26. Planning Commission Work Program 09-10City of Cupertino
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408} 777-3308
Fax: (408} 777-3333
C U P E RT I N O Community Development
Department
Summary
Agenda Item No. ~ Agenda Date: July 7, 2009
APPLICATION: Consider approving the FY 2009-10 Planning Commission Work
Program
RECOMMENDATION:
The Council may consider the following options:
1. Approve the FY 2009-10 Planning Commission Work Program. Staff is requesting
Council preference on the timing of Ttem 1.
2. Approve the FY 2009-10 Planning Commission Work Program with revisions
BACKGROUND
Or- May 12, 2009 and June 23, 2009, the Planrung Commission discussed and
recommended additions to the Council FY 2009-10 Work Program (See Attachment A -
Planning Commission Minute Order). Staff is looking for Council direction related to
the funding and timing of these projects.
DISCUSSION
A matrix describing the proposed Planning tommission Work Program is enclosed
{Attachment B). The list includes projects in the City Council Work Program for FY
2009-10, projects carried over from FY 2008-09, and new projects recommended by the
Planning Commission.
High Priority
1. Green Building Police/Sustainable Land Use Pollcu
The Commission assigned the development of a Green Building Policy end a
Sustainable Land Use policy, as a high priority. The Commission recommended that
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Planning Commission Work Program FY 2009-10 July 7, 2009
Page 2
the City should be aggressive in implementing a Green Building Ordinance and review
General Plan land use policies in the City as they related to sustainability. The Planning
Commission also requested that they be~included in future public discussions,
workshops and hearings on this subject.
Staff Comments: The Council Work Program for FY 2009-10 includes reviewing the
Phase II policy recommendations of the Santa Clara County Cities Green Building
Collaborative and making recommendations regarding a Green Building Ordinance
and incentives. Staff will start working with the Planning Commission on the Green
Building Ordinance in Summer 2009.
The FY 2009-10 budget doegn t include funding for the project. The project is expected
to cost about $50,000-$120,000 depending on the extent of community input {businesses,
design professionals, developers and residents) desired by the Council. Staff will
review grant opportunities offered by the Environmental Protection Agency and Bay
Area Air Quality Management District to offset costs associated with the project and
return to the Council with a work program and funding request. Grant awards are
expected to be assigned by the end of September 2009. However, staff will continue
working in parallel with the Planning Commission on background information while
the grant application is in process.
Regarding the Sustainable Land Use Policy, an Environmental Sustainability Task Force
is expected to be launched in Fa112009 to make recommendations related to
sustainability. The land use issue is of sufficient community-wide significance to be
included in the topics discussed by the Task Force. Staff would therefore like Council
direction on whether the preference is to:
1. Wait until a broader discussion takes place at the Task Force level and then becomes
a work item for the Planning Commission; or
2. AIIow the Planning Commission to move forward without Task Force
recommendations. If the Council agrees with moving forward without Task Force
recommendations, staff recommends that the project begin after completion of the
Housing Element, Office Allocation and the Heart of the City {around end of 2009).
In both cases, the Planning Commission has requested collaboration with the
Environmental Sustainability Task Force.
Medium Priority
The Planning Commission has recommended the following programs as medium
priority:
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Planning Commission Work Program FY 2009-10 July 7, 2009
Page 3
3. Process Improvement Evaluation
Staff Comments: The City has retained Matrvc Consulting Group to conduct an
evaluation on Planning, Building and Public Works development application process
from initial contact through completion of construction. The final results and
recommendations of the evaluation are anticipated to be completed in Summer 2009
and will be provided to the Planning Commission and City Council.
4. Long-term assessment of the Citta's ~ob/Housing Balance
The Planning Commission was interested in looking at long-term opportunities to
increase residential units to balance the increase in office allocation in the General Plan.
Staff Comments: Staff had recommended monitoring ABAG's (Association of Bay Area
Government) Projections forecasts and the draft RHNA {Regional Housing Needs
Allocation) allocation for the next Housing Element,period prior to moving forward
with General Plan amendments related to housing. Upon further discussion, the
Commission decided to include this topic in the Sustainable Land Use Policy discussion.
5. Create a Strategic Plan,{or Commercial, Office and Retail Uses
The Planning Commission was interested in ~~reating a Strategic Plan for commercial,
office and retail uses. The project would include discussions with corporations,
business owners, urban planners and commercial developers to understand their needs
and could potentially result in a strategic plan that could result in revisions to land use,
zoning and other policies. Some Commissioners wereri fi clear about the parameters of
the project and asked for more clarification. --
Staff Comments: Cupertino is committed to abusiness-friendly environment for
commercial tenants. To this end, a new Economic Development Manager position was
created two years ago to better facilitate new tenant relationships, market existing space,
create brand identity around Cupertino as a place to do business, grow and retain
existing tenants, and to serve as a liaison for i:enants within Planning and Building.
Staff recommended the following preliminar:~ steps that could be incorporated within
the current work program that were generally agreed upon by the Planning
Commission:
• As time and funding permits, invite businesses, planners and building professionals
and developers to discuss issues related to business development, attraction and
retention with the Planning Commission.
Aggressively pursue opportunities to invite businesses that can contribute
significantly to City employment and revenues -currently in effect.
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Planning Commission Work Program FY 2009-10
July ~, Zoo9
Page 4
• Track current vacancies and identify opportunities for leasing -currently in effect.
Low Priority
The Planning Commission has recommended the following programs as low priority.
Due to limited staff resources and other projects currently in process, staff recommends
that the Council consider these items after current projects have been completed or for
next year's work program:
1. Protottmes of Housing Elements sites/Crossroads Plan/Other Speci c Plans
The Commission was interested in looking at other areas of the City that could benefit
from along-term approach and development standards. One example included
developing prototypes of Housing Element sites. The goal was to provide community
expectations and guidelines for development on some typical sites prior to reviewing
project proposals from applicants: Another example was developing the Crossroads
Plan.
Staff Comments: Staff recommends scheduling both items item after current projects
have been completed. The Housing Element sites study, for instance, could be taken up
after completion of the Housing Element and the Heart of the City Specific Plan. The
cast and timing of the project would depend on the scope.
The Crossroads Plan could be reviewed in next year's work program. Due to the
community interest expected on the Crossroads plan, staff expects this project to take
approximately 300-400 hours of staff time, and about $150,000 iri consultant costs and
ancillary expenses. Staff expects this process to take about 6-9 months.
2. Affordable Housing Methodology{
The Commission interest in alternative affordable housing measures to better
incentivize affordable housing besides the current below market rate program (BMR).
Programs to incentivize affordable housing can range from revising the City's BMR
program, reviewing fees to creating higher density and funding incentives for
affordable housing. Since this is a low priority, staff recommends that the Council
consider this in next year's work program.
3. Review Parking Standards
The Commission recommended evaluating the City's parking ordinance to address
restaurant versus general retail parking requirements. One of the Commissioners noted
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Planning Commission Work Program FY 2009-10 July 7, 2009
Page 5
that some restaurants have parking problem; while some retail centers have many
empty parking spaces and recommended a parking study to analyze if the City's
parking requirements should be increased fo:r some restaurants and reduced for other
commercial uses.
Parking requirements are generally derived from extensive studies conducted by the
ITE (Institute of Traffic Engineers) and are generally good indicators of average parking
requirements for various uses. Some restaur~ints and retail centers are more successful
than others and a parking survey will likely F~rovide an average close to the current
zoning ordinance requirements. Additionall~r, since uses change from time to time it
would be difficult to monitor parking on an cmgoing basis. The City's process allows
for parking studies for projects. Staff recomrriends using this approach for specific
projects if parking impacts are anticipated.
Attachments
Attachment A: Planning Commission Minute Order
Attachment B: Planning Commission Work Program FY 2009-10
Submitted by:
Aarti Shrivastava Gar Chao
Director, Community Development City Planner
Approved by:
David W. Knapp
City Manager
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Attachment A
CITY OF CUPERTINO
10300 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, California 95014
RESOLUTION NO. 6560 (MINUTE ORDER)
OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CUPERTINO
REFERRING TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL OF THE
2009 PLANNING COMMISSION WORK PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION
At its meeting of Tuesday, June 23, 2009, the Planning Commission discussed and makes the
following recommendations for projects to be included in the Planning Commission Work
Program for FY 2009-2010. (See July 7, 2009 City Council staff report)
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 23rd day of June 2009 at a Regular Meeting of the Planning
Commission of the City of Cupertino, State of California, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Chairperson Giefer, Vice Chair Brophy, Miller, Kaneda,
Lee
NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None
ABSTAIN: COMMISSIONERS: None
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None
ATTEST:
/s/Aarti Shrieastava
Aarti Shrivastava
Director of Community Development
APPROVED:
/s/Lisa Giefer
Lisa Giefex, Chair
Planning Commission
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