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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.2 SCS Property Community OutreachSTAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL Page 1 of 3 Agenda Item 7.2 DATE:June 1, 2021 TO:Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM:Linda Smith, City Manager SUBJECT:SCS Property Community Outreach Prepared by: Amy Million, Principal Planner EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: On March 2, 2021, the City Council approved a City-led community outreach process for the SCS Property that includes an Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel to create a foundation for future discussion and a consultant team to assist in engaging the community. As part of this effort, Staff and the consultant team lead by ELS Architecture & Urban Design will provide a presentation on background information collected and opportunities and constraints. In addition, Staff and ELS are seeking input from the City Council regarding the future use of the site. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive the presentation on the SCS Property community outreach process, background information including initial understanding of opportunities, constraints, and desired objectives, and provide input. FINANCIAL IMPACT: All costs associated with the community outreach process will be paid by the property owner. DESCRIPTION: Background The subject 76.9-gross-acre property is located north of I-580 between Tassajara Road and Brannigan Street and extends to the north of Gleason Drive (Figure 1). 1374 Page 2 of 3 On March 2, 2021, the City Council approved a City-led community outreach process for the SCS Property and an agreement with ELS Architecture & Urban Design to assist with the process. For reference, an overview of the community outreach is provided in Attachment 1. The community outreach process is now underway. The recently formed 14-member Community Advisory Committee (CAC) held their first meeting on May 19. The CAC is composed of community members including six residents that live within a half mile of the SCS Property, six residents from the broader Dublin community, a representative from the Dublin Chamber of Commerce,and a representative from the Innovation TriValley Leadership Group. In addition, stakeholder meetings have been held with the City of Pleasanton and the landowner of Grafton Station, initial background research has begun, and Planning Commission Meeting #1 was held on May 25. The community outreach process includes several meetings with the City Council. This initial meeting with the City Council will include: An update on the community outreach process; Background information collected from the landowner, CAC, Planning Commission and initial interviews; The consultant team’s initial understanding of opportunities and constraints; and An opportunity for the City Council to discuss concerns and desired objectives for the property and the City. In addition, the Consultant Team wants to check in with the City Council to make sure all the relevant issues are being considered and that the approach is effective. The list of questions below reflects the nature of questions that Staff and the Consultant Team are asking key stakeholders, the community,and internal personnel. What should this part of the City of Dublin become in terms of neighborhood character? The Site will likely not remain undeveloped forever. Are the permitted future uses for the site the best uses or would you like to see something different? Figure 1. Location Map 1375 Page 3 of 3 Are the desired uses for the site economically feasible? What can the market bear? What can be realistically built on the site? What community benefits are important? How is the amount of development proportional to the community benefit? (i.e., you build more, you get more) Based on the above, the Consultant Team is seeking City Council confirmation on the following: Are we asking the right questions pertaining to the future land use of this property? Are there additional issues or questions that you think we should focus on? STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE: None. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: A webpage was created on the City’s website to provide information on the SCS Property Community Outreach project (https://dublin.ca.gov/2297/SCS-Property-Community-Outreach). Notification of this meeting was provided on the webpage and Nextdoor as well as to all interested persons who requested to stay informed of the project, including the CAC and property owners. The City Council Agenda was posted. ATTACHMENT: 1) SCS Community Outreach Overview 1376 Attachment 1 SCS Property Community Outreach Overview The community outreach approach includes utilizing an Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel (ULI TAP) to create a foundation for future discussion and a consultant team to assist in engaging the community. Details on these two efforts is provided below. Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel The ULI TAP program provides expert, multidisciplinary advice to local governments on complex land use issues ranging from site-specific projects to public policy questions. It is envisioned that the ULI TAP will provide input and recommendations on land uses that optimize the synergy between land use, economic development, and community compatibility for the SCS Property. The ULI TAP is scheduled for June 24-29. Consultant Team The selected consultant team lead by ELS Architecture & Urban Design will build off the ULI TAP work product as part of its planning and outreach program. The consultant team is composed of: ELS Architecture & Urban Design – Project management and urban design Urban Field Studio – Community engagement Retail Real Estate Resources - Commercial real estate strategy Bernese Lane Partners - Residential development Keyser Marston Associates - Financial feasibility Kimley-Horn – Traffic and related opportunities and constraints The consultant team will work with the community, property owner, City Staff and other stakeholders to identify viable land uses and development options for the property. The work will be driven by the following guiding principles and consider feedback from the community, Staff, Planning Commission and City Council, financial and economic feasibility, and goals of the property owner: 1. The goal of the outreach process is to gain consensus on preferred land use and future development of the property. 2. The outreach process will include a variety of interested parties including the property owner, adjacent property owners (i.e., Grafton, Lowe’s), adjacent homeowner’s associations and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. 3. The preferred plan will create the framework for a mixed-use private project including limited public amenities. 4. The preferred plan will establish minimum residential densities. 5. The preferred plan will meet the goals of the property owner to create a financially and economically feasible project in the current market and long-term sustainability for the City. 1377 Attachment 1 Community Outreach Activities In coordination with the consultant team, the following community outreach activities will take place over the course of the coming year: Task A: Background Research – The consultant team will identify physical, political, and financial opportunities and constraints, working with key stakeholders, and will begin building a relationship with the community through a Community Advisory Committee (CAC). As part of this task, the consultant team will review relevant planning documents and site history, conduct urban design site analysis, evaluate geographic infrastructure constraints and opportunities, and complete a market analysis. Task B: Public Facing Engagement – The consultant team will create a website and survey to begin to build a relationship with the broader community and explore development of the site. This task will establish project goals, explore a potential range of development, and provide insight into the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) obligations. Task C: Land Use Framework – The consultant team will develop and share three broad planning concepts, which will consist of different approaches to land planning for the property and the general organization of parcels, streets, and public spaces. As part of this task, the consultant team will explore other development case studies, and prepare an economic viability memo and an educational video. The “Consensus Through Education” video will be used to summarize the process and provide an overview of Tasks A-C and create a foundation for the preferred plan (Task D). Task D: Preferred Plan – The consultant team will focus on presenting and receiving input on the preferred plan. Presentation of the preferred plan will include a summary of findings from community outreach, feedback on the initial three land plans, and an architectural workshop. The economic viability memo will also be updated to reflect the preferred plan and input received. Task E: General Plan Amendment Study Recommendation – The consultant team will prepare a recommendation memo to support a General Plan Amendment, if needed. Based on feedback received, the consultant team will prepare a site master plan. The plan will be developed with the following details: Land use plan including the organization of parcels, streets, and public spaces. Architectural prototypes for development capacities, including residential and commercial uses. Overall building massing, including scale of buildings, public streets, parks, and plazas; four focused renderings will convey character. Connectivity within the site and to the surrounding neighborhood context. 1378 Attachment 1 Phasing plan for the commercial district illustrating near- and long-term build-out. Conceptual plans for up to two feature public spaces (one residential oriented, one commercial oriented). Table 1 below provides a tentative schedule for the community outreach activities described above. Table 1. Tentative Schedule Task A Background Research Task B Public Facing Engagement Task C Land Use Framework Task D Preferred Plan Task E GPA Study Recommendation April/ May 2021 August 2021 October 2021 January 2022 April 2022 Meeting with Staff Meeting with Staff Meeting with Staff Meeting with Staff Meeting with Staff Build Project Website Project Website Update Project Website Update Project Website Update Landowner Engagement Meeting #1 Landowner Engagement Meeting #2 Landowner Engagement Meeting #3 & #4 CAC Meeting #1 CAC Meeting #2 CAC Meeting #3 Synchronous Community Meeting #1 Synchronous Community Meeting #2 Synchronous Community Meeting #3 Asynchronous Community Survey #1 Asynchronous Community Survey #2 Asynchronous Community Survey #3 Planning Commission Meeting #1 Planning Commission Meeting #2 Planning Commission Meeting #3 City Council Meeting #1 City Council Meeting #2 City Council Meeting #3 “Consensus Though Education” Video Recommendation Memo 1379 1380 1381 1382 Background Research Public Engagement Land Use Framework General Plan Amendment Preferred Plan Project Overview Task A Task B Task C Task D Task E End of 2021 Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel June 24-29. 2021 1383 Project Purpose: Consensus on a Preferred Plan for the Site General Plan Amendment for this site A preferred plan for the site that is as realistic and viable as possible. 1384 1385 1386 1387 1388 1389 1390 1391 1392 1393 1394 1395 1396 1397 1398 1399 1400 Public Benefits Schools Parks Streets Economic Outlook 1401 1402 1403 1404 1405 1406 1407 Are these the right questions? 1408 1409 Brainstorm ideas - anything goes! Next step: Bringing it back to viability and feasibility 1410 Let’s be careful to consider the difference between parks and natural open space Are we engaging the right population? What about the voices of the people who want to live here but can’t afford it. We need to fill in the retail we already have, many centers are in a need of an update. We have so many vacancies. Green space is breathing room How do we attract boutique spaces, small businesses, non profits? What about incubator spaces? How do we get foot traffic across Dublin Blvd.? We need to bring work and play together. Can retail spaces be flexible to serve other uses such as office? How do we capture the “intangible” people want on this site? Dublin’s culture is diverse, and getting more diverse, how can this development respond to these cultural forces? Office space is obsolete - retail is struggling, how do we convince people to embrace what can be built? Are we going to have two downtowns? Planning Commission Discussion 1411 Opportunities This could be an opportunity to connect existing neighborhoods around the site This is an opportunity to right size and reconfigure the land uses with what the market can bear This is an opportunity to bring more services to the area Constraints Market Constraints (especially for retail, hotel, and office) Desired Physical Scale Impacts to shared public services: traffic, schools, parks, etc. Expectations are high, but the ability to do something viable is limited Do you think there are other Opportunities and Constraints? 1412 Summary of Questions Are these the right questions? Do you think there are other Opportunities and Constraints? What do you think of the process so far? 1413 1414