Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.4 PA 07-036 Downtown Dublin Specific Plan STAFF REPORT 82 PLANNING COMMISSION IF-V DATE: December 14, 2010 TO: Planning Commission SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING: PA 07-036 Downtown Dublin Specific Plan. Specific Plan, General Plan Amendment, Zoning Ordinance Amendments, Rezoning properties from various Planned Development Zoning Districts to a new Downtown Dublin Zoning District, and Environmental Impact Report (Legislative Act) Report prepared by Kristi Bascom, Principal Planner EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Planning Commission will consider and make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan (DDSP) and associated implementation actions. The DDSP consists of a comprehensive set of guiding principles, standards, and design guidelines that will implement the vision for future development in Downtown Dublin. In addition to the DDSP, several amendments are proposed to the General Plan and the Dublin Zoning Ordinance to implement the Specific Plan. Upon approval of the Zoning Ordinance Amendments, properties in the DDSP project area will be rezoned from various Planned Development Zoning Districts to a new Downtown Dublin Zoning District. Certification of a Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is also being considered. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning Commission: 1) Receive Staff presentation; 2) Open the public hearing; 3) Take testimony from the public; 4) Close the public hearing and deliberate; and 5) Adopt the following Resolutions: a) Resolution Recommending City Council certification of a Final Environmental Impact Report and Adoption of Environmental Findings under CEQA for the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan, b) Recommending that the City Council adopt a Resolution adopting the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan, amending the General Plan to ensure consistency with the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan, and repealing the West Dublin BART Specific Plan, Village Parkway Specific Plan, Downtown Core Specific Plan, Dublin Downtown Specific Plan, and San Ramon Road Specific Plan, and c) Resolution recommending that the City Council Adopt an Ordinance approving Zoning Ordinance Amendments to create a new Chapter: 8.30 (Downtown Dublin Zoning District), rezone all properties within the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan project area to the Downtown Dublin Zoning District, amend the Zoning Map to identify the location of the new Zoning District, amend Zoning Ordinance Chapter 8.12 (Zoning Districts and Permitted Uses), and amend Chapter 8.10/", Site Development Review). Submitted By Jewed By Principal Planner Planning Manager COPY TO: File ITEM NO.: Page 1 of 11 G:IPA#12 0 0 710 7-03 6 Downtown Dublin Specific PlanFC 12.14.20101PCSR.doc DESCRIPTION: Background The Fiscal Year 2006-2007 City Council Goals and Objectives included, as a high priority goal, the preparation of a comprehensive Downtown Dublin Specific Plan (DDSP). On June 19, 2007, the City Council adopted a Resolution approving a Consulting Services Agreement with RBF Consulting for preparation of the DDSP. The Specific Plan encompasses the area of the existing Downtown Core, Village Parkway, West Dublin BART, Dublin Downtown and San Ramon Road Specific Plans. A map of the proposed Specific Plan Area is shown below. Figure 1: Specific Plan Area 0 LEGEND l~ rF`n N•nu . - .b Liar i fire rcn:. gym'. N 14A 01 ~z Giv _'i P e.-J ,and_-r A joint Study Session with the City Council and Planning Commission was held in August of 2007 to initiate preparation of the DDSP. In the winter of 2007/2008, the City conducted a number of public outreach efforts to solicit input from stakeholders and other interested persons on the preparation of the DDSP. These outreach efforts included an online survey, a series of walking tours through the Specific Plan area, and an evening workshop. Outreach regarding the survey included placing a flyer in water bills to notify residents about the on-line survey, placing an advertisement in the Parks and Community Services Activity Guide that is mailed to Dublin residents, and a television 2of11 advertisement which ran on the local community channel, TV 30. Over 300 people participated in the online survey. The City also conducted one-on-one interviews with property owners in the Specific Plan area. These outreach efforts provided residents, property owners, and business owners with an opportunity to share their ideas while helping to shape the future of Downtown Dublin. A joint Study Session was held on June 3, 2009 to discuss the Opportunities, Issues and Strategies Report that was prepared for the Downtown. This report was used in the preparation of the DDSP Guiding Principles that were discussed and voted on during the Study Session. The Guiding Principles have been used to prepare the draft Specific Plan as well as identify the development potential for the Specific Plan area. The Guiding Principles are included in Chapter 3 of the DDSP. A joint Study Session with the City Council and Planning Commission was also held on November 17, 2009. The purpose of this Study Session was to review the proposed Land Use Concept, the Development Pool Concept, the Community Benefit Program, which are further discussed below, and to provide feedback to Staff. The City Council and Planning Commission were in favor of the Land Use and Development Pool Concepts as well as the Community Benefit Program; however, the City Council and Planning Commission requested that Staff bring back the Community Benefit Program for further discussion during a future Study Session. The City of Dublin was awarded a Station Area Planning Grant in June 2008 in the amount of $200,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the DDSP. On January 29, 2010, Staff distributed a Notice of Preparation in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) notifying the public that the City would prepare an EIR in conjunction with the DDSP. The Draft EIR was completed, circulated for public review, and the Final EIR is being considered by the Planning Commission at this public hearing. On June 29, 2010, a joint Study Session was held with the City Council and Planning Commission to discuss traffic associated with increased development potential in the DDSP Area and the proposed Community Benefit Program. At the Study Session, the City Council and Planning Commission agreed that the Downtown Area should be exempt from the traffic intersection level of service requirements of the Dublin General Plan. This subject is discussed further in the General Plan Amendment section of this Staff Report. Furthermore, the City Council directed Staff to conduct a review in ten years of the traffic and development impacts occurring in the Downtown Area to assess if any changes would need to be made to the DDSP or its implementation. The second main item discussed at the June 29th Study Session was the proposed Community Benefit Program component of the Specific Plan. The City Council and Planning Commission provided feedback to Staff on the benefits that should be included in the Community Benefit Program. This feedback has been incorporated into the Draft Specific Plan. Additionally, the City Council provided direction that the Community Benefit Program should start immediately upon final approval of the DDSP. On August 21, 2010, the final Study Session was held with the City Council and Planning Commission to review the Draft Specific Plan. At this meeting, the Planning Commission provided input and the City Council provided direction to Staff primarily on Chapter 4 of the DDSP, which contains the Development Standards and Design Guidelines for new development 3 of 11 in the downtown area. Direction received at this Study Session was incorporated into the Public Review Draft of the DDSP, which was released for public review along with the Draft EIR for a 45-day public review period from September 20, 2010 to November 4, 2010. The DDSP being reviewed and considered by the Planning Commission at this public hearing has been updated from the September 2010 version of the document, which incorporates input, feedback, and direction received by the City's decision-makers, community members, and interested public agencies through the public comment process. ANALYSIS: The plan represents a vision of the future development for the Downtown area while providing flexibility to respond to market conditions. The DDSP has several key concepts: 1. Distinct Districts. The project area is divided into districts, each of which have development standards and design guidelines that are unique to each district. The three districts, shown in the figure to the Village Parkway District right, are: (1) the Village Parkway District, which encompasses the ~ former Village Parkway Specific Plan Area; (2) the Retail District, r, which is located to the north of Retail District Dublin Boulevard and comprised of an area that is dominated by retail and large format retail uses; and (3) the Transit-Oriented District, which"" is located south of Dublin Boulevard and near the West Dublin BART Transit Oriented Station and accommodates transit- District oriented developments with significantly higher Floor Area Ratios (FAR) that will allow greater development capacity to take advantage of the proximity to public transit opportunities. 2. Land Uses. The range of allowed land uses in the DDSP is intended to promote a viable mix of commercial and residential uses in the project area. The permitted, conditionally permitted, and prohibited land uses for each district are located directly in the DDSP. This is a unique approach in that uses are permitted throughout the district and are not specific to a certain piece of property. 3. Development Capacity. The DDSP is set up to allow a "base" amount of development on each parcel by right. In the Draft Specific Plan, a base Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is permitted, and if a property owner would like to develop beyond the base FAR, they may obtain additional square footage from the "Development Pool." The Development Pool would allow the property owners to develop their property up to a maximum FAR. In order to access the Development Pool, the property owner would be required to enter into an agreement with the City and would 4of11 need to provide a community benefit. The base and maximum DISTRICT a BASE MAXIMUM FAR for each district is shown in the table to the right: FAR FAR Retail 035 0.6 4. Community Benefit Program. The Community Benefit Transit- Program concept is where Applicants have the option of Oriented 0.50 1.2 receiving a higher density on their property in exchange for 0.35 0.35 providing a public benefit to the Specific Plan area. There is Parkway village not a list of prescribed benefits, but examples of appropriate community benefits include the physical development of a public plaza or gathering space, park, outdoor play area, or enhanced streetscape improvements. Other benefits might include sponsoring a special event downtown, providing public safety enhancements, or payment into a Downtown Fund for future public improvements. Specific Plan Overview The DDSP is divided into the following sections, and is included as Exhibit A-1 of Attachment 1. It is expected that future refinements to the DDSP are likely to take place as development moves forward in the downtown, as conditions change, and as policies are implemented. Any proposed changes to the DDSP would require review by the Planning Commission and approval by the City Council 1. Introduction 2. Site and Context 3. Land Use and Development Plan 4. Development Standards and Design Guidelines 5. Mobility and Infrastructure 6. Implementation and Administration The main sections of the document are described in more detail below. Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter establishes the purpose and intent of the Specific Plan, its location and relationship to other plans and policies, the planning process, and includes a user's guide. Chapter 2: Site and Context This chapter provides background information and describes opportunities, issues, and strategies related to the potential future development and revitalization of the Specific Plan Area. It was developed based on a review of background documents, field surveys, meetings with City staff, public workshops, input from the City Council and Planning Commission, and interviews with stakeholders in the Specific Plan Area. Chapter 3: Land Use and Development Plan Chapter 3 details guiding principles for the Village Parkway, Retail, and Transit-Oriented Districts, the allowed land uses, and the amount of development that is permitted in each district. The chapter describes the development potential of both the base square footage/floor area ratio (FAR) and also the maximum development potential allowed using the Development Pool. Chapter 4: Development Standards and Design Guidelines This chapter contains the development standards and design guidelines that are intended to create distinct districts that have a look and feel appropriate to their respective guiding 5of11 principles. Development standards are requirements that must be met for project approval. These are contained in Sections 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 of the DDSP. Design guidelines have more flexibility and are often encouraged or discouraged rather than required or prohibited. These are contained in Section 4.4 of the DDSP. Chapter 5: Mobility and Infrastructure Plan This chapter establishes the circulation and infrastructure improvements required to permit the development potential of the Specific Plan Area. The chapter outlines the vehicular circulation, bicycle and pedestrian circulation, and public transit to be further developed in the Specific Plan area. The chapter also describes the limited water, sewer, and storm drain infrastructure improvements needed to enable future development in the area. Chapter 6: Implementation and Administration This chapter describes the process for implementing and administering the Specific Plan, including the processes for development review, treating nonconforming uses, and amending the Specific Plan. This chapter also describes how the Development Pool and Community Benefit Program functions. RECENT DDSP REVISIONS: At the Study Session on August 21, 2010, the City Council and Planning Commission had their first review of the complete Draft DDSP. Based on the feedback received at this meeting and through the public review and comment process, Staff made several changes to the document, as described below: Vision: • Added "pedestrian-friendly" and "aesthetically-pleasing" to the document's Vision Statement. Chapter 1: • Added information about the City's Green Building Ordinance. Chapter 3: • Added two new Guiding Principles related to (1) creating a vibrant and dynamic downtown and (2) encouraging the use of local labor, businesses, and materials. • Clarified that dining and/or entertainment uses are allowed in any district. • Added notations to Table 3-1 (Land Uses) that residential uses, while allowed in any district, shall incorporate additional design features if located within 1,000 feet of Interstate 580 or 680 in order to comply with the requirements of the California Air Resources Control Board. Chapter 4: • Added language to the vision statement for each district emphasizing pedestrian scale, use of green building materials, and encouraging creativity and unique design. • Development Standards (Section 4.3): o Added language to the development standards for each district noting that shared access to multiple parcels is desirable. o Added language to the development standards of each district noting that residential uses located within 1000 feet of either Interstate 580 or 680 shall incorporate additional design features intended to minimize the impacts of toxic air contaminants on future residents. 6of11 o Clarified that the maximum building height in the Transit-Oriented District is 8 stories/90 feet and that some features may extend beyond this height. • Design Guidelines (Section 4.4): o Added text to the "General Building Design" guidelines noting that any building fagade viewable from the public realm shall have architectural elements and features similar to the front fagade. o Removed the list of allowed building materials and replaced the text with language stating any selected building material should be durable, high quality, attractive, and consistent with the City's Green Building Ordinance and the Community Design and Sustainability Element of the General Plan. o Added a new section on "Gateway Features" which are those features that help to visually define transitions between spaces and buildings. Included photographs of desirable gateway features. o Added new section on "Public Outdoor Gathering Spaces" which are distinguished from Private Outdoor Spaces. Included photographs of attractive public outdoor gathering spaces. o Incorporated several additional photographs of good architectural examples in Dublin. o Changed text to state that energy efficient lighting is required (not encouraged). Repealing other Specific Plans A part of the adoption of the DDSP involves repealing the other specific plans in the project area that the DDSP is meant to replace. The intent of the DDSP is that this document addresses the comprehensive Downtown Dublin area and negates the need for the individual specific plans that address each area individually. The action of adopting the DDSP will include a formal repeal of the Village Parkway Specific Plan, the Downtown Core Specific Plan, the Village Parkway Specific Plan, the Dublin Downtown Specific Plan, and the San Ramon Road Specific Plan. Although the San Ramon Road Specific Plan area is not fully encompassed by the new DDSP, Staff recommends repealing the Plan in its entirety. The only portions of the San Ramon Road Specific Plan that remain outside of the DDSP boundary are two tracts of land that are development by multi-family uses. The Plan was adopted by the City Council in 1983, and most of the conditions and policies described in the Plan are no longer relevant in 2010. For this reason, Staff proposes a full repeal of the San Ramon Road Specific Plan along with the others. The Resolution recommending City Council adoption of the DDSP is included as Attachment 1 of this Staff Report, and the proposed DDSP, with the revisions noted above, is included as Exhibit A-1. GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS: Several amendments to the General Plan are required in order for the DDSP, as drafted, to be consistent with the elements of the General Plan. One of the main amendments to the General Plan is to change the land use designations in the DDSP from the various parcel-specific land use designations to a new land use designation that applies to an entire district. Currently, parcels in the DDSP have a variety of General Plan land use designations, including Retail/Office, Mixed-Use, High Density Residential, Public/Semi-Public, Retail/Office and Automotive, and Parks and Recreation. The General Plan will be amended to include three new land use designations: Downtown Dublin - Village Parkway District, Downtown Dublin - Retail District, and Downtown Dublin - Transit-Oriented District. The boundaries of these three land 7of11 use designations shall be contiguous with the district boundaries shown in the DDSP, and the maximum development potential shall be as described in the DDSP. Figure 1-1a (General Plan Land Use Map) shall be amended accordingly. Another key amendment to the General Plan is revising the circulation policy that requires the operating Level of Service (LOS) for intersections in Dublin to not be worse than LOS D. LOS is a qualitative description of operating traffic conditions, ranging from LOS A (free-flow traffic conditions with little or no delay) to LOS F (traffic flows exceed design capacity, resulting in long queues and delays). This item was discussed in detail at the June 29, 2010 Study Session. After consideration, the City Council provided direction to Staff that this LOS D or better policy should not apply to intersections within the DDSP project area. The concept behind the change is that the community is willing to accept increased traffic congestion (i.e. reduced level of service) that comes with allowing greater development capacity. Keeping the LOS D policy, which was deemed not desirable, would result in larger roadways and changed lane configurations. These improvements, while improving traffic flow, would be in conflict with improving the pedestrian and bicycle safety in the Downtown and creating a more walkable area. Other minor amendments are proposed to update the General Plan text to note the existence of the new DDSP and to remove references to the West Dublin BART and Downtown Core Specific Plans. The exact changes proposed to the General Plan are illustrated in Attachment 2, with strikeout text showing the proposed deletions and underlined text showing the proposed additions. The Resolution recommending City Council adoption of the General Plan Amendments is included as Attachment 1 to this Staff Report. ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS: One of the implementation actions of the DDSP is to rezone all of the properties in the Specific Plan area with a single zoning district to streamline review and approval of new development in the DDSP. By creating a new zoning designation that refers to the permitted land uses and development standards contained in the DDSP, future development applications need only be in compliance with the Specific Plan instead of other zoning districts that were developed prior to the creation of the DDSP. If a development proposal is in conformance with the DDSP, the only planning approval needed is for Site Development Review. The proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments are as follows: 1. Create a new zoning district and a new Chapter in the Zoning Ordinance: Chapter 8.30 Downtown Dublin Zoning District 2. Rezone all parcels in the DDSP project area to the Downtown Dublin Zoning District (this includes all properties shown in Figure 1 of this Staff Report); 3. Amend the Zoning Map to show the location of the Downtown Dublin Zoning District; and 4. Make minor amendments to Chapter 8.12 (Zoning Districts and Permitted Uses of Land) and Chapter 8.104 (Site Development Review) to reflect the existence of the new Chapter 8.30 (Downtown Dublin Zoning District). 8of11 New Chapter 8.30 (Downtown Dublin Zoning District) identifies the permitted uses and development standards for properties in the zoning district by referring back to Sections 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 of the DDSP itself. If these sections of the Specific Plan are amended in the future, they will need to be accompanied by a Zoning Ordinance Amendment, since these sections serve as the zoning standards for the Zoning District. If other sections of the DDSP are amended in the future, they can be done so through Resolution. All of the properties in the DDSP area are currently zoned Planned Development (PD). All of these PD Zoning Districts would be replaced by a single Downtown Dublin Zoning District. In general, the development standards and permitted uses outlined in the DDSP are flexible and fairly generous. There are no known situations where the existing Planned Development Zoning District is more permissive than the provisions of the DDSP, so it is expected that most (or all) of the existing development in the Downtown area is in conformance with the DDSP. The benefit of the rezoning is that property owners will no longer need to go through a Planned Development Rezone (either Stage 1 or Stage 2) when new development is proposed, they will simply need to be in compliance with the new Downtown Dublin Zoning District and the DDSP. The development would only be subject to Site Development Review. In the unlikely event that existing buildings and/or uses become non-conforming with the rezoning from Planned Development to Downtown Dublin Zoning District, the provisions of Chapter 8.140 (Non-Conforming Uses and Structures) would apply. However, given the generous provisions of the development standards and allowed uses in the DDSP, Staff does not anticipate that this situation will occur. Two public meetings were held on October 13, 2010 to, among other things, explain the proposed rezoning action. A notice was sent to all property and business owners in the DDSP project area inviting them to the meetings, and approximately 20 interested people attended. No questions were asked about the proposed rezoning action, but Staff answered several questions about the Specific Plan itself. The Resolution recommending City Council approval of the Zoning Ordinance Amendments is included as Attachment 3 to this Staff Report, with the Ordinance itself included as Exhibit A to Attachment 3. More specifically, the entire proposed new Chapter 8.30 (Downtown Dublin Zoning District) is included in Section 3 of Exhibit A, the proposed amendment to Chapter 8.12 (Zoning Districts and Permitted Uses of Land) is included in Section 4 of Exhibit A, and the proposed amendments to Chapter 8.104 (Site Development Review) are included in Sections 5 and 6 of Exhibit A. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared to address potential environmental impacts of the DDSP. The DDSP EIR (SCH# 2010022005) was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Draft EIR was released for public review for a 45-day period, from September 20, 2010 to November 4, 2010. Comments were received from five public agencies. The comment letters, along with the City's response to those comments, are contained in the Final EIR. The Draft EIR and Final EIR are included as Exhibits A and B to Attachment 4 of this Staff Report. As required by CEQA, the Final EIR (that includes the Response to Comments) was sent directly to those agencies that provided comments on the Draft EIR. The DDSP EIR (comprised 9of11 of the Draft EIR and Final EIR) has been available for review at City Hall during normal business hours, and will continue to be available to the public until the final City Council public hearing on this matter. The documents are also posted on the City's website on a page devoted to the DDSP. The Resolution recommending City Council certification of the Final EIR is included as Attachment 4 to this Staff Report. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: A notice of this public hearing was published in the Valley Times and mailed to all property owners and tenants in the Specific Plan area, those within 300 feet of the existing Specific Plan boundaries, and all persons who have expressed an interest in being notified of meetings. The notification list for DDSP notices has 2,330 mailing addresses and 209 e-mail addresses. Announcements of each public meeting related to the DDSP have been mailed and e-mailed to these notification lists. Numerous public outreach efforts have taken place over the course of developing the DDSP, including an online survey, walking tours, workshops, one-on-one interviews, joint City Council/Planning Commission Study Sessions and, most recently, two public meetings in October 2010 to review the DDSP and Draft EIR. The Staff Report for this public hearing was also available on the City's website on a specific "Downtown Dublin Specific Plan" webpage. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt a Resolution adopting the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan, amending the General Plan to ensure consistency with the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan, and repealing the West Dublin BART Specific Plan, Village Parkway Specific Plan, Downtown Core Specific Plan, Dublin Downtown Specific Plan, and San Ramon Road Specific Plan, with the draft Resolution attached as Exhibit A and the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan attached as Exhibit A-1. 2) Summary of General Plan Amendments 3) Resolution recommending that the City Council Adopt an Ordinance approving Zoning Ordinance Amendments to create a new Chapter: 8.30 (Downtown Dublin Zoning District), rezone all properties within the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan project area to the Downtown Dublin Zoning District, amend the Zoning Map to identify the location of the new Zoning District, amend Zoning Ordinance Chapter 8.12 (Zoning Districts and Permitted Uses), and amend Chapter 8.104 (Site Development Review), with the draft City Council Ordinance included as Exhibit A. 4) Resolution Recommending City Council certification of a Final Environmental Impact Report and Adoption of Environmental Findings under CEQA for the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan, with the Draft EIR attached as Exhibit A and the Final EIR attached as Exhibit B. 10 of 11 GENERAL INFORMATION: APPLICANT: City of Dublin LOCATION: The DDSP (DDSP) project area is located in the southwestern portion of the City and is approximately 284 acres in size. The project area is generally bound by Village Parkway to the east, Interstate 580 to the south, San Ramon Road to the west, and Amador Valley Boulevard to the north. There are some partial boundary limits that extend beyond those roadways, most notably for a portion of San Ramon Road, a portion of Amador Valley Boulevard, and all of the Village Parkway within the Specific Plan area. A map of the project area is shown below: r_ i i LEGEND i =lltrtza in •a - I u"b r ' Litt' O{ e ~ suntcr ASSESSORS PARCEL NUMBER: Various GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DESIGNATIONS: Various SPECIFIC PLAN LAND USE DESIGNATIONS: Various 11 of 11