Title
Study Session Summary of April 24, 2018 - El Camino Real Corridor Specific Plan - Presentation of Preliminary Development Standards/Design Guidelines
Summary
Call to Order:
Vice Mayor Klein called the meeting to order at 6 p.m.
City Councilmembers Present:
Mayor Glenn Hendricks
Vice Mayor Larry Klein
Councilmember Jim Griffith
Councilmember Gustav Larsson
Councilmember Nancy Smith
Councilmember Russ Melton
Councilmember Michael S. Goldman
City Councilmembers Absent:
None
Study Session Summary:
Assistant Director of Community Development, Andrew Miner, gave a presentation including: the project background; summary of the most recent El Camino Real Plan Advisory Committee discussion; conceptual development standards; and potential concepts that will be addressed in the Design Guidelines.
Comments provided by the City Council:
• Establish maximum height requirements.
• Create an aggressive incentive program.
• Allow 100% residential development projects only when associated with a significant number of below market rate units.
• El Camino Real is a retail-first corridor and focus should be on the retail and service industry.
• Pay close attention to development standards in relation to where parking will be located; concerns expressed about too much parking out front as well as too much parking adjacent to single-family residences.
• Support for the step-back and daylight plane concepts, and would like to understand this concept further with specific examples.
• Consider alternate name for Three Points Neighborhood.
• Increasing density and growth on El Camino Real should be created in conjunction with increases in transit and safe bicycle/pedestrian facilities.
• Explore turn-outs for bus stop areas.
• Support for activation of El Camino Real with wide sidewalks and gathering spaces.
• Support for the concept that each node/segment will have a maximum number of units within that area, and sharing between areas will not be allowed.
• Concern over impacts to single-family neighborhoods adjacent to properties on El Camino Real.
• Agreement that outreach is key in the development of this plan, as well as in implementation (when individual projects are proposed).
Public Comment:
Several members of the public were present at the meeting and provided the following comments on the information that was presented:
• Concerns related to the relationship of taller/more dense buildings adjacent to single-family neighborhoods (e.g. limiting heights of new development).
• Consideration should be given to simpler building forms with less variations in height.
• Support for the daylight plane and suggested setback concepts.
• Support and opposition to the idea of second level patios/verandas.
• Support for landscaping and plazas along El Camino Real.
• Support for bulb-outs at bus stops.
• Support for activation of the El Camino Real streetscape.
• Support for some parking spaces along the front of the buildings on El Camino Real.
• Desire to incentivize higher levels of affordable housing.
• Suggestions to create development standards that are not overly prescriptive.
Staff noted that based on the feedback, another study session will be scheduled to explore design standards in more detail.
Adjournment:
Vice Mayor Klein adjourned the meeting at 7 p.m.