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PC 02-25-85 1 • ! 0;010 Toi re Avenue, (Ju :c.rt:ino,Ca y501i} a:- . -e Telephone : (iiO ) 252-450T MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD ON FEBRUARY 25, 1985 SALUTE TO THE FLAG 7 : 30 P .M. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present : Com. Mackenzie Corr. Adams Com. Szabo Corm. Sorensen Chr. Claudy Staff Present : Dir. of Ping. & Devel. Sisk Assistant Planning Dir. Cowan . City Attorney Kilian APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Corn. Adams, to approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 11, 1985 as submitted. SECOND: Corm. Sorensen VOTE: Passed 5-0 POSTPONEMENTS 410 WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS ORAL COMMUNICATIONS CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS: None UNFINISHED BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS: 1. Guidelines for review of land use activities on surplus school sites . Assistant Planning Director Cowan introduced Bob Edmiston, Property Manager of the Cupertino Union School District , who was the District ' s representative at the Meeting. Ie described the General Flan as restrictive and the EA zoning as vague in regard to school sites, so that some guidelines had been provided, but the School District found them too inflexible, he explained. He cited a recent enquiry received by the Planning Department for a mini- storage facility at a school site, which would seem to fit id well, but which .would not be allowed under present rules . I 1. • -460 PLANNING CO1,11IISSION MINUTES, FEBRUARY 25, 1985 • age 2 He indicated on a map the present status of each shcool, i.e. , permanent , 11/ presently open or closed. Mr. Edmiston advised that the Board's updated Master Plan might be available for examination by June, 1985. I It was determined there was no information on potential high school closures at the present time, but that the policy should refer to all school sites; though, because of their situations, more traffic might be allowed when leasing high school sites, it was thought. It was established the only land use for all City schools, if sold, would be residential, since they were all surrounded almost entirely by residential development. Com. Adams felt a mini-storage facility f;or documents and such would be an acceptable lease, as long as the architecture was not changed. Com. Sorensen wanted to know what other area cities had done in leasing their unused school sites. • Com. Szabo and Chr. Claudydiscussed uses 'of high schools in Palo Alto and Sunnyale, but determined the uses were quasi public. Mr. Edmiston pointed out that a school in Mountain View had light industry in it and had been rezoned for such. •Chr. Claudy reminded him that all schools- in Cupertino were surrounded by residential development. The taxstructure of leased property was discussed, and Mr. Edmiston advised that each user would be liable for any tax levied on them, and that this would be written into anyileasing agreements. Com. Mackenzie wondered if there was a trip standard for public schools which could be compared to a proposed use. Assistant Planning director Cowan described a procedure that had been used in leasing Sedgwick School with the purpose of maintaining the traffic at the same level as the public school. He suggested a traffic profile could be developed from operating school sites. Com. Mackenzie established that public school traffic was more intense • than residential traffic. Com. Szabo asked to hear the district' s! proposals. Mr. Edmiston reiterated the District' sjposition that the present guidelines would hamper the leasing of ;surplus sites. He advised that they found it difficult to lease whole sites to one operator beacause of the amount of rent required, and that they were looking into leases with lower traffic uses, because of present policy, but were unable to bring them to fruitatiori, also because of present 410 policy. He emphasized they had received no complaints so far about traffic or parking, and asked for consideration of traffic outside of school times and for activites which would keep the sites leased. i • PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, FEEHUARY 25, 1985 PC-460 e Page 3 Chr. Claudy asked Mr. Edmiston what types of activities not now permitted were desired. Mr. Edmiston cited the example of Eaton School, where he felt he could not encourage potential day care tenants because of overloading the site under present traffic rules. He advised he had also been approached for a counselling service and evening seminars, but had been unable to give the potential tenants a definite answer and they had "disappeared" . He indicated that the District needed some sort of a traffic formula and procedure. Com. Adams asked Mr. Edmiston if anything presently not permitted, other than warehousing, had been considered. Mr. Edmiston advised that they received a lot of requests, but, probably due to his indefinite responses, it ended ther- . He mentioned a theatre group, but said he had been unsure about the storage of their props, and adoption agency office and a television repair business . He reiterated that a little flexibility on traffic would help. Chr. Claudy remarked that the public was often more worried about the traffic than the type of use. Com. Adams, however, felt that the neighbors often questione. w1"at was going to be put into closed school sites . ® • Mr. Edmiston described the District ' s policy of offering to hold neighborhood meetings to ascertain community response to potential tenants. Com. Sorensen drew attention to the fact that in leasing tc private schools the District was leasing to their competitio .. Questioned by Com. Sorensen, Mr. Edmiston advised that a childcare facility would generate more traffic than would a public school. Com. Sorensen observed that Eaton school was an ideal location for childcare. Mr. Edmiston pointed out that ther was a childcare facility there now, and another potential childcare tenant, but that the traffic potential, under present policy, had been mostly taken up by the existing tenants on the site . He emphasized that the present tenants had not even come close to their projected traffic . Com. Mackenzie felt there was a case for a traffic study to be done and the extra traffic potential could then be used. Chr. Claudy cautioned that if trips were given away when the tenants had not reached their potential, they might have to move later because of constraints. Com. Szabo was in favor of any activity that did not increas- 411 traffic, he said. P C-460 PLANNING COMIMISSION MINUTES, FEB UARY 25, 1985 Page 4 Chr. Claudy could not support the concept of opening the sites 11, up to commercial or industrial uses, therefore developing the expectation of such uses slipping into residential areas . Com. Sorensen felt she would like to allow the District flexibility, especially since they went to the communities for approval of the tenants. Com. Szabo agreed, since he felt that traffic requirements should not be relaxed, and leaned towards a case by case basis . Com. Mackenzie felt some kinds of mini storage and such would be acceptable, also on a case by case basis . , Mr. Edmiston agreed that he would be happy with that approach. Questioned by Com. Adams about potential State lottery monies, Mr. Edmiston did not know how the monies would be made available and how much could be expected. Corn. Adams suggested a continuance to give the School District more time to suggest uses they would like considered. Com. Sorensen suggested that Mr. Edmiston work with the Planning Department to present some ideas . Assistant Planning Director Cowan suggested they could also work on a traffic indicator. He pointed out that adopting uses currently disallowed would involve a General Plan change, and that these Hearings were scheduled for June and December of each year. • Chr. Claudy summarized that it seemed to be a trade-off situation between increasing the traffic or allowing uses not now permitted. Com. Adams felt that any increased traffic should be spread over a wider time frame. Com. Mackenzie suggested leasing part of a site, doing a traffic study and the'iproceeding further, and also suggested adding a section on appearance to the guidelines. Com. Adams, realizing the retention of the playground areas had not been discussed, said he would be in favor of retaining them for the neighborhood or making them into tennis courts or ball diamonds. • Mr. Edmiston advised that at Wilson, Eaton and Sedgwick schools there was an agreement with the City to maintain the turf area and to schedule Little League, etc . , and tan bark areas with equipment were also open; all of which would remain. He stated that black-top, not turf, would be used for parking and for fenced areas for childcare facilities. Chr. Claudy thought if the choice was between losing a site to parking or selling, it might just as well be sold for residential . Com.. Mackenzie . felt that as long as the turf area was not paved over, it would be acceptable . Chr. Claudy, referring to the new appearance factor, suggested 410 shrubbery might be used as a screen if the black-top was to be • used for parking. •1 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, FEBRUARY 25, 1985 • PC-460 Page 5 Assistant Planning Director Cowan established that he was to meet with Mr. Edmiston to discuss the concept involved with the list of uses, examine traffic indices, discussing also appearance rules and maintaining the public space. He would also research what other communities had done, he said, though Cupertino was usually first. 2. Discussion of •City Council directive to rezone all General Commercial properties to P (Planned Development). Director of Planning and Development Sisk oriented the Commission, on a map, to properties that would be affected by the proposed rezoning, and advised that the difference would be that a use permit would be reugired on all new construction in the revised zone. He suggested grouping areas together for Hearings, stated that the number of people to be notified would determine the notification procedure, and gave examples. Com. Szabo wondered if all areas could be heard at one time to give better continuity, and suggested an accompanying letter explaining the grandfather clause. Com. Adams suggested, to cut down on misinformation, a notice in the Cupertino Scene for at least a couple of months, stressing the low percentage of property involved. Director of Planning and Development Sisk advised that the City now had a Public Information Officer who could undertake the task. Chr. Claudy wondered if an auditorium should be used, and suggested a a meeting with a light agenda or a special meeting failing that, with the meeting to be continued to another if necessary. Com. Adams did not favor an auditorium because of past experience of the public's response in such environments. Chr. Claudy suggested Mr. Hitchman of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, who was in the audience, might take a copy of the map to a Chamber meeting. Mr. Hitchman agreed, and commented that if the matter was well publicized he did not see there would be any problems. REPORT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION Com. Szabo referred to a past question of the Commission ; whether neighborhood shopping centers should be zoned in such a way they could not be taken over for office use, and wondered if there was any support on the commission for two different zonings. Chr. Claudy advised that the idea had not received much support at the time it was first presented, but agreed that commercial properties did not need to be converted to office. He was concerned about losing • the convenience of neighborhood shops, especially drug stores and the like. C-460 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, FEBRUARY 25, 1985 'age 6 • Com. Szabo commented that the Commission had recently been hearing that incentives were higher to build office, and this use was inad- vertently encouraged by City policy. However, he agreed with Chr. Claudy that traffic guided the policy. Director of Planning and Development Sisk suggested Staff assemble a map identifying the areas in question, so that the Commission could have a clearer picture of what would be involved. Com. Adams reported that at the building adjacent to P.J. tIulligans he had noticed a pickup truck with bar stools and tables being loaded or unloaded and suggested the matter be investigated. Com. Szabo wanted enlightenment on the economic feasibility study ordered by City Council for the Mariani property. Director of Planning and Development Sisk advised that since the owners had stated they could not economically build houses on the site, the City Council was studying independently whether residential was feasible and at what density. Com. Szabo commented that condominiums were being built all over the City and must be feasible at that location also, especially since the owners had held the land for thirty years. Chr. Claudy, stating that the value of commercial land was higher than residential land, emphasized that the feasibility study should be based on the value of residential land only. Director of Planning and Deelopment Sisk confirmed that the scope of work so indicated, and advised that a couple of density ranges were to be studied. Assistant Planning Director Cowan drew attention to the fact that one residential builder, Jason Chartier, had found it impossible to build what he had planned because of cost and had changed the structure accordingly. He felt something similar should be possible here. Com. Szabo drew the Commission's attention to the fact that they had been overruled five times by the City Council on the Vidovitch properties , and felt that the Council and Planning Commission were not pursuing the same goals with regard to office space. Re suggested a meeting with City Council to ascertain their rules and intent, since having the Commission' s unanimous decisions overturned regularly was not fruitful, he felt. Asked by Director of Planning and Development Sisk if there was a consistent pattern of such actions that could be brought to Council ' s attention, Com. Szabo the Mariani General Plan Amendment. Staff advised that Council had not yet voted on the Amendment and would only hold a Hearing if the housing was shown to be infeasible under 411 the study. Com. Szabo felt, nevertheless, that there was a definite disparity, since the Commission had said that a General Plan change would not be in the best interest of the City. A t 410 F \ M nn .T �E , `• UAiiY G„ 9c5 ui:0 rLA 'I�?I�?G CO. .�il�:�i0i iI ,U'?�� S P?:L. � � � PaEe 7 Chr. Claudy observed that on some things the City Council held a different view, and that was their prerogative, he felt, but whilst he did not obj =ct to meeting with the Council, he was not prepared to have them dictate what theCommission�ommi,.sion should be finding, he said. Com, Szabo felt that communications were lacking, that Council only saw the reasonings of the Planning Commission in a short paragraph and hours of reasoning and work were lost . The Recording Secretary interjected that Planning Commis- sion Minutes were required to be brief, and assured a readiness to adapt them, should that be changed. Assistant Planning Director Cowan suggested the Commission make more elaborate findings. Com. Mackenzie suggested sending a representative to City Council on controversial issues. Director of Planning and Development Sisk advised he was the liaison, though in the past the Chairman of the Commission had attended City Council Meetings. It was decided, when it was known that an issue would be controversial, more time could be spent giving reasons, findings and conclusions which could be reflected in the ® ihinut e s. Com. Sorensen suggested that Director of Planning and Development Sisk, as liaison, should discuss their concerns with City Council. Com. Adams mentioned that P.G. & E. workers were drinking and partying at four in the afternoon at the corner of Blaney and Homestead Director of Plannin , and Development Sisk assured that action wuld be taken. Com. Sorensen had represented the Commission at the selection of the Cupertino Citizens of the Year, and she advised that the results would be out soon. Com. Mackenzie reported a five car accident at the corner of Rose Blossom and McClellan, where recently a "no right turn" sign had been erected, which seemed to be the result of an aborted right turn. REPORT OF THE PLANNING DIRECTOR Director of Planning and Development Sisk advised the Commissioners attending the upcoming conference to keep track of their expenses, since there' was no per diem amount . ADJOURNMENT • 9 : 15 P .M. • 41/ ATTEST: APPROVED: /s/ Dorothy Cornelius /s/John Claudy City Clerk Chairperson