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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 11/13/1972 M I NUT E S November 133 1972 of the regular meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission TIME: 8:00 p.m. DATE: November 133 1972 PLACE: Council Chambers, City Hall South San Francisco, California MEMBERS PRESENT: Vice Chairman Gamma, Commissioners Hale, Lazzari, Mathewson, Mullin, Slade, and Chairman Raffaelli MEMBERS ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: City Planner and Secretary to the South San Francisco Planning Commission, Daniel M. Pass Assistant Planner William A. Timmons Planning Aide Surendra N. Amin MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING Minutes of the Planning Commission meeting of October 24, 1972 Commissioner Hale moved that the minutes of the regular meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission of October 24, 1972 be approved. The motion was seconded by Vice-Chairman Gamma and was passed by the following roll call vote: AYES: Vice Chairman Gamma, Commissioners Hale, Lazzari, Mathewson, Mullin, Slade and Chairman Raffaelli NOES: None ABSENT: None ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING TAPE RECORDING OF MEETING Chairman Raffaelli announced that this meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission would be recorded on tape, but that anyone who wished to come before the Commission in order to be heard, but objected to having his voice recorded in this manner, could request the Chairman to order the tape recorder turned "off" for the duration of the time that he is speak- ing or is heard. - 3554 - The Proposed Location of the Police Facility of the City of South San Francisco in the vicinity of the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut Avenues~ and the proposed, consequential amendment of the General Plan. Secretary Pass read the following letter into the record. Letter dated October l2.} 1972 from Gale F. Dreisbach., City Manager "I, Gale Dreisbach, City Manager of the City of South San Francisco, hereby respectfully request that the Planning Commission initiate a public hearing on the following proposed amendments to th.e General Plan. "Amendment to the Pl~n Diagram It is proposed that the Plan Diagram indicate, in general, that the future "Police Facility" be established at the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut Avenues. "Amendment to the Text of the Public Facilities Element It is proposed that the text of the Public Facilities General Plan Element, at Page 45 be amended, to wit: The existing Police Station, focated within the Civic Center, contains insufficient space to 'adequately house the police function in the future. A new Police Station should be con- structed ~~ tU~ ~~ttU~tJy ii~~ ~t MiXJ~t A~~~~~ ~~4 ~p t~~ i~~tU~tJy iic}.rf c/Jt 1;4.i1it?iil< ~;4.i~~ 1P~tWrf~vl V1~:r6J~ M~ W~tppt Air(Jpp(Jrtt 1l(lrt 1P~iX~ivlt iUc/J~Xc}. Uc/J~i(J tU~ :r6c/JXii~ ;iJ1piilc/Jp c/Jr/lXf .;4.r/l~ i~c/JJ1Xc}. 16~ :r6UiiliiJJf i(J:r6itit~~ itc/J~ t~(J ~tu~t ~jirli ~(Jpt(Jt1PJ1tXc}.iptit at or near the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut Avenues. (III Deletions Addenda) "This request is submitted pursuant to instructions of the City Council of the City of South San Francis co. " Report and Recom~endation of City Planner, Daniel M. Pass "Analysis "I. "The General P Ian of the City of South San Francis co pI aces cons iderab Ie emphasis upon this municipality's need to renew its urban core. The following excerpts from the planning document, 'Orderly Growth,' clearly indicate the strong interdependence between South San Francisco's several neighborhoods and their city center. 'URBAN CORE '8. The urban center should be the C1V1C, commercial, financial, recreation, social, and cultural focus of South San Francisco. ' - 3555 - November 13, 1972 Proposed Location of the Police Facility of the City of South San Francisco contd. '9. The urban core requires immediate rejuvenation. Its new physical focus should be a Grand Avenue mall, or shaded parade. '10. The urban core should be rejuvenated through the concerted effort of the municipality, the downtown landowners, the Chamber of Commerce, and the downtown merchants.' "2. Since the cohesiveness and internal' unity of a town are predicated upon the viability of said town's core, the aforequoted objectives must be conside~ed of paramount importance. The survival of the core must transcend short-term economic and financial considerations, as well as the manifested preferences of individual enterprises and municipal departments. "3. The above factors underlie the General Plan's Public Facilities Element, which at Page 45 provides: 'CIVIC CENTER South San Francisco's Civic Center should be designed to serve both the governmental and Central library needs of the City. The governmental functions should be located in the existing City Hall and a second administrative building, which should be constructed adjacent to City Hall, on the site of the existing police station. The new structure should conform to the existing Georgian architectural theme. The existing Police Station, located within the Civic Center, contains insufficient space to adequately house the police function in the future. A new Police Station should be con- structed on the northerly side of Miller Avenue and on the southerly side of Tamarack Lane, between Maple and Walnut Avenues. This building should house the police function only and should be physically separated from other Civic Center buildings. ' "4. Since the City Manager's proposal would remove the police facility from the urban core, and thereby reduce the civic importance there- of, said proposal must be construed as a substantial refutation of the letter and the spirit of the General Plan. "5. It is the opinion of the City Planner that the proposed relocation of South San Francisco's police facility from the urban core to the Sun- shine Gardens Neighborhood also violates the tenets and precepts of sound urban planning. Not only would said relocation weaken the core s counterattack against decline and blight infestation, but would erode the residential order and amenity of the Sunshine Gardens and Grand Neighborhoods. This relocation would encourage "commercial" and "high- density" land speculation along Chestnut and Grand Avenues, and would tend to place the General Plan I s land-use patterns and parameters in serious jeopardy. - 3556 REVISED Proposed Location of the Police Facility contd November 13, 1972 '1Recommendation Whereas the Planning Office is of the oplnlon that the adoption of the proposed amendments would be inconsistent with the orderly growth, developmental stability, conservation, and amenity of the City of South San Francisco and environs, it must respectfully recommend that the Commission recommend that the proposed amendments to the General Plan be denied adoption. The Planning Office also respectfully recommends that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council order the Capital Improve- ment Committee and the Planning Commission to jointly and comprehen- sively study additional potential police--facility sites, and to report thereon to the Council." Names and Addresses of Proponents and Opponents Proponents: City Manager, City of South San Francisco Opponents: Speakers: Mr. Fred W. Hull, Director of Ecological Development, stated that he had reviewed the City Planner's report and is in general agreement with the planning divisiono However, Mr. Hull noted that there would be more advantages in locating the police facility at the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut Avenues. None Mr. Gale F. Dreisbach, City Manager, explained the history regarding the new police facility and noted that the City Council had given the project first priority. Mr. Richard Battaglia, Chairman of the Citizen's Capital Improvement Com- mittee stated that the present police facility is overcrowded and taxed beyond its capacity. He further stated that the Committee considered the police facility site as suggested in the General Plan and concluded the site was not large enough for the present and future requirements of the Police Department. He further noted that the minimum requirement for a new facility is a 3-acre parcel. The Committee studied suitable sites and considered several in the vicinity of Grand and Chestnut Avenues. Among all of the sites considered by the Committee, Mr. Battaglia stated that the proposed loca- tion at the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut Avenues was the most suitable and advantageouso In conclusion, he further noted that the Committee also recommends that the City Council consider a 10-acre parcel of land and thereby also accommodate a central fire station or any other future park, and those buildings which may become necessary with continued growth. George Avanessian, the architect for the police facility stated that he con- curred with the Committee's findings and discussed the advantages and dis- advantages of the proposed sites with a slide presentation. - 3557 Proposed Location of the Police Facility of the City of South San Francisco contd. November 13, 1972 Salvatore Rosano, Chief of Police, stated that he does not refute the fact that the rejuvenation of the downtown area is needed, but that he disagreed that the survival of the downtown core is dependent upon the location of a police facility. The police chief further noted that a police facility is a professional and administrative office. The chief stated that the site is large enough to accommodate present and future requirements, is close to the County Court House where the police department does a considerable amount of its work. He noted that the site is located at major arteries, is currently in agricultural use and would be readily available with a minimum displace- ment of residents. The chief stated that the project has been delayed and time is money, and any further delay would increase the cost of the police facility. In reply to some of the aforementioned discussion, Mr. Pass stated that there have been attempts in the past for commercial facilities on this site, but all were defeated in order to keep it residential. Mr. Pass further stated that the City consider expanding the existing facility with a double deck parking lot and closing Miller Avenue to centralize the urban core. Considerable discussion ensued regarding the proposed police facility site. At the conclusion of its deliberation, the Planning Commission recommended that the following preliminary Resolution No. 2125 be adopted, and recom- mended to the City Council that the public facilities and plan diagram of the General Plan be amended by the adoption .of the proposed amendment thereto. "RESOLUTION NO. 2125 "RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING CO~~ISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL THEREOF THAT THE PUBLIC AND PLAN DIAGRAM OF THE GENERAL PLAN BE AMENDED BY THE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT THERETO. "WHEREAS, the South San Francisco Planning Commission, meeting in regular session on Monday, November l3, 1972, conducted a public hearing on the City Manager's proposal that the Public Element and Plan Diagram of the General Plan be amended in accordance with the said City Manager's letter of October 12, 1972, to wit: 'Mr. Daniel M. Pass, A.I.P. City Planner and Secretary to The Planning Commission , De ar Mr. Pas s .: 'I, Gale Dreisbach, City Manager of the City of South San Francisco, hereby respectfully request that the Planning Commission initiate a public hearing on the following proposed amendments to the General Plan. "Amendment to the Plan Diagram "It is proposed that the Plan Diagram indicate, in general, that the future 'Police Facility' be established at the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut Avenues. -3558 Proposed Location of the Police Facility of the City of South San Francisco contd. November 13, 1972 "Amendment to the Text of the Public Facilities Element "It is proposed that the text of the Public Facilities General Plan Element, at Page 45, be amended, to wit: The existing Police Station, located within the Civic Center, contains insufficient space to adequately house the police function in the future. A new Police Station should be constructedl ~~ t~~ ~~it~~tXf iX~~ ~I ~XX1~f Aj~~~~ ~~~ ~p t~~ $~~t~~flf $~~~ pI ti~~i~t~ ~ip~~ ~~tw~~P ~~pX~ ~~~ WiX~~t A~~p~~$' t~~$ ~~iX~~pg $~P~X~ ~~~$~ t~~ p~X~t~ I~~it~~~ ~~Xf ~p~ i~p~X~ ~~ p~fi~i~XXf $~p~i~t~~ If~~ t~~ ~t~~f ~~y~i ~~~t~i ~~~X~~pg$J at or near the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut.Avenues. (/ / / Del etions Addenda) "This request is submitted pursuant to instructions of the City Council of the City of South San Francisco. "Very truly yours, Gale F. Dreisbach, City Manager" "WHEREAS, Planning Commission, at least ten days prior to the said hearing, transmitted copies of the proposed amendment to the Town of Colma, the Cities of Brisbane, Daly City, Pacifica, and San Bruno, the County of San Mateo, the County of Alameda, the State Council on Intergovernmental Relations, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Regional Planning Committee of the County of San Mateo, the City and County of San Francisco, and the California Public Utilities Commission; and, "WHEREAS, the Planning Commission considered the advocacies of City Manager Gale F. Dreisbach, Police Chief: Salvatore Rosano, Ecological-Development Director Fred W. Hull, Architect George Avanessian, and Citizen Capital Improvement Committee Chairman Richard Battaglia in support of the proposed amendment; and, "WHEREAS, the Planning Commission considered Urban Planning Analysis No 82, under which the City Planner recommended that the proposed amendment be denied approval; and "WHEREAS, the Planning Commission after the closure of the public hearing, discussed the proposed amendment at considerable length; and, "WHEREAS, the Commission made the following finding: "The site of the police facility proposed under the proposed amendment would best serve the needs of the people of the City of South San Francisco." "NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Planning Commission of the City of South San Francisco recommend that the City Council thereof adopt and approve the propos ed amendment to the General PI an o.f the City of South San Francis co. " - 3559 - Proposed Location of the Police Facility of the City of South San Francisco contd. November 13" 1972 Vice-Chairman Gamma moved that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 2125, and recommend to the City Council that the proposed location of the police facility of the City of South San Francisco be in the vicinity of the northwesterly corner of Grand and Chestnut Avenues and the con- sequential amendment of the General Plan. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Lazzari and passed by the following vote: AYES: Vice-Chairman Gamma, Commissioners Hale, Lazzari, Mathewson, Mullin, Slade and Chairman Raffaelli NOES: None ABSENT: None GOOD & WEEFARE & OTHER COMMUNICATIONS Salvatore Rosano, Chief of Police, thanked the Planning Commission for approving the proposed police facility site. There being nothing further to be considered under Good and Welfare, and there being no further communications or other matters of interest for the Planning Commission, Chairman Raffaelli announced that the next regular meeting of the South San Francisco Planning Commission would be held on November 27, 1972 at 8: 00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, South San Francisco, California.. The meeting was adjourned at 10:19 P.M. Daniel M. Pass, Secretary Planning Commission City of South San Francisco NOTE: Oral presentations, arguments and comments are recorded on tape. The tape is on file in the Office of the City Planner. sna - 3560 -