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Home My WebLink About2008-01-16 e-packet SPECIAL MEETING CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO P.O. Box 711 (City Hall, 400 Grand Avenue) South San Francisco, California 94083 MUNICIPAL SERVICES BUILDING 33 ARROYO DRIVE SC)UT'I-I SAN FRANCISCO WEDNESDAY, JANUAR'Y 16,2008 6:30 P.M. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 54956 of the GovernlTIent Code of the State of Califonlia, the City Council of the City of South San Francisco will hold a Special Meeting on Wednesday, the 16th day of January 2008, at 6:30 p.nl., in the ConuTItmity Roonl of the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive, South San Francisco, California. Purpose of the lTIeeting: 1. Call to Order. 2. Roll Call. 3. Public COlTIll1ents - COlTIlTIents are linlited to itelTIS on the Special Meeting Agenda. 4. Joint Study Session with Planning COlTIlTIission - Chestnut Avenue/PlJC Specific Plan. 5. Adj oununent. taff ort AGENDA ITEM # 4 DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: January 16, 2008 Honorable Mayor, City Council Members & Planning Commissioners Marty VanDuyn, Assistant City Manager JOINT STUDY SESSION: CHESTNUT AVENUE AND EL CAMINO REAL AREA PLANNING INITIATIVES RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a Joint Study Session to discuss development opportunities in the Chestnut A venue/EI Camino Real Study Area in South San Francisco. BACKGROUND Chestnut A venue/EI Camino Real Study Area The Chestnut A venue/EI Camino Real Study Area is located near the geographical center of the City, between the new South San Francisco BART Station and the Downtown. A nUlnber of factors affect the EI Camino Real/Chestnut Area: the fragmented ownership of oddly-shaped parcels in the project area has lilnited developlnent potential; the area was used for a wide-range of temporary uses during the construction of the BART-SFO Extension; the City has recently purchased a significant amount of vacant and/or underutilized property in the corridor from the San Francisco Public Utilities COlmnission and others; and, the proxilnity of the South San Francisco BART Station has raised land values and created development pressures in the area. In addition, Chestnut j\,Venue is one of the City's lTIOSt congested roads during peak periods due prilnarily to traffic froln Downtown and Hillside Boulevard traversing to EI Cmnino Real and 1- 280. Comprehensive Land Use Planning Effort In December 2007, Planning staff put forth a Request for Proposals (RFP) to prepare a comprehensive land use plan within the approximately 50-acre study area located roughly between Chestnut Avenue and the South San Francisco BART Station. The plan is aitned at building on previous efforts including the General Plan, the EI Camino Real RedeveloplTIent Plan, the Transit Village Plan, the Grand Boulevard Initiative, the EI Camino Master Plan, and an initial draft area plan developed in 2003, with the central aitn to develop the area as a vibrant high density mixed-use neighborhood which allows for improved auto access as well as attractive and accessible bicycle, pedestrian and open space connections. (See Attachments 1,2 & 3) Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor, City Council Melnbers and Planning COlmnissioners Subject: Joint Study Session: Chestnut Avenue/EI Camino Real Area Planning Initiatives Date: January 16, 2008 Page 2 DISCUSSION The purpose of the Joint Study Session is to discuss long-term development opportunities and potential land use options along the EI Catnino Real Corridor. City staff will summarize the development opportunities and receive comment from the City Council and the Planning Conunission. Representatives from Kaiser Medical Center were requested to be at this meeting to discuss their long-term objectives, however on Friday January 11, 2008 we were informed that they would not be prepared to meet. The EI Camino Real Corridor has been the subj ect of much recent study, as discussed below. It is expected that all of these existing efforts will be folded into the final Area Plan. The key studies and plans include the following: South San Francisco General Plan In October 1999, the City Council adopted the 1999 South San Francisco General Plan Update. The Plan presents a long-tenn, comprehensive plan to help the community understand the issues and find solutions for land use, housing, econOlnic development, alternative transportation, atld conservation needs for the vatious neighborhoods that make up our city. The Platl also reflects a pro-active conununity outreach which involved comlnunity and public meetings held by the City Council, the Plamling Conunission, other City Boards and COlmnissions, the Chatnber of Commerce, and several cOlmnunity organizations. Between 1999 and 2002, the City developed four prilnary goals for land use plamling and economic development within the Study Area: (l) to ilnprove circulation on Chestnut Avenue, (2) to enhance the viability of existing conunercial uses in the area (particularly regional auto sales and supennarket uses) by reconfiguring and aggregating land ownership pattenls, (3) to aggregate slnall and oddly-shaped parcels into coherent, viable sites for Inixed-use infill development opportunities, and (4) to outline an implementation strategy which connects public infrastructure improvelnents with private develoPlnent. The City has targeted the EI Camino Real/Chestnut Area for severallnajor improvements. The 1999 General Plan calls for an extension of Oak Avenue to relieve congestion on Chestnut Avenue, as well as a major extension of Orange Park. The City is currently constructing a linear park and bikepath over the BART -SFO right-of-way. The City recently purchased 14 acres of vacant land from the San Francisco Public Utilities COlnmission and Ron Price Motors (an existing auto dealership) to facilitate the developlnent of the bikepath and consolidate the lands for potential mixed-use development. 2002 EI Camino Real/Chestnut Area Land Use and Urban Design Plan In 2002, the City hired a consultant team to prepare the EI Catnino Real/Chestnut Area Land Use and Urban Design Plan. The Plan is in draft fonn and will provide a strong basis for this latld use study and future specific plan. Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor, City Council Members and Planning Commissioners Subject: Joint Study Session: Chestnut Avenue/EI Camino Real Area Planning Initiatives Date: January 16, 2008 Page 3 The Grand Boulevard Initiative The City, along with neighboring communities within San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties that abut EI Cmnino Real is participating in a task force to rethink the corridor's potential for housing and urban development. This task force has developed ten guiding principles to direct future development in the area, which were recently approved by the Planning Commission and the City Council. EI Camino Real Master Plan Last year, the City adopted the EI Calnino Real Master Plan, with the goal to "develop EI Camino as a boulevard that accommodates its role as a regional conidor but with streetscape and developlnent that provides identity to the street." The plan focuses on streetscape improvements (sidewalks, crosswalks, landscaping, sigtlage, lighting, bus shelters, etc.) as well as costs, phasing, and potential funding sources. I(aiserHospital I<aiser currently has a proposed project pending before the Planning Conl1nission to convert the former motel property at 1330 EI Camino Real for use as offices, storage atld overflow parking. In N ovelnber 2007, the proj ect was conceptually reviewed by the Plalming Commission at a study session. The Commissioners offered a range of COlmnents focusing on the need for an area-wide land use and development study since the project involves rezoning land designated for Transit-Oriented Developlnent. They noted particular concern about further encroachments into this zone since, in accordance with state law, hospital buildings Inust be cOlnpletely retrofitted for seislnic safety by 2030. While replacelnent is not anticipated until 2017-2030, City staff has discussed its strong interest in working with Kaiser early on in the process to encourage a thoughtful approach to its redevelopment. To the greatest extent possible we are encouraging I<aiser to intensify its use within its existing acreage, rather than expanding significantly toward EI Calnino Real. CONCLUSION Staff recolnmends that the City Council conduct a Joint Study Session to discuss development opportunities in the Chestnut A venue/EI Camino Real Study Area in South San Francisco. By: 0 Marty Van DU)'11 U Assistatlt City Manager ---. Approved: v Barry IvL l'.Jagel City Manager Attachments: Study Area Boundaries near Chestnut Avenue Study Area Boundaries near the SSF BART Station Parcels within the Study Area -....... (I) ,......oj:::s ~ ~ ~(I) o~ ~+-' . 1"'"'l :::s S ~ C\:$+-' U~ ,......oj~ u:lU ~ C\:$ ,......oj ~C\:$ (I) (I) IZl M ~< '"tj>-' ~'"tj C\:$B ~CZl C5 './:l U til ~ g B ~~ ,S <f{~ :>. 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