REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
File #: 2017-7633
Location: 1010 Sunnyvale Saratoga Road (APN: 211-21-032)
Zoning: C-1/PD - Neighborhood Business / Planned Development
Proposed Project:
SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT: to allow construction of a 18,600-square foot commercial building for a child care facility of up to 240 children.
Applicant / Owner: DPM Property Management Inc. / William A. Antonioli Trustee & Et Al
Environmental Review: Mitigated Negative Declaration
Project Planner: Momoko Ishijima, (408) 730-7532, mishijima@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
General Plan: Commercial
Existing Site Conditions: Vacant
Surrounding Land Uses
North: Multi-family residences
South: Commercial and Multi-family residences (across Remington Dr.)
East: Multi-family residences
West: Commercial and Single family residences (across Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd.)
Issues: Land use compatibility; deviations for front setback requirements
Staff Recommendation: Adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the Special Development Permit with the Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
BACKGROUND
Description of Proposed Project
The proposed project is to allow construction of a new 18,600-square foot building for a child care center on an approximately 2.3-acre vacant site. The program will accommodate 240 children (ages between 6 weeks to 6 years old) and 49 staff positions. The facility is designed to have 20 separate classrooms. The child care center will operate 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (Monday through Friday). The project includes an approximately 9,500-square foot outdoor play area. The play area will be enclosed with a six-foot high fence and screened with landscaping and vegetation to provide a park-like setting. A surface parking area will be provided for staff and child drop-off/pick-up. Vehicular access to the site would be provided via two entry points on Sunnyvale Saratoga Road and East Remington Drive. Both accesses will be limited to right-in/right-out only. The project includes the installation of a new right-turn lane on westbound East Remington Drive and street dedications for 10-foot wide sidewalks on both frontages. See Attachment 1 for a map of the vicinity and mailing area for notices and Attachment 2 for the Data Table of the project.
A Special Development Permit (SDP) is required to allow a child care center use within the C-1/PD zoning district.
Previous Actions on the Site
The property was formerly occupied by a 10,000-square foot restaurant constructed in 1974. A Special Development Permit (#2007-0306) for the development of a pharmacy with a drive-thru was approved by the City Council in 2009 and the restaurant structure was demolished in 2011. The pharmacy was not constructed and the site has remained vacant. A Special Development Permit (#2015-7633) for a seasonal pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot was approved at an Administrative Hearing in September of 2015, however, the applicant opted not to proceed with the use.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan Goals and Policies: Key goals and policies from the Land Use and Transportation Chapter of the General Plan and Citywide Design Guidelines that pertain to the proposed project are provided in Attachment 3.
DISCUSSION
Present Site Conditions
The subject 2.3-acres site has two frontages and two driveways. The surrounding uses are multi-family residential developments to the north, east, and south; commercial developments to the south (gasoline station across Remington Drive), southwest, and west; and single-family residences to the west. The City of Sunnyvale Community Center is located less than a 1/4 mile to the east on East Remington Drive. The commercial properties at the intersection are similarly zoned Neighborhood Business/Planned Development. The residential properties immediately adjacent to the project site are zoned R-4/PD - High Density Residential/Planned Development.
Special Development Permit
Use: The 18,600-square foot commercial building will be occupied by Bright Horizons, an international child care and early development service provider. The child care center will occupy the entire building and the facility proposes 20 classrooms and associated administrative offices, staff break room and storage spaces.
The child care center would operate 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. The maximum capacity at the site would be for a maximum of 240 children ranging in age from 6 months old to 6 years old. There would be 4 infant classes of 8 children, 6 young toddler (12 to 24 months) classes of 8 children, 6 toddler (2 to 3 years old) classes of 12 children, and 4 preschool (3 to 5 years old) classes of 20 to 24 children. There will be a maximum of 49 employees working various shifts throughout the day.
There will be a 9,500-square foot outdoor play area divided into three play areas for the different age groups. The play area would be utilized between the hours of 9:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. during the morning and 3:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. during the afternoons in 30 to 45-minute intervals for each classroom. Special events such as graduation and holiday programs will only be scheduled with staggered dates and times for each class so as not to impact the parking. The applicant has provided a Project Description Letter which provides a more detailed description regarding the operation (Attachment 8). The child care provider is committed to working with the neighbors and to follow City guidelines related to child care centers described in Good Neighbor Tips for Child Care Providers (Attachment 11).
Development Standards
The proposed project complies with the applicable code requirements as set forth in the Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC), with the exception of the front setback requirements and frontage landscape buffer requirements. The following items have been identified for clarification:
Site Layout: The proposed 18,600 square foot building will be located close to the street frontages and intersection in an “L” shape. There will be a 9,500-square foot playground area located on the northeast side of the building with a 6-foot high fence around the play area. The main entrance to the child care center would be on the north side where the children would be required to be signed in at drop off and signed out at pick up times. There is one driveway access from Sunnyvale Saratoga Road and one driveway access from East Remington Drive connecting via a 24-foot wide drive aisle to the parking area located along the north and east side of the property. Each access will be limited to right-turn in and right-turn out. A solid waste enclosure and bicycle parking spaces will be located on the northeast corner of the lot. Landscaping will be enhanced around the perimeters of the property and within the outdoor play area.
Architecture: The proposed design of the commercial building is contemporary with horizontal lines with the use of various exterior materials such as stucco, lap siding, metal louvers, metal tubes slats and trims. The commercial building has three distinct elevations oriented toward the intersection, Sunnyvale Saratoga Road, and East Remington Drive. Each elevation is articulated with various heights and offsets to address massing, and application of different materials, and louvers, which help to break up the planes and provide visual interest. The applicant has specifically designed the building to not look like a child care center or an office building, and has provided a neighborhood retail design to fit into the neighborhood. The use of stucco, siding, and earthy exterior colors are reflective of the surrounding commercial and residential architecture with an updated aesthetic.
Staff is supportive of the architecture in that the proposed design maintains diversity but is compatible with the character of the neighborhood. The building also has façade articulation in the wall plane and material and color variations. The corner elevation provides a taller element enhancing the presence of the building at the intersection and demonstrates a strong tie to the street. These features are all consistent with the Citywide Design Guidelines.
Setbacks: The proposed project includes a deviation request to the front setback requirement. Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) Section 19.34.030 requires a 70-foot front setback. The project site has two frontages with the Sunnyvale Saratoga Road frontage measuring approximately 230 feet and the East Remington Drive frontage measuring approximately 280 feet. To meet the setback requirements for both frontage, the building would be required to be located at the rear northeast corner of the property.
The applicant initially proposed the building in the rear with the playground area in front and the parking lot closer to the intersection. Staff recommended to locate the building closer to the intersection in compliance with the Citywide Design Guidelines to create a stronger street presence. The placement of the building at the corner also places the playground internally where it will not be exposed to the traffic and creates a buffer to the residents to the north and east. Staff is supportive of the deviation to the setbacks which could be permitted with the Special Development Permit approval.
Landscaping and Tree Preservation: The project complies with all landscaping requirements except for the 15-foot landscape buffer required on the street frontages. The project proposes 18,540 sq. ft. (28%) landscaping which complies with the minimum 20% requirement for the lot. The landscape buffer on the Sunnyvale Saratoga Road side is proposed to be 12 feet seven inches and on the East Remington Drive side, the buffer will be 10 feet two inches. The project meets the 10-foot landscape buffer requirement with the residential uses on the north and east side.
Staff is supportive of the reduction in the frontage landscape buffer in that the project site is constrained given the many requirements. The project is required to meet a 10-foot landscape buffer with the adjacent residential uses, a 24-foot drive aisle for two way circulation through the property, the State-required outdoor play area for the children, a new right-turn lane on westbound East Remington Drive, and new 10-foot wide sidewalks with 4 feet by 5 feet tree wells on both frontages. These improvements justify the deviation which can be approved with the Special Development Permit approval.
Seven trees are proposed to be removed of which two are protected sized trees in good health along East Remington Drive. Both of the trees are in conflict with the street improvements and the new driveway and will be removed. The project will provide at least 34 trees on the site as well as street trees which will offset the loss of the existing trees in accordance with the SMC Section 19.94 and the City’s Tree Replacement Policy.
Building Height/Stories: The proposed one-story commercial building would be 30 feet in height, which is comparable to the existing commercial and residential developments in the area. The surrounding commercial buildings at the intersection are one-story approximately 20 feet in height and the surrounding residential developments are two-story ranging in height from 25 to 30 feet in height.
Parking: SMC 19.46.100 requires a minimum of 0.25 parking spaces per student for child care centers, which results in 60 spaces and the project proposes 60 spaces on site. SMC 19.46.150 requires a minimum number of bicycle parking spaces equal to 5% of the parking spaces required (three bikes parking spaces). The project proposes four bicycle parking spaces exceeding the municipal code requirements.
Staffing at the child care center will be staggered to meet demand, and since the child care center has no fixed start schedule for the children because it is not a school, but child care. Children are dropped off throughout the morning hours starting at 7:00 A.M. and typically reach peak at 11:00 A.M. Pick-ups are also staggered as children get picked up for part-time child care or appointments beginning at 12:30 P.M. and continuing until 6:00 P.M. The applicant has provided sample drop off time data for comparable child care centers in the Bay Area (Attachment 12).
The center will most likely be fully staffed between 11:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. each day. Furthermore, Bright Horizons encourages employees to use alternate means of transportation such as carpool, walking, bicycling, and public transit with an employee Commuter Benefit Program. The applicant has provided capacity to parking space ratio comparison for three other comparable child care centers in the Bay Area (Attachment 12). The project site has the most number of parking spaces compared to the other Bright Horizons locations and the applicant notes that there are no parking deficiency issues at the other locations. However, as part of the conditions of approval, the applicant will be required to submit a Parking Management Plan for staff review prior to the issuance of the Building Permit.
Improvements in the Public Right-of-Way: The existing site has a monolithic sidewalk along both the Sunnyvale Saratoga Road and East Remington Drive frontages with the sidewalk adjacent to the street and no street trees. The project would be required to improve the sidewalks along both street frontages with a 10-foot sidewalk and 4 feet by 5 feet tree wells. The street trees will be planted in 35-foot intervals. These improvements are intended to provide an improved and safe pedestrian experience.
In addition, the project is required to dedicate a 12-foot street easement to create a new right turn lane on westbound East Remington Drive and associated improvements to the curb, gutter, and traffic signal. The existing configuration on westbound East Remington Drive is two left turn lanes and a combined through and right turn lane with a bike lane. The new configuration would be two left turn lanes, a dedicated through lane, 6-foot wide bicycle lane, and a right turn lane. The project will also be installing a new VTA bus stop in front of the project site on the Sunnyvale Saratoga Road frontage.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions and City guidelines (see Attachment 5). As part of the environmental analysis, a Traffic Impact Analysis and Noise Study were prepared for the project. The technical analysis and the Initial Study determined that the proposed project and use will not create any significant environmental impacts on surrounding properties or uses. Construction related air quality, noise and cultural resource mitigation measures will reduce construction impacts to less than significant. The Mitigation Measures have been incorporated as Conditions of Approval (see Attachment 4).
Fiscal Impact
Traffic Impact Fee: Projects resulting in new peak hour automobile trips are subject to transportation impact fee. The transportation impact fee is estimated to be $127,865.40 and must be paid prior to issuance of a building permit. The amount is subject to the fee in place at the time of payment.
Public Contact
Planning Commission Study Session: Staff presented the project to the Planning Commission at a study session on October 2, 2017. The Commission members were supportive of the use but shared concerns related to the height of the wall adjacent to the neighboring residents, access into the child care center, more inviting façade close to the street, intrusion prevention for vehicles running into the building, and native plant selection.
Community Outreach Meeting: A community outreach meeting was held by the applicant on October 4, 2017 at the City of Sunnyvale Community Center. Four members of the public attended the meeting. The neighbors who attended the meeting were supportive of the use as a child care center, the one-story commercial building, and the building siting at the intersection and away from the residents. Some of the requests from the neighbors were to leave the wall as is, not to plant tall trees that would increase shade into their properties, and to install a roof on the solid waste enclosure. Two support letters have been received from the Homeowner’s Association at MacDowell Terrace and the business owner of the 7-Eleven across the intersection (Attachment 9).
Staff has received one correspondence from a neighbor concerned about the number of parking spaces in relation to the number of children and employees. The neighbor also expressed concerns regarding the queuing of vehicles at the intersection and driveways and parking on Azure Street (Attachment 9).
Notice of Mitigated Negative Declaration and Public Hearing
• Published in the Sun newspaper
• Posted on the site
• 461 notices were mailed to property owners and tenants within 300 feet of the project as shown in Attachment 1
Staff Report
• Posted on the City of Sunnyvale’s web site
• Provided at the Reference Section of the City of Sunnyvale’s Public Library
Agenda
• Posted on the City’s official notice bulletin board
• City of Sunnyvale’s web site
CONCLUSION
Findings and General Plan Goals: Staff was able to make the required Findings for the Special Development Permit. Recommended Findings and General Plan Goals and Policies are located in Attachment 3.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the Special Development Permit with the Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
2. Adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the Special Development Permit with modified conditions.
3. Adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and deny the Special Development Permit.
4. Do not adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and direct staff as to where additional environmental analysis is required.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1 to approve the Special Development Permit and Variance based on the Findings in Attachment 3 and with the recommended Conditions of Approval in Attachment 4.
Staff
Prepared by: Momoko Ishijima, Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Gerri Caruso, Principal Planner
Approved by: Andrew Miner, Planning Officer
ATTACHMENTS
1. Site and Vicinity Map
2. Project Data Table
3. Recommended Findings
4. Recommended Conditions of Approval
5. Mitigated Negative Declaration
6. Traffic Impact Analysis
7. Site and Architectural Plans
8. Applicant Project Description Letter
9. Letters from Neighbors
10. Guidelines for Commercial Child Care Center in Sunnyvale
11. Good Neighbor Tips for Child Care Providers
12. Parking Information for Bright Horizons Centers