City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.org City Council
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Date: 8/9/2022
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Regular Session
A. Call To Order
Mayor Nash called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.
B. Roll Call
Present: Combs, Mueller, Nash, Taylor, Wolosin
Absent: None
Staff: City Manager Justin Murphy, City Attorney Nira F. Doherty, Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk Judi A. Herren
C. Agenda Review
None.
D. Report from Closed Session
No reportable actions.
E. Public Comment
• Chief Executive Officer of Warm Water Wellness Inc. Lindsay Raike requested the City Council adopt a resolution and provided an update on steps taken to reopen the Mack E. Mickelson therapeutic pool.
F. Consent Calendar
F1. Adopt a resolution to continue conducting the City’s Council and advisory body meetings remotely due to health and safety concerns for the public and to authorize the use of hybrid meetings (Staff Report #22-153-CC)
F2. Receive and file the investment portfolio as of June 30, 2022 (Staff Report #22-150-CC) F3. Adopt a resolution authorizing the public works director to execute any and all agreements and forms required by the Bureau of Reclamation following the notice of award, if awarded a grant, for the smart irrigation infrastructure project (Staff Report #22-154-CC) ACTION: Motion and second (Combs/ Mueller), to approve the consent calendar, passed unanimously.
G. Regular Business
G1. Waive the first reading and introduce an ordinance adding Chapter 8.70 creating a process for obtaining film permits (Staff Report #22-151-CC) (Updated Ordinance) City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.org Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk Judi A. Herren made the presentation (Attachment). • Adina Levin spoke about community organizations filming needs and in support of the addition of the expressive activity exemption.
The City Council received clarification on film permit exemptions and special event and film permit triggers.
ACTION: Motion and second (Wolosin/ Taylor), to waive the first reading and introduce an ordinance adding Chapter 8.70 creating a process for obtaining film permits, passed unanimously.
G2. Direction on draft ordinance for preserving park land (Staff Report #22-156-CC) (Updated Ordinance)
Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk Judi A. Herren made the presentation (Attachment). • Adina Levin spoke in support of protecting parklands and the exclusion of Burgess civic center buildings.
• Brian Kissel requested clarification on the rezoning of Seminary Oaks and Sharon Hills and General Plan amendment language.
The City Council received clarification on the rezoning of Seminary Oaks Park and Sharon Hills Park, the General Plan amendment to re-designate the parks, Public Facilities (PF) District and their municipal uses, impacts to structures on parklands, the November 8, 2022 zoning initiative ballot measure implications to the ordinance and zoning/rezoning, conversion of recreational spaces and PF District, and conversion of municipal use to other municipal uses.
The City Council requested clarification on land controlled but not owned by the City The City Council discussed the Burgess campus buildings future improvement protections, protecting parklands from future or potential PF District building expansions, future City Council actions to overturn an ordinance, and closing the loophole related to sports fields.
ACTION: Motion and second (Mueller/ Wolosin), to accept the ordinance as proposed and amended this evening, add a buffer zone for future PF District, update the General Plan designation for Seminary Oaks and Sharon Hills as parks and recreation land use, include all City owned buildings on City parks as an attachment to the ordinance, close any loopholes related to sports fields, and include an option to add housing to currently City owned structures, passed 3-2 (Combs and Taylor dissenting).
G3. Consider adopting a resolution to remove Willow-Gilbert and Willow-Coleman Improvements from Menlo Uptown public improvement agreement and provide direction on alternative improvements (Staff Report #22-155-CC)
Assistant Public Works Director Hugh Louch made the presentation (Attachment). • Joseph Afong spoke in support of the removal of Willow Road-Gilbert Avenue and Willow RoadColeman Avenue improvements. • Greystar representative Matt Udouj spoke on Greystar’s willingness to make a financial contribution to signal improvements at the two intersections.
The City Council received clarification on the costs of protected-permissive left turns, crosswalk improvements at unmarked crossings, Marsh Road and Highway 101 exits need for safety City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.org measures, and traffic delays from Chilco Street to Bayfront Expressway.
The City Council discussed exploring a protected left-hand turns at Willow Road and Gilbert Avenue and Willow Road and Coleman Avenue and Greystar’s offer to contribute to the project.
ACTION: Motion and second (Wolosin/ Combs), to adopt a resolution to remove improvements at Willow Road and Gilbert Avenue and at Willow Road and Coleman Avenue from the Menlo Uptown public improvement agreement and explore protected-permissive left hand turns at Willow Road and Gilbert Avenue and Willow Road and Coleman Avenue, passed unanimously.
H. Informational Items
H1. City Council agenda topics: August 9 – September 13, 2022 (Staff Report #22-152-CC) I. City Manager's Report
City Manager Justin Murphy reported out the bid deadline extension for the USGS site at 345 Middlefield Road, the August 12 City Council election nomination deadline, Belle Haven School sport field hours’ update, Sharon Road sidewalks project completion, Chrysler Pump Station bid advertisement, and Bedwell Bayfront Park Leachate monitoring system bid advertisement.
J. City Councilmember Reports
J1. Confirm voting delegate for the League of California Cities annual conference (Attachment)
ACTION: By acclamation, the City Council selected City Councilmember Taylor as the voting delegate.
City Councilmember Mueller reported out on an item that will be requested of the City Council at a future meeting related to a marquee or signage alerting people of activities around town.
City Councilmember Combs reported out on a survey sent to residents related to their impression of city councilmembers and the unknown source or sponsorship.
K. Adjournment
Mayor Nash adjourned the meeting at 8:21 p.m.
Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk Judi A. Herren These minutes were approved at the City Council meeting of August 23, 2022.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
WAIVE THE FIRST READING AND INTRODUCE AN
ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 8.70 CREATING A
PROCESS FOR OBTAINING FILM PERMITS
G1-PRESENTATION City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
Updating “small operations
definition
Including Expressive
Activity
UPDATES TO THE ORDINANCE
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August 9, 2022
Requires film permit:
1. Filming on public property
Does not require film permit:
1. Filming on private property
2. News media
3. Small operations
• Filming activity with
– Fewer than 25 persons
– Does not require the closure of any public property
– Does not obstruct free passage of pedestrians/vehicles – Does not involve drones
– Does not involve pyrotechnics, simulated or actual gunfire, and non-domesticated animals
– Filming activity that is unaffiliated with event organizers
4. Filming at a studio
5. Still photography
6. City produced government access films
7. Expressive Activity
• involving less than 150 people
FILM PERMIT
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Public works director or designee issues film permits City permitting system
Enforcement
IMPACTS ON CITY RESOURCES
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THANK YOU
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
DIRECTION ON DRAFT ORDINANCE FOR
PRESERVING PARK LAND
G2-PRESENTATION City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
City Council Meetings
– September 21, 2021
• Discussion on drafting an ordinance
– October 23, 2021
• Direction to return to City Council
– May 24, 2022
• Direction to draft ordinance
BACKGROUND
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August 9, 2022
DRAFT ORDINANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Protects parks and open space
Prohibits the conversion of lands designated Open Space Conservation (OSC)
Prohibits recreational lands owned or controlled by the City in the Public Facilities (PF) District from being converted to other uses Rezone Seminary Oaks Park from Single Family Suburban Residential to OSC, and rezone Sharon Hills Park from
Residential Estate Suburban Residential – Combining to OSC Amend the General Plan to re-designate Seminary Oaks Park and Sharon Hills Park from Low Density Residential land use designation to Parks and Recreation land use designation and redesignate from Very Low Density Residential land use designation to Parks and Recreation land use designation
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SECTION 16.08.105 (page three of ordinance)
– To include
• “… without first submitting to the voters of the City of Menlo Park an advisory ballot measure which seeks the voters’ opinion on whether parkland and/or parks may be converted to a different municipal purpose or discontinued or abandoned as parkland or parks.”
• “For purposes of this section “uses in support of said recreational opportunities and/or programs” shall not include (1) parking lots or (2) civic center buildings in Burgess Park, neither of which shall be subject to the prohibition on conversion of uses set forth in this section.”
UPDATES TO THE DRAFT ORDINANCE
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Staff brings to Planning Commission
Return ordinance as a public hearing to the City Council Adopt ordinance at a subsequent City Council meeting
REQUESTED APPROVAL ON NEXT STEPS
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THANK YOU
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
City Council Meeting: August 8, 2022
INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS ON WILLOW ROAD FOR
MENLO UPTOWN PROJECT
G3-PRESENTATION City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
Background
Willow Road Improvements
Staff Analysis
Recommendation
AGENDA
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Menlo Uptown development (approved in September
2021) included several street improvements to address
Level of Service (LOS) deficiencies
On May 24, 2022 City Council approve the Public
Improvement Agreement for the project
– Council directed staff to bring back two improvements on Willow Road for reconsideration
Staff have gathered relevant data and information
about these two improvements
BACKGROUND
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SB 743 replaced LOS as a CEQA metric with VMT
Development projects evaluated for General Plan
consistency, which includes LOS
City TIA guidelines require:
– Evaluate intersections with 10 more trips as a result of development – Identify improvements if LOS declines below LOS D or if trips add
0.8 seconds of delay per vehicle
– Improvements evaluated for feasibility – exclude improvements that require significant right-of-way cost or removal of existing pedestrian or bicycle infrastructure
Intersections are evaluated both at project opening
(near term) and in 2040 (cumulative)
BACKGROUND
USE OF LOS IN MENLO PARK
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MENLO UPTOWN LOS IMPROVEMENTS
NEAR TERM (PROJECT OPENING)
5 Location Improvement
In TIF
Nexus
Study?
Requires
intersection
widening?
Willow Road and
Bay Road
Adjust lanes, reduce median
width but retain median) Yes No
Willow Road and
Coleman Avenue
Add right turn pocket from NB
Willow Road No Yes
Willow Road and
Gilbert Avenue
Adds right turn pocket from NB
Willow Road No Yes
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
MENLO UPTOWN LOS IMPROVEMENTS
CUMULATIVE (2040)
6 Location Improvement
In TIF
Nexus
Study?
Requires
intersection
widening?
Chrysler Drive &
Jefferson Drive
Install signal and convert the shared
left/right lane to one left-turn lane
and one right turn lane on
northbound Jefferson Drive
Partial
Partial (NB
Jefferson
Drive)
Chrysler Drive &
Independence
Drive
Add signal control Yes No
Chilco Street &
Bayfront
Expressway
Convert second left turn lane to a
left/right lane, shift bike lane and
separate bike signal phase
No No
Chilco Street &
Constitution
Drive
Create separate right turn, thru, and
left turn lanes on SB Constitution
(may require some ROW)
No Yes
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022
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Menlo Uptown adds few new trips at the intersections on Willow Road – 11 in the AM peak, 4 in the PM peak – and modest additional delay – 2.6 seconds
Proposed improvements at Willow Road and Coleman
Avenue shows limited reduction in delay
Proposed improvements at Willow Road and Gilbert Avenue show more reduction in delay, but require removal of a
heritage tree
Delay reductions are estimates that do not account for induced demand or network effects
Proposed improvements increase crossing distance for
pedestrians on a safe routes to school route
STAFF ANALYSIS
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Protected-Permissive left turn phase
– Can reduce delay for some users
– Reduces conflicts between pedestrians and left turning vehicles Cost - $150,000 to $300,000 per location (higher
number if new poles are required)
ALTERNATE IMPROVEMENT
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Staff recommends the City Council consider adopting a resolution to remove improvements at Willow Road and
Gilbert Avenue and at Willow Road and Coleman
Avenue from the Menlo Uptown public improvement
agreement (PIA)
Staff also seeks direction on pursuing the alternative improvement option
RECOMMENDATION
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THANK YOU
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
August 9, 2022