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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-061 Grafton Station SDR & Stg 2 PD Minor Amendment AGENDA STATEMENT PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION DATE: February 27. 2007 SUBJECT: STUDY SESSION: PA 06-061- Stage 2 Development Plan Minor Amendment and Site Development Review for four retail buildings in the Grafton Station shopping center. Report prepared by Erica Fraser, Senior Planner ATTACHMENTS: ~ 1) Approved Stage 2 Development Plan. 2) Proposed Stage 2 Development Plan. 3) Site Development Review Package. 4) Location Map. RECOMMENDATION: Receive presentation and provide comments. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Applicant has requested approval of a Site Development Review to construct four retail buildings on Dublin Boulevard and Grafton Street. The four retail buildings will total 48,954 square feet in size. The proposed project also includes a Conditional Use Permit for a minor amendment to the Stage 2 Development Plan which was adopted by the City Council on September 5, 2006. The Applicant has proposed a minor amendment to allow the Applicant to shift the location of the second story element on the site (this will not result in an increase in the square footage of the development). The purpose of tonight's Study Session is to discuss the proposed parking, landscape and design of the project. BACKGROUND: The vacant site is bordered by vacant land (zoned General Commercial) to the west; Dublin Boulevard and medium high density residential neighborhoods to the north; Interstate 580 to the south; and vacant land (zoned Campus Office) and a future stormwater treatment basin to the east. The site consists of approximately 29.2 gross acres. The site has two land use designations with 18.7 acres designated as General Commercial and 10.5 acres designated as General Commercial/Campus Office. On July 25, 2006, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve a Stage I Development Plan amendment, Stage 2 Planned Development Rezone, Development Agreement and a CEQA Addendum for Grafton Station, a 318,000 square foot shopping center. On July 25, 2006, the Planning Commission also approved a Site Development Review and a Conditional Use Permit for the Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, a 138,135 square foot building and a 31,659 square foot garden center and a Master Sign program for a freeway sign in the Grafton Station shopping center. On August 15, 2006, the City Council adopted the CEQA Addendum and a CEQA Statement of Overriding Considerations and introduced the Stage I Development Plan Amendment, Stage 2 Planned Development Rezone and Development Agreement. On September 5,2006, the City Council adopted the Stage 1 Development Plan Amendment, Stage 2 Planned Development Rezone and Development Agreement. COPIES TO: Property Owner/Applicant File ITEM NO. q.. 1 Page I of? G:IPA#\2006\06-061 Grafton Station Retail Pads\Studv SessionlPCSR Study Session.doc On September 27,2006, the Community Development Director approved a Tentative Parcel Map to divide Tract 7148 for the sale and development of the Grafton Station shopping center. ANALYSIS: Stage 2 Development Plan Amendment As mentioned above, the Stage 2 Development Plan for Grafton Station was adopted by the City Council in 2006. Since the approval of the Stage 2 Development Plan, the Applicant has begun work on preparing the Site Development Review plans for the four retail buildings (Pads B, C-l, C-2 and D). While preparing the Site Development Review Plans, the Applicant determined that the two-story building should be shifted away from Dublin Boulevard (from Pad C-l to Pad C-2). The modification to the Development Plan will allow for better siting of the two-story building and will result in an attractive development for the site. Section 8.32.080 of the Zoning Ordinance allows the Planning Commission to approved minor amendments to a Development Plan by means of a Conditional Use Permit. Site Development Review Grafton Station was envisioned as an extension of the Village Commercial Center (commonly referred to as the Promenade) which is located along Grafton Street north of Dublin Boulevard. The design theme of Grafton Station and the Village Commercial Center is a "main street" which has developed over time from the early 1900's. The overall design theme mixes building styles and types that reflect building styles in the past which have been added to or modified over time. Future Grafton Station buildings, as well as buildings in the Village Commercial Center, will continue the main street design theme and will reflect the variety of designs that can be found in a "main street." All pages referenced in the following sections can be found in Attachment 3. Overall Architecture The proposed design of these buildings will include "four sided" architecture. Each building will be designed to have an attractive face on all sides of the building. The architecture will activate the use of the building from both street sides of the building as well as from the parking lot. Photo-simulations of all of the buildings can be found under the Architecture tab in Attachment 3. Sheet A-5.1 contains a bird's-eye view of the Grafton Street elevations of the entire development. Overall, the proposed buildings are attractively designed and will provide a uniquely designed retail center for the City. Pad B (Sheet A-I.2) Pad B (approximately 11,900 square feet) is located on the comer of Dublin Boulevard and Grafton Street and is aligned parallel to Dublin Boulevard. This building will be set back 20 feet from Dublin Boulevard and 41 '6" from Grafton Street which is consistent with the setbacks established by the Stage 2 Rezone. Pad "B" has been designed to appear as though the building is a former train station with a small addition on the west side of the building that occurred at some point in the past. The building will be constructed with brick, quarry stone, stucco and large areas of glass. The building design and materials will be carried onto all sides of the building for consistency on all building sides. Page 2 of7 The Dublin Boulevard elevation will feature large windows with thick frames which replicate buildings constructed in the early twentieth century. The name Grafton Station will also be etched into the quarry stone facing to replicate typical name treatments found on train stations. The uniqueness of this building will promote an interesting view for both pedestrians and motorists in the area. The unique design of the building, which will include the Grafton Station name, will announce the shopping center and will provide a unique feature on the comer of Grafton Street and Dublin Boulevard. The high level of detail on this elevation, including the variety in materials, window design, columns and roof design will compliment the ultimate design of the Grafton Station area and also provides an attractive building on Dublin Boulevard, one ofthe City's main streets. A small mural will also be painted on a section of this elevation which connects the "train station" building to the addition. The mural, which will be painted, will reflect typical advertisements seen during the early twentieth century which were often painted on buildings. The small mural will provide an interesting focal point on Dublin Boulevard. The uniqueness of the mural will also promote pedestrian interest on Dublin Boulevard by providing a unique element that pedestrians can walk up to in order to experience the details on the mural. This building will be connected to Pad C-l with an arcade. The space between these two buildings will form a paseo to provide access from the street and parking lot and will also create a small plaza area with attractive landscaping for pedestrians. Pad C-I (Sheet A-2.2) Pad C-l (approximately 12,550 square feet) is sited parallel to Grafton Street. A small plaza will be constructed between the building and the main parking lot. The building will be set back a minimum of 15.8 feet to Grafton Street. Pad C is designed to be two small buildings which were constructed in the middle of the twentieth century. This building will have a combination of brick, stone and stucco materials. On the east elevation (Grafton Street), the building will have large windows and doors with grids. The building on the left side of this elevation will have large storefront windows with green trim and ceramic tiles to replicate a common treatment that is found on older buildings. A small metal canopy will also be constructed on this building. The design of this building on Grafton Street will be carried onto the west elevation (parking lot/plaza elevation). A metal awning, to replicate typical fabric awnings, will be constructed on a portion of the east elevation. An arcade which will extend to Pad A will also be constructed which has brick columns and a standing seam metal roof. A tower element will also be constructed on the north side of this building. A perspective of the tower can be found on Sheet A-5A. The top of the tower will have metal letters which announce the name of the shopping center as well as the shopping center logo with backlighting. The tower will be 65 feet in height, which is consistent with the height limit in the Stage 2 Rezone. The tower will provide a focal point for pedestrians walking on Grafton Street and Dublin Boulevard as well as for motorists in the area. The tower element will also announce the location of the shopping center and will identify the change in shopping centers on Grafton Station from the Promenade to Grafton Station. The tower will be constructed with brick and stucco materials. The base of the building will be constructed with split face base for added interest on the tower. The top of the tower will have a gable standing seam metal roof. The design of this building reflects typical buildings which were constructed in the middle of the twentieth century. The proposed building includes many pedestrian elements including awnings, large Page 3 of7 expanses of glass, variety in design and an arcade. The use of the brick and stucco materials provides a transition between this building and Pad A to the south. Pad C-2 (Sheet A-3.2) Pad C-2 is located on the comer of Grafton Street and the main drive aisle into the shopping center. The building will be set back 15'6" from Grafton Street and 20 feet to the drive aisles, which are consistent with the setbacks in the Stage 2 Development Plan. Building C-2 is the only two-story building within the Project Site, with approximately 7,280 square feet on the ground floor slated for retail uses and 7,939 square feet on the second story for office uses. The building is designed to appear as though it was a hotel which was constructed around the time the train station was constructed. The building will have a flat roof with trim and exposed beams. "Grafton Hotel" will be etched into the building. On the first floor, large storefront windows and doors will be constructed. The windows and doors will have wide trim to replicate trim consistent with buildings at the beginning of the twentieth century. On the second floor, smaller windows with wide trim will be constructed to replcate typical hotel room windows. Finish materials are predominately smooth finished stucco with pre-cast trim accents; columns and pilasters have a stone base trim with pre-cast cap trim; cornice parapet detailing is varied with either bracket or dentil trim accents occurring. The unique design of this building will complement the design theme for the shopping center. The proposed building is attractively designed and will be a nice addition to the City. Pad D (Sheet A-4.2) Pad D will be located between the two drive aisles, Grafton Street and the parking lot and is approximately 9,285 square feet in size. The building will be set back 12 feet from the parking stalls on Grafton Street and a minimum of20 feet to the drive aisles. Pad D has the character of a collection of retail buildings thought to have been separately built. The design will be replicated on the Grafton Street (east) and parking lot (west) elevations. The first building, located on the right side of the east elevation, will have a brick exterior. This building will also have a clock tower near the comer of the building. The windows will be arched at the top and will have thin grids. The second building will have a smooth stucco finish. This building will have large storefront windows with smaller windows which give the building the appearance that there is a second floor. A shed roof will also be included as an accent piece. The third building will be designed so that it is similar in design to the second building. This building will be taller than the second building; however, and the windows form a more dominate feature on this building. The fourth building, located on the left side of this elevation, has a more contemporary design. This building will have a smooth siding with score marks and a base with a contrasting color. Awnings will be constructed over the three windows. Page 4 of 7 A trellis will be constructed which connects building 1 and 4. The trellis will create a small forecourt in front of the center buildings (Sheet A-4.1) which will create a pedestrian element which will encourage pedestrian activity and street life along Grafton Street. Parking (Sheet C.S) A total of 314 parking stalls will be constructed during this phase of the project. This number includes the ten parking stalls which are located on Grafton Street and are included in the total number of parking stalls provided because Grafton Street is a private street. These stalls will be located in the shaded area shown on Sheet C.8; however, a reciprocal parking easement will be filed for the entire shopping center to form a "pool" of parking. A total of 544 parking stalls will be constructed in conjunction with the Lowe's shopping center which was approved by the Planning Commission in July 2006. Additional parking stalls will also be constructed as the remaining buildings are constructed on the site. The buildings proposed in this phase will be a total of 48,954 square feet in size. Based on the parking requirements in the Dublin Zoning Ordinance Chapter 8.76, the parking requirement for general retail establishments is one parking stall per 300 square feet of floor area. A total of 163 parking spaces will be required to support general retail uses. If restaurant uses (1 stall per 100 square feet) or financial uses (1 stall per 150 square feet) are located in these spaces, the parking required for the buildings will increase based on the size and type of the use. This phase of the shopping center will result in a surplus of approximately 151 parking stalls. The surplus may be reduced based on the types of businesses which will be located in the shopping center once complete. The total number of parking stalls, once the shopping center is complete, will exceed the minimum number of parking stalls which will be required to support the entire shopping center as required by the Zoning Ordinance. The parking lot includes a mixture of compact and regular parking stalls. The project will also include accessible stalls as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. As shown on Sheet C.8, compact stalls will comprise 36% of the total number of parking stalls constructed during this phase. Although this percentage is higher than what is allowed by the Zoning Ordinance, which is 35%, this percentage is a temporary percentage due to the overall project phasing. Once the entire shopping center is developed, the total number of compact stalls will be less than 35% of the total number of stalls. Landscaping Grafton Street will be planted with large deciduous trees in grates. Decorative light-pole standards line the street with bike racks placed in several locations within the project site. Sidewalks are paved with concrete pavers, as are the crosswalks. Because each building has a different architectural character, the landscape treatment responds to each building differently, including the use of several different paver patterns and colors along the street. A plaza area with large canopy trees, shrubs, benches and a water feature will be located at the terminus of Grafton Street, adjacent to the traffic circle (see Traffic Circle Enlargement Sheet 3). In addition, a public art piece will be located in the center of the traffic circle. The public art will be subject to the Public Art Ordinance regulations. The specific design of the public art piece will be determined at a later date and approved by the City Council. The main drive aisle will be planted with Cyprus trees (an evergreen tree) adjacent to the sidewalks and olive trees (an evergreen tree) in the median. Shrubs and groundcover will also be planted adjacent to the sidewalk and within the median. Page 5 of7 The paseos between Pad B and Pad C-l, and Pad C-l and Pad C-2 (Sheet L.l) will provide a strong visual and pedestrian connection between the plaza to the west and the intersection to the east. The paseo will have planters and potted specimen plantings in attractive urns. The paseo will provide shady seating areas under deciduous flowering trees in grates and raised planters. A large plaza will be located between the parking lot and Pad C-l (sheet L-4). This plaza will have outdoor seating, a water feature and a large oak tree which will be transplanted to the site. The oak tree will provide a unique feature for the shopping center and will provide shade for the plaza area. Southern Live Oaks will also be planted adjacent to the plaza area and additional tables and chairs will be provided under the trees for people to enjoy the area. The main parking lot serving the retail pad buildings is planted with large shade trees approximately 40' apart and has pedestrian pathways lined with a double row of medium sized accent trees and mixed shrub plantings that will provide seasonal interest and shade during the hot summer months. These pedestrian connections extending through the parking lot will encourage patrons to circulate from Lowe's and Pad A to Pads B, C-l, C-2 and D on Grafton Street. The parking lot will have evergreen trees, consistent with the trees approved for the parking lot in the Stage 2 Rezone, to provide a year-round canopy for the site. The forecourt, located between Pad D and Grafton Street, will have a trellis which will be planted with vines. Tables and chairs will also be located under the trellis to provide a unique pedestrian element. Overall, the proposed landscaping for the four retail pads will be attractively designed. The landscape palette will provide both evergreen and deciduous trees which will provide fall color and will also provide a canopy for the site throughout the year. The landscape layout will also provide a unique pedestrian environment and will activate the use of all sides ofthe buildings. CONCLUSION: The Applicant is proposing four buildings in the Grafton Station shopping center which combines attractive architecture and landscaping to provide for an attractive retail center for the community. The four retail buildings are attractively designed with an interesting mix of architecture. The proposed buildings will also have a variety of high quality materials which are consistent with the "main street" design theme of the project. The landscaping for the four retail pads will also be attractively designed and will promote a unique shopping center for the City. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning Commission provide Staff with comments on the proposed four retail buildings which comprise a portion of the Grafton Station shopping center. Page 6 of7 GENERAL INFORMATION APPLICANT: Jim Tong Charter Properties 4690 Chabot Drive Suite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588 PROPERTY OWNER: Chang Su-O Lin, H. Yao Lin and H. Lien Lin 4690 Chabot Drive Suite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588 LOCATION: South of Dublin Boulevard and north of North side Drive and 1-580 ASSESSORS PARCEL NUMBER: 985-0036-009 GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION: General Commercial and General Commercial/Campus. Office SPECIFIC PLAN AREA: Eastern Dublin Specific Plan EXISTING ZONING AND LAND USE: Planned Development SURROUNDING USES: Location Zoning General Plan Land Use Current Use of Property Site PD- Planned General Commercial Vacant (the Lowe's Development and General building was recently Commercial/Campus approved and in Office Building Permit plan check) North PD- Planned High Density and High Density Development Neighborhood Residential Units and Commercial Vacant South N/A N/A 1-580 Freeway and City of Pleasant on East PD- Planned Campus Office Vacant Development West PD- Planned General Commercial Vacant Development Page 70f7