Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 31-2014RESOLUTION NO. 31 -2014 CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA A RESOLUTION APPROVING A USE PERMIT, DESIGN REVIEW AND TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PLAN, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 14.5 ACRE SITE FOR THE CENTENNIAL VILLAGE AT 180 EL CAMINO REAL PROJECT IN THE EL CAMINO REAL MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT. WHEREAS, El Camino and Spruce LLC, a Nevada limited liability company ( "Applicant "), has submitted an application for a mixed -use project on an approximately 14.5 acre site located at 180 El Camino Real, which consists of approximately 220,000 square feet of commercial /retail space and up to 284 residential rental units ( "Project "); and, WHEREAS, Applicant seeks approval of a Use Permit, Design Review, Transportation Demand Management Plan, and Development Agreement; and, WHEREAS, approval of the Applicant's proposal is considered a "project" for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act, Pub. Resources Code § 21000, et seq. ( "CEQA "); and, WHEREAS, the City Council reviewed and carefully considered the information in the Initial Study /Mitigated Negative Declaration ( "IS /MND "), and by separate resolution, adopts the IS /MND, as an objective and accurate document that reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the City in the discussion of the Project's environmental impacts; and, WHEREAS, the Planning Commission for the City of South San Francisco held a lawfully noticed public hearing on August 15, 2013 to solicit public comment and consider the IS /MND and the proposed entitlements and take public testimony, at the conclusion of which, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the IS /MND and approve the Project; and, WHEREAS, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on September 11, 2013, which was continued to September 25, 2013 and to October 23, 2013 and to November 13, 2013, and another duly noticed public hearing on February 12, 2014, which was continued to February 26, 2014 and to March 12, 2014, to consider the IS /MND, the Use Permit, Design Review, Transportation Demand Management Plan, and Development Agreement and take public testimony. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that based on the entirety of the record before it, which includes without limitation, the California Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code §21000, et seq. ( "CEQA ") and the CEQA Guidelines, 14 California Code of Regulations §15000, et seq.; the South San Francisco General Plan, General Plan EIR and South El Camino Real General Plan Amendment EIR; the South San Francisco Municipal Code; the Project applications; the Centennial Village Project Plans, as prepared by Johnson Lyman Architects, dated August 1, 2013; the Preliminary Transportation Demand Management Plan, as prepared by TJKM Transportation Consultants, dated July 9, 2013; the 180 El Camino Real IS /MND, including the Draft and Final MND and all appendices thereto; all site plans, and all reports, minutes, and public testimony submitted as part of the Planning Commission's meeting held on August 15, 2013, and Planning Commission deliberations; all reports, minutes, and public testimony submitted as part of the City Council's duly noticed public hearing on September 11, 2013, which was continued to September 25, 2013 and to October 23, 2013 and to November 13, 2013, and duly noticed public hearing on February 12, 2014, which was continued to February 26, 2014 and to March 12, 2014, and City Council deliberations; and any other evidence (within the meaning of Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby finds as follows: A. General Findings 1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution. 2. The Exhibits attached to this Resolution, including the Conditions of Project Approval (Exhibit A), the Preliminary Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan (attached as Exhibit B), and the Centennial Village Project Plans (attached as Exhibit C) are each incorporated by reference and made a part of this Resolution, as if set forth fully herein. 3. The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings are located at the Planning Division for the City of South San Francisco, 315 Maple Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080, and in the custody of Chief Planner, Susy Kalkin. 4. By Resolution No. 31- 2014_, the City Council, exercising its independent judgment and analysis, finds that an IS /MND was prepared for the Project in accordance with CEQA, which IS/MND adequately discloses and analyzes the proposed Project's potentially significant environmental impacts. For those impacts that could potentially exceed CEQA thresholds of significance, the City has identified and imposed mitigation measures that avoid or reduce the impact to a level of less- than - significant. B. Use Permit 1. The proposed Project is consistent with the standards and requirements of the City's Zoning Ordinance and with the provisions of the El Camino Real Mixed Use Zone District. The Project meets or exceeds all of the general development standards of the El Camino Real Mixed Use Zone District, with the exception of the minimum El Camino Real setback, building length and separation, required commercial frontage, depth of required commercial frontage, and the maximum length of street frontage walls without an opening. The stated exceptions are permissible and warranted by the City's Zoning Ordinance. 2. The proposed Project is consistent with the General Plan by creating a mixed -use environment that emphasizes pedestrian- activity with buildings built up to the sidewalk along El Camino Real and South Spruce Ave, provides a well - articulated and visually engaging development that implements the goals of the Grand Boulevard Initiative and the El Camino Real Master Plan and locates parking in a way that is not visually dominant, is consistent with the City's Design Guidelines as they relate to building design, form and articulation and provides commercial uses along both El Camino Real and South Spruce Avenue. 3. The proposed use will not be adverse to the public health, safety, or general welfare of the community, nor detrimental to surrounding properties or improvements, because the proposed use is consistent with the existing uses in the vicinity of the site, including the commercial and residential. The project proposes mixed -use Commercial and Residential uses on a site located in the City's El Camino Real corridor, which is intended for this type of use. The General Plan has analyzed this type of use in the South El Camino Real corridor, and concluded that mixed -use commercial and residential uses are not adverse to the public health, safety, or welfare. As the proposed Project is consistent with surrounding land uses, approval of the Project will not be detrimental to the nearby properties. 4. The proposed Project complies with applicable standards and requirements of the City's Zoning Ordinance, with the exception of the minimum El Camino Real setback, building length and separation, required commercial frontage, depth of required commercial frontage, and the maximum length of street frontage walls without an opening. The stated exceptions are permissible and warranted by the City's Zoning Ordinance. The proposed Project is located in the El Camino Real Mixed Use District and, subject to the exceptions discussed above in Section B.1, which are permissible and warranted by the City's Zoning Ordinance, meets the minimum standards and requirements for that district. 5. The design, location, size, and operating characteristics of the proposed Project are compatible with the existing and reasonably foreseeable future land uses in the vicinity because the Project proposes commercial and residential uses in the El Camino Real corridor, which is specifically intended for such uses. 6. The site is physically suitable for the type of development and density proposed, as the mixed -use commercial and residential uses will benefit from being located in the El Camino Real corridor, and the size and development is appropriate for the location and meets the City's land use and zoning standards. 7. The Project is consistent with CEQA for the reasons stated in Finding A.4 above. C. Design Review 1. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with Title 20 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code because the Project has been designed as a mixed -use commercial and residential campus which will provide a pedestrian - friendly environment with extensive landscaping and sustainability elements incorporated. 2. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the General Plan because the proposed mixed -use development is consistent with the policies and design direction provided in the South San Francisco General Plan for the El Camino Real Mixed Use land use designation by encouraging the development of a mixed -use environment that emphasizes pedestrian- activity in the El Camino Real corridor. 3. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the applicable design guidelines adopted by the City Council in that the proposed Project is consistent with the El Camino Real Mixed Use District Standards included in Chapter 20.090. 4. The Project is consistent with the Use Permit, as proposed for modification, for the reasons stated in Section B, above. 5. The Project is consistent with the applicable design review criteria in Section 20.480.006 ( "Design Review Criteria ") because the project has been evaluated by the Design Review Board on April 7, 2012, February 19, 2013, March 9, 2013 and August 1, 2013, and found to be consistent with each of the eight design review criteria included in the "Design Review Criteria" section of the Ordinance, and the Design Review Board. D. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan 1. The proposed trip reduction measures contained in the TDM (attached hereto as Exhibit B) are feasible and appropriate for the Project, considering the proposed use or mix of uses and the project's location, size, and hours of operation. Appropriate and feasible measures have been included in the TDM plan to achieve a projected 28% alternative mode usage, as required. The TDM provides incentives for employees to use modes of transportation other than single- occupancy vehicle trips, such as secure bicycle storage, shower facilities, preferential parking for carpools and vanpools, and an employee TDM contact, among others. Further, pedestrian walkways linking the Project to adjacent BART and bus stops will help encourage alternative forms of transportation. 2. The proposed performance guarantees will ensure that the target 28% alternative mode use established for the Project by Chapter 20.400 will be achieved and maintained. Conditions of approval have been included to require that the Final TDM Plan, which must be submitted for review and approval prior to issuance of a building permit, shall outline the required process for on -going monitoring including annual surveys. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that subject to the Conditions of Approval, attached as Exhibit A to this Resolution, the City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby makes the findings contained in this Resolution and approves a Use Permit (UP11- 0006), Design Review (DR11 -0019) and Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM13 -0001) for the Project. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the conditional approvals herein are conditioned upon the approval and execution of the Development Agreement for the Centennial Village at 180 El Camino Real Project. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption. I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was regularly introduced and adopted by the City Council of the City of South San Francisco at a regular meeting held on the 12th day of March, 2014 by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Mark N. Addiejzo Pradeep Gupta, and Liza Normandy Vice Mayor Richard A. Garbarino and Mayor Karyl Matsumoto NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None ATTEST: Anna Brown, Deputy City Clerk Exhibits: Exhibit A: Conditions of Approval Exhibit B: Preliminary Transportation Demand Management Plan Exhibit C: Centennial Village Project Plans 2134234.1