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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1996-09-04 Mayor Jack Drago Council: Joseph A. Fernekes Eugene R. Mullin --John R. Penna Robert Yee SPECIAL MEETING CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO SEPTEMBER 4, 1996 MINUTES City Council Municipal Services Building Community Room September 4, 1996 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 54956 of the Government Code of the State of California, that the City Council of the City of South San Francisco will hold a Special Meeting on Wednesday, the 4th day of September 1996, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Conference Center, City Hall, 400 Grand Avenue, South San Francisco, California. Purpose of the meeting: 1. Caltrain Station relocation report. 2. Revenue Bonds for Redevelopment Agency. 3. Airport Blvd. streetscape improvements. Seismic update of City Hall. City Clerk City of South San Francisco Dated: August 14, 1996 CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: AGENDA (Cassette No. 1) 1. Caltrain Station relocation report. ~TION TAKEN 7:06 p.m. Mayor Drago presiding. Council Present: Council Absent: Fernekes, Mullin, Yee and Drago. Perma. Director of Economic & Community Development Van Dyun related: sometime back Samtrans pre- pared a relocation study, including three locations in S.S.F. for potential stations, of which two were feasible - the existing site and a site adjacent to the Shearwater Project. 9/4/96 Page I AGENDA ACTION TAKEN _.~.1. Caltrain Station relocation report - Continued. He continued: staff feds this is an opportune time for the Council to make a decision about the long- term future of the station and the value in moving the station; there is private development just to the north of Grand Avenue around the station that could have an affect on the station and its visibility; the other option is for a new station location within the Oyster Point in the Shearwater Project boundaries; staff is in negotiations on Shearwater and is anxious to get Council direction on station preferences. Senior Planner Kalkin related the staff report: the Oyster Point site is attractive due to its easy acces- sibility by auto and transit and is based on a mixed use commercial development to generate additional patronage and the incentives in terms of the land cost and parking provisions; the Grand Avenue limitations are poor accessibility for pedestrians, autos and transit; acquisition of the remaining vacant land around the current station site, three parcels, and the Caltrain maintenance yard on the west side of 101 at Grand Ave. and Airport Blvd.; construct a pedestrian bridge to improve access to areas east of the station and have a shuttle service for the east of 101 area; creating a focal point at Grand Avenue as the entrance to the downtown; pedestrians would have limited parking opportunities; the station plat- form will be extended to the south for the Grand Avenue side as a plan to build the pedestrian link- age; one developer approached the City to build a mini storage facility on the vacant land on the exist- ing Caltrain station, which if it happens affects the parking; the Caltrans Maintenance Facility is soon to be vacated and staff is considering acquiring the land for the station; staff talked to Mr. Borba and Mr. Roccucci about their potential development on the site; the Caltrain lot does not provide adequate parking, so they looked to provide access, across from Baden into the site; County Transportation Authority found they don't need the 350 parking spaces due to the $7.43 million cost, which currently has no funding, and only need 150 parking spaces for the site; they have acquired two of the three vacant parcels; the third parcel, which is the biggest, they are not going to acquire, however, the option was not offered; staff is concerned that if the third site is developed it will cut off even more access and close in the station; without that parcel there is access other than the current access; the station serves the employees of 101 and 25% walk to their destination in the morning; the primary interest is to 9/4/96 Page 2 1. Caltrain Station rdocation report. Councilman Penna Arrived at the Meeting: 9/4/96 Page 3 improve the pedestrian linkage and shuttle service targeted to the east of 101 employees; the current plans for the Shearwater site envision a strictly retail project which, as currently laid out, is not particu- larly conducive to attracting Caltrain patrons; etc. Discussion followed: the S.S.F. station was up for relocation in 1991 and the third potential on South Linden was shut down; Council had asked to have the station moved to the Borba property in the Caltrans corner because we needed a major project to vitalize the downtown; we can have an old time station and keep the existing walking to the station; City Manager wants to look for a private investment and bring aboard a consultant and put in a scope of work; C/CAG feels they can do it and meet the reduced amount of parking with this site or the Shearwater site because it is not significant to the ridership; what are the figures for the ridership from the south; when BART comes in more people will take the train for more people are going south to Santa Clara as opposed to San Francisco; Council- man Yee stated regardless of what site the Council is going to select it has to make sure a site is made available to all the people that are going to use the site, so Caltrain wants to make sure the people walk or ride to the station; the concept has two means of mass transit, BART and the train system, but to make them successful and to add an economic component, staff needs a linkage; Councilman Yee said the City's economic future depends upon shuttle service and making it easy for commuters to get to and from the station; he suggested putting the station next to Borba's property with a pedestrian bridge on the other side. Councilman Penna arrived at the meeting at 7:45 p.m. Further discussion followed: Councilman Yee wants the right location picked because he does not want a hazardous station where people have to walk in the dark and suggested the City taking the Borba and Roccueci land; he said Caltrain and BART will be linked and he wants a first class plan, will not vote for this plan and favors the Airport Boulevard loca- tion; the cost are astronomical for Airport and the numbers don't justify it; the City can get funding from the County; we do have egress off of 101 and linkage on the other side; Councilman Mullin sug- gested getting the right-of-way from S.P.; Council- AGENDA ACTION TAKEN 1. Caltrain Station rdocation report - Continued. 2. Revenue Bonds for Redevelopment Agency. ,ff,~ 7 7 3. Airport Blvd. streetscape improvements. man Yee suggested find the best site, find the money and let staff go as far as they can, then look at it six months from now; the City has indicated interest in taking the Caltrain property; Vice Mayor Fernekes supports Councilman Yee's suggestion; Councilman Mullin wants staff to investigate Dubuque first for that part was not offered; Councilman Penna agrees; Councilman Yee stated staff needs to find out if site is viable, otherwise go for the Oyster Point site; Sierra Point wants a station at the Shearwater site; etc. Coordinator of Economic & Community Develop- ment Beyer gave his report on issuing tax allocation bonds for the purpose of financing the Downtown Central Redevelopment Program. He related: the only current debt existing with the Project Area is $190,000 for the revitalization program and debt owed to the City at the inception of the Project Area of $686,000; etc. Director of Finance Brooks suggested taking out $5 to $10 million or two or three small bonds for the City needs debt for redevelopment. Discussion followed: Councilman Yee questioned why there is not information on a cash flow analy- sis, the debt cost, if today is the best time to borrow money and sell bonds; City Manager will get the arbitrage from Paineweber; etc. Consensus of Council - To go for it. Director of Economic & Community Development Van Dyun related: has a proposal on Grand Avenue; Design Review Board was involved in the Grand Hotel Project; Council needs to look at the entire corridor, at the major improvements for signage, architecture and balance; take Airport Blvd. as an entryway corridor. Mr. Painter presented conceptual drawings of a street planting proposal for 20' box tree plant- ings with a cost of $1,000 per tree, however, land- scaping of the median will cost more. Discussion followed: the proposal would need to be somewhat sensitive to parking; staff needs to come back with parking options; Councilman Yee suggest- ed planting the trees to Armor and see how it looks; City Manager will be listening to merchants on the 9/4/96 Page 4 ..... 3L. Airport Blvd. streetscape improvements. 4. Seismic update of City Hall. 50 :fro ADJOURNMENT: signage and visibility; Councilman Penna suggested getting merchants to have canapes depicting their business and he wants a no parking from 2:00 - 5:00 a.m. on the east side of Airport Blvd. Director of Public Works Gibbs stated staff was struggling with this building, because if it is gunited inside, then the floors have to be pulled up and a diaphragm put in. He continued: the other solution is to put in a buttress from the top of the roof at the back and pick up the walls and braces for the steel beams have no braces; another thing is to tear out the second floor and the work can still be done while the building is occupied; to do the brick but- tress, Council needs permission from the Historical Preservation Commission; elevator shaft is 12' over the height of the building for the soils test said it was rock bottom but it was clay; it could always be cut off or used as a bad boy's room; the cost of the two options are similar except one uses the UCBC and the other the UBC standards; gunite gives a prison effect to the building. Discussion followed: Councilman Yee wants a piece of paper saying how they are going to do this, he has a lot of questions; Mayor Drago asked the Di- rector to come back with an outline of the pros and cons of the two options; the Director will highlight the options and give the costs in a week or so, but needs direction on which option the Council prefers. M/S Mullin/Yee - To adjourn the meeting. Carried by unanimous voice vote. Time of adjournment was 9:05 p.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, 'Barbara A. Battaya, City Clerk City of South San Francisco APPROVED. ity of South San Francisco 9/4/96 Page 5 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN __.The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Council to dispose of an item. Oral eommunica- ons, arguments and comments are recorded on tape. The tape and documents related to the items are on file in the ~ffice of the City Clerk and are available for inspection, review and copying. 9/4/96 Page 6