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Director's report CITY OF CUPERTINO 10300 TORRE AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA 95014 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Subject: Report of the Com~unity Development Direct~ Planning Commission Agenda Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 The City Council met on September 30, 2008 and October 7, 2008, and discussed the following items of interest to the Planning Commission 1. Guidelines for City Council Meetings: Council agreed to monitor the progress of the meetings as compared to the time estimates on the agenda. They will provide notice early in the evening to applicants and the audience members as to which item(s) might be continued. Council members preferred not to continue items to a later date, but would try to finish most meetings by 1:00 AM at the latest. 2. Presentation by the Santa Clara Valley Water District: Council received the presentation- see attached literature. . 3. Appeal of the Planning Commission's decision to approve a one-year extension of a Tentative Map that expires on July 26,2008 for 21925 Lindy Lane: The appeal was denied thereby upholding the Planning Commission's approval of the Tentative Map extension. 4. Photovoltaic Permit Fees for Quasi-Public Buildings: Resolution adopted amending the fee to be $1123; which represents an 80% reduction from the standard fee. Council has directed this item to come back to discuss issues of the two churches involved and the retroactive application of the new fee. Miscellaneous Items 1. City Planner Recruitment: After an extensive outreach and recruitment effort, Senior Planner Gary Chao has been selected as the new City Planner filling the vacancy created by Ciddy Wordell's retirement in April 2008. Enclosures: Santa Clara Valley Water District's Permanente Creek Flood Protection Project literature Staff Reports Newspaper articles G: \ Planning \ SteveP \ Director's Report \ 2008 \ pdl 0-14-08.doc DIt2-1 Clean, Safe Creeks San~a Clara Valle~ Wa~er Dis~ric~ D 1r2 ~~ :::s v: .0... CD ~ ~ C)! 3 ~ ~ rZJ CD ~ ~ (ilil fi, D)S @ @; ~- ~.~ ~ o o 0... -0 ..., . o ....... CD () ::!'". o :::s -0 ..., o -. CD () ....... ~@[JDLfl)@]ITll@rufr~ ~[f@@[k flood protection project Protecti ng people and properties Permanente Cree.k has a history ofJlooding, having experienced major flooding in 1862, 1911, 1-940, 1950, 1952, 1955, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1995 and 1998. Flooding can r~sult in millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses and schools. In addition, disruption to businesses and transportation networks can result in. significant loss of productivity and revenue. One of the project's goals is to avoid utility and transport.ation shutdowns and prevent potential damages that could exc~ed $48 million (l999 value). Ce~ '/lrQ/ r.. ~y (Q4lt; Elc or"i q-?l' (J Ji ~Oi) 'r6'q! --:- . . // ) / ~ c::::: .g o c < ~ Almond Ave z@ LEGEND Project features o floodwalls e Creek restoration e McKelvey Park detention G Channel widening o Cuesta P~rk detention ~ Permanente bypass channel Ci) Hale bypass channel ~ New diversion structure ([", Rancho San Antonio Park detention C. South Branch Dam G Blach School detention Landmarks Y: Shoreli ne Park ~ Mountain View City Hall Er Los Altos City Hall ~ EI Camino Hospital 1 % Flood Limits J ~, 1 4qq'~h .t. 7e/q,t - II :~ ~~ ~ ~~ <,~ ":t:,. ~ ~ ........~. ~ ;F;~ ~ . l,.,;).' ...... ~ ,c-,- \ ~ ;: ~'# ~ rJ f f o J ... 1m ..:.:: CD CD ~ ~ '" c CD > CD Vi - :; ,~,. ~ ~I G! ~vin Ave ~~-~--- ^ , Permanente ~ Diversion -g Channel ~ 1), ~ ~3 Each winter, thousands of households, . schools and businesses in Mountain View and Los Altos are susceptible to flooding from Permanente Creek during a major storm. Th~ Santa Clara Valley Water,District has initiated planning of a flood-protection project along 1 0.6 miles of Permanente Creek, from San Francisco Bay's southwest shoreline through Mountain View to Foothill Expressway in Los Altos. Your Clean, Safe Creeks vote at work The project is funded by the- Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protecti on pa reel tax passed by voters countywide in November 2000. The 15-year plan makes it possible to protect homes, schools and businesses from flooding, improving the health of creek and bay ecosystems and creating trails and parks for recreational en joyment. Permanente Creek Flood Protection Project District Contact Information Access Valley Water: www~vallevwater.or2 Afshin Rouhani Saied Ho'sseini Project Manager Senior Project Manager Capital Project Services Division Capital Project Services Division 5750 Almaden Expressway 5750 Almaden Expressway San Jose, CA 95118 San Jose, CA 95118 (408) 265-2607 extension 2616 (408) 265-2607 extension 2680 e-mail: arouhani@vallevwater.org e-m'ail: shosseini@vallevwater.org Beau Goldie Rick Callender , Deputy Operating Officer Assistant Operating Officer Watershed Operations Government Relations Unit 5750 Almaden Expressway 5750 Almaden Expressway San Jose) CA 95118 San Jose, CA 95118 (408) 265-2607 extension 2634 (408) 265-2607 extension 2017 e-mail: bgoldie@vallevwater.org e-mail: rcallender@vallevwater.org \ Olga Martin-Steele Director Patrick Kwok Chief Operating, Officer Director - District 5 5750 Almaden Expressway 5750 Almaden Expressway San Jose, CA 95118 Sa n Jose, CA 95118 (408) 265-2607 extension 2326 (408) 265-26'00 e-ma il: osteele @vallevwater.org t> -I e ~ 4- t>~~ o ~ ~ CO - CO 0) 0)..0 .c C'U ~ 0- E ~ o C'U ..;:: c o c o B E 2c.o 2cci Q.(,/,) u~ 8c.o - ,...- '+-0 eN 0) ~ ~...o 0)- Q.C'U I 0) mCI: c Q' ~ 0) 0- TI E 0- ctS E;:() '-- - D-W . ~ CJ) Q) c c co ..c o Q) +-' Q) ~ o c o o OJ c o~ e o oc Q) +-' Q) U CJ) Cf) Q) ~ TI TI ~ co +-' C ill Cf) E c c 0 o Oen ~ c os; Q) c+-' m ~ '-- E oca en ~ Q)+-' :-e -g S ctS t.8 o c o..Q) Q.E o Q) m (.) u c oS; ctS o.c ~ c D- 0) . . ::})f~' ~ '*~ ;T) <J i\'-> ~ 0 ~.~.. a +-' s *;~] j () Q) ~- 00 .2 ,: . c - !-.. 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Z 13: Ci) ....' f\.) Q) 0 :J 0 0) ::3 -. :s ""0 f\.) (.Q ::I: 0 :> 0 en en -....J m n :T r\) CD 0 0- 0 CD c: ol ..... _a. CD OJ r\) '< 0 0 CD r\) 0 -" 0 ~ .'1) 12- Lq t.n ~ ::n ;~ o.~ a...b _.~ viS 0'- ...,0) c~ ~~ C'-- CJ) c o ~ (jJ Q) :J a Q) -- ::J '-0 (1) .s::. o en D r2,- ~o By the numbers The Clean, Safe Creeks plan provides $27 million to design and construct a p~oject to: · Provide natural flood protection for 1,664 properties by 2016; · Prevent flooding of Middlefield Road and Central Expressway; · Prevent potential damages in excess of $48 million. All dollar Figures are 7999 value. The planning process The water district is working with the cities and the,ir residents through community and project task force meetings to develop conceptual designs. Comments and feedback have helped to identify 11 feasible flood-protection alternatives for further study. The alternatives employ different methods of flood protection, including: · Flood-peak reduction, such as detention basins. and dams; · Bypass channels; · Channel improvements, such as f/oodwalls and channel-widening; · Flood-proofing, such as elevating structures or relocating them out of the flood-prone area. Some of these alternatives provide opportunities to: · Protect 3, 170 parcels · Remove as many as 2,300 feet of concrete channel to restore to a more natural stream condition · Provide more parks and preserve 20 acres of open space, both in Cuesta Annex and in Rancho San Antonio County Park · Reduce creek erosion · Enhance eight acresi:of, wildlife habitat I · Preserve 1.6 miles of ri porion habitat along Permanente and Hale creeks · Extend the existing Permanente Creek trail beyond U.S. 101 to Middlefield Road tl--~~~"T- ~!I~~V <'~".:B"J,::.{i" ~ "' t.. "t'i:~., 1_"" . .~~ ~'€""~~,:" ".: - ~~~t,.,' ~: ~.:~~~ ~~~~ ~I,..,.\~'.:,~~~:; ~. .. G, .,L-~, ~...r~" Is. ',' .' '-th.-": ..., ,~..--.,... . ~ I r :', j ~,,:' ;.~:1:~~. ?(tA: / l :}',~ . ".~~~;~':k'. '-~'.... . "','~ ',_:.'t if( '.';! ?~. - " "., ; ~.::- ~'!.. '-:'.f: I,~ ',':' ~" .;. ~.~~~_, '~"~~_.' ',' :, ~~:'- ,;~ ~t-~ :..~~ ~~;~':~ I~~~~~;r~~~~-~~~- ,: ~;~~~t~~::~:~r: ~.~~~,~J~" '" ~[~.~~~T~~ ~~{~~~'?;.:t~~~:~ ;~5-:~'~":~~;~ . ~~';~~~<~~;,\; --~:~ _,. ;~~_:r.~ -, ...- " __'..~/...~ ~ .,..'..:t..~,- ~'.lil:"'" .,..~...~' ~ ~~~~:;;?!J~:'~\:~:~,,; ;;~f~Q~:~:~~~~ ,," . ~ "~ ~~~~_~.~ ~,,~. "'. ~. . - - , ~__ _' .-1 ~l;~': . '. ',' .~?;. .~ ~,~?~f' : -r(. ::~~Jj "..- .... ."'.~~.~~_. ~~"?~:;~ ~- -~.~~lt,t;--"--...::!Ko::.~'~~";..",,=,~~ Preserving the existing riparian habitat along Permanente Creek is one of the proiecf's obiectives. The project on Permanente Creek includes removal of as many as 2 300 feet of concrete channel (left). The artist's rendering (right) shows the creek in a r~stored, more natural'condition, such as this location north of Middlefield Road in Mountain View. Looking ahead The Permonente Cr'eek Flood Protection Project offers a tremendous opportunity for a multi-purpose project to improve flood protection, create recreational opportunities and enhance the environment. The water district will continue to work with the cities and the community to identify the most suitable' alternative. No matter what alternative or combination of alternatives is finally chosen, the water district is looking forward to working with the community to provide critical flood protection needs for Mountain View ~nd Los Altos. Project schedule 2004 2006 2008 2010 I I I I I I I I 2012 I I 2014 2016 I 1 I I planning I~ D~-- ~ \ For more information, contact Senior Project Manager Saeid Hosseini at (408) 265-2607, ext. 2680, or email shosseini@Valleywater.org. Also, visit our website at and use our customer request and information system. With three easy steps, you can use th is service to find out the latest information on the project or to submit questions, complaints or compliments directly to a district staff person. Use Access Valley Water to search for proiects or work going on in your neighborhood. What we do . The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages water resources and provides stewardship for the county's five watersheds, including 10 reservoirs, hundreds of miles of streams and groundwater basins. The water district also provides flood protection throughout Santa Clara County. Visit our website, www.valleywater.org. Neighborhood work Flood protection also includes smaller neighborhood projects to keep creeks in good shape. The water district removes sediment, invasive vegetation, trash and debris, and repairs eroded creek banks to help our waterways carry floodwaters saJely away from nearby homes- and businesses. This same work also creates more natural conditions for fish, plants and wildlife. On the cover: 1. Flooding from Permanente Creek at Bloch School in March 1983 2. Permanente Creek at Shoreline Park at Mountain View. 3. Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) on Guadalupe River in San Jose. 4. Great egret (Casmerodius a/bus) at Shoreline 'Park in Mountain View. 5. Long-billed curlew [Numeniu5 american us) at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. 6. Trail qdjacent to Camden Groundwater Recharge Ponds in Campbell. 2 3 5 4 - ...-.....-..-- - - --_. --- - - - - _.- -- 6 Dr<- :;l~ ~~-~-_:. -.'- - Eic C;'iJ; !.... F;-orto 1""1;. tick> :':-o.,d;-: :-. -j-~~~:;.';-'; -~F.:~- .J~-d.- ~ -~':J 8"--.J -.. -- A.:.'<h'-' ~ hltp::llclcnu.:OIfC.1IC.CO'"/nc",:'~s~.:>hDI~ .. -- -. .. . ..:T" c:-..., -~~ n::_ - '-;1 . . -- - .. 1..:.1 I ~~~ --..-.-::. I I .1 I ~~ _0 Access Valley W~_t~r Send U5 your requ~r . qu~om. ccmpla''1tS I and compliments ~ J 'I'!elcome to Acc~:;:; V;lIlI.'Y W;lter, 3r e:::s':' W~lr ro ::;end your requests, questions, complnint:; Jnd :<lmpli:ncn::: directly 10 the Coisrric:: staff person VIIho on nelp you Ie, u::e Acc~!:$ V:llley W:lt!!f, follow three =3:.)1 5l~fI:' ~ P t t t l -11 '1 j Choose :3 topiC :and subtopic thai: mati:he!: Il1e sUbJec: of your conceln. .2) Describe your reQues:. 3) Cre'3!: 3n account so you c;m track the srarus and 311')' r=:;pons~$ online. 24 11aurs c d3Y, '7 days a we=l~ w~ hope you enjlJ'! this seMce and we Icoh fOrw:3rd to getting back to you. S~I~t.:t . '"pit: - ':ihllwill'J; .tll '"lliL"" illl Ih" $.1111,1 CI.II,I V.,II~v W,II~I [Ibllkl IOlllc~: 6..!JOtU.-- ttf€h ::'~tlLnii~ .: ~I~O":): Cn;~, - 80Jltngel ROile 8rrdgE repl3cemem ::',,",",_ Guau3lupr: r."'l:' nC[/U [lICl~cllcn prtljec: . n~ar C;:O/!+NY 57 ~,~CI;~\.\. ~A:'~t'~''';~';::''ll . ~g~:~::~~~l:":~I~:;~~~:~~~~~~~" - nt'dl Iv\'''el" ~." Jm.-\ilporl .'....,r. :.1"1. :!\J;:,IUf ......a,.. ;IUr I ,(;..~::. "p..JtQ JOI ~:.qt1 . ~...",.."., .....w.". -...Jo..!l)e' --- TIt'''' ~~ . - --- ---- -.- - --- - - -"'-_._~ ,..;J .Inll,m.:t You're in a watershed No matter where you are, you're in a watershed. A watershed is the area of land that .drains a common waterway. In Sant.a Clara County, our creeks catch rain and runoff from storm drains and carry the water north to San Francisco Bay or south to Monterey Bay. Along the way, some of the water is used to fill reservoirs for drinking water, replenish the underground aquifer and create better habitat for fish and wildlife. This project is in the Lower Peninsula Wat~rsheds, a 98-square-mile area with many small-creek watersheds that feed the tidal wetlands along San Francisco Bay. Its San Francisquito and Stevens creeks are among the last remaining viable steelhead trout runs in the county. CJ ~ > ~ Ci ~ >.. Cl ~ C c D o ~ CJ ~ @ San~a Clara ValleH Wo~er Dis~ric~ 5750 Almaden Expwy San Jose, CA 9511 8 www.vall eywater. org City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 777-3308 Fax: (408) 777-3333 (I OF CUPEI\TINO Community Development Department SUMMARY Agenda Item No. JQ Agenda Date: October 7, 2008 Application: Appeal of Planning Commission approval of DIR-2008-19 Applicant: John Dozier Property Owner: John and Karen Knopp Location: 21925 Lindy Lane Appellant: Councilmember Gilbert Wong APPLICATION SUMMARY Consider an appeal of the Planning Commission approval (Exhibit A-l) of a one-year extension to July 26, 2009 of the tentative parcel map (file no. TM-2005-03) for an approved two lot subdivision of a 1.0 acre site into lots of about 20,000 square feet each in an R1-20 zone. RECOMMENDATION The Council has the options to either: a) Deny the appeal (i.e. uphold the Planning Commission's decision); or b) Deny the appeal with modifications; or c) Uphold the appeal (allow the tentative map to expire); or c) Uphold the appeal with modifications. BACKGROUND On August 26,2008, the Planning Commission reviewed and approved on a 4-1 vote (Miller, nay) a one-year time extension of a tentative parcel map (file no. TM-2005-03) for an approved two lot subdivision of a 1.0 acre site into lots of about 20,000 square feet each in an Rl-20 zone (Exhibit B-1, C-l and D-l). DISCUSSION: Applicant Comments: The applicant said most neighbors do not understand or do not want to get involved in a petition to change the standard street improvements to a semi-rural designation. He feels that an extra year will be enough time to educate the neighbors and secure enough petition signatures for a semi-rural street designation for Lindy Lane. D~-:J3 Appeal of DIR-2008-19 Page 2 October 7, 200S He also stated the Knopps should not be held accountable for any alleged transgressions committed by Bret Moxley on his own subdivision. Mr. Moxley is not involved in this property anymore. Public Comments: At least two residents felt the subdivision map should be allowed to expire for the following reasons: . In places the slopes were too steep or covered in unengineered fill. Core sampling should have been done to validate the suitability of the property for subdivision, . The property may be too small to subdivide, . A house cannot be squeezed into Lot #2 without damaging the trees. If the property were allowed to be subdivided, it should be done lengthwise, which will allow development that will do a better job of protecting the trees. Regarding the street improvements, one resident felt the standard street improvements could be installed without damaging the trees. Another asked that the street not be narrowed for vehicle safety reasons, but deleting the sidewalk would be okay. Another said he would get the 2/3 signatures needed to petition the City Council for a semi- rural street improvement. Staff Comments: Staff responded to a number of questions asked by the Commissioners about the project. 1. What type of public noticing accompanied this extension request? There is no noticing requirement for extension requests of expiring tentative maps. Staff looked to noticing procedures for extensions of other City entitlements but the municipal code was largely silent on the issue, except for conditional use permits and variances where the code allowed decisionmakers to extend the time of a use permit or variance without a public hearing. No public noticing was done for the extension request hearing; however, publication noticing and mailed noticing of property owners within 300 feet was done for the appeal hearing as prescribed by City ordinance. 2. A couple of trees were removed from the property after the tentative map was approved. What happened after the removal? A couple of eucalyptus trees were removed by the adjacent property owner without the Knopps' permission. The Knopps' filed a retroactive tree removal permit (file no. TR- 2006-12) and ended up replacing the trees with two field grown Coast Live Oaks and an eucalyptus. One was planted upslope and the other planted near the street. 2 D((-Q.'-t Appeal of DIR-2008-19 Page 3 October 7, 2008 3. Was geotechnical review performed on the property? Yes. A copy of the report titled: "Engineering Geologic and Geotechnical Feasibility Evaluation Proposed Two-Lot Subdivision: 21925 Lindy Lane, Cupertino, California/Project 2004G" prepared by Pacific Geotechnical Engineering and dated May 23, 2005 is attached (Exhibit E-l) along with the City Geologist's review letter (Exhibit F-l). The description of the site geology was based on reconnaissance of the site and vicinity, aerial photography analysis, subsurface data (i.e. core sampling) from the adjacent property and the geologist's understanding of the regional geologic framework. The geologist referenced his own subsurface data collected on the abutting Moxley property, as well as, published subsurface data from core sampling of the Sun property (west of Moxley) prepared by Milstone Geotechnical. The applicant's geologist recommended that subsurface investigation be a requirement of any design-specific geotechnical investigation for any house to be built. Presently, no new house has been proposed on the property. The City Geologist reviewed Pacific Geotechnical Engineering's (PGE) report and was in agreement with PGE's approach and study as a feasibility-level investigation. The City Geologist recommended a design-specific geotechnical report when a new house was actually proposed on the property (Exhibit F-l). The recommendation was incorporated in the conditions of approval for the subdivision. 4. Lot #2 has a proposed ingress/egress easement to serve Lot #1. If it is deducted from the net lot area, the lot falls below 10,000 square feet and the subdivision should not take place. This issue was recognized by staff early in the review process when the applicant proposed subdividing the lot lengthwise with the subdivision line parallel to the street. This alternative design had a minimum of 10,000 net square feet per lot and no ingress/ egress easement to deduct from the lot area. This alternative subdivision design would have created a poor development relationship with the street, and would not have matched the orientation of any of the other residences along Lindy Lane. The approved subdivision with the subdivision line perpendicular to the street caused the need for the easement to Lot #1 over Lot #2, which was resolved with condition #11 of the tentative map approval (Exhibit G-l). If the easement area (2,741 square feet) was deducted from the net lot area, Lot #2 would be too small for subdivision. 5. Would standa1'd subdivision street improvements damage the oak trees? Yes. Standard improvements include a 20-foot half-street width, a 6-inch wide curb and a 4 and V2 foot wjde sidewalk as depicted in Exhibit C of Exhibit C-1. These standard improvements would cause the removal of two oaks, regrading of the lower slope of Lot #1, and 3-4 foot tall retaining walls in back of the sidewalk on Lot #1. Trying to 3 D,e - a5 Appeal of DIR-2008-19 Page 4 October 7,2008 route the sidewalk away from the oaks would not prevent tree damage as there will be additional grading impacts, retaining walls for the uphill slopes, and, for safety reasons, 8-feet of vertical clearance of all vegetation overhanging the sidewalk. This clearance will be damaging to the oaks, which have very low hanging canopies. If the City Council elects to deny the appeal and uphold the tentative map extension, there are several tentative map conditions that staff seeks clarification/ direction on implementation (Exhibit G-l). - Condition #2: FUTURE BUILDING AREA One aspect of this condition prohibits the construction of retaining walls over 4 feet tall in height as measured from natural grade. In general staff believes this condition can be met on the property, but staff believes some-flexibility is warranted on this hilly property. Staff suggests that taller retaining walls be allowed if they are not visible from a public right-of-way. Condition #3: SLOPE EASEMENT This condition requires the delineation and recordation of a "slope easement" area across the front of the property to ensure" that the existing landforms, trees and vegetation be preserved." Any required street improvements in this area will probably cause the removal of two Silk trees (Albizia julibrissin) and the relocation of one of the mitigation coast live oaks. Council should indicate whether removalj relocation is acceptable or if a tree removal permit is needed. Condition #4: TREE PRESERVATION No new residential development was proposed with this tentative map application, so staff indicated that no trees were approved for removal as part of the tentative map approval. Staff believes this condition has been misconstrued by some members of the public to mean that all trees on the property were protected. This is clearly not what staff intended when it drafted the condition. Staff did not intend for every orchard tree, young sapling or exotic tree species on this property to be afforded the same protection from removal as a specimen size native tree. Note that street improvements and residential development/redevelopment will cause the removal of non-native trees on this property. Removal of any protected tree as specified in the City's protected tree ordinance will require a tree removal permit. Commission comments: A majority of the commissioners felt that the neighbors wanted to see the oaks fronting Lindy Lane preserved and the best course would be to extend the tentative map for another year to allow the applicant/ property owner another opportunity to seek sufficient signatures to petition the City Council for a Semi-Rural street designation for this section of Lindy Lane. With a Semi-Rural street designation, the Public Works I) y( - !).(p 4 Appeal of DIR-2008-19 Page 5 October 7, 2008 Department has much more flexibility with street design and can address issues of street width and on-street parking. The Commission added one modification to the tentative map extension and that was to require core sampling of the building site on Lot #2 and City Geologist clearance prior to final map recordation. Enclosures Exhibit A-I: Appeal Email Exhibit B-1: Planning Commission Resolution No. 6524 (for extension of map) Exhibit C-l: Planning Commission staff report dated August 26,2008 Exhibit D-l: Planning Commission August 26,2008 meeting minutes (draft) Exhibit E-l: Geotechnical Report prepared for the Knopp subdivision by Pacific Geotechnical Engineering dated May 23, 2005. Exhibit F-l: Geologic Review Letter prepared by Cotton, Shires Associates dated June 29,2005. Exhibit G-l: Planning Commission Resolution No. 6313 (for tentative map) Exhibit B-1: Planning Commission staff report dated July 26, 2005 Exhibit I-I: Planning Commission Meeting Minutes July 26, 2005 Approved Tentative Map Prepared by: Colin Jup.g, Senior Planner Approved by: .~ Stev iasecki Director, Community Development David W. Knapp City Manager G:PlanningIPD REPOR TjCCj2008jD IR-2008-19 appeal.doc Or< - ~1 5 I : .. ~ .,". \ " 1 "" CITY OF CUPEI\TINO City of Cupertino 10300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 777-3308 Fax: (408) 777-3333 Community Development Department Summary Agenda Item No. ~ Agenda Date: October 7,2008 SUBJECT AND ISSUE: Con?ider adopting a resolution amending Resolution No. 08-044, User Fees, Schedule D - Miscellaneous Items regarding Photovoltaic Systems for Quasi-Public Buildings, Resolution 08- . RECOMMENDATION: Determine if the Council wishes to subsidize the cost to process building permit applications for installation of photo-voltaic systems for quasi-public uses such as churches. The Council should identify the exact amount of the reduced fee to be inserted into the attached resolution. Staff suggests a fee of $1,123 representing an 80% reduction or $2,500 representing a 55% reduction to reflect the relative size of residential and quasi-public photo-voltaic systems. BACKGROUND: At the September 2, 2008 City Council meeting, a representative from Bethel Lutheran Church raised a concern regarding the photovoltaic installation permit fees charged to quasi-public buildings. On April 1, 2008, the Council adopted Resolution No: 08-044, which, in part, lowered residential photo-voltaic permit fees to $200. The representative from Bethel Lutheran Church asked the Council to consider lowering the photovoltaic fee for quasi-public buildings by 80% to be proportional to the fee reduction approved for residential installations. All user fees are reviewed each year in conjunction with the preparation of the budget and the city's policy of providing cost recovery. Presently the fee schedule categorizes all building permits as being either residential or commercial in keeping with current California building codes. A consultant study assessing the costs of the building functions yielded a new building fee schedule in 2006. The fee study goals included: updating the fee schedule, establishing the full cost of operation and allocating the full cost of fees. All fees are set at full cost recovery, except for residential photovoltaic systems, which are charged a City-subsidized $200 rate approved by Council on April 1, 2008. The residential fee reduction to $200 reduced the previously charged fee by 80% for a typical 12 panel residential installation. D Je - ;:Lib Subject and Issue: Building permits fees for quasi-public photo-voltaic systems October 7, 2008 Page 2 DISCUSSION: The average project size for Cupertino's quasi-public building permit is 12.5 times the size of a residential installation at 150 panels drawing 24 kilowatts. Presently, the permit fee for such a project is $5,617. This fee includes initial and corrected outside plan checking including the structural evaluation to ensure the panels can be safely installed on the existing roof or structural support elements. Additionally, the building inspectors conduct inspections for rough and final electrical, structural support elements, panel installation and loading and a final installation inspection. The fee encompasses all of the administrative support and staffing to answer initial questions and process the building permit application including logging the application into the computer system, shipping the plans out for plan check and scheduling the inspections plus the building capital, equipment, operating and general overhead costs that support the building function. Staff surveyed the cities of Menlo Park, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale which showed that residential solar/photovoltaic fees were reduced below the $300 as recommended by the Sierra Club but there was no evidence that commercial induding quasi-public buildings fees were subsidized. The City of Milpitas charges $1,767 for commercial installations between 8 to 48 kilowatts but we could not determine if this fee is subsidized or if it is based on a full cost recovery formula (see attached Milpitas fee schedule). FISCAL IMPACT: An 80% reduction would yield a permit fee of $1,123. This, in turn, would mean that the General Fund would backfill the Building Department approximately $4,500 per photovoltaic permit issued. Historically, the building department has issued an average of two such permits per year. Should Council choose to approve an 80% reduction in photovoltaic permit fees for quasi-public buildings, as it has for residential photovoltaic permit fees, the General Fund subsidy would total approximately $4,500 per quasi-public installation or an annual subsidy of $9,000 based on the historical average of two such permits per year. We may see an increase in applications given the increasing attention on green measures combined with an 80% reduction in the associated building permit fees and an increase in the cost to the General Fund. Alternatively, the Council may consider a proportional fee based on the average size of the system (12 panels versus 150 panels), which would reduce the quasi-public fees to $2,500 (12.5 X 200). This would cost the General-Fund $5,000 per year for two installations. If the number of photovoltaic installations increases the amount of the subsidy would increase proportionally. DR -~C) Subject and Issue: Building permits fees for quasi-public photo-voltaic systems October 7, 2008 Page 3 Prepared by: Traci Caton, Administrative Assistant, Conununity Development Department Approved by: ,; Sff,L David W. Knapp City Manager Steve Piasec i Director, Conununity Development Enclosures Fee schedules, emails or staff reports from: Mountain View, Menlo Park, Sunnyvale and Milpitas . Resolution approving a reduced photo-voltaic fee for quasi-public buildings o YZ', 30 MercuryNews.com Last 12 months deadly for San Jose pedestrians DEATH TOLL OF PEDESTRIANS f.llOUNTS TO 23 IN S.J.; 13 ARE 60 OR OLDER Bv Mark Gomez and Lisa Fernandez Mercury News Article Launched: 09/23/200804:24:57 PM PDT It's been a deadly year to walk across the street in San Jose - especially for senior citizens. In the past 12 months, 23 pedestrians have been struck by cars and killed, according to a Mercury News review of police department data. That's almost double the average in most calendar years. In about two- thirds of the latest accidents, police say the pedestrians were at fault. And more than half of those killed were in their 60s or older. Many senior citizens are alarmed, and now some are calling for changes, both in safety measures on San Jose streets and the behavior of their fellow walkers. "Sometimes, seniors are the cause, thinking they can just scoot across the street," said Ron Schwartz, 76, an active member of the men's club at the Cypress Senior Center in San Jose. "But now, with these deaths, we have to start realizing our age. We're not 35 anymore. Heck, we're not 50 anymore. Our eyesight isn't as good, our legs aren't as good. We've got to walk to the end ofthe block to make it to the crosswalk. " Seniors in the South Bay are buzzing about the recent deaths of four older people killed in late summer, including two church friends out for an evening stroll on the border of Santa Clara and San Jose, and a grandmother returning home from some early morning shopping. All three women were in their 70s and were fatally struck by hit-and-run drivers as they walked legally across the street. In the other incident, a 91-year-old man was struck and killed Sept. 13 at McLaughlin Avenue and Spokane Drive without using the crosswalk. Seniors are busy drafting letters to San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed to encourage engineering and traffic improvements, as well as talking among themselves about the need to change their own unsafe walking habits. "We're very concerned," said Connie Langford, 75, chair of San Jose's senior citizens commission. Between 2002-07, San Jose has averaged 13.4 pedestrian deaths annually, including 16 people killed in 2007, a five-year high. But since Oct. I, it's been a particularly deadly time for pedestrians in the city. Sixteen of the 23 pedestrians killed by vehicles were at fault, according to police. If that trend continues this fall, the city could post its highest yearly number of pedestrian fatalities since 20 people were killed in 2000 and 2002. Most of those deaths could have been avoided, according to police. Dt<? .;3J Sgt. Rick deLisser of the San Jose Police Department's Vehicular Crimes Unit insists the number of fatalities would be reduced if people would use crosswalks and traffic control devices, like waiting for a green light to cross. In more than half the cases this year, pedestrians who were killed by cars did not use crosswalks while trying to get across busy thoroughfares where speed limits are as high as 50 mph. "Obviously we're looking at a population that should be educated enough to know they need to use crosswalks," deLisser said. "Many of these were absolutely preventable and didn't need to happen." In one such case, an elderly man died while crossing a six-lane road in the dark without using a crosswalk. "The tragedy there is there was a crosswalk within 100 feet of either direction," deLisser said. In another incident, a man was in the crosswalk but walking against a red light, hoping that traffic would stop. Drivers in two lanes did. But a third, who did not see the pedestrian, drove through the green light, killing the man. In some cases, however, the deaths were not the pedestrians' fault. On Aug. 9, Oralia Fuga Ramirez, 75, and Enedina Oliva, 70, were out for an evening stroll, and killed while crossing Stevens Creek Boulevard at Cypress A venue. While that busy intersection is technically in Santa Clara, the traffic signals are controlled by the city of San Jose. Wayne C. Cox, a former Silicon Valley engineer who became homeless in the last decade, was charged with running his car into them as they walked legally in the crosswalk. It's intersections like these that seniors, including Schwartz of the Cypress Senior Center, located two blocks from where the church friends were killed, are trying to get changed. Schwartz's group is drafting a letter for Reed and the city council, asking for the Department of Transportation to study certain high- traffic intersections. Schwartz and his fellow seniors also would like to see new "slow down for seniors" signs, speed trailers. to show motorists how fast they are going, wider concrete median strips to serve as safe havens in the middle of the street, longer light signals, and blinking lights to mark crosswalks. Police say it will take a joint effort from drivers and pedestrians to cut down on the number of people killed each year. "If we can get pedestrians to be aware of traffic conditions and use traffic devices and be alert and aware - if we can get that out there - no doubt we can reduce the number of fatalities," deLisser said. "The biggest shame is with a little added attention and caution, many of these could have been prevented." So far this year, 13 pedestrians have died in San Jose, plus two elderly women who were killed in Santa Clara on the border of San Jose, which controls the traffic lights in that area. However, 23 pedestrians in San Jose have died going back 12 months to last October. Oct. 1,2007,8:48 a.m. Woman, 63, Blossom Avenue and Blossom Hill Road Oct. 8, 2007, 8:59 p.m. Woman, 39, Almaden Expressway, north of Highway 87 Oct. 9, 2007, 6:35 a.m. Woman, 84, Canoas Garden Avenue and Mill Stream Drive Nov. 4, 2007, 8:32 p.rn. Woman, 43, and boy, 6, Fourth Street and Younger Avenue Nov. 19,2007,6:23 p.m. Woman, 72, Senter Road and Balfour Drive Dec. 3, 2007, 4:45 a.m. Man, 59, Branham Lane and Eagle Lake Drive Dec. 11,2007,6:50 p.m. Man, 42, Williams Road and Boynton Avenue Dec. 12,2007, 10:03 p.m. Man, 44, Bascom Avenue and Borello Drive Dec. 27, 2007,10 a.m. Woman, 60, McKee Road and Ludlow Way Jan. 4, 7:15 p.m. Man, 50, at North Capitol Avenue and Ohlone Drive (Light rail vs. pedestrian) Jan. 10, 6:57 a.m. Woman, 50, Capitol Expressway and Quimby Road Feb. 8, 6:02 p.m. Man, 76, Saratoga A venue and Prospect Road Feb. 15, 12:26 p.rn. Man, 61, Bellingham and Beckett drives Feb. 21, 6:20 p.m. Woman, 48, Oakland Road and Fox Lanee y)re .. 3d- Feb. 29, 7:02 a.m. Boy, 2, 11th and Williams streets (in his driveway) March 20, 11: 18 p.m. Man, 51, Commercial Street and Berryessa Road April 1, 6:30 p.m. Man, 66, Capitol Expressway and Nieman Boulevard June 12, 12:13 p.m. Girl, 13, Park Avenue and Selbom Place Jan. 9, 12:06 p.m. Man, 73, Bascom and Naglee avenues Aug. 9, 8:20 p.m. Two women, 73 and 70, Cypress Avenue and Stevens Creek Boulevard *(technically in Santa Clara, but the traffic signals are controlled by the city of San Jose.) Aug. 30, 8:40'a.m. Woman, 69, Santa Clara and 7th streets Sept. 9,4:38 p.m. Man, 60, Capitol Expressway and Senter Road Sept. 13,9:27 a.m. Man, 91, McLaughlin Avenue and Spokane Drive Source: San Jose police By the numbers, here are the number of pedestrians who died in San Jose annually since 2003. 13 =2008 14 =2005 16 =2007 15 =2004 9 =2006 13 =2003 Source: San Jose police Or(~3~ l\;~~'~;",r... \'1f .:.c:. ~J~~.',~~~~'--_' '/ 1 ~':i ~~ ~ i!j ~',. c. \f' ~ t --y -".....' ';, ~ '. . .~~ ~...'''~~~ }...~ " . .~.~ ",. .... r'. 'I'~'-'~~~~~i:.. " , "1t,ti.~~~~:+ >'?-':';~'" :->;;-:: · ';.~?::'::. ~~". :""7 ::'. ~~'~~~g7E:;,.t"."~ -.' :;'? The Mary Avenue BicycIe/Pedestrian Bridge soars over Interstate 280 in Cupertino as work on it continues. Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Building a br~dge to somewhere Striking edifice taking shape By MATT WILSON T be Mary Avenue suspen- sion bridge is taking shape across Interstate 280 after a busy September of crews working gra ve yard shift hours. The bridge last n10nth went from two unconnected 90-foot steel towers to the bare bones of a connected span with the installa- tion of steel suspension cables. On Sept. 3 the span of the bicy- cle/pedestrian bridge began to slowly extend out from the north span were'put into place on Sept. said Qualls at a Fine Arts Corn- to south, towering over the free- 24, with preliminary work finishing 01ission meeting in August. way. Through mostly late night and up' during the first week of Octo- The steel bridge and surround- early morning work, the skeleton ber. ing landscaping have a tentative of the span was extended .com- The city of Cupertino website completion date of spring. pletely across 1-280 by Sept. 6. The launched a real-time webcanl lba t The $10.2 million brid Qe is span is 500 feet long by 16.3 feet visually tracks the progress of the funded primarily by the valley wide with a structural steel girder. bridge construction. Still images Transportation Authority.The city On Sept. 9 the first of the since July 24 can be viewed at inter- of Cup en in ow as the other major bridge's 44 thick steel cables began vals of approximately 15 minUle~. financial contributor. The city of fanning out from the north tower. City architect Terry Greene and Sunnyvale provided some fund- The south tower's cables began Cupertino public works director ing for project. popping up on Sept. 13. '-' Ralph Qualls were both unavaiJ- The area surrounding the The cables connect to the top of able 8,t press time for comments on bridge will include about 12 acres the towers and the bridge's future construction or an updated of 18ndscaping, soundwalls and roadWay to allow it to be extended timetable for completion bicycle trails with public art. without the need for supports on "It is going to be a Cupertino To view the WebCQJ71, bridge the eight-lane freeway. . icqt\ .~hen you see the bridge. updates and renderings, go to The foundation blocks along the YOJ;A-~oig*hink Cupertino:. '1\'H'vl'.cuperrin.o.org. OCTOBER 8, 2l.h78 SILICOr-~ VALLE) C()rvl~fl TI'(ITY '\JE\VSPAPERS 5 . Cupertino OURIER Volume 61, Number ;28 · Odol~r 8, ;2008 + Cupertino, CA + Est. '947 + Www.cupertinooouriel:cc D y( "-85 RESIDENTS GET A HEADS-UP ON FLOOD CONTROL PLAN $38 million project in planning stages By MATT WILSON The Santa Clara Valley Water District paid a visit to the Cupertino City Council meeting on Sept. 30 to update the commu- nity on a $38 million project aimed at avert- ing catastrophic flooding along Perma- nente Creek. "We want as many people as possible to know about the project so we can get their feedback," said Beau Goldie, a represen- tative from the water district. The flood protection project encom- passes a 98-square-mile area with many small-creek watersheds along Permanente Creek.The creek snakes through portions of Cupertino, Mountain View, Los Altos and other cities. The area of Cupertino most concerned with potential flooding is in the Rancho San Antonio Park area near the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Permanente Creek has a history of flooding, with maj or flooding occurring 11 times, twice during the 1990s'. The project aims to curb future flooding that could result in potential damages exceeding $48 million. The project is being funded by the coun- tywide Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection parcel tax passed by vot- ers in November 2000. The expected completion is slated for 2015, or 2016 at the latest. Water district representatives are plan- ning to go door-to-door in the Rancho San Antonio neighborhood so that residents can be fully informed about project in the coming months.