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PC 02-26-63 • • • 10321 So. Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road 252-4505 • CITY OF C U P E R-T I N O • Cupertino, California • • MINUTES OF STUDY SESSION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION - FEBRUARYY26, 1963 Place: 10321. So: Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road Time: . 8:00 P.M. ROLL CALL: Commissioners Present: Fitzgerald,. Frolich, Leonard, ® Adamo, Rampy, Small ' Commissioners Absent: Snyder The meeting was called _ to order by Commissioner Frolich. He pointed out .that this was to be a study session, since the :meeting of February 25 'had been adjourned. The meeting was turned over to the Planner. The Planner presented a report on Regional and 'Local Problems and Physical Characteristics. He pointed- out- that Cupertino is' both • blessed and distressed by the growth and merging •of urbanization of the peninsula and San Jose area. Growth has added to costs of running the community. The community will have to participate in the Air Pollution Program, Rapid Transit, Water Supply and Flood Control matters. , Commissioner Leonard pointed out that- land acquisition from Palo Alto through- the Los Altos Hills for- the Junipero Serra Freeway seems to be much wider. than necessary, and looks like it was. set up • for two lanes of track in and two lanes out. . The Planner informed the Commission that half of the planning area is flat. ' There is no low lyirg "and subject to flooding. There is no large .land uses, such as an airport or cemetery in the. city. - The community is surrounded. by a multiplicity- of jurisdictions which will mean chaotic financial problems. There doesn't appear to be any heart, nor focal point of the city. The Civic Center may provide this. Growth has been at random, and commercial activities have been strung out. On .traffic, ,the Planner pointed out that many of the streets are misaligned, discontinuous. There are some serious problems of through rights' of ways . A proposal will, be presented on this . The freeways are going to bisect the area, and this will leave areas too small. to develop well. The Planner will attempt to show some methods of resolving this situation.' • Traffic counts show 42, 000 trips per day into Cupertino in 1957. In 1961 71,000. The' projection into 1985 is 351, 000. Utilities - it will be necessary that there be a sewage plant and disposal expansion. Additional reservoirs will be necessary to store water. Recreation and Parks - In 'acreage, Cupertino has a. good picture. There is about half the ' standard recognized for neighborhood park and playground facilities, 62 acres per thousand people is standard. There are 608 acres devoted 'to parks -and. playgrounds, many acres devoted to schools. The types of facilities available are lacking. There is no swimming pool or landscaped area. Stevens Creek Park needs con- 411 siderable attention as far as facilities go. The City has no cultural core, no auditorium. • Commissioner Small served on a committee making a recreation study awhile ago. They found that the cost of land is the 'chief problem. A park with all facilities must be at least 25 acres, ' and would cost between $375, 000 and $400, 000 for land acquisition alone. In addition to any structural buildings or swimming pool, there would be the cost of maintenance. It was found this would cost the owner of a home around $17, 000 $40 per. year in taxes. The Planner told the Commission there is a program' for assistance in the acquisition of park land, which is up to 30% of the total.' It is a grant program under a Federal program, and the community would be eligible. -1- • The Planner asked- if the City was doing 'anything about dedications from subdividers. . • It, .was reported that the City Attorney says that a chartered city can get away with this, but a general law city can' t. It is also the. feeling- Of the City Attorney'that. the City can't risk a law suit on this. .. Commissioner Fitzgerald thought the City perhaps should get together with the County to develop Stevens Creek Park. Another idea was that some cities have bought property elsewhere, nearby, for their community. This cuts down on residents from other areas using what is intended as a community park. Commi:ssioner •Small asked that the Master .Plan' consider going to the School :Board and seeing if the land unused, but held by the schools' could, be utilized. Commissioner Frolich explained that the school can't allow any permanent improvements put •in, but perhaps the City- could buy adjacent property and put the buildings on that, and use the school land for . play area. . . - Commissioner Leonard pointed out a few typing errors in the report, and a few , inaccuracies . Mr. Volker assured the Commission that they : would be corrected, adding that this was a preliminary report, and' pot in final form. Page 25, Population and Economics, Program, sources, should be Melbo,.•not Mellso. . Page 85, the reliance is placed on State averages • of. how much ; land is used.. ' It may be that there should .be a footnote that . the . . • projections based on State averages are used as a check point, but that the nature and, character of Santa Clara County is recognized.: for . what it is. .. It is stacked with Standford U. and uses like that. Commissioner Leonard pointed out that another footnote might be ' ' one that explained the fact that parking came out of• a parcel_ for retail use, therefore four acres were required to get one acre of floor space. ' Commissionerr- Frolich asked if 'the figures were available 'on. dividing .up 'white collar workers. ' Mr. Volker said . they would be -- provided... _ . Commissioner Leonard asked if it would be possible to put another column on the last page, Table 32, showing a relationship between acreage 'and population, It is a question of whether' we are miles ahead on zoning and par_ticular'uses. These figures would . give . double use out of the same schedule. Mr. Volker promised to explore this. . The information would, also help Commissioners when applicants come in ' with their arguments on zoning commercial. ' 1 Commissioner Leonard informed Mr. Volker that Santa Clara County ' publishes a booklet of tax rate for each tax .area.- ' The code area map may- be. obtainable in. reproducible .from from the county. If a code area map for Cupertino could be shown, - it would help 'detailed analysis that comes. up from' time tb 'time. . , Mr. Volker said.,that ,the. Assessor has the map, . and he will 'attempt ,to. get copies . .. Commissioner Fitzgerald asked if the data books will be available to the. public. The Planner replied that they were duplicated in limited numbers because of' duplicating, costs. The Commission discussed the possibility of. their having it printed up, out .of Commission funds. Commissioner Fitzgerald suggested that the• data be made, available to .' presidents of homeowner groups,. also to the Chamber.. of 'Commerce. Commissioner Frolich expressed: the fear that the public-, may-. feel: there , is nothing being done on the Master Plan, then .suddenly there. is ' one,' 1 and wonder if it was hurriedly done. Having the' data books available. . might help inform the public . . • . • - Commissioner Leonard felt that Varian' s. .planner a and Mr. Barret, plus several interested"individuals in the community who have seen the books, will help provide a proof reading of the data gathered. • The next meeting with the Planner isi' scheduled for March 26. I _2_ , J A 0 . Assumptions, Objectives, Principles - Development Policy will be presented. Commissioners Adamo, Small, and Rampy left the meeting. The Commission discussed a current matter on a setback problem with the Planner. There are six buildings of four units- each, with twenty-four living units . The buildings are separate. On an acreage basis, assuming each is a lot, you can' t get a fourplex. Now they want to subdivide. There are two problems, some way of fixing this up so they can' t get away from the setbacks involved by saying this is a single lot . Where is the line drawn. The assumption of develop- , ers seems to be that We are solely concerned with density and if they stay within density, they are OK. This isn't so. How close they are together does make a difference. The Building Inspector has proposed eliminating the 20% minimum, and sticking to 6 ft. Mr. Volker told the Commission there will be a zoning ordinance provided at the end of the Master Plan. It was moved by Commissioner Frolich and seconded by Commissioner Fitzgerald that the meeting be adjourned. Meeting adjourned 10: 15 • /8/ Charles K. Snyder Chairman • ATTEST: • Lawrence K. Martin, City Clerk • I -3-