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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-20-2005 Minutes c<>'t\\ SA<\, A C:). ~~~ ~ ~,~~! ~~~...... '--k fi~~~.'l~~ ~,_~O "!P~ ~-- 04iiro;'~\.~ MINUTES April 20, 2005 CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO JOINT MEETING CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION DESIGN REVIEW BoARD TAPE 1 1. City Council, PlanninG Commission And DesiGn Review Board MeetinGs Called To Order 6:31 D.m. 2. Roll Call City Council Present: Councilman Garbarino, Councilman Gonzalez, Councilwoman Matsumoto, Mayor Pro Tem Fernekes, Mayor Green Planning Commission present: Commissioner Giusti, Commissioner Honan, Commissioner Prouty, Commissioner Romero, Commissioner Sim, Vice Chairperson Zemke and Chairperson Teglia Design Review Board Present: Boardmember Harris, Boardmember Nelson, Boardmember Nilmeyer, Boardmember Ruiz, Boardmember Williams Absent: None Staff present: City Manager Barry Nagel, City Manager Marty Van Duyn, Assistant City Manager Steve Mattas, City Attorney Thomas C. Sparks, Chief Planner Susy Kalkin, Principal Planner Steve Carlson, Senior Planner Steve Kowalski, Associate Planner Bertha Aguilar, Admin. Asst. II Bryan Niswonger, Assistant Fire Marshall Sharon Ranals, Director Terry White, Director City Attorney: Planning Division: Fire Prevention Parks and Recreation Streets and Maintenance 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS None 4. Study Session: Joint meeting with Planning Commission and Design Review Board to discuss items of mutual concern Council members Matsumoto and Garbarino noted that the Council had attended a progress seminar in Monterey in which they saw the importance of meeting ABAG projections for affordable housing with mixed-use developments. Councilmember Garbarino pointed that it will not be easy for the City to plan carefully and maximize development while achieving mixed use and preserving open space. Councilmember Gonzalez was concerned with the designs being approved in the Downtown area that are not consistent with the plan created for the redevelopment of the Downtown area. Mayor Pro Tem Fernekes noted that he wants quality development. Mayor Green asked if there were any penalties for the jurisdictions that did not meet their projections. Assistant Joint City Council, Planning Commission and Design Review Board Meeting Minutes of April 20, 2005 City Manager Van Duyn explained that if the projected numbers are not met the Housing Element is not in conformity with the General Plan, the General Plan could be challenged and stop all development in the City until the General Plan has been corrected. Mayor Green, Mayor Pro Tem Fernekes and Council member Matsumoto pointed out that the City would have to look into developing in in-fill areas due to the lack of development space. Mayor Green noted that the projects going before the Council are nice and encouraged the Commission to raise the bar with regards to these projects. Chairperson Teglia noted that Council and the Commission are on the same page and added that the next step is coordinating in order to reach the City's vision. He noted that the staff is the lead liaison between the Developer and Design Review Board (DRB), Planning Commission and City Council. He pointed out that some cities have not tried to comply with the housing numbers required by the State and South San Francisco has tried to comply. He stated that the City needs to plan carefully in order to maintain the standard of living in the City. He added that the Downtown area has mixed uses being approved in a hOdge- podge fashion. He also noted that tandem parking has been used in a way that the Commission did not envision it to be used. Chairperson Teglia also point out that the City needs to demand quality development from applicants and needs to look and the City's planning priority in getting good project detail. He further noted that the Planning Division does not have professional staff needed to control all these details. Boardmember Nilmeyer noted that in order to have quality projects, Planning staff needs the tools and ammunition to ask for the quality the Commission and Council are asking for. He pointed out that the City of Burlingame has a tight FAR requirement and the Design Review process is stringent in the City. He also pointed out that San Mateo has staff members strictly dedicated the downtown parking and storefront improvements. Commissioner Prouty noted that the City was applauded at the League of Cities Planners Institute for providing low-income housing. Council member Matsumoto noted that South San Francisco is not keeping up with other cities in providing the Transit Oriented Development. She listed cities and the number of units that have been developed in them and noted that South San Francisco was low in the number of units approved in the Transit Village Zone. Chairperson Teglia noted that the City could look at what other cities are doing and how their Planning Departments are staffed and pick up some of their procedures. Mayor Green noted that cities like Millbrae, Burlingame, San Bruno and San Mateo have redeveloped old areas and have created quality developments. Boardmember Nilmeyer pointed out that most of these cities have train stations and the EI Camino Real Corridor in close proximity of each other that has allowed them for quality development. That proximity is not the case for South San Francisco. Mayor Pro Tem Fernekes noted that new legislation is lessening the flexibility of the decision-making bodies to impose certain requirements on developers that benefit the City. Commissioner Romero stated that the creation of a Transit Village Zone and its design standards made the Fairfield project easier because they saw a preliminary design of the proposal. He suggested that the City develop design guidelines for other areas of the City and added that the Design Review Guidelines created a few years earlier are due for revision at this time. He noted that some issues that need to be addressed in future design gUidelines are tandem parking requirements; El Camino Real corridor and its interaction with the pedestrian oriented area near BART; San Bruno BART station could be explored for mixed use in the vicinity; and the linear park interaction with residential and retail portions of the BART and Transit Village Zone. Councilmember Matsumoto felt that South San Francisco is the lowest on housing stock and because the City does not have the population for retail commercial use developers do not develop in our City. Chairperson Teglia noted that that the City needs to plan carefully for future uses. He noted that mixed-use developments can be encouraged in the vacant CALA Foods site and Transit Village Development can be included into the area surrounding Tanforan and CalTrain. With regard to the Design Review process Commissioner Romero noted that he has received complaints about the process in South San Francisco. He pointed out that some of the homeowners have been misdirected and they need to have a point of contact within the City to aid them through the process. Mayor Green noted that the s:\MlV\.utes\FlV\.~llzet> MlV\.utes\2.005\O-+-2.0-osJolV\.t cc-,t>oc f>Clge 2. of -+ Joint City Council, Planning Commission and Design Review Board Meeting Minutes of April 20, 2005 purpose of the One Stop Shop - Permit Center was to make it easer for homeowners to go through the process. Assistant City Manager Van Duyn noted that Planning staff acts as a facilitator for developments but some Divisions have different concerns and requirements and requires that the applicant speak directly to that Division representative. He added that the applicant rarely sees the process as a service but sees it as an obstacle. He pointed out that the Planning Division has a monthly Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting with all the Divisions and Departments involved in the development process that allows for all the Departments and Divisions to be on the same level. Council member Matsumoto noted that that texture and articulation are important and there is a need to raise the bar by enhancing the guidelines for development in the City. Assistant City Manager Van Duyn noted that the developers are given information with regard to the process and are given a fee schedule from Planning but do not include Building permit fees. Boardmember Williams noted that South San Francisco is the easiest City to work with in the Peninsula in terms of housing. He added that the City does have design guidelines that are given to the applicant. He pointed out that a checklist could be useful to make sure that all applications are complete. He pointed out that the City is very relaxed with Civil Engineers. The applicants try to get away with anything because of this. Councilmember Gonzalez noted that there have been complaints of 3 story buildings being allowed in the Downtown Commercial zone and questioned why the neighborhood was not informed of this project. Boardmember Nilmeyer stated that the City has some procedures as to what does and doesn't get noticed to the neighborhood. He noted that it is costly for staff and it makes the process more difficult if every small addition is noticed to the neighborhood. Council member Matsumoto questioned if the Design Review Board and the Commission look at the project as one or look at how it will fit in with the neighborhood. Boardmember Nilmeyer pointed out that photographs of the neighborhood always accompany the application for Design Review Board. Commissioner Prouty noted that the homes have to fit into the neighborhood in terms of texture, rooflines and other details. He stated that it is difficult to park a car in a 10-foot wide garage. He noted that a 12-foot wide car garage allows enough space to park a car and get out of it. He pointed out that in some cases the City could allow a 10-foot wide car garage but suggested widening the requirement. Chairperson Teglia questioned how the Council, Commission and Design Review Board get the quality that they want. Assistant City Manager Van Duyn noted that some concerns are tandem, height, slopes and roof pitches. He asked if the different bodies begin to formulate a list of the ordinances they feel need to be revised and have staff regulate and modify these ordinances. Mayor Pro Tem Fernekes, Council member Garbarino and Commissioner Prouty discussed how tandem parking could be approved with a 10 foot width tandem garage on a case-by case basis. Assistant City Manager Van Duyn noted that these items could be included into the ordinance but that it remains at the staff and Design Review Board level. Chief Planner Sparks noted that small home additions are best handled at the staff level and about 200 applications for single family additions go before the Design Review Board per year. He noted that some modifications can be made to the Design Review schedule. He noted that there may be a need for roof design standards as well as where tandem garages are allowed. Council member Matsumoto suggested that Planning staff, legal Counsel and the Planning Commission have a discussion on what legal grounds for denial are for applications. Chief Planner Sparks noted that there is a scheduled discussion on Planning Commission procedures. The Design Review Boardmember stated their frustration with incomplete applications; project presentations are note to the level the Board wants and lack of competent architects or designers. Commissioner Sim asked that staff no longer accept "cartoon" sketches from applicants in terms of design. He noted that a case study of other cities should be performed to see how they have accomplished their goals and how South San Francisco can get there. He asked that staff look at a possible hillside ordinance to maintain visual corridors. S:\M''''''teS\F''''ClL'ud M''''''tes\2005\04-20-05JO''''t cc-.doc PClge 3 of 4 Joint City Council, Planning Commission and Design Review Board Meeting Minutes of April 20, 2005 Mayor Green thanked the Planning Commission and Design Review Board for all the input and discussion received in the Special meeting. 5. ADJOURNMENT Design Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council meetings adjourned at 9:02p.m. ~~~ omas C. Sparks Secretary to the Planning Commission City of South San Francisco Marc C. Teglia, Chairpers Planning Commission City of South San Francisco jbla S:\M''''''''tes\F,,,,,,~l,ze~ M''''''''tes\2005\04-20-05JO''''''t cc-,~oc p~0e 4 of 4