City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Planning and Development Services
Meeting Date: February 5, 2024
Report #:2312-2347
TITLE
SECOND READING: Adopt Ordinances Amending Planned Community Ordinance 2343 for 2901- 2905 Middlefield Road and Establishing a Separate Planned Community Zoning Designation for 702 Ellsworth Place to Enable the Development of a new Single-Story, Single-Family Residence.
CEQA Status -- Categorically Exempt Under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3), 15301, and 15303 (FIRST READING: December 11, 2023 PASSED 6-0-1, Veenker absent)
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt two Planned Community (PC) ordinances reflecting Council action December 11, 2023.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council introduced two ordinances to amend Planned Community Ordinance 2343 December 11, 2023. Consistent with direction from the City Council, staff revised the ordinances for adoption.
BACKGROUND
On December 11, 2023, the Council conducted a public hearing to introduce a pair of ordinances to amend Planned Community Ordinance 2343, relating to 2901-2905 Middlefield Road and a new single-family home proposed for 702 Ellsworth Place. The proposed amendments affecting 2901-2905 Middlefield Road addressed changes to configuration of the off-street parking spaces for the existing apartment building residents. The draft ordinance proposed a new loading and delivery space on Sutter Avenue and relocating one of the off- street parking spaces. A resident of Ellsworth Place expressed concern that delivery vehicles would not be able to access the existing residences on Ellsworth Place and presented an alternative design for a loading and delivery space on the property at 2901-2905 Middlefield.
Council accepted that alternative over the configuration contained in the draft ordinance.
The Council also discussed height limits and design criteria for a fence proposed to be constructed within the sight triangle on the 702 Ellsworth Place parcel based on pedestrian and
bicycles safety and visibility considerations at the intersection of Ellsworth Place and Middlefield Road.
City Council approved the proposed Planned Community ordinances for 702 Ellsworth Place and 2901-2905 Middlefield Road, with certain modifications. The modifications (bold text) and the corresponding revisions to the proposed ordinances are set forth below:
1. UPS approved delivery spot plan on Ellsworth that does not affect the footprint of the house, that provides a useable delivery spot for 10’ to 11’ wide trucks, maintains safe road circulation with Middlefield, does not remove public parking on Sutter, and to relocate the communications pole at a shared expense of the City and the property owner.
Staff revised Section 5(b) of the proposed ordinance for 2901-2905 Middlefield Road as follows:
(v) Property owner shall provide a 30’ x 10’ temporary loading and delivery area on Ellsworth Place adjacent to the existing apartment building. Property owner shall relocate the existing communications utility pole and guy wires and install any improvements as required by the Director of Utilities and the Director of Planning and Development Services to comply with parking design and safety standards. (vi) Property owner shall be responsible for all costs associated with fulfilling the requirements of this paragraph, provided further that the City shall cover 50% of the costs to relocate the communications utility pole and guy wires.
The exhibit to the proposed ordinance depicts the loading and delivery space in green located 4.5 feet from the wall per staff of the Palo Alto Utilities Gas Division request to keep this distance and provide bollards as a buffer between the delivery space and gas meters. The delivery space will be asphalt paving with paint markings, with signage as noted in the ordinance.
2. Require graded fencing that would allow visibility line of sight through 2 angles of the fence that allows adequate transparency of 3-foot fence.
Staff revised Section 5(a) of the proposed ordinance for 702 Ellsworth Place as follows:
(v) The sight triangle at the southeast corner of the intersection of Ellsworth Place and Middlefield Road shall extend to the southernmost corner of the property along Middlefield Road and shall not be obstructed by new impediments taller than 1 foot, except for the installation of an additional sign stating “No Delivery Trucks Over 24’ long” below or above the existing ‘No Outlet’ sign located within the Middlefield Road right of way between the sidewalk and Handa’s the 702 Ellsworth Place property line and a maximum 3-foot tall fence of a grated or similar design that maintains visibility through the sides of the sight triangle adjacent to Ellsworth Place and Middlefield Road.
Though ‘grated’ is the term used in the motion, the applicant does not propose a waffle- pattern; the exhibit indicates 3-foot tall wrought iron fence as Mr. Handa presented to Council on December 11. The vertical bars of the wrought iron fence will be spaced 4” on center to provide adequate visibility.
3. Direct Staff to pursue ADA tactile markers on the sidewalk where it intersects the Ellsworth Place easement subject to approval by the Director of Public Works at the City’s expense.
Staff reached out to Public Works regarding the potential placement of truncated dome surfaces on the Middlefield Road sidewalk on either side of the Ellsworth Place width.
Typically, such surfaces are used for sidewalk ramps rather than even surfaces, so this is a discussion that will continue after the Council second reading of these ordinances.
4. Width of Ellsworth Place at entrance to be 26-feet wide for at least 100-feet from Middlefield Road.
Staff revised Section 5(a) of the proposed 2901-2905 Middlefield Road as follows:
(i) A 42-inch-wide swath of asphalt paving shall be created alongside the northern edge of Ellsworth Place beginning at the Middlefield Road curb line and extending eastward approximately 100 feet approximately 37 feet to the location of an existing communications utility pole guy-wire, to increase the width of Ellsworth Place.
Staff revised section 5(a) of the proposed 702 Ellsworth Place ordinance as follows:
(ii) The development plan shall include a 2-foot, 6-inch-wide swath of asphalt pavement alongside the southern edge of Ellsworth Place beginning at the Middlefield Road curb line and extending eastward approximately 100 feet approximately 42 feet to the proposed walkway to the single-family residence, to increase the width of Ellsworth Place.
Combined, these two easements increase the width of Ellsworth Place from approximately 20 feet to approximately 26 feet. The exhibits to both proposed ordinances depict these additional easement areas.
5. Parking space #16 can be removed at the discretion of the Planning Director.
Staff revised section 5(b) of the proposed ordinance for 2901-2905 Middlefield Road as follows:
(ii) A curbside loading zone 40 feet in length shall be designated on Sutter Avenue in front of 2901 Middlefield Road with signage and curb painting.
Property owner may remove parking space #16 at the discretion of the Director of Planning and Development Services.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Utilities staff provided a rough estimate of the $20,000-$25,000 for engineering and construction costs for the relocation of the communications pole, which will be split equally between the City of Palo Alto and the project applicant.
Environmental Review
Council action on this item is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) in that it can be seen with certainty that minor changes to the parking configuration at 2901-2905 Middlefield Road and construction of a single-family home will not result in a significant impact on the environment. Council action on the PC ordinance for 2901-2905 Middlefield Road (Attachment A) is also categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines section 15301 (minor alterations to existing facilities). Council action on the PC ordinance for 702 Ellsworth Place (Attachment B) is also categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines section 15303 (construction of a new single-family residence).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Revised PC Ordinance for 2901 Middlefield Road with Exhibit 1 Attachment B: Revised PC Ordinance for 702 Ellsworth Place with Exhibit 1 APPROVED BY:
Jonathan Lait, Planning and Development Services Director