REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Proposed Project: General Plan Amendment Initiation request to consider amending the General Plan designation from Commercial to Medium Density Residential on two sites totaling 1.2-acres.
Location: 1313 S. Wolfe Road (APN: 309-10-026 and 309-10-027)
File #: 2020-7031
Zoning: C-1 (Neighborhood Business)/PD (Planned Development)
General Plan: Commercial
Applicant / Owner: 4Terra Investments (applicant) / Desmond Family Real Estate Limited Partner (owner)
Environmental Review: The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(a).
Project Planner: Mary Jeyaprakash, (408) 730-7449, mjeyaprakash@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Report
SUMMARY OF COMMISSION ACTION
The Planning Commission considered this item on August 10, 2020.
The Planning Commission voted 4-3 to forward to the City Council the staff recommendation to deny the General Plan Amendment Initiation request with the following modification to the staff report:
• Note that the correct references to the General Plan Land Use Map and Zoning Map on page 3 of the Report to Planning Commission should be Attachments 5 and 6 (instead of the incorrect references to Attachments 6 and 7).
The Planning Commission discussed the following issues regarding the request (see meeting minutes in Attachment 8): staff comments follow each item.
• The potential of vertical mixed use with residential on top of commercial or office.
o Staff comment: The land use designation would need to be changed to a residential designation whether all residential or mixed-use with residential because residential is not allowed in a C-1 zoning designation.
• The differences between C-1 and C-2 zoning districts.
o Staff comment: The C-1 zoning is for less intensive neighborhood-type commercial uses. For instance, the maximum height of a building in C-1 is 40 feet versus 75 feet for C-2. Also, a hotel is allowed with a Use Permit in the C-2 zone but not allowed in the C-1 designation.
• The applicability of creating a mixed-use combining district similar to the Village Center designation.
o Staff comment: The Land Use and Transportation Element of the General Plan includes designation of seven different Village Centers in the City. If Council intended to consider a new Village Center at the proposed location, staff recommends expanding the boundary to include the gas station to the north. There is also a Mixed Use Combining (MU) District which may be combined with the R-3, R-4 and R-5 zoning districts. There is a minimum lot size of two acres (the three C-1 properties south of Fremont Avenue only total 1.74 acres). This district requires a minimum commercial floor area ratio (FAR) of 10 percent.
Three members of the public spoke during the public comment portion of the hearing.
There were no public comments received after the first publication of the staff report and attachments, up to the hearing on August 10, 2020.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety. In addition, the agenda and report are available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the General Plan Amendment Initiation to consider amending the General Plan designation from Commercial to Medium Density Residential including a commercial component, per the applicant’s proposal and Find that the Action is Exempt from CEQA Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section15378(a).
2. Deny the General Plan Amendment Initiation to consider amending the General Plan designation from Commercial to Medium Density Residential including a commercial component, per the applicant’s proposal.
3. Approve a General Plan Amendment Initiation to consider including High Density Residential or intensified commercial FAR with direction on the study parameters and Find that the Action is Exempt from CEQA Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section15378(a).
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 2: Deny the General Plan Amendment Initiation request to consider amending the General Plan designation from Commercial to Medium Density Residential including a commercial component, per the applicant’s proposal.
Sunnyvale is experiencing change in many areas of the City, and some change results in the loss or relocation of businesses utilized by community members. Any change to the General Plan must consider the services the community uses and the need to maintain a balanced economic base. This consideration must be balanced by the need for more housing in the City.
Staff finds that the City is doing an excellent job of planning for and increasing the housing numbers in the City. As noted in the report, there are over 5,000 net new residential units in the development pipeline in the city (Attachment 7) and another 7,800 units still possible under the currently adopted General Plan. In addition, over 7,000 housing units are being considered as part of area plan updates (e.g., Downtown, El Camino Real and Lawrence Station) and an unknown number in Moffett Park. Staff finds it important to maintain the C-1 zoning district, and the important uses within this district as they have limited ability to relocate to other zoning districts in the City.
Given the value to the community, limited number of properties with the Neighborhood Business designation, and the number of residential units currently in the pipeline, staff does not recommend the GPI request. Additionally, attention for future residential options should be focused on locations closer to transit.
If the City Council finds that a study is desirable, it should be noted that staff time available to work on the study is limited and that applications for projects that comply with existing zoning and general plan designations may delay the progress of any new GPA study.
Staff
Prepared by: Mary Jeyaprakash, Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Amber Blizinski, Principal Planner
Reviewed by: Andrew Miner, Planning Officer
Reviewed by: Trudi Ryan, Director of Community Development
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Report to Planning Commission 20-0276, August 10, 2020 (without attachments)
2. Applicant’s Project Description and GPI Letter
3. Applicant’s Conceptual Site Plan
4. Vicinity and Noticing Map
5. General Plan Map of Site and Vicinity
6. Zoning Map of Site and Vicinity
7. Recently Approved Large Residential Projects
Additional Attachments for Report to Council
8. Excerpt of Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting of August 10, 2020