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PC 05-24-2011 CITY OF CUPERTINO 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 CITY OF CUPERTINO PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVED MINUTES 6:45 P.M. May 24, 2011 TUESDAY CUPERTINO COMMUNITY HALL The regular Planning Commission meeting of May 24, 2011 was called to order at 6:45 p.m. in the Cupertino Community Hall, 10350 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, Ca., by Chairperson Winnie Lee. SALUTE TO THE FLAG ROLL CALL Commissioners present: Chairperson: Winnie Lee Vice Chairperson: Marty Miller Commissioner: Paul Brophy Commissioner: Clinton Brownley Commissioner: Don Sun Staff present: City Planner: Gary Chao Community Development Director: Aarti Shrivastava Associate Planner: Piu Ghosh APPROVAL OF MINUTES: None WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS: None ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None POSTPONEMENTS/REMOVAL FROM CALENDAR: None PUBLIC HEARING 1. MCA - 2011 -03 (EA- 2011 -05) Workshop to provide input regarding changes and updates to City of Cupertino the City of Cupertino Municipal Code Chapter 19.28, R -1 Citywide Location I Zones to improve readability and consistency and to evaluate the requirements for R1 -20 Zones, the 2 -story design review process, publi:. noticing and story poles. Chair Lee explained that a focus group on R1 was convened earlier. 2. CP- 2011 -02 (EA- 2011 -07) Review of the Five Year Capital Improvements Program City of Cupertino (FY 20112 to 2015 -14) for conformity to the City of Citywide Location Cupertino's General Plan. Planning Commission decision final unless appealed. Colin Jung, Senior Planner, presented the staff report: • Explained that the review was an annual task of the Planning Commission; a requirement by law that before the City can adopt a Capital Improvement Program (CIP), the CIP needs to be reviewed by the Planning Commission to determine whether or not it conforms to the City's Cupertino Planning Commission 2 May 24, 2011 General Plan. It is a five year program, with a review of the first year's projects for the purposes of environmental review; the applicant is the City of Cupertino, the property owner is the City of Cupertino, but the projects are citywide. Due to the state of the economy, the number of projects is about one -third of last year's. • The category of projects including the Stevens Creek Corridor Park, Stocklmeir Orchard Irrigation, Blackberry Farm Golf Course Irrigation; the Sports Center Pool Demolition, Sports Court Installation and the Quinlan Interior analysis and upgrades enhance existing parks inventory; they don't add any new lands to Cupertino parks, but part of the goals of the General Plan are to have a well maintained and quality parks and recreation inventory and those projects seek to do so. • Another category of projects in CIP list include the pavement management, curb gutter sidewalk repairs, ADA ramps, traffic signal battery backup system, which are projects that would improve the safety and functioning of the city's primary circulation system. • There are also transportation projects that manage neighborhood traffic, decrease the reliance on private vehicles and promote pedestrian activities and those two projects are primarily Stevens Creek Corridor project where there the main feature is a multi purpose, multi use trail and also the sidewalk repairs and the ADA ramps. • The final project on the CIP list is the money set aside for minor storm drainage improvements, which has policies and General Plan text that discuss the importance of protecting the city from flood risk. • Staff recommends a negative declaration on the project and adoption of a resolution that the CIP is consistent with the General Plan. Chair Lee opened the public hearing. Jennifer Griffin, Rancho Rinconada resident: • Said she attended the budget review meetings and was pleased to learn that the city is interested in the purchase of the Lawrence/Mitty property along the eastern edge of Rancho Rinconada and Lawrence Expressway and the funding for that in the future. She said the Rancho Rinconada area has very few parklands and would benefit from having more parks available. It is very important that the city keep the purchase of the property on the agenda for the future; it is a win/win for everyone if the land is purchased in the future, and Rancho Rinconada is willing to wait. Chair Lee closed the public hearing. Motion: Motion by Vice Chair Miller, second by Com. Brophy, and unanimously carried 5 -0 -0, to approve Application CP- 2011 -02 (EA- 2011 -07) per the model resolution. 3. ASA- 201 -04, U- 2011 -03 Architectural and Site approval for facade, landscaping, parking Western Athletic Club/ lot and sidewalk enhancements, including a new trash enclosure Sears Roebuck Company to service an on -site cafe, inside a new health club facility; Use 10101 No. Wolfe Rd. Permit to allow the new health club to open at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays and 6:30 a.m. on weekends. Planning Commission decision final unless appealed. Piu Ghosh, Associate Planner, presented the staff report: • Reviewed the application for architectural and site approval for facade, landscaping, parking lot and sidewalk enhancements, and a new trash enclosure to service an on -site cafe inside the Bay Club Cupertino in the Vallco Shopping Mall (inside the Sears building) as outlined in the staff report. The health club is requesting to open at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays and 6:30 a.m. on weekends; currently the city's ordinance is for operating hours between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. but Cupertino Planning Commission 3 May 24, 2011 allowances with modifications with a conditional use permit. A focus traffic analysis was done to determine if the health club would add additional trips to the a.m. peak hour that Sears does not add, and it was determined that there were no impacts on the surrounding traffic signals. Therefore no mitigation was required to any of the traffic signals. Currently parking is sufficient at the site; they will be improving the unimproved parking pad at the southeast corner of the site and while doing so will be re striping and adding 80 spaces to the site. • Reviewed the building architecture, site improvements and landscaping as outlined in the staff report. • Staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve the application in accordance with the draft resolution. Pete Jones, Sr. Vice President of Development, Western Athletic Club: • Said the application is straight forward; the concept being to create a separate identity for their building and to improve the parking lot serving both their building and Sears. He presented his business history, beginning in 1977 and opening 15 athletic clubs, and in Santa Clara County operating the Courtside in Los Gatos and the Decathalon Club in Santa Clara. He said he felt Cupertino was an under - served market and felt the Cupertino citizens would be supportive of the athletic club. Chair Lee opened the public hearing. Jennifer Griffin, Rancho Rinconada resident: • Said she was pleased to see the athletic club come to Cupertino as the city needs more businesses. • Expressed concern about the parking lot and the need for increased security, particularly in the early morning hours when people have a tendency to leave personal belongings in their cars when going into athletic clubs. She also expressed concern about the future of the eastern part of the Main Street property where there was supposed to be a high end athletic club located also. She cautioned about closing the two parking entrances on the Stevens Creek Boulevard access to the mall, and to avoid the tunnel effect. She also recommended a left turn signal on the perimeter road coming out southbound. Chair Lee closed the public hearing. Aarti Shrivastava: • Answered commissioners' questions. She stated that the Main Street property still shows that a health club is scheduled for that area. Com. Brophy: • Said Vallco has been an embarrassment to the community for many years, and he was pleased to see such a large high quality tenant coming in and occupying such an important place in Vallco. He said he was hopeful that it would have a positive effect on the rest of the mall. Vice Chair Miller: • Said he welcomed the Bay Club to Cupertino., and did not feel the 5 a.m. opening hour would be a problem because of its location and early hours are standard for health clubs. • Concurred with Com. Brophy's comments; and said he hoped the Bay Club's clientele would take advantage of the other shopping opportunities in the mall. Motion: Motion by Vice Chair Miller, second by Com. Sun, and unanimously carried 5 -0 -0 to approve Application ASA- 201 -04, U- 2011 -03 in accordance with the model resolution. Cupertino Planning Commission 4 May 24, 2011 Planning Commission decision final unless appealed. OLD BUSINESS: None NEW BUSINESS: None REPORT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMITTEE Chair Lee reported there was discussion of a monopine, wireless facility to be placed on Rancho Deep Cliff; and also a discussion about the Capital Improvement Program. HOUSING COMMISSION: No meeting MAYORS MONTHLY MEETING: Every other meeting cancelled for new schedule. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: Com. Brophy reported on the following items discussed: • The Chamber of Commerce and the City sponsored a Mandarin language seminar in starting a business; • The city is at its highest level of office absorption since 1999 which was a legendary year; a building in downtown Palo Alto recently sold for $900 per square foot which is the tied with one building in Washington DC for the highest in the country. Also in Cupertino there has been an increased interest in retail spaces; some of the long vacant spaces have multiple bidders, and there are a number of restaurants looking to close deals in various places in Cupertino. • City Council is looking at placing a referendum on the November ballot to increase the transit occupancy tax, which is the hotel tax. The city is in process of talking to the hotel owners to get feedback. • Upcoming events include a June Mixer June 8 at Cupertino Inn; October 8 festival. • A number of development events are occurring; Cupertino Village expansion project expires in July; there is some discussion about an alternative or more modest change to it. The Shashi Hotel has demolished the former gas station and may be a precursor to starting construction soon. • He commented that in the past months there has been a complete turnaround in the economic outlook and there has been an increased level in all activity, including retail, office, and residential. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Written report submitted. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned to the next regular Planning Commission meeting scheduled fo AI a 24, 2011, at 6:45 p. . Respectfully Submitted: 4 Elizabet ►e is, Recording Secretary Approved as presented: June 14, 2011