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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Attmt 2 Staff Rept, Study Session 10-14-2008 w/o attmts19\C?=' =JN)82 O?LIFOR??? / SUBJECT: STUDY SESSION: PA 08-006, The Promenade at Dublin Ranch - Site Development Review and Conditional Use Permits for a fitness center, outdoor restaurant seating, and shared parking at the northeast corner of Grafton Street and Dublin Blvd, also known as Parcel 5 of Tentative Parcel Map 9717. Report Prepared by Mike Porto, Consulting Planner AGENDA STATEMENT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING DATE: October 14, 2008 ATTACHMENTS: RECOMMENDATION: 1) Applicant's Proposal/Design Package 1) Receive Staff presentation and provide direction. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Promenade is the commercial component, or 22-acre Vilh< ge Center area, comprised of six development parcels within Area G of the Eastern Dublin Specific Flan approved as a part of the Dublin Ranch Master Plan. Area G corers approximately 86.9 acres and identifies 13 development sites, including the six Village Center parcels. The Dublin Ranch Mastcr Plan is located within the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan and is subject to the goals, objectives, policics, procedures, and programs of that plan. The proposed project is located on proposed Parcel 5 for Parcel Map 9717, a 3.72-acre site which represents the first phase of the area commonly known as The Promenade. Location Generally Area G is bounded by Central Parkway on the north, Keegan Street on the east, Dublin Boulevard on the south, and Brannigan Street on the west. The development sites for Medium High and High Density Residential uses along the easterly and westerly segments of Area G have already been developed. The Village Center, or The Promenade, is proposed to be developed along both sides of Grafton Street, the north-south connection which bisects Area G between Dublin Boulevard and Central Parkway and will serve as the local Main Street for the surrounding neighborhoods in Eastern Dublin. The proposed project on Parcel 5 represents the gateway to The Promenade at the northeast corner of Grafton Street and Dublin Blvd. L? - I - i-sxo xotccrs _ x Map 1: Vicinity Map COPIES TO: The Applicant The Property Owner Page 1 of 8 G: IPAM20081PA 08-006 Glob Sport PromenadelPCSR Study Sesson.doc ITEM NO. ATTACHMENT 2 Parcel 5 is located north of Dublin Boulevard, south of Finnian Way, east of Grafton Street, and west of Dublin Ranch residential Site H2 within Area G currently developing as The Terraces, a residential townhouse project. Existing Use MAP 2: Project Site The 3.72 acre project site is currently vacant and generally flat with a slight slope (1% average) from the northwest to the southeast. There are no trees on site, and to date, some preliminary grading has occurred to return the site to its original topographic condition. Recently Toll Brothers has used a portion of this site for their Master Sales Facility, which has been removed. Much of the Village Center area, including Parcel 5, was being used for the staging and storage of materials and -quipment for the many construction projects currently in progress. These uses have all been eliminated anI the site is now vacant. Surrounding Uses The project site is bounded: a) to the north by Parcel 2 of the R-omenade which currently is vacant property approved for Neighborhood Commercial uses; b) to th,: east by a multi-use trail system separating the project site from the high-density residential Site developed as The Terraces, a residential townhouse project; c) to the south across Dublin Boulevard by vacant property designated for Campus Office Development; and d) to the southwest (across Dublin Blvd. at Grafton Street) by the Grafton Station development site, which is currently under construction. Backgroun&Previous Approvals In March of 2000, Areas F, G and H were subject to Stage 1 and Stale 2 Planned Development Rezoning approved by Ordinance 06-00 (approved March 21, 2000). The PD zoning district was adopted as PD- Village Center for Parcels 1 through 6 with the intent and purpo,,e of creating a pedestrian-oriented service, retail, commercial, and entertainment center serving the daily needs of the surrounding residential neighborhoods and intermittent shopping, service, and entertainment opportunities for a wider community base. Page 2 of 8 Objectives of the Project The Promenade is proposed to serve as the centerpiece for the commercial area of Dublin Ranch. The concept of the Village Center land use and zoning is to create a Main Street within Dublin Ranch along the north side of Dublin Boulevard. The objective is to create a pedestrian-friendly commercial area with a small town character adjacent to high-density residential neighborhoods. The incorporation of retail, office, and fitness/recreation uses will create opportunities for the r;sidents, and enhance the balance of jobs and housing, as well as reduce or even eliminate vehicle trips and traffic congestion due to the close proximity of residential units. PROPOSAL: Proposed Uses There are three structures proposed for the project including: • C1ubSport Athletic Club and Spa - Two-story building cif approximately 47,669 square feet anchoring the southwest corner of the site at the intersection of Dublin Boulevard and Grafton Street. This full-service private fitness center, spa, and recreation facility would include a fitness area (weight room and specialized workout areas) group exercise rooms, pool, spa, aerobics rooms, spa treatment rooms, offices, locker rooms, and a caf Administrative offices and a child care area are also included. The entrance to the building is located off of an internal pedestrian paseo that connects Grafton Street with a multi-use regional trail that runs along the easterly boundary of the project site. Entrance access is also available from Grafton Street which connects to the main lobby, day spa and workout area on the first floor. The fitness rooms and associated facilities are located on the second floor. The C1ubSport Cafe will be located on the ground floor of the building along the paseo in the section closest to Grafton Street. The cafe will serve as the focal social area and will be open to the public, as well as to club members. An outdoor dining area is proposed as a part of the cafe. The pool and deck are situated in an interior courtyard at the southerly portion of the facility closest to Dublin Boulevard, and will include a lap pool, Jacuzzi, and deck space. C1ubSport would have up to 85 permanent staff members with a maximum of 35 individuals working on the premises during any given shift. C1ubSport A ould be open from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm Monday through Friday and from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekends. Page 3 of 8 Mat) 3: Proiect Site • Mercantile Building - A three-story building of approximately 52,716 square feet would be located at the northwest corner of the site facing Grafton Strcet south of Finnian Way. Retail and restaurant uses are proposed for the ground floor totaling 18, X00 square feet. The restaurant uses are proposed at a maximum of 7,190 square feet of the 1 ? ,000 square feet near the corner of Grafton Street and Finnian Way. Office space would occupy the second and third floors. The hours and days of operation for the proposed retail uses cannot be determined at this time. However, the office uses typically would be open from 8:)0 am to 6:00 pm. The Applicant anticipates that the hours and days of operation for The Pror-ienade will be similar to uses in the City of Dublin of comparable size and type. • Parking Structure - The project provides for 477 spaces which includes on site spaces as well as curbside parking along Grafton Street and Finnian Way. A four-level parking structure is located in the northeast portion of the project site which includes 407 parking spaces and is accessed from the surface parking lot area along the easterly side of the site. A 21-foot wide service alley separates the parking structure from the Mercantile building. Access to this service corridor would be through gates at each end and through the rear dDors of the individual spaces in the Mercantile; building. There is no pedestrian access from the parking structure to the service yard in addition to the parking structure. A surface parking lo: of 55 spaces is located along the easterly property. There are also 15 on-street spaces on Grafton Street along the Project frontage. A Shared Parking study; dated September 3, 2008 was cond acted by TJKM for C1ubSport. The study concluded that the parking provided would be sufficient to serve peak parking demand for the proposed mix of uses. TABLE 1: PARKING SURFACE TOTAL LEVEL 1 ..? Standard Parking Spaces 53 Handicap Parking Spaces 2 TOTAL 55 171 LEVEL 2 & 3 Standard Parking Spaces Handicap Parking Spaces .. TOTAL _ 204 LEVEL 4 Standard Parking Spaces Handicap Parking Spaces TOTAL guffa M ,:,, m 102 TOTAL PROVIDED SPACES l 1 55 477 Conditional Use Permits • Fitness Center - Based on the PD-Village Center zoning adopted with permitted and conditional uses, private recreational facilities (both indoor and outdoor) are classified as a conditional use requiring a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Therefore, 1he C1ubSport facility requires the authorization of a CUP. • Outdoor Seating - As part of the main street character, outdoor seating in the style of a sidewalk caf6 has been requested for the C1ubSport Caf6 along the pasco between the two buildings and for the restaurant uses anticipated for the ground floor of the Mercantile Building along Grafton Street. Dining areas are proposed to be partitioned with railir gs, hardscape, and potted plants that will not interfere with pedestrian traffic. Page 4 of 8 • Shared Parking - Reductions for shared parking are allowed by CUP according to Chapter 8.76 F. of the Zoning Ordinance. The shared parking study for the proposed project by TJKM concluded that the 477 spaces would satisfy sufficient peak h)ur parking demand for the proposed mix of uses. All 3 of these activities require authorization of a CUP. The CUF findings will be a part of the Staff Report for the Public Hearing at a future date. Design Standards The proposed project is consistent with the Stage 1 and 2 PD approved March 21, 2000. The Site Development Review includes: site plan, architectural design, landscape plan, and streetscape improvements. In accordance with the Design Standards, the buildings are sited; 1) close to the street, and 2) include facades with architectural offsets. The circulation. is pedestrian-friendly by featuring paseos with the buildings oriented towards Grafton Street designed as the "main street." A mid-block crossing and gateway entry plazas have also been incorporated in the design. Parking is located at the rear (easterly design of the site) so as not to disrupt the continuity of the streetscape. While the site is currently visible from I-580 the ultimate view will be blocked by Grafton Station (project to the south currently under construction). The project is not within a scenic corridor or designated view zone. Subject to approval of the requested Conditional Use Permits for the Fitness Center, outdoor seating and shared parking, the proposed project is consistent and compatible with the zoning and designated land use. The description of architecture for the 3 proposed buildings is below: Architecture • ClubSport Athletic Club and Spa - The two-story structure is designed to represent an old Main Street developed over time, incorporating varied design c etails found in many of the older communities in Central California. Detailing includes stone wainscot, decorative stone bands, and decorative trim at the cornice level, as well as stone inset elements reminiscent of an older structure. At the ground level, large retail display windows address pedestrians and articulate the sidewalk. Awnings are set at multiple levels to create a canopy and provide color and shade. The corner of the building is set in a radial pattern to face the primary streets, frame the pedestrian plaza, and create a possible location for public art. The south building elevation adjacent to Dublin Boulevard, which conceals the pool area, has been a concern to Staff. We have been working with the Applicant and his architect to create a more dynamic elevation. Various proposals were made to revise the Dublin Boulevard elevation to eliminate the wood product (See "Architecture" Tab, page A.1 of Attachment 1). A revised elevation was presented which will meet the Planning Commission's objectives of high quality sustainable materials. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to have the architect revise their submittal documents. The revised elevation incorporates a glass store front motif which proposes opaque glass for a portion of the glazing to provide privacy to the pool area and to screen an interior access corridor. Shapes, shadows and movement will be visible creating interest and activity. Production times did not allow the "revised" et,-vation to be incorporated into the Applicant's submittal package; therefore, the revision will be presented to the Planning Commission at the Study Session. • Mercantile Building - The architecture of this 3-story build_ng is typical of the older mercantile buildings found in urban centers throughout the country and in smaller California towns. The detailing is similar to ClubSport, utilizing stone wainscots at the building base, large expanses of storefront glass, lower awnings to provide color and scale at the pedestrian level, and articulation Page 5 of 8 of cornice detailing and vertical stone insets. Signage is proposed as a combination of storefront signage and wall hanging signage that evokes an older style and quality. (See "Architecture" Tab, page A.3 of Attachment 1). • Parking Structure - The 4-level parking structure has been designed in the style of an old warehouse that would be found adjacent to an urban core of older mercantile buildings. It has an open style, but designed to minimize the visual impact of the decks while still accentuating the warehouse look and form. The structure is detailed to comp: ement the C1ubSport and Mercantile buildings with the inclusion of elements such as an upper trellis/blind, and vertical stone accents to carry the contemporary Central California theme. An old packing crate graphic would be added to the side of the building facing Finnian Way to further enhance the old warehouse look and feel. The larger expanses of wall have been color blocked and detailed with reveals and stone insets to create an interesting visual effect and reduce the mass of the structure. Visual sight lines to the parking areas and lighting from the adjacent 4-story residential project to the east and the proposed Mercantile Building to the west will be mitigated through the proposed trellis details on the sides of the structure. (See "Architecture' Tab, page A.4 of Attachment 1). Development Standards The proposed project complies with the development standards as d-,fined in the Stage II PD, relating to the building height, setbacks, and coverage. Access and Circulation Access to the project site is taken from a driveway off of Dublin Boulevard which leads into the surface parking lot. This lot also has driveway access through to Finnian Way. Access to the parking structure is from the surface parking lot. A pedestrian paseo traverses the site connecting Grafton Street to the north/south multi-use trail. A systemwide multi-use trail runs along the easterly boundary of the project site connecting Dublin Boulevard with the multi-use trail along Finnian Way along the northerly boundary. All streets and traffic improvement adjacent to the site will be completed as part of the overall proj ect. Landscape/Streetscape The project site has been designed to complement the Grafton Station retail project located to the southwest utilizing similar materials in various patterns while providing for an upscale, yet traditional, street scene. Similar plant material:; are proposed for continuity. Concrete pavers in varied patterns are used to highlight the architecture and contribute towards the street ;scene. Accent pavers in wide bands across the sidewalk will link to accent pavers at the building edge. A 14-foot wide sidewalk, which is wider than the 12 feet required by the Planned Development design standards, helps to accommodate the proposed outdoor dining. The Design Guidelines establish the corners of Grafton Street at bot1. Dublin Boulevard and Finnian Way as main street plazas. A water feature is proposed at the corner oi' Grafton Street and Finnian Way in front of the Mercantile Building which incorporates a seat wall/water basin, colored pavement, and accent landscape materials. Pedestrian areas, paseos, and spaces adjacent to the multi-use trail will be equipped with benches, bicycle racks, trash receptacles, lighting, bollards, and potted plant materials to allow for resting, utility, and enhancement of the pedestrian scale. The paseo connecting Grafton Street and the multi-use trail to the east has a dramatic water fountain as its focal point which can be seen from Grafton Street and the multi-use trail. The paseo extends as a mid-block crossing of Grafton Street. The street improvements are consistent and comply with the adopted street siactions and design standards for the Village Center, as well continuity from block to block adjacent to the project site. Street trees are located in grates at the curb line while specimen plants are placed in uniquely designed pots at columns along the building edge. Page 6 of 8 Proposed Parking The project provides for 477 spaces. This total includes 407 spaces in the proposed parking structure, 55 spaces on site in a surface lot along the easterly boundary of the proji;ct site, and 15 curbside spaces along Grafton Street and Finnian Way. Based on the proposed occupanci.-s and uses within each building, the required parking would be 530 spaces. A Shared Parking study dated September 3, 2008 conducted by TJKM for C1ubSport concluded that peak parking demand at 6:00 pnl would be 452 spaces, and therefore concluded that 477 spaces would be sufficient. As described in a previous section of this Staff Report, a CUP would be required for shared parking. Public Art The proposed project is subject to the public art requirements of the City's Zoning Ordinance. The proposed public art compliance plan (See "Public Art" Tab, page C.8, Attachment 1) shows possible locations for public art at the corner of Dublin Boulevard and Grafion Street and on Grafton Street just north of the mid-block crossing and paseo. Environmental Based on previous environmental documents, no environmental review is required as the project does not create additional environmental impact. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Planning Commission receive Staff presentation and provide direction. Page 7of8 GENERAL INFORMATION: PROPERTY OWNER: APPLICANT: LOCATION: EXISTING ZONING: GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION & EASTERN DUBLIN SPECIFIC PLAN: PUBLIC NOTIFICATION: James Tong Charter Properties 4690 Chabot Drive, Suite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588 James Tong Charter Properties 4690 Chabot Drive, Suite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588 North of Dublin Boulevard, east area of Grafton Street, south of Finnian Way and east of the H2 Residential neighborhood APN: 985-0009-009-02 PD-Village Center NC Neighborhood Comriercial In accordance with State law, a public notice was mailed to all property owners and occupants within 300 feet of the proposed project to advertise the project and the upcoming public hearing. A public notice was also published in the Tri-Valley Herald and posted at several locations throughout the City. Page 8 of 8