DATE:
November 19, 2024
TO:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Aki Snelling, Senior Planner
Eric Anderson, Advanced Planning Manager
Amber Blizinski, Assistant Community Development
Director
Christian Murdock, Community Development
Director
VIA:
Kimbra McCarthy, City Manager
TITLE: Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning
Framework and Boundaries
PURPOSE
Review and provide recommendations on the Draft Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and consideration of inclusion of the properties at 500 West Middlefield Road, APN 158-50-001 through APN 158-50-193 (Willow Park Mountain View Homeowners Association residential condominiums, including the SFPUC property ), 555 West Middlefield Road, APN 158-49-001 (AvalonBay Communities apartments), and 500 Moffett Boulevard, APN 153-24- 021 (Shenandoah Square, a federally owned property , also known as 928 Mariner Drive) within the Precise Plan boundaries.
BACKGROUND
Project Overview
The Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan project will result in a new Precise Plan which will include zoning regulations and development standards for the Precise Plan area. The Precise Plan will include a vision, goals and policies, private development standards and intensities, and streetscape standards for Moffett Boulevard.
The Precise Plan project implements three adopted City plans, including the 2030 General Plan, the Sixth Cycle 2023-2031 Housing Element, and the Fiscal Year 2023-25 City Council Work Plan.
2030 General Plan
The Precise Plan Study Area is identified by the General Plan as the Moffett Boulevard Change Area (“Change Area”). The Change Area has a General Plan Land Use Designation of “Mixed-Use Corridor” and encompasses approximately 20 acres of properties (see Figure 1).
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
Figure 1: Moffett Boulevard Change Area Map
The Change Area consists of retail and commercial uses, restaurants, service uses (e.g., dental offices, law offices, and auto repair), music and yoga studios, the Mountain View Los Altos Adult High School, the Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos , and residential uses. It is surrounded by a mix of one - to three-story apartment buildings, one - and two-story single-family homes, and one-story mobile homes.
General Plan policies for the Change Area promote its transformation into a revitalized corridor with a mix of land uses and as a gateway to the City’s downtown area (see Attachment 1, General Plan Moffett Boulevard Change Area Policies
). Specific policies are also included to help
transform Moffett Boulevard into a well -landscaped street with plazas and gathering areas and with safer pedestrian and bicycle access across Central Expressway.
Sixth Cycle 2023-2031 Housing Element
The City’s Sixth Cycle 2023 -2031 Housing Element (“Housing Element”) specifies that Moffett Boulevard will be rezoned to allow new development with at least a 1.85 floor area ratio (FAR),
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
or approximately 72 dwelling units per acre, and identifies sites where neighborhood commercial uses will be required (see Attachment 2, Housing Element Policy 1.1(g)(c)). The Housing Element also includes a deadline of December 31, 2025 to implement this policy.
Fiscal Year 2023-25 City Council Work Plan
On June 13, 2023
, the City Council adopted its Fiscal Year 2023-25 City Council Work Plan (“Work Plan”). The Work Plan includes a project to explore the preparation of a Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan based upon the Change Area. It was listed as a Priority A (highest-priority) project.
Previous Meetings
The City Council held a Study Session on November 14, 2023 and directed staff to prepare the
Precise Plan. Council directed that the Precise Plan Study Area include the General Plan Change Area as well as the property at Moffett Boulevard and Middlefield Road (Valero gas station).
Additionally, Council directed staff to study the inclusion of the properties at 500 West Middlefield Road (Willow Park homeowners association (HOA) residential condominiums), 555 West Middlefield Road (AvalonBay residential apartment community), and 500 Moffett Boulevard (Shenandoah Square, a federally owned property controlled by the U.S. Army) into the Precise Plan boundaries. The Study Area boundaries are shown below in Figure 2.
On April 23, 2024
, the City Council approved the selection of Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc. (MIG), as the planning consultant to assist the City in the preparation of the Precise Plan and approved the scope of work and budget.
Environmental Planning Commission Meeting of October 16, 2024
On October 16, 2024, the Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) held a Study Session on the Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan regarding the items and analysis under consideration in this Study Session Memorandum. The EPC’s recommendations on each item are provided in each of the sections.
Seven members of the public spoke at the meeting. Key themes of the public comment included the following:
• Four speakers expressed support for the Vision, but also expressed interest in further expanding the Precise Plan to include surrounding neighborhoods, which are comprised of R1, R2, and R3 zoned properties.
• Several speakers expressed concern about projects (such as 400 Moffett Boulevard) moving ahead of the Precise Plan.
• One speaker expressed concern about including Shenandoah Square because he wants assurance that it will include a park.
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
• One speaker expressed the desire for a trail along San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) property and suggested the Plan should anticipate a trail in that location.
• One speaker, a resident of 555 W est Middlefield Road, expressed interest in the property being included in the Plan.
In addition to the nine correspondences about the project received prior to publishing the EPC staff report , staff received two correspondences prior to the EPC hearing and two after the hearing (see Attachment 4 , Public Comment). Recommendations from a majority of EPC members are presented later in this report in the section presenting Questions for Council.
Figure 2: Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Study Area Map
Current Zoning
The zoning designation of the Precise Plan Study Area, including the Valero gas station at Moffett Boulevard and Middlefield Road, is primarily CRA (Commercial/Residential —Arterial). This
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
district is intended for a broad range of commercial, office, and residential uses located along the City’s major arterials. Businesses in this district are intended to serve the local population as well as providing goods and services to visitors from ou tside the City. This district is intended for hotels and motels, retail stores, restaurants, offices, housing, and similar and related compatible uses. The CRA District is consistent with the Mixed- Use Corridor Land Use Designation of the General Plan.
While the majority of the sites have the CRA zoning designation, the following three sites within the Study Area have different zoning designations:
• 100 Moffett Boulevard, an apartment complex. Zoning Designation: P (Planned Community).
• 400 Moffett Boulevard, a shopping center with a development application under review for a mixed-use apartment complex. Zoning Designation: CN (Neighborhood Commercial).
• 204 Stierlin Road (rear portion of site), an office building owned and occupied by the Community Services Agency. Zoning Designation: R2 (One- and Two-Family Residential).
Other Properties Under Consideration
In addition to the core Study Area based on the General Plan Change Area that will be part of the Precise Plan, this report includes analysis of other properties that may be included in the Precise Plan based on the Council’s November 2023 direction. These properties include:
• 500 West Middlefield Road (Willow Park Mountain View HOA Condominiums) —A
10.1-acre site with a zoning designation of P (Planned Community) on the east side of Moffett Boulevard, north of West Middlefield Road, developed with 192 residential condominium units.
• 555 West Middlefield Road (AvalonBay Communities residential apartments) —A
14.5-acre site with a zoning designation of P (Planned Community) on the east side of Moffett Boulevard, south of West Middlefield Road, currently developed with 402 apartment units. A development project to add 323 apartment units (for a total of 725 apartment units), underground parking garages, a new amenity building, and a
1.34-acre public park was approved in 2022. The Zoning Administrator granted a two-year extension to the permit expiration in July 2024, setting a new expiration date in June 2026.
• 500 Moffett Boulevard (Shenandoah Square)—A 17-acre site with a prezoning designation of Pre-PF (Prezoned Public Facilities) that is not within the City’s jurisdiction but is within the City’s Sphere of Influence and Urban Service Boundary. The site is a federally owned property under the administration of the U.S. Army and currently consists of 126 residential apartment units.
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
Additional analysis and information on these properties are available later in this report.
DISCUSSION
The Precise Plan Visioning Framework process is an important early step in the preparation of the Precise Plan. This process engages key stakeholders and the community and provides the City with a high -level understanding of the ir current concerns and future hopes for the Precise Plan Study Area. The Visioning Framework process will help form the framework for the Precise Plan and will later help guide the City in developing policies and strategies for the Precise Plan.
Visioning Framework Process Community Outreach
A key component of the Visioning Framework process includes community outreach. The following outreach efforts were held to solicit input from the community:
• A Community Visioning Workshop was held on August 28, 2024. Staff mailed approximately 3,200 notices, and approximately 70 people attended. Staff also emailed notices to approximately 1,250 persons who signed up on the project website and those who sent emails to staff and expressed interest in the project. Staff also walked within the Study Area and handed out notices to all open businesses and staffed an information table and handed out notices at the National Night Out and at the Mountain View Farme rs’ Market on two separate dates.
• A meeting with property/business owners and business associations was held on September 4, 2024. Four people attended. The City sent approximately 70 notices to all property owners and business owners within the Precise Plan Study Area, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Business Association for this meeting. Additionally, the City emailed notices to approximately 20 businesses within the Precise Plan Study Area provided by the Chamber of Commerce and the City’s Economic Development Division.
• A meeting with Mountain View-based community organizations and associations was held on September 4, 2024. Two people attended. Approximately 15 organizations and associations received notice by email of this focused group outreach meeting.
• Additionally, an on-line Visioning survey was posted on the project webpage for those who were not able to attend either the workshop or meetings. Approximately 18 people completed this survey. Staff notified the community of the online survey at the V isioning Workshop, via email for community members who indicated they could not attend a workshop, and on the project webpage.
Summary of Workshop, Meetings, and Online Survey Comments
The community meetings focused on receiving input regarding the Study Area’s perceived “identity”; its assets, challenges, and opportunities; and the vision for the future, included in Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
Attachment 3, Summary of the Visioning Workshop, Focused Outreach Meetings , and Online Survey. Broad themes were developed from this input and are summarized below. In addition, other written comments received are included in Attachment 4, Written Comments Received.
Identity
• Historic
• Near Downtown and Transit
• Small Businesses
• Unsafe
• Deteriorated
• Lack of Trees/Landscaping
Assets
• Existing Historical Resources
• Existing Building and Uses
• Transportation and Connectivity
• Parks and Open Space
• Strategic Location
Challenges and Opportunities
• Economic and Housing Development
• Streetscape Improvements
• Parking Availability and
Management
• Wayfinding and Identity
• Planning and Development
Vision
• Business Support and Improvement
• Streetscape and Transit Improvement
• Public Space Development
• Housing Development
• Transforming Moffett Boulevard into
a Vibrant Destination, not just a
“Gateway” to Downtown
QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL
Precise Plan Visioning Framework
The broad themes and other input received during the visioning outreach process were analyzed for any broad points of consensus and then organized into a Draft Precise Plan Visioning Framework ( see Attachment 5 , Draft Precise Plan Visioning Framework). Five draft vision themes, shown in the green boxes below, along with potential strategy concepts to implement those themes, emerged from the community input, as shown below.
The themes form a starting point for the development of the Precise Plan and will be further analyzed and refined as the Precise Plan process moves forward. Before this work can proceed, staff requests endorsement from the City Council on the Draft Precise Plan Visioning Framework.
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
1. Does the City Council agree with the Draft Precise Plan Visioning Framework as prepared by staff? Is there anything the City Council would like to add/modify?
EPC Recommendation on Question No. 1
The EPC expressed general support for the Draft Visioning Framework. However, a majority of the EPC also expressed desire that the area complement the downtown, rather than trying to be an extension of it or trying to compete with it. Several Commissioners expressed some concern with the “destination” language in Vision Statement No. 2 as they felt it implied competition. The Commissioners felt that Moffett could avoid competing with downtown by ensuring the Precise Plan keeps a distinct neighborhood focus, a focus on uses differentiated from those downtown, and/or a focus on preserving small businesses.
Several Commissioners also expressed concern about signage being the focus of strategies for creating a unique identity and stated that the neighborhood could be better defined through a
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
new name, physical improvements that clearly distinguished the neighborhood from surrounding areas, by a vibrant concentration of small businesses, and other factors.
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Study Area Boundaries
The following is an analysis of the three sites that the City Council directed staff to study for potential inclusion within the Precise Plan Study Area. The questions before the City Council at this time are only about whether the properties should be included within the Precise Plan Study Area. The project team will return later with additional information and questions regarding density, character, uses, and other policies relating to these sites, if selected. The responses to these questions and rela ted information will inform the development of the Precise Plan’s preferred land use alternative, and the City Council will provide direction at a later date.
The following general notes apply to each of the three sites:
• Streetscape. Whether or not any of the properties below are included in the Precise Plan, the Precise Plan can include Moffett Boulevard streetscape policies and standards, affecting the right-of-way improvements between Central Expressway and State Route 85. Privat e property frontage policies and standards (e.g., building setbacks, landscaping, or building frontage design) , which are complementary to and enhance right-of-way streetscape policies and standards, would require inclusion of the sites within the Precise Plan.
• Uses, Intensities and Densities. Direction on uses, intensities, and densities for all three sites will be provided at a future Study Session, when Council endorses a preferred land use alternative for the project. Any new uses, densities, and intensities applied to the three sites will affect the project’s environmental review schedule resulting in the Precise Plan project extending beyond the targeted December 2025 completion date. Including the three sites with their currently allowed uses, intensities, and densities would not affect the project’s environmental review schedule.
• Additional Planning. There may be an opportunity to conduct additional planning for these sites in the next three to five years based on the disposition of Shenandoah Square, the execution of the entitlement at 555 West Middlefield Road, and other new information. If there is interest in this approach, the properties could be included in the Precise Plan with the following considerations:
— Do not plan for new development at these sites at this time, preserving the existing uses, densities, intensities, and any applicable City standards;
— Provide policies and standards related to frontage and right -of-way design to the extent they can be implemented by the existing uses or by the City itself;
— Identify how future study of new development at these properties may be triggered ; and
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
— Provide analysis of how each property may affect the remainder of the Study Area and the vision for the Precise Plan.
The project timeline would not be significantly affected if the City Council expresses interest in this additional planning work.
500 West Middlefield Road
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on the following question:
2. Does the City Council recommend that the property located at 500 West Middlefield Road be included in the Precise Plan boundary?
Project Data
• Area: 11.4 acres (includes 1.3 acres of the SFPUC Hetch Hetchy property that crosses through the middle of the site).
• Zoning: P (Planned Community).
• General Plan Designation: Medium-Density Residential (13 to 25 dwelling units per acre (du/ac)).
• Existing Use: 192-unit residential condominium complex (Willow Park Mountain View HOA condominiums).
Figure 3: Aerial Photo of 500 West Middlefield Road (outlined in yellow)
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
The following are the opportunities and challenges the City Council may wish to consider when deciding if this property should be included within the Precise Plan Study Area boundary:
Opportunities Challenges
• The Precise Plan could:
— Identify new uses and/or
increased densities for this site,
which
could align with the
future vision for the area; and
— Include policies relating to
frontage character (including
minor building modifications
and/or landscaping), which
could better integrate with new
Precise Plan streetscape
standards.
• The current zoning designation does
not include development standards or
easily accessible administrative
procedures because development
projects are approved as proposed,
and procedures to make subsequent
modifications to such developments
do not have s tandards to guide
review. The Precise Plan could
provide additional clarity regarding
the standards and procedures that
would apply to the site.
• The age (built in 1971) and numerous
condominium owners make it unlikely
that redevelopment or any other
significant change to the site would
occur in the foreseeable future.
• If the site is included and allowed
densities are not increased, the
project could meet the Housing
Element deadline. However,
increasing allowed densities would
extend the time to conduct
environmental review for the project,
which would then extend the
project’s timeline past the targeted
December 2025 completion date.
555 West Middlefield Road
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on the following question:
3. Does the City Council recommend that the property located at 555 West Middlefield Road be included in the Precise Plan boundary?
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
Project Data
• Area: 14.5 acres.
• Zoning: (P) Planned Community.
• General Plan Designation: High-Low Density Residential (36 to 50 du/ac).
• Existing Use: 402-unit residential apartment community.
• Entitled Project: Additional 323 apartment units (for total of 725 apartment units), new subterranean parking garages, a new amenity building/leasing office, and a 1.34-acre park.
This project has not yet started construction (project approval expires in June 2026).
Figure 4: 555 West Middlefield Road (outlined in yellow)
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
The following are the opportunities and challenges the City Council may wish to consider when deciding if this property should be included within the Precise Plan Study Area boundary:
Opportunities Challenges
• The Precise Plan could:
— Identify new uses and/or
increased densities for this site,
which could align with a new
future vision for the area.
— Include policies relating to
frontage character (including
minor building modifications
and/or landscaping), which
could better integrate with new
Precise Plan streetscape
standards.
• The current zoning designation does
not include development standards or
easily accessible administrative
procedures because development
projects are approved as proposed,
and procedures to make subsequent
modifications to such developments
do not have s tandards to guide
review. The Precise Plan could
provide additional clarity regarding
the standards and procedures that
would apply to the site.
• The existing entitlement was
approved, and the property owner
intends to build the project.
Therefore, if new densities or
development standards are adopted
for the site, they may not be feasibly
implemented in the foreseeable
future if the existing entit lement is
constructed.
• Increasing allowed densities would
extend the time to conduct
environmental review for the project,
which would extend the project’s
timeline past the targeted December
2025 completion date.
500 Moffett Boulevard (Shenandoah Square Property)
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on the following question:
4. Does the City Council recommend that the property located at 500 Moffett Boulevard (Shenandoah Square) be included in the Precise Plan boundary?
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
Project Data
• Area: 17 acres.
• Zoning: Pre -PF (Pre-Public Facilities) in an unincorporated area outside of the City limits but within the City’s Sphere of Influence and Urban Service Boundary.
• General Plan Designation: Medium-Low-Density Residential (7 to 12 du/ac).
• Existing Use: 126 residential rental units owned by the federal government, under custody and administration of the U.S. Army.
Figure 5: 500 Moffett Boulevard (Shenandoah Square Property)
This site presents unique challenges and opportunities for the City and the Precise Plan as future redevelopment of the large site would ultimately affect the rest of the Precise Plan Study Area in the following significant ways, among others:
• Impacts, such as traffic generation and utility demands; • Commercial and residential development opportunities (including affordable housing); • Park and open space opportunities; and
• Frontage design to support pedestrian/bicycle comfort and character.
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
This property is not under the City’s jurisdiction due to its ownership by the federal government.
The site is also currently located outside the City l imits. This may change in the future based on ongoing discussions with the Army. However, the lack of jurisdiction the City has, and the uncertainty regarding the Army’s disposition of the site, present a major constraint to planning for the site at this time. Due to this uncertainty, it would not be possible to identify new land uses or densities and intensities for Shenandoah Square in the timeline of this Precise Plan.
However, if the City Council wishes to include the site in the Precise Plan, the Precise Plan can consider policy options for the site as a “future study area,” including a discussion of the way the site affects the rest of the area. Further, the Precise Plan could include language that brings the General Plan and Zoning Designations into better alignment as the existing prezoning designation of Pre-PF does not reflect the current uses or density on the site, which is reflected in the General Plan designation. Future changes in density at the site would require additional legislative action by the City Council (if the sit e is annexed into the City of Mountain View), but language in the Precise Plan could help inform that process.
If specific new higher densities or intensities are contemplated for this site through the Precise Plan process, it would extend the time to conduct environmental review for the project, which would extend the project’s timeline past the targeted December 2025 completion date.
EPC Recommendation on Question Nos. 2 through 4
The EPC recommended including all three properties in the Precise Plan. Several Commissioners stated that the most important property to include was Shenandoah Square but that the others would help create a continuous Planning Area and streetscape. Several Commissioners also stated that there would be advantages in transparency and predictability for all three properties if they are included.
The Commission conducted two additional straw votes:
• Recommend that the Precise Plan be expanded to include surrounding neighborhoods, which are comprised of R1, R2 , and R3 zoned properties, as shown on the map submitted by MV YIMBY and MVCSP in Attachment 4. This straw poll ended in two Commissioners in support of the idea and five not in support (Gutierrez and Nunez in favor).
• Ask the City Council if there is curiosity in possibly reviewing extended boundaries to include surrounding neighborhoods, which are comprised of R1, R2 , and R3 zoned properties, beyond the three properties under consideration. This straw pol l ended in three Commissioners in support of the idea and f our not in support (Gutierrez, Nunez, and Dempsey in favor).
Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
Timeline/Schedule
The project schedule has a target completion date of December 2025. This is driven by the Housing Element deadline for implementation of Program 1.1(g)(c). This program states that Moffett Boulevard shall be rezoned up to a 1.85 FAR, approximately 72 dwe lling units per acre, and would include required neighborhood commercial sites. However, this schedule assumes that the project would implement adopted Housing Element and General Plan densities and intensities for the area.
If these density and intensity assumptions remain, then the project should maintain its schedule and meet the December 2025 target deadline. Decisions regarding densities and intensities for the Study Area will be discussed at the next set of Study Sessions for the EPC and City Council tentatively scheduled for early spring 2025, when a preferred alternative will be selected for the project.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council provide direction on the following:
1. Does the City Council agree with the Draft Precise Plan Visioning Framework as prepared by staff? Is there anything the City Council would like to add/modify?
2. Does the City Council recommend that the property located at 500 West Middlefield Road be included in the Precise Plan boundary?
3. Does the City Council recommend that the property located at 555 West Middlefield Road be included in the Precise Plan boundary?
4. Does the City Council recommend that the property located at 500 Moffett Boulevard (Shenandoah Square) be included in the Precise Plan boundary?
NEXT STEPS
Key next steps in the process include additional technical analysis by the project team, community outreach efforts, and preparing concept alternatives for the Precise Plan.
PUBLIC NOTICING
The agenda for the City Council Meeting is advertised on Channel 26, and the agenda and this report appear on the City’s internet website.
All property owners and occupants within the Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan (“Precise Plan”) Study Area (“Study Area”) and surrounding 750’ radius; potential properties considered for inclusion into the Study Area; and notification well beyond the required 750’ radius, including Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan Visioning Framework and Boundaries November 19, 2024
additional properties that are dependent upon utilizing the main arterials in the Study Area, were notified of both the EPC Study Session held on October 16, 2024, and this City Council Study Session by mailed notices. Other interested stakeholders, including those who signed up on the Precise Plan webpage, were notified by electronic notices.
A webpage for the Precise Plan is available on the City’s website at www.mountainview.gov/MoffettBlvd
. This webpage provides information about this City
Council Study Session and will provide information on future meetings and community workshops, as well as past workshop and meetings. For more information about the Precise Plan, interested parties are encouraged to sign up for notifications on the project webpage.
AS-EA-AB-CM/4/CAM
809-11-19-24SS
204273
Attachments: 1. General Plan Moffett Boulevard Change Area Policies
2. Housing Element Policy 1.1(g)(c)
3. Summary of Visioning Workshop, Focused Outreach Meetings, and Online Survey
4. Written Comments Received
5. Draft Precise Plan Visioning Framework