DATE:
May 11, 2021
CATEGORY:
Public Hearing
DEPT.:
Community Development
TITLE: Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy
Street
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Approving a Planned Unit Development Permit, Special Design Permit, and a Development Review Permit to Construct a Five -Unit Rowhouse Project and a Heritage Tree Removal Permit to Remove 10 Heritage Trees on a 0.51- Acre Site on the West Side of Easy Street, Between State Route 85 and Gladys Court (198 Easy Street), to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
2. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Approving a Tentative Map to Create Five Lots and One Common Lot on a 0.51- Acre Lot at 198 Easy Street, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 2 to the Council report).
3. Find the project categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act Pursuant to Section 15332 (“In-Fill Development Projects”).
Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
BACKGROUND
Project Site
The approximately 0.51-acre project site is
located on the west side of Easy Street,
between State Route 85 and Gladys Court
(Figure 1 —Location Map) . The site is
currently developed with one single-
family home which would be demolished
for the project and is surrounded by a mix
of multi -family and single -family
residential uses to the north, south, and
east and State Route 85 to the west.
Public Meetings and Hearings
Development Review Committee
The project was reviewed by the
Development Review Committee (DRC) three times. The DRC provided design recommendations on several iterations of the project design, and the project received a final recommendation of conditional approval in February 2021.
Zoning Administrator/Subdivision Committee
The project was reviewed by the Zoning Administrator and Subdivision Committee at a public hearing on March 24, 2021, where it was recommended for approval to City Council. One person spoke at the meeting and was generally supportive of the project but was concerned with some site plan -related issues and off -site improvements. The speaker also provided a letter shortly before the hearing with the speaker’s comments (see Attachment 3—Public Comment Letter). Staff was able to meet with the neighbor to clarify these concerns related to noise, lighting , and off-site improvements. Conditions of Approval Nos. 121 and 122 have been updated to ref lect some of the clarifications.
Please see changes below:
121. RED CURB AT CROSSWALKS: Street curbs adjacent to a public crosswalk shall be painted red a minimum of 20’ in each direction, as determined and approved by the City Traffic Engineer. The entire new frontage curb on Gladys Court shall be painted red up to the edge of the corner ADA curb ramp.
Figure 1—Location Map
N
Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
122. RED CURB AT DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE: Street curbs adjacent to the driveway entrance of an underground parking garage shall be painted red a minimum of 10’ in each direction, as determined and approved by the City Traffic Engineer. The entire new frontage curb on Gladys Court, excluding the driveway, shall be painted red up to the edge of the corner ADA curb ramp.
Do not install red curb within the curb ramp.
The other concerns are adequately addressed in the Standard Conditions of Approval, specifically Condition Nos. 10, 13, 36, 48, 49, 97, 98, 126, and 135 (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
ANALYSIS
Project Description
The project proposes to redevelop the site with five
ownership rowhome units, private driveway, guest
parking spaces, and common open area. The unit
mix consists of one 2-bedroom unit, three 3-
bedroom units, and one 4- bedroom unit, and they
range in size from approximately 2, 300 square feet
to 3,500 square feet (see Attachment 4 —Project
Plans).
The proposed site layout consists of all five units
facing Easy Street with front yards and access to the
private driveway and garages from Gladys Court
(Figure 2 —Site Plan) . All the units have private
two-car garages . A total of three guest parking
spaces and bike racks are provided along the
western edge of the site.
The design of the units incorporate s traditional
architectural elements such as porches and
balconies, wood railings, corbels, trellises, shutters, and gable, hip, and shed roof forms. Exterior
materials include stucco and horizontal siding, accented by decorative stone veneer, and composition shingle and tile roof materials. Units are differentiated through massing, varied roof forms, projections and offsets, por ch elements, and exterior materials and colors.
Site Plan
N
Figure 2—Site Plan
Easy Street
Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
View from Easy Street
General Plan Designation
The site’s General Plan designation is Medium -Density Residential (13 to 25 du/acre) , and it is located in the Moffett/Whisman Planning Area. The proposed project is consistent with the General Plan designation which allows a mix of single - and multi- family housing with a residential character appropriate to a range of densities and broad mix of housing types and complies with the following General Plan Policies:
• LUD 6.1: Neighborhood character. Ensure that new development in or near residential neighborhoods is compatible with neighborhood character.
• LUD 6.3: Street presence. Encourage building facades and frontages that create a presence at the street and along interior pedestrian paseos and pathways.
• LUD 9.1: Height and setback transitions. Ensure that new development includes sensitive height and setback transitions to adjacent structures and surrounding neighborhoods.
• LUD 10.1: Sustainable design and materials. Encourage high -quality and sustainable design and materials.
Zoning Designation
The site’s zoning designation is R3-3/sd (Multiple-Family Residential/Special Design) Zoning District. The R3 Zoning District allows rowhouse developments consistent with the Rowhouse Guidelines. The project complies with all of the Rowhouse Guidelines and View from Easy Street
Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
no exceptions are requested. The following table shows the project’s compliance with the Rowhouse Guidelines Development Standards:
Standard Requirement Proposed
Maximum Units 6 5
Floor Area Ratio 0.9 max. 0.61
Front Setback 15’ min 15’
Side Setbacks 10’ for 1st and 2nd floors min.
15’ for 3rd floor min.
15’
16’ to 17’
16’ to 17’9”
Rear setbacks 10’ 1st and 2nd floors min.
15’for 3rd floor min. 40’10”
Building Coverage 35% max. 24%
Height 45’ max.
36’ to wall plate max.
36’9” to 37’9”
30’5”to 32”4”
Open Area
35% min
100 sq. ft. per unit private min.
100 sq. ft. per unit common min.
49%
100 sq. ft. per unit
private
290 sq. ft. per unit
common
Private Storage 164 cubic ft./unit min. 164 cubic ft. per unit
Parking 2 covered spaces per unit +
0.3 guest space min. (2 spaces)
two-car garages +
3 guest spaces
The project is in compliance with the Special Design (SD) Combining District designation.
The SD overlay designation allows for departures from the property development standards or require s application of special development criteria related to environmental hazards or design due to the location, shape , or other characteristics of parcels that would require special attention or put the property at a disadvantage when regular development standards are applied.
As noted above , the project is not requesting any exceptions to the development standards in order to develop the property; however, the project is located adjacent to State Route 85 and is on an irregular -shaped lot. The project includes sound -rated windows and other construction sound attenuation measures to reduce potential noise to the units due to its location adjacent to State Route 85 as a standard condition of approval for projects and is, therefore, in compliance with the SD Overlay District. The Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
City is separately in the process of reviewing the R3 ordinance and is proposing to omit the SD layer since these issues are already addressed in the City’s other standard requirements, ordinances, and in the CEQA review.
Parking
The project proposes two -car garages for e ach unit and three unenclosed guest parking spaces along the common driveway. Bicycle parking spaces are provided in each garage, plus three bike racks in the common area.
Open Space and Trees
The project contains approximately 10,819 square feet of common open space , which meets the minimum 35 % open space requirement. The common open space includes seating in addition to flexible, unprogrammed landscaped area. The common open space area is located along the northern edge of the site adjacent to Gladys Court. An additional, smaller, common open space area is located along the western side of the site and includes a children’s play area.
A tree survey was completed for the project site by Econo Tree Service and reviewed by the City arborist. The tree survey identified, measured, mapped, and rated the trees for preservation, which took into consideration the trees’ age, health, structural condition, and proximity to the proposed structures and site development. The project proposes to retain a grove of Chine se elm trees adjacent to State Route 85 and remove 10 Heritage trees that consist of oak, cedar, black walnut, eucalyptus, and palm trees . The arborist report found that the 10 Heritage trees proposed for removal are in poor health or within the developable area of the project site necessary for the build -out of the project and achieve the site-planning design requirements of the Rowhouse Guidelines. The typical replacement ratio for the removal of Heritage trees is 2:1, and the applicant is proposing 24 (twenty -four) 24” box replacement trees, which represents a replac ement ratio of approximately 2.4:1.
The following table shows the existing and estimated future tree canopy coverage for the site:
Tree Canopy Coverage
Canopy Coverage
Existing 38%
Retained + New After 5 Years 31%
Retained + New After 10 Years 41%
Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
Tenant Relocation
The existing single-family home on-site is exempt from the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA) and the Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRAO). It is also not covered under SB 330 since it is an owner-occupied unit.
Tentative Subdivision Map
The proposed Tentative Map for the project includes f ive residential lots and one common lot for a private shared driveway, guest parking, and open space. On March 24, 2021, the Subdivision Committee reviewed the application and found it consistent with the General Plan Land Use D esignation of Medium -Density Residential (13 to 25 units per acre). Staff finds that the project is consistent with the requirements of the Subdivision Map Act and the General Plan with incorporation of the draft Conditions of Approval (see Attachment 2—Resolution for Tentative Map).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The project qualifies as Categorically Exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Section 15332 (“In -Fill Development Projects”) because it is characterized as an infill development which is consistent with the applicable General Plan and zoning designation; is on a project site that is less than five acres; contains no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species; would not result in any significant effects relating t o traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and the site can adequately be served by all required utilities and public services.
FISCAL IMPACT
The subject site has a current total assessed value of approximately $1 .7 million (Fiscal Year 2020-21), and the current taxes paid to the City are approximately $2,600. If the site were developed with five residential units with an average sales price of approximately $2.6 million, the City would receive approximately $17,000 in additional property taxes per year.
The project is subject to the City’s Below-Market-Rate (BMR) Ordinance (Phase I), which requires 10% affordable units or in-lieu payment of 3% of the sales price of each unit. The project is not subject to Phase 2 because the application was submitted on March 9, 2018 and was considered complete on May 10, 2019 ,prior to August 24, 2019 when Phase 2 took effect; therefore, it is exempt. The estimated BMR In-Lieu payment to the City for this project is approximately $78,000 per unit or $390,000 in total.
Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
The project proposes five new units from what exists on the site today and will be required to pay Park Land Dedication In -Lieu fees in accordance with Chapter 41 (Park Land Dedication or Fees In -Lieu Thereof) of the City Code. The estimated in-lieu fee is $154,560.
CONCLUSION
The Zoning Administrator recommends approval of the proposed five rowhouses, and the Subdivision Committee recommends approval of the Tentative Map at 198 Easy Street. The project supports General Plan policies for neighborhood character and street presence and is consistent with the land use and development direction in the Gene ral Plan and is in compliance with the Zoning Code and the Rowhouse Guidelines. The proposal promotes a well- designed development that is compatible with and harmonious with surrounding uses and developments and is consistent with other existing, under -construction, and proposed projects in the area. The project adds ownership housing but does displace tenants in rent-controlled units.
The proposed subdivision, together with the provisions for its design and improvements, is consistent with the General Plan Land Use Designation of Medium -Density Residential, the R3 -3/sd (Multiple-Family Residential/Special Design) Zoning District, including all the requirements applicable to the property, and with the Subdivision Map Act.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the project with modified conditions.
2. Refer the project back to the DRC and/or Zoning Administrator and Subdivision Committee for additional consideration.
3. Deny the project and/or deny the map.
Rowhouse Development at 198 Easy Street
May 11, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICING
The Council’s agenda is advertised on Channel 26, and the agenda and this report appear on the City’s website. All property owners and tenants within a 750’ radius were notified of this meeting.
Prepared by:
Margaret Netto
Senior Planner
Reviewed by:
Stephanie Williams
Zoning Administrator/
Planning Manager
Approved by:
Aarti Shrivastava
Assistant City Manager/
Community Development Director
Kimbra McCarthy
City Manager
MN/1/CAM
813-05-11-21CR
200867
Attachments: 1. Resolution for a Planned Unit Development Permit, Special Design Permit, Development Review Permit, and Heritage Tree Removal Permit
2. Resolution for a Tentative Map
3. Public Comment Letter
4. Project Plans