed-use to ensure nearby services to new residential neighborhoods with larger blocks.
• Interest in considering additional sites for Village Centers.
Tasman/ Fair Oaks
• Would like to understand whether Village Center style development can result in increased transit ridership. Interested the light rail ridership at near the Via development.
Lakewood
• Would like to ensure that the ‘greenbelt’ connection on these parcels is improved to include additional park or greenery and less asphalt.
Duane
• This proposed village is located on a less major arterial than the others and has poorer transit connections. Interest in whether the site is appropriate or is anticipated to result in improved transit access to the location.
Maude
• Concern regarding transitions in relation to surrounding residential, especially considering the lot depths in this area.
Old San Francisco
• None
Sunnyvale/ Saratoga
• Due to number of right-hand turns needed for the SE corner, concerned about the amount of safe walkability and bike-ability that could result here.
• Why was the commercial zoned area on the southwest corner not included within the village boundary?
• Concern about Village Center development cutting off nearby needed services, primarily auto-related commercial services
Fremont & Mary
• Desire for the plan to provide specified protections for transition to surrounding neighborhoods.
Regarding Parking Policies
• General approval of these policies, and approval of the proposed language changes presented by staff.
• Eliminating parking is not the correct strategy for reducing environmental impacts from vehicles.
Public Comment:
Speakers were given one minute to speak and were encouraged to email any additional comments directly to Council.
• From business perspective, support Village Centers near VTA stops; Sunnyvale needs more housing, especially affordable housing.
• Excited by the village mixed-use concept, especially the location of services that are walkable within the Fremont and Mary neighborhood. This is especially important to the community.
• Thanks to City Council for approving low income housing project at Charles St. and Mathilda Avenue.
• Please enable staff to consider micro-grid by changing city policy.
• Please include policies LT5.4f, 5.15, 5.17a, 5.21 from adopted LUTE in the new LUTE.
• Hopes City Council will implement the proposed LUTE policies.
• Reduced parking does not lead to increased transit use, and may reduce quality of life in the area.
• Would like the proposed LUTE to have a lower jobs to housing ratio and to more aggressively address the housing crisis. Village Centers will help housing crisis.
• Villages are a great opportunity for denser and more affordable housing in the city.
• The important aspect of Village Centers in the proposed LUTE policy is that the policy allows for flexibility in density an in housing type. Look to nearby communities that have similar Village Center concepts and have begun implementation as a guide for implementation plans for Sunnyvale’s Village Centers.
• Does not support the proposed Village Center at Fremont and Mary.
Director of Community Development Ryan indicated that all the comments would be considered and answers to questions and recommended modifications to the LUTE would be provided.
Vice Mayor Larsson adjourned the meeting at 7:05 p.m.