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Director's ReportCl1PE~tTthlt3 CUPERTINO CITY HALL 10300 TORRE AVENUE CUPERTINO, CA 95014 TELEPHONE (408) 777-3308 FAX (408) 777-3333 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Subject: Report of the Community Development Direct Planning Commission Agenda Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 The City Council met on February 2, 2010 and discussed the following item(s) of interest to the Planning Commission: 1. Mary Avenue Senior Housing Proposal MOU- Council did not approve the MOU proposal on a 3-2 vote. Miscellaneous Items: 1. Sterling Barnhart Construction Progress -The Contractor, Elite Landscaping of Clovis, California, will be authorized to proceed with the construction of Sterling Barnhart Park near the end of January and will complete the work by July as planned barring unusual delays caused by weather or other unforeseen circumstances. 2. Civic Park Oak Trees -The Civic Park (Town Center) development includes a number of beautiful relocated and newly planted oaks, most of which are planted along the new linear park. We are sorry to note that two oak trees along Town Center Lane -one at the intersection of Torre Avenue, immediately south of the I.S. Stew House and the other immediately west of it - will have to be removed per our consultant arborist's recommendations. The oak trees are dying due to stress from construction in spite of the developer's effor$s to save them. Staff has confirmed this with the City's arborist as well. The arborist is recommending planting new oak trees and doing some minor re-grading and fertilizing around the roots to ensure that the replacement trees will thrive. The new oaks will be planted in the same locations as the old trees and will consist of a 60" box oak close to the intersection of Town Center Lane and Torre Avenue and a 48" box oak west of it. Since the development and maintenance of the trees has been handed over to the Homeowner's Association (HOA), the developers will co-ordinate the removal of the trees with the HOA. It is anticipated that the trees will be removed in late March/ early April. The developer will place a sign near the location to inform interested parties of the planned work. Piu Ghosh is the planning contact for this project. Upcoming Dates: Feb. 15 City offices closed for President's Day Holiday Mar 24-26 League of CA Cities -Planner's Institute conference in Monterey Enclosures: News Article G: ~ Planning ~ AartiS ~ Director's Report \ 2009 ~ pd2-9-10.doc Dormant fountain at Quinlan Center finally set to be replaced -San Jose Mercury News t~he,lercur,~ dews MercuryNews.com Page 1 of 2 Dormant fountain at Quinlan Center finally set to be replaced 8y Matt Wilson iuperino Courizr FcSt~d 01l28r2;31L 05:y0:01 Fid1 FST Updated: 01/28/2010 05:50:03 PM PST A city fountain that has been dormant for more than a decade at the Quinlan Community Center is finally being demolished to make room for a new plaza the city hopes will encourage more outdoor events. The Cupertino City Council awarded a $260,000 contract for the fountain's demolition to Robert A. Bothman Inc. on Jan. 19. The fountain, which has been dry most of the time since the mid-1990s, and its surrounding area will be paved over and replaced with a decorative concrete patio and plant-covered overhanging trellis. The approval came the same night council voted to halt new capital improvement projects to balance an unexpected $1.35 million budget shortfall for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The council said the project has been in the works for the past three years, and the city wants to complete it. Funds were already earmarked for the fountain's removal in 2007, and the council approved the project in August 2008, but the design process delayed the project until now. Councilman Barry Chang cast the lone dissenting vote. The city-owned fountain has been a controversial subject for more than a decade. Just a few years after it was installed at the Quinlan Community Center in 1990, the council ordered the city to shut down the leaky fountain to conserve water. The fountain operated on and off until 1999, when it shut down permanently. The lack of flowing water over the years caused much of the fountain's adhesive material to deteriorate and crack, according to city architect Terry Greene. Greene told the city council that a thorough fountain repair would cost $750,000 to $1 million. He said the lack of a waterproof membrane would cause the fountain to lose about 300 gallons of water a day if it were operational. "This fountain is well beyond its lifespan," Greene said. City manager David Knapp said the idle fountain poses a safety liability, particularly for children and the occasional skateboarder. The project calls for demolition of all above- ground fountain components, capping the water connections and paving over the area. A steel trellis was selected over wood for durability and maintenance reasons, according to city staff. City staff said that a large outdoor area would be a benefit to the community center in terms of booking more outdoor events such as weddings. Green hopes the new plaza will be done in time for July 4 activities at the center. The Bothman company has completed a number of projects for the city, including the Cupertino City Center Park project and a trail in the Stevens Creek Corridor. Bothman also is working the track and field upgrades at all five Fremont Union High School District campuses.