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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAttachmt 4 Project Description Written Statement for GRAFTON STATION RETAIL (PADS B-D) DUBLIN RANCH - AREA H SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW The following findings relate directly to the specific questions listed under the Written Statement section of the City's application submittal requirements for Site Development Review (SDR). This SDR covers the site plan as well as the architectural, streetscape, landscape and signage design elements for the Grafton Station retail pads project within Dublin Ranch - Area H. For additional information on the Project Site described in the following narrative, refer to the SDR drawing reductions in this submittal package. A. What type of business, activity or use are you proposing? On September 5, 2006, the City of Dublin approved a Stage 2 PD Rezone for the Grafton Station Project within Area H of Dublin Ranch, which included the proposed Project Site. In conjunction with the PD approval, the Project Site was designated for Campus Office and General Commercial uses. Specific conventional retail and commercial uses such as local serving retail uses, specialty goods, business/professional offices, service establishments, and eating/drinking/entertainment establishments were identified as permitted uses under this land use designation in the Stage 2 PD. Only one of the proposed buildings is slated for office uses, which represents about 15% of the total number of square feet within the Project Site. The D~velopment Plan for the Project Site covered by this Site Development Review proposes ap~roxImately ~8,984 square feet of retail and office development on approximately 6.2 acres (gross). ThIS translates mto a .18 FAR for Pads B-D, which falls under the .25 maximum FAR threshold in the Stage 2 PD approval. Additional outdoor display and dining areas within the proposed courtyards will Grafion Station Retail' Pads B-D . March 2007 accommodate seasonal, short-term activities associated with some of the uses. These areas are shown on the exhibits included with this submittal package. Specific approvals requested from the City of Dublin for this project include a Site Development Review Application and a Master Sign Program. Additional project details are addressed under Item E. B. How many employees will you have or propose to have? Empl~~ee count will vary from store to store depending on sales volume and business type. A defimtIve number of employees for retail uses within the Project Site cannot be determined at this time, since specific tenants have not been identified. The maximum employees per shift will typically occur on a Saturday afternoon. C. What are the proposed hours and days of operation? The hours and days of operation for retail uses within the Project Site cannot be determined at this time, since specific tenants have not been identified. It is anticipated that operations of Grafton Station retail uses will be comparable to other uses within the City of Dublin of similar type and size. D. Are there any ways in which your business, activity or use have a negative effect on the health or safety of persons residing or working in the vicinity, or be detrimental to the public health, safety or general welfare. There are no planned activities or uses that will have a negative effect on the health or safety of persons residing or working in the vicinity, nor which are detrimental to the public health, safety or general welfare. The design of the project and its improvements will comply with all applicable City codes and ordinances pertaining to its design, construction and operation. It is not anticipated that the development will create public health problems, as no land uses or activities requiring the use or manufacturing of toxic materials are planned to occur on the site. E. Describe how the design of the project including site layout, structures, vehicular access, circulation and parking, etc. will provide a desirable environment for the future development. Site Layout/Structures: This project consists of four freestanding retail buildings located along Dublin Blvd. and the extension of Grafton Street that total 48,984 square feet. These buildings are shown as Pads B, C-I, C-2 and D GraftonStationRetailPads B-D WrittenSlatement City Submittal 3-27-07.doc Page I . Site Development Review' Written Statement on the site development plan for the Grafton Station Stage 2 PD. The proposed building on Pad B (approximately 11,900 square feet) is located between Dublin Blvd. and the main parking lot and is aligned parallel to Dublin Blvd. The Pad C-I retail building (approximately 12,494 square feet) is sited parallel to Grafton Street. To the south of C-I, the building on Pad C-2 is located on the northern side of the intersection of Grafton Street and the main driveway that serves the parking lot to be shared by Lowe's, future Pad A retail development and this project. C-2 is the only two-story building within the Project Site, with approximately 7272 square feet on the ground floor slated for retail uses and 8250 square feet on the second story for office uses. The Pad D building is located along Grafton Street south of the main parking lot driveway and is approximately 9068 square feet. All four buildings have been designed to have four-sided architecture. A more complete description of the architectural design concept is included under Item I. Pads C-I, C-2 and D have pedestrian ingress and egress from both the parking lot and street sides of the buildings while Pad B has customer entries only on the south and east sides of the building. A portion of the stormwater runoff from the site is required to be treated in accordance with the Conditions of the current Water Quality Certification issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board iIi.2003. Runofffrom paved surfaces and roofs will be collected on-site and piped to a linear bioswale south of Pad D adjacent to Northside Drive. After passing through the bioswale, drainage will be piped to the regional water quality treatment basin to the east and then discharged into the G-3 Channel south ofI-580. Pedestrian/Vehicular Circulation: Vehicular access to the Project Site by customers will be primarily via an extension of Grafton Street (a private street extending south of Dublin Blvd.) located to the east of the Project Site. Visitors to the site will enter the main parking lot via two driveway entrances off Grafton Street. Secondary access to the Project Site will also be provided from two locations on Dublin Boulevard. One will be at the Brannigan Street/Dublin Blvd. intersection, which will include a signalized, full entry/exit driveway and will be utilized primarily by delivery trucks. The other location will be a right turn in/out located further to the east, which will be constructed in conjunction with this project. All streets connecting to the Project Site will be private streets based on the City of Dublin's design standards as applicable. Primary truck access to the Project Site will be via a separate private driveway that will connect to Dublin Blvd. at the Dublin Blvd./Brannigan Street intersection. Selected wider drive aisles within the parking lot will allow delivery trucks to circulate throughout the site without having to travel on Grafton Street, which will be restricted to passenger vehicles only. Secondary truck access to the Project Site from the south will be provided from a location near the current terminus of Northside Drive. A driveway connection and bridge crossing the bioswale area located north of North side Drive are proposed to be constructed in conjunction with the Lowe's project. Deliveries to businesses in buildings on Pads B, C-I, C-2, and D will be from the parking lot to the south or west of the buildings. Curbside delivery will not be allowed on Grafton Street or the east- west driveways connecting Grafton to the main parking lot. GratiO/1 Slalio/1 Relail . Pads B-D . March 2007 Pedestrians may utilize the landscaped walkways through the center of the main parking lot connecting Lowe's and future retail uses on Pad A to the Grafton Station retail pads. Street circulation systems have been designed with safety, convenience and visual quality in mind, and, at the same time, address pedestrians' and bicyclists' needs. Pedestrian connections to adjacent areas within Dublin Ranch and emergency vehicle access have been incorporated into the overall land plan. Parking: The parking lot for the Grafton Station retail pads (Pads B-D) contains a total of 344 spaces and will extend to the west toward the large retail pads (Pad A) adjacent to the Grafton Station western boundary. In addition, 10 diagonal on-street spaces are provided on the west side of Grafton Street, which will primarily serve Pad D tenants. The parking standards approved with the Grafton Station Stage 2 PD require I space per 300 square feet of building area for conventional retail and office uses. The total parking spaces provided exceed the required number of spaces for the project based on the approved Stage 2 PD, which is 165 spaces. It is expected that a number of these excess spaces will be reallocated to serve Pad A when that portion of the project is developed in the future. Handicap accessible parking spaces are provided in accordance with the current requirements ofthe California Building Code, which requires the minimum number of spaces to be 2% of the total required parking spaces. A total of 8 handicap accessible parking spaces have been provided, which exceeds this requirement. The following table provides a specific breakdown of parking spaces by type proposed for this project: Spaces Spaces Required/Allowed Provided Difference ((ad 1/300 S.F.) Standard Undesignated Spaces 159 218 59 Compact Spaces 0 118 118 (35% Max.) (34%) Handicap Accessible Spaces 6 8 2 Total 165 344 179 (1 space/142 S.F.) A portion of the handicap accessible parking spaces will be designated and designed for van accessible parking in accordance with State and Federal requirements. More detailed representations of the proposed locations and type of spaces are included on the Parking Plan in the Site Development Review exhibit package. F. Is the site physically suitable for the type and intensity of development proposetT! The Project Site is physically suitable for the type of commercial and office development proposed. The site is generally level (1 % average slope) and without tree cover and is thus well suited to a variety of commercial uses. This project's proposed land use plan is consistent with the land use GraftonStationR.etailPads B-D WrittenStatement City Submittal 3-27-07.doc Page 2 . Site Development Review' Written Statement Grafton Station Retail . Pads 3-D . March 2007 designations found in the Dublin General Plan and Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. The Army Corps of Engineers wetland fill permit (issued May 23, 2003) and the Water Quality Certification from the California Water Quality Control Board (issued April 22, 2003) for the balance of the Dublin Ranch holdings and their associated mitigation requirements cover the Project Site. The permits specifically address mitigation for all existing on-site environmental features and allow the proposed development to proceed. No major faults are located under the Project Site. Based on the letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (dated August 27, 2004), the Project Site is no longer within the 100-year floodplain, as the site has been raised to at least one foot above the I % Annual Chance Flood Elevation. The Project Site has predominantly been used historically for dry land farming and cattle grazing, however, these activities are not currently occurring on the property. Current land uses surrounding the project are Dublin Blvd. and High Density Residential neighborhoods of Area G to the north; vacant land (zoned General Commercial) to the west; vacant land (zoned Campus Office) and a stormwater quality treatment basin currently under construction to the east; and Northside Drive and Interstate 580 to the south. I. Describe the architectural design/theme of the development including character, scale and quality of the design, and explain how the project will relate to and be compatible with the existing site and the character of adjacent buildings, neighborhoods and uses. Water, sewer, recycled water and joint trench infrastructure are currently available within the Dublin Boulevard right of way and have adequate capacity to serve the Project Site. These facilities will be extended directly to the Project Site and also via the extension of Grafton Street. Storm water runoff from roof and ground surface areas will be collected and piped to a lineal bioswale along Northside Drive. Drainage will then be piped to the water quality treatment basin and eventually discharged to the G3 channel south of 1-580. Additional details regarding the proposed utility systems for this project are depicted on the preliminary utility plan included in this submittal package. Grafton Station is the beginning of a story that seeks to provide a "main street" retail and commercial environment along Grafton Street which ultimately is planned to extend to the north of Dublin Blvd. for three blocks and south of Dublin Blvd for one block. This submittal encompasses only the block south of Dublin Blvd., which includes four building pads identified as Pads B, C-l, C-2, and D that front on Grafton Street and/or Dublin Blvd. The site will be visible from Interstate 580 to the south and Tassajara Road to the west and is subject to the requirements of the Eastern Dublin Scenic Corridor Policies and Standards. The views of the site from the west will be diminished upon development of the lands of the Dublin Land Company presently designated as General Commercial. The premise of the Grafton Station retail pad development is a main street that developed over a time period that extends from the early 1900's to the 1980's and as such seeks to mix building styles and types that reflect period tastes with buildings having an eclectic nature due to being added onto or modified, and contain an adaptive re-use in their "history". These first four building sites do not attempt to cover the entire range of design possibilities but do contain "snapshots" of different time periods and possible stories. G. Describe how the proposed development may impact views. Because a portion of the Project Site falls within Zone 1 as defined in the City's Scenic Corridor Policies and Standards document, 50% ofthe frontage along 1-580 (extending up to 700' back from the 1-580 right-of-way) must be left unobstructed to allow views of the scenic ridgelands to the north as designated in the Specific Plan. The building on Pad D falls within the 700' scenic corridor zone and has been sited so that a maximum of 48% of the applicable frontage is obstructed as viewed from 1-580. The remainder of the frontage viewshed contains a parking lot, walkways, courtyards/plazas and associated landscape areas, which will allow unobstructed views across the site to the north. Other buildings within the Project Site are currently proposed to be located beyond the limits of the 700' scenic corridor zone. Pad "B" is thought of as one of the earlier buildings that might have been built on this site in the twenties and added onto over time and eventually adapted to retail uses. Grafton Station is thought of having originally been a train station and has a modest civic character with a sense of formality and importance which is still retained in its current re-use state of design. Primary finish materials are brick (veneer), quarry stone masonry cladding, pre-cast concrete trim elements and large areas of glass for the main spaces and secondary glass elements for minor building massing elements. Foundation base walls are faced with an ashlar-cut stone. The original "entry" doors and stairs are still in place on the north elevation along Dublin Blvd., although they are no longer used and are now only a building remnant and a fixed design element. The West end of the building is thought of as building elements that were later additions and contained secondary back of house spaces such as luggage and freight storage. H. Describe the physical characteristics of the site including existing slopes and topographic features. The Project Site currently has very little variation in topography and gently slopes upward from the south (adjacent to 1-580) to Dublin Blvd. The lowest elevation within the Project Site is at approximately 348 feet above sea level, while the highest elevation is at approximately 351 feet. Drainage currently flows generally in a north to south direction towards the freeway and the G-3 channel. The site is without any existing tree cover and various non-native grasses cover the majority of the area. Pad C-l is considered to be a later part of the original "Grafton Station" and contains a tower element that now becomes an integral part of the "Gateway Plaza" concept noted in the Design Guidelines providing a focal point of interest for pedestrians walking south on Grafton street as well as an iconic beacon to motorists approaching Grafton Station from Dublin Blvd. This building also shares some material applications with variations in detailing in part to reflect a possible different original use as well as elements added or modified over time for new retail uses. The arcade on the west side of the building adjacent to the plaza court is thought to have also been a later addition to the original pair of buildings that remain on this site. Page 3 . Site Development Review' Written Statement GraftonStationRetailPads B-D WriuenStatement City SubmittaIJ-27-07.doc Gration Statian Retail' Pads B-D . March 2007 Pad C-2 is seen as having once been the Grafton Hotel adjacent to the train station and has retained the general character of the original building with the "hotel" entry canopies still in place along with the hotel name. This is the only two- story building in the Grafton Station program. The second floor contains office space with the main office lobby accessed from the Paseo Court on the North end of the building and a secondary access from the South end of the building. The lower floor contains the retail spaces. Storefront treatment is more uniform than on the other buildings to help maintain the unity of character the hotel would have originally possessed. Window awnings do occur in some storefront locations to create opportunities for accent colors and allows for some variation in detailing for individual tenants. 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. landscape lighting features and water elements also add to the ambiance of Grafton Station at night. The Gateway Tower at Building C-I is lighted in a discrete way to accent the tower shapes, materials, project name and logos creating an iconic beacon without being obtrusive to the residents in the area. 1. Describe how the landscape features have been designed so as to ensure visual relief and an attractive environment for the public. Grafton Station Retail Pads B, C-l, C-2 and D comprise a very important entry component to the Grafton Station retail center. These four pad buildings work together to mark the retail center's entry at the southwest comer of Dublin Boulevard and Grafton Street. The project includes retail buildings with traditional street frontages on Dublin Boulevard and Grafton Street as well as several public plaza spaces between and adjacent to the retail buildings. Pad D although a single building, has the character of a collection of retail buildings thought to have been separately built during the period the when train station and hotel were active. The North end of the building contains a brick (veneer) building with a clock tower and entry that is thought to have been a bank at one time. The court buildings are seen as a pair of retail general stores. The court buildings are finished in a quarry stone facing and smooth finished stucco. The building on the South end has a more contemporary character based on the idea this building was more recently remodeled. This South building has a finished floor level that is approximately one foot lower than the rest of the building. The plan of this building "collection" allows for a forecourt area on the east side of the building that encourages pedestrian activity and street life along Grafton Street. The terrace court is defined by a low masonry wall that allows for the grade transitions at the street and walkway providing an accessible route to the stores. Trellis and arcade elements have been added to the original building to provide for shade elements for pedestrians and patrons. Primary finish materials are the quarry stone cladding, pre-cast trim and cornice elements, metal roofing and arbor trellis, metal awnings and entry canopies. The street scene is further activated by the short-term, diagonal on street parking in front of the forecourt of Pad D. Grafton Street will terminate at its southern end at a traffic circle with a raised landscaped island. From Grafton Street, which accommodates smaller retail merchants, there are two main east/west driveways that connect to Lowe's and the future Pad A building(s). The northern entry street extends to separate Lowe's parking lot from that of Pad A, and is flanked by two linear landscaped islands. These islands will contain shade trees and evergreen shrubs to screen adjacent cars. Grafton Street is 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 unit pavers, as are 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. With different sidewalk dimensions for each building frontage, some building frontages have planters, while others have potted specimen plantings or seating. Grafton Station's location in relation to the surrounding community and the urban character and nature of its activity is inherently pedestrian oriented. The large parking plaza is seen as the "back" of the buildings yet the designs are four sided in their character, function and detailing. While the majority of people may initially visit the site by car, Grafton Station is seen as the beginning element of a vibrant commercial "downtown main street" area that will attract and serve the growing residential neighborhoods surrounding Grafton Street. It is envisioned that local residents will primarily access the shops by walking rather than driving. Paseos provide access to and from Grafton Street and invite pedestrians into the shaded court plazas on the west. The plazas provide gathering places and seating opportunities for patrons. Landscaping, hardscape patterns and materials and streetscape elements vary and respond to each of the buildings enriching the experience and completing the place making of Grafton Station. Grafton Station has been designed as a unique shopping destination, with visual and physical continuity, relative to the larger Dublin Ranch community. Grafton Station utilizes some of the urban design elements proposed for Grafton Street to the north of Dublin Boulevard in the Village Center in Area G of Dublin Ranch such as concrete unit pavers, large deciduous street trees in grates and proposes to continue those elements on Grafton Street south of Dublin Boulevard. The primary entry at the Dublin/Grafton intersection is accented with a unique landscape treatment that wraps the comer on both streets. Large deciduous trees are planted with alternating Italian Cypress trees around both sides of the comer building. Raised planters with shrubs and ground covers sit at the buildings' foundations. Large urns are planted with specimen plants at building comers and entries. This treatment may be repeated on all four comers of the Dublin Boulevard and Grafton Street intersection. The new plaza spaces that surround the retail pad buildings feature amenities including concrete unit paving, integral color sandblasted concrete, seating/dining furniture, a large water feature, low walls, shrub hedges, and potted specimen plants. The centerpiece of the plaza on the west side of Pad C-I is a water feature and a very large transplanted specimen tree. These amenities are intended to work together to create the feeling that buildings were built many years ago. Lighting is an integral part of the design for security and nighttime activities. This is achieved by an eclectic mix of fixture types and styles from wall-mounted lights on the buildings to street light designs that conform to the previously approved Grafton Street development standards. Significant The paseo between Pad B and Pac C-I is open to provide a strong visual and pedestrian connection between the plaza to the west and the intersection to the east. It is treated with planters and potted Page 4 . Site Development Review' Writ/en Statement GraftonStationRetailPads B-D Wrinen$tatemenl City Submittal ].27-07.doc Cronan Station Retail . Pads BoD . March 2007 specimen plantings. The paseo between Pac C-l and C-2 provides shady seating areas under deciduous flowering trees in grates and raised planters. 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. Other parking lot amenities include bike racks and unit pavers in the areas serving handicapped patrons. K. Is the proposed project located on a hazardous waste and substances site? (A list is of these sites is available in the Planning Department). A Phase 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment of the Project Site and surrounding areas has been conducted by Berlogar Geotechnical Consultants (dated 9/25/97) to determine the presence of any hazardous waste and substance sites. The findings of this study indicated that no problems were found. In addition, an environmental records search was conducted by Berlogar Geotechnical Consultants for Dublin Ranch-Phase I to determine if the site was included on a list of hazardous waste and substances areas. The results of this search indicated that no properties within a two-mile radius of the Dublin Ranch-Phase I (which includes lands within the Project Site) are listed as a hazardous site, hazardous material generator or transporter, or known to have underground storage tank leaks. Page 5 . Site Development Review' Written Statement GraitonStationRetailPads B-D WrittenStatement City SubmiuaI3-27-07.doc Transportation Consultants PleasanlDn 5960 Inglewood Dr., SUite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588-8535 925.403.0611 925.403.3690 fax Santa Rosa 141 stony Or., Slife 280 Santa Rosa, CA 95401-4110 707.575.5800 707.575.5888 fax Sacramento 980 9th st., 1tlh Floor Saaamento, CA 95814-2736 916.449.9095 ~ Fresno 516 W. Shaw AWJ., SUite 200 Fresno, CA 93704-2515 559.325.7530 559.221.4940 fax tjkm@ljkm.com www.tjkm.com March 7, 2007 Matt Jensen MacKay & Somps 5142 Franklin Drive, Suite B Pleasanton, CA 94588 Via email: mjensen@msce.com Subject: Trip Generation for Pads B, C-l, C-2 and D in Proposed Grafton Station Development (TJKM Project No. 157-145 Task 1) Dear Matt: This brief letter presents the results of our trip generation analysis for four retail pads (i.e., Pads B, C-l, C-2 and D) in the proposed Grafton Station Development. The assumed square footage for the four pads are as follows: . Pad B = 11 ,900 square feet (SF) of retail . Pad C-l = 12,494 SF of retail . Pad C-2 (18t Floor) = 7,272 SF of retail . Pad C-2 (2nd Floor) = 8,250 SF of office . Pad D = 9,068 SF of retail. Therefore, the four pads are assumed to have a total of 40,734 SF of retail space and 8,250 SF of office space. The estimated trip generation for the proposed development of these four pads is based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip generation rates for Shopping Center (Land Use 820) and summarized in Table I. TABLE I: TRIP GENERATION ESTIMATE FOR PADS B, C-l, C-2 AND D Use ITE Size Units Daily Trips A.M. stJeet Peak P.M, street Peak Code Rafe Rafe In" out " In Out Total Rafe In" Out " In out Total Retail (Pads' B, C-l, C-2, and DO) 820 40.73 Ksf 42.94 1.749 1.03 0.61 0.39 25 17 42 3.75 0.48 0.52 74 79 153 Office (Second Floor of Pad C-2) 710 8.25 Ksf 11.00 ~ 1.55 0.88 0.12 11 2 .u 1.49 0.17 0.83 2 jQ .12 Totals for Four Pads 1,840 36 19 55 76 89 165 Notes: ksf= 1,000 square feet .. Wee rea t e t ran s p 0 r tat ion sol uti 0 n s . .. : 'n ." ,-" 'I '1 '1 t n" 0 r I ., ., Mr. Matt Jensen March 7, 2007 2 Detailed trip distribution analysis has not been performed at this time. However, the majority of the customers are expected to come from: . Eastbound 1-580 (exiting at Tassajara Road) . Westbound 1-580 (exiting at Tassajara Road and Fallon Road) . Eastern Dublin (various local streets) . Eastern Pleasanton (via Santa Rita Roadffassajara Road) The largest intersection closest to the proposed Grafton Station is Dublin Boulevardffassajara Road. With the current projected build out of Dublin Ranch area CIH (including Grafton Station), this intersection is expected to operate at LOS C during the a.m. peak hour and LOS B during the p.m. peak hour. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this analysis. Please call me with your comments and/or questions. Sincerely, ~C~~ " ) bordmi Lum, P.E. Senior Associate J: VurisdictionlDlDub/in\l57-l45 Dublin Ranch on-ca/l\2006-07 StufJIGrafton _Station_TripsIL030707 4 Pads Trip Gen.doc