Planning Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Planning Commission Monday, September 8, 2014 7:00 PM Council Chambers and West Conference Room, City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 7:00 P.M. PLANNING COMMISSION - STUDY SESSION - WEST CONFERENCE ROOM 1 14-0880 Training: Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Programs Staff Contact: Trudi Ryan, (408) 730-7435, tryan@sunnyvale.ca.gov 2 Public Comment on Study Session Agenda Items 3 Comments from the Chair 4 Adjourn Study Session 8:00 P.M. PLANNING COMMISSION - PUBLIC HEARING - COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER Chair Melton called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Chair Melton led the salute to the flag. ROLL CALL Present: 7 - Chair Russell Melton Vice Chair Ken Olevson Commissioner Ralph Durham Commissioner Sue Harrison Commissioner Larry Klein Commissioner Ken Rheaume Commissioner David Simons PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS/PUBLIC COMMENTS None. CONSENT CALENDAR City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 1.A 14-0849 Approval of the Draft Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting of August 25, 2014 Comm. Durham moved to approve the draft minutes of August 25, 2014. Vice Chair Olevson seconded. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7 - Chair Melton Vice Chair Olevson Commissioner Durham Commissioner Harrison Commissioner Klein Commissioner Rheaume Commissioner Simons No: 0 PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 2 14-0655 Introduce an Ordinance Amending Chapter 19.44 (Signs) of Title 19 (Zoning), Adding Chapter 9.58 (Signs on City Property) of Title 9 (Public Peace, Safety or Welfare), and Amending Section 1.04.010 (General Penalty) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code related to various clean-up items and adding provisions for signs on City property. Staff Contact: Andrew Miner, (408) 730-7707, aminer@sunnyvale.ca.gov Andrew Miner, Principal Planner, presented the staff report. Comm. Simons confirmed with Mr. Miner that signs are not allowed to be placed in the planting strip between the sidewalk and the street. Mr. Miner also noted that Chapter 9.58, Signs on City Property, is a new chapter in the Zoning Code. Comm. Durham suggested clarifying the language of section 9.58.070. Mr. Miner and Trudi Ryan, Planning Officer, clarified the maximum aggregate sign area allowed. Comm. Durham and Mr. Miner discussed the locations where placement of residential open house and temporary non-commercial signs is allowed. Comm. Klein and Mr. Miner discussed the definition of large inflatable objects as signs and limiting the number of these objects in an area. Comm. Klein confirmed with Mr. Miner that large inflatable signs were previously allowed by permit, and that applying for more than one large inflatable sign was not specifically addressed in the previous version of the Sign Code. Vice Chair Olevson disclosed that he and Ms. Ryan exchanged several emails regarding typographical errors. Kathryn Berry, Senior Assistant City Attorney, and Mr. Miner noted several corrections to be made to the proposed changes to the Sign Code. Chair Melton opened the public hearing and upon seeing no speaker cards, closed the public hearing. Comm. Simons moved to recommend to City Council Alternatives: 1. Find that the project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15061(b)(3). 2. Introduce an Ordinance, presented as Attachment 1, Amending Chapter 19.44 (Signs) of Title 19 (Zoning), Adding Chapter 9.58 (Signs on City Property) of Title 9 (Public Peace, Safety or Welfare), and Amending Section 1.04.010 (General Penalty) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code related to various clean-up items and adding provisions for signs on City property. City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 Vice Chair Olevson seconded. Comm. Simons said the clean up of a previous iteration and new language will be very useful, especially for signage on City property. Vice Chair Olevon said he will be supporting the motion, and that he is always in favor of having City Ordinances and codes written with clarity. He said adding the new section, which specifically addresses public buildings, provides that clarity. Comm. Durham offered a friendly amendment to change the language of section 9.58.070(c) from "measured one side only" to "as seen from one side." Comm. Simons asked if there is a consensus on changing the language, and Ms. Ryan noted that if the Planning Commission thinks it is not clear, the motion can include direction to staff to look at alternate wording for the phrase. Comm. Simons and Vice Chair Olevson accepted the friendly amendment. Comm. Durham said he will be voting in favor of this item and that a lot of hard work was done by City staff. He said his comments have been mostly nitpicking, but that clarity in government documents is good, and more clarification so people know what to expect when getting a permit is of the utmost importance. Chair Melton said staff has done a great job and that the report is a great document. MOTION: Comm. Simons moved to recommend to City Council Alternatives: 1. Find that the project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15061(b)(3). 2. Introduce an Ordinance, presented as Attachment 1, Amending Chapter 19.44 (Signs) of Title 19 (Zoning), Adding Chapter 9.58 (Signs on City Property) of Title 9 (Public Peace, Safety or Welfare), and Amending Section 1.04.010 (General Penalty) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code related to various clean-up items and adding provisions for signs on City property. 3. Direct staff to look for alternate wording for the phrase discussed in section 9.58.070(c). Vice Chair Olevson seconded. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 Yes: 7 - Chair Melton Vice Chair Olevson Commissioner Durham Commissioner Harrison Commissioner Klein Commissioner Rheaume Commissioner Simons No: 0 City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 3 14-0833 Standing Item: Potential Study Issues for 2015 Mr. Miner provided a list of potential study issues suggested by the Planning Commission. Comm. Klein reminded staff that he had suggested looking at increasing the Below Market Rate (BMR) percentage to 15% during the discussion about the potential study issue regarding the review of BMR and in-lieu fee requirements. Comm. Harrison stated that she recalls the discussion to which Comm. Klein is referring, and moved to include the review of BMR and in-lieu fee requirements and the reconsideration of the BMR percentage on the potential study issues list for ranking. Comm. Klein seconded. Comm. Harrison said her reason for introducing this study issue is that there are occasionally situations where arbitrary numbers mean the intended benefit of the BMR program is not achieved. She suggested reviewing it and said housing is one of the great problems in the City. She noted that we are getting lots of jobs, and that she had read that the City would have to produce twice as many housing units to have the same ratio as in 1960, and added that it is a huge issue compounding a lot of other issues. She said if the BMR program is comprehensive, we will no longer have arbitrary and unintended cut-offs. Comm. Klein said the BMR percentage has been static for many years, and that in order to improve the capability to provide funding into the program, it is time to look at increasing the percentage. Vice Chair Olevson said he will be supporting motion but not for the reasons expressed so far. He said he is more free market than some of the other Commissioners, but because the same formulas have been used for some time, he would like to see more data on what others are doing and their justifications so that the City is addressing current issues with supporting data for the decision that will be made. Comm. Rheaume said he will be supporting the motion and that it is time to reevaluate at the rate. Comm. Durham said he will be supporting the motion. Chair Melton said he will be supporting the motion, and that it is an interesting topic City of Sunnyvale Page 6 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 to add to the list and to see where the conversation and ranking goes from there. He said when he was a brand new Planning Commissioner the BMR program was reviewed and that it is an important topic and may be worthy of ranking highly. MOTION: Comm. Harrison moved to include the review of BMR and in-lieu fee requirements and the reconsideration of the BMR percentage on the potential study issues list for ranking. Comm. Klein seconded. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7 - Chair Melton Vice Chair Olevson Commissioner Durham Commissioner Harrison Commissioner Klein Commissioner Rheaume Commissioner Simons No: 0 City of Sunnyvale Page 7 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 Mr. Miner summarized the issue and noted that there is an existing Council Policy regarding residential Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs. Comm. Durham moved to add Consider Multi-family Residential Transportation Demand Management programs to the sponsored study issues list. Chair Melton seconded. Comm. Durham said that when he first proposed this study issue, he had no knowledge of Council Policy 1.1.15, and that he is interested in seeing what could be done about larger scale residential areas and how to reduce their impacts. He said we have a plan that is about nine years old and that it is time to review some of the features of that plan based on the number and size of developments being placed in Sunnyvale, especially the area north of El Camino Real, which is getting a large number of housing developments. He added that anything that can be done to reduce congestion and pollution is worth taking a look at. Chair Melton said this will be an interesting study issue to add to the sponsored list and to see how it is ranked along with other sponsored items. He said when staff says they are considering adding something to the list, it is good enough for him to add as a Commission-sponsored issue. Comm. Rheaume said he will be supporting the motion, and that traffic and housing are two of the City's biggest issues so adding it to the list is a "no-brainer." He said he also thinks that if staff wants to look at an issue he respects that opinion. Vice Chair Olevson said he will be supporting the motion, and that as with the previous item on the agenda, the Commission is addressing a topic and doing some clean up. He said we are looking at something that has been on the books for a while, and because of the strong incentives the City has to increase housing density and get everyone into smaller areas, he thinks this is something we should be looking at on a current basis, and he is looking forward to seeing fresh information on this. MOTION: Comm. Durham moved to add Consider Multi-family Residential Transportation Demand Management programs to the sponsored list. Chair Melton seconded. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Sunnyvale Page 8 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 8, 2014 Yes: 7 - Chair Melton Vice Chair Olevson Commissioner Durham Commissioner Harrison Commissioner Klein Commissioner Rheaume Commissioner Simons No: 0 NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Comm. Harrison distributed information that discusses how adding bike lanes reduces traffic delays. -Staff Comments Ms. Ryan announced a Sunnyvale Cool-sponsored event on Thursday, September 11 at the Historical Museum, and discussed upcoming Planning-related items and those recently heard by the City Council. Mr. Miner added that the Thursday meeting announced by Ms. Ryan is titled "The Future of El Camino Real is in Your Hands." INFORMATION ONLY ITEMS None. ADJOURNMENT With no further business Chair Melton adjourned the meeting at 8:44 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 9