HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 PCSR ZOA Village Pkwy Pilot Parking Program i9� =" �• STAFF REPORT
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DATE: October 9, 2012
TO: Planning Commission
SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING: PLPA-2012-00033 Zoning Ordinance
Amendment to Chapter 8.76 (Off-Street Parking and Loading)
related to the Village Parkway Market-Based Parking Program
(Legislative)
Report prepared by Kristi Bascom, Principal Planner
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Planning Commission will review City-initiated amendments to Chapter 8.76 (Off-Street
Parking and Loading) of the Dublin Zoning Ordinance to temporarily eliminate the parking
standards in the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan Village Parkway District. The proposed
amendments will implement a test-case parking program in the District to see if it can enable
more intense uses along the Village Parkway corridor. The Program will be in effect for a
temporary period of two years.
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 a Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt an Ordinance approving a
Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Chapter 8.76 (Off-Street Parking and Loading) related to the
Village Parkway Market-Based Parking Program.
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Submitted By R-l$wed By
Principal Planner Assistant Community Development Director
COPIES TO: File gr,ITEM NO.:
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GAPA#120121PLPA-2012-00033 Village Parkway Pilot Parking Program\PC 10.09.20121PCSR.docx
DESCRIPTION:
The overarching goal of the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan (DDSP) is "to create a vibrant,
dynamic commercial and mixed-use center that provides a wide array of opportunities for
shopping, services, dining, working, living, and entertainment in a pedestrian-friendly and
aesthetically pleasing setting that attracts both local and regional residents."
The DDSP established three distinct districts, each including its own set of design standards
tailored to the envisioned uses. The Transit-Oriented District embraces the recent opening of
the West Dublin BART station and is the district where a vast majority of the new residential
development in Downtown Dublin is envisioned to take place. The Retail District includes
much of the existing retail core and aims to stimulate infill development and redevelopment of
aging buildings and large parking areas. The Village Parkway District embraces the existing
successful service and retail uses along a "Main Street" corridor, and this district has the most
potential to reutilize and re-tenant existing buildings with more intense uses such as restaurants,
service retail, and other local-serving businesses.
Since the adoption of the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan in February 2011, City Staff have been
working to implement the goals and policies of both the Specific Plan and the subsequent
recommendations of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Technical Assistance Panel report. One of
the recommendations from the ULI report was to incentivize more commercial businesses in the
downtown by having greater flexibility in regulatory standards such as the City's parking
requirements.
On May 15, 2012, the City Council reviewed a Staff Report (Attachment 1) that recommended a
three year pilot program to test a market-based approach for parking on a 4.3 acre portion of the
Village Parkway District as shown in the figure below. Under a market-based approach to
parking, the DDSP would continue
* to regulate the uses allowed, but
parking requirements for the use
s,r types would not be a consideration.
Parking supply and demand would
k be managed by the property
, . 4 owners and tenants, and not
regulated by the City. It would
a
become the responsibility of the
property owners, property
• managers, and businesses to
lease tenant spaces to the right
combination of users to ensure that
there is sufficient parking to serve
the businesses and their
customers. A pilot program that
removes the parking requirement
on four parcels on Village Parkway
was seen as one way of testing the
concept to see if it could be
successful in a larger area The
affected property owners were
supportive of the concept..
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The City Council directed Staff to prepare amendments to Chapter 8.72 (Off Street Parking and
Loading) of the Zoning Ordinance to temporarily waive the parking requirements in the 4.3-acre
area noted above during the three-year pilot program.
After the City Council meeting, Staff took the following actions:
1. Prepared the draft Zoning Ordinance Amendments;
2. Provided the proposed amendments to the affected two property owners in the proposed
pilot area;
3. Sent a notice to all property owners and businesses within the Village Parkway District
notifying them of the proposed pilot program and seeking their input on the concept;
4. Prepared the appropriate environmental review;
5. Sent out Public Hearing Notices for the Planning Commission meeting to all property
owners and businesses within the Village Parkway District and within 300 feet of the pilot
area; and
6. Presented the Zoning Ordinance Amendment to the Planning Commission for review and
recommendation to the City Council.
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment
on July 24, 2012 (Attachment 2). Two comment letters were received from the public and two
members of the public attended the Planning Commission meeting. A third comment letter was
received after the Planning Commission hearing was held. Two of the comment letters stated a
concern about creating an unfair competitive advantage if only a handful of the properties in the
Village Parkway District had relaxed parking standards, and they suggested expanding the area
to include more properties. One comment letter expressed concerns about potential overflow
parking on their parcel.
The Planning Commission had a lengthy discussion on the merits of reducing parking
requirements in a specific area (Attachment 3). Concerns were raised about the size and
location of the pilot area, the lack of available tenant spaces for lease in the pilot area, and the
proposed length of time for the pilot program. Two members of the public spoke in support of
the pilot program, but suggested that the area be enlarged to benefit the entire Village Parkway
District. At the conclusion of the item, there was a call for a vote that resulted in a split decision
with no formal recommendation via resolution. The vote was 2-2-1 (one Commissioner was
absent). It was the desire of the Planning Commission that the City Council consider this issue
with the meeting minutes offering insight into the thoughts of the Planning Commission
members and public comments received.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Staff brought the issue back to the City Council on August 21, 2012 (Attachment 4) to receive
further direction on the proposed pilot parking program. The City Council discussed the item
and provided unanimous direction to Staff to enlarge the market-based parking program to
encompass the entire Village Parkway District (instead of the 4.3 acre pilot area) for a temporary
period of 24 months (instead of 36 months). A map of the Village Parkway District is provided
on the following page.
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Map of the Village Parkway District ...„ . . .": . : 7-
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ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
Based on the City Council direction provided August 21, 2012, Staff has prepared a Zoning
Ordinance Amendment to modify Section 8.76.080.D (Parking Requirements by Use Type —
Commercial) to add the following language (new text is underlined):
Commercial Use Types. Commercial Use Types shall provide off-street parking spaces
as noted in the table below, with the exception of uses located on properties in the Village
Parkwa District of the Downtown Dublin S•ecific Plan. Uses in the Village Parkwa
District are not re•uired to •rovide a •rescribed number of •arkin• s•aces for an use
that is permitted or conditionally permitted in the Downtown Dublin Zoning District.
The Ordinance describes that the above language will be in effect for a period of two years, after
which it will revert back to the existing language, which requires all uses in all areas to meet the
parking required by their use. Because the proposed amendment is intended to •incentivize
commercial development, the parking requirements for other use types (residential or civic) in
the Village Parkway District are not proposed to change.
Attached is a Planning Commission Resolution (Attachment 5) recommending that the City
Council adopt an Ordinance (Exhibit A to Attachment 5) that will amend Chapter 8.76 as
detailed above. At the conclusion of the two year pilot program, the City will assess the success
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of the program and determine whether the relaxed parking requirements should be enacted for
a longer period of time or made permanent.
CONSISTENCY WITH THE GENERAL PLAN, SPECIFIC PLAN AND ZONING ORDINANCE:
The proposed amendments to Chapter 8.76 (Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations) are
consistent with the General Plan, applicable Specific Plans and the Zoning Ordinance in that the
amendments are limited to relaxing the parking requirements for a temporary period of time for
uses which are consistent with the General Plan, applicable Specific Plans and Zoning
Ordinance. The proposed amendments do not change any land use designations or zoning
designations.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
City Staff held a Community Meeting on Friday, September 21, 2012 and invited all property
owners and tenants in the Village Parkway District. Two property owners/managers attended and
expressed support for the proposed Parking Reduction Program and support for the program's
expansion to the entire Village Parkway District. One of the property managers had questions
about the project that Staff answered, and he provided a letter of support (Attachment 6).
In accordance with State law, a public notice was published in the Valley Times and posted at
several locations throughout the City. A notice of this hearing was mailed to those requesting such
notice ten days before the hearing and the Staff Report and attachments were made available for
public review prior to the public hearing in accordance with Government Code Sections 65090 and
65091. A public notice was also sent to all tenants and property owners in the entire Village
Parkway District and all tenants and property owners within 300 feet of the affected properties.
Public notification regarding this program has been provided at following key steps in the process:
July 5, 2012: Notice sent to all property owners and tenants in the Village Parkway
District seeking their feedback on the proposed Pilot Parking Program for
the 4.3-acre area.
July 14, 2012: Public Notice of the July 24, 2012 Planning Commission hearing provided
to all property owners and tenants in the Village Parkway District.
September 7, 2012: Notice of the September 21, 2012 Community Meeting sent to all property
owners and tenants in the Village Parkway District.
September 28, 2012: Public Notice of the October 9, 2012 Planning Commission hearing
provided to all property owners and tenants in the Village Parkway District.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), together with the State Guidelines and City
Environmental Regulations require that certain projects be reviewed for environmental impacts
and when applicable, environmental documents prepared. For this project, Staff recommends
that the project be found exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in
accordance with Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that the
amendments to Chapter 8.76 of the Dublin Municipal Code (Off-Street Parking and Loading) will
not have a significant effect on the environment
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ATTACHMENTS: 1) City Council Staff Report dated May 15, 2012
2) Planning Commission Staff Report dated July 24, 2012
3) Planning Commission Meeting Minutes dated July 24, 2012
4) City Council Staff Report dated August 21, 2012
5) Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt an Ordinance
approving a Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Chapter 8.76 (Off-
Street Parking and Loading) related to the Village Parkway Market-
Based Parking Program, with the draft Ordinance included as Exhibit
A
6) Letter from Kevin Sakimoto dated September 18, 2012
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GENERAL INFORMATION:
APPLICANT/: City of Dublin
PROPERTY OWNERS: Various
LOCATION: All properties in the Village Parkway District of the Downtown
Dublin Specific Plan
ASSESSORS PARCEL
NUMBERS: Various
GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE DESIGNATION: Downtown Dublin Specific Plan (Village Parkway District)
SPECIFIC PLAN
LAND USE DESIGNATION: n/a
SURROUNDING USES:
LOCATION ZONING GENERAL PLAN LAND USE CURRENT USE OF
PROPERTY
North DDZD Downtown Dublin Specific Plan Residential
(Village Parkway District)
South DDZD Downtown Dublin Specific Plan Office, Retail
(Village Parkway District)
East DDZD Downtown Dublin Specific Plan Residential
(Village Parkway District)
West n/a n/a Interstate 680,
Flood Control Channel
RESOURCES:
General Plan
Zoning Ordinance
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