TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND FROM: Councilmember Pam Foley CITY COUNCIL Mayor Sam Liccardo Vice Mayor Chappie Jones
Councilmember Raul Peralez
Councilmember David Cohen
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: August 5, 2022
Approved Date August 5, 2022
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SUBJECT: Cambrian No. 37, PDC17-040 & ER20-189
RECOMMENDATION
Approve staff and planning commission recommendations to certify the EIR, adopt and prezone the site to Planned Development, and initiate annexation proceedings with the following additions:
1. Ensure that the entire Cambrian Village Project (“Project”) is master planned through a Planned Development (PD) Permit consistent with the PD Zoning and that any amendment to the PD Zoning must be explicitly approved by the City Council.
2. Implement traffic and pedestrian improvements at the intersection of Taper Avenue and Camden Avenue to restrict vehicular traffic onto Taper Avenue from the Cambrian Village.
3. Require that the owners of the Cambrian Village at a minimum give quarterly updates in the form of public meetings to the surrounding community on the construction of the Project, with the first meeting at least 30 days prior to demolition on the Project site and establish a community liaison to assist with addressing concerns related to construction.
4. Require the owners of Cambrian Village to coordinate the final design of the privately owned, publicly accessible central park consistent with the final PD Permit with the general community through at least one public meeting hosted by the owners prior to commencement of park construction.
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA: 08/09/2022
ITEM: 10.4
5. Require the developer to give the city an easement providing for public use of the privately owned central park parcel, and assure that the easement will never be modified, nor the land use of the privately owned central park parcel for public open space be changed, without direct council approval.
6. Require the owners of Cambrian Village to make reasonable space available in the central park for the successful operation of regular community events use such as the Cambrian Park Farmers Market and Kiwanis Christmas Tree Farm, provided proposed events are operationally feasible within the approved PD Permit and subject to standard event rules and regulations.
7. For any current small business owner located at the Cambrian Park Plaza before 2015 and has a lease in good standing, the developer shall:
a. Offer relocation benefits including brokerage assistance to help find an alternative location, financial assistance, and other reasonable benefits to facilitate the small business owner’s successful move to a new commercial space in the area. b. Offer these small business owners the opportunity to return to the completed project once the commercial space in the mixed-use buildings is available for occupancy.
8. Require the developer to provide a minimum of 50 deed-restricted affordable housing units reserved for Moderate-Income Households (100% AMI) along with the required in- lieu fee payment pursuant to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance approved Housing Compliance Plan (Chapter 5.08 of the San Jose Municipal Code).
9. Require that the ground floor of the assisted living facility (Building 3) fronting Union Avenue is activated (i.e. building frontages with occupied spaces that encourage engagement between the building tenants and the public realm).
BACKGROUND
The Cambrian Park Plaza is a large shopping center located at the corner of Camden Avenue and Union Avenue in unincorporated county land. Originally constructed in the 1950’s, the Cambrian Park Plaza served as a commercial hub for the Cambrian area for decades. Unfortunately, over time the now over 70-year-old center has declined, no longer serving the needs of the modern community surrounding it. The sprawling parking lots and strip mall that currently occupy the Cambrian Park Plaza represent an underutilized and outdated commercial center.
In 2015 Weingarten Realty (now owned by Kimco Realty) purchased the Cambrian Park Plaza site, considering redevelopment of the shopping center. In 2018 Weingarten submitted a preliminary application for a Signature Project, mixed-use development. However, after extensive community engagement, surveys, and public meetings, Councilmember Pam Foley requested significant changes to the preliminary project proposal based on the community feedback. Major requests from Councilmember Foley to Weingarten were to:
1. Create a more walkable, bike-friendly Cambrian Park Plaza
2. Propose a future development that reincorporates the Plaza’s history (i.e. historical carousel, native flowers, construction material, pictures/murals, etc.) into the new development
3. Provide examples of public art that can be incorporated into the project
4. Make the intersection of Camden and Union Ave the project’s most visible and prominent location: A) Make this intersection the primary pedestrian entry point with a central promenade; B) This site design particularly on this corridor should be spectacular;
and C) Create site line from the intersection of Camden and Union through Wyrick Avenue.
5. Upgrade the separate mixed-use developments so that they are better integrated with one another
6. Form a project with ground floor commercial uses and residential units above
7. Give the project a more expanded and impressive park
In response to these requests, Weingarten went back to the drawing board to completely re- envision the proposal so that it aligns with these seven values and goals. After some time to reevaluate the design, Weingarten came back with the newly submitted Signature Project, incorporating the requests from Councilmember Foley and the community. Most notable are the central promenade at the corner of Union and Camden, the placement of most parking underground to create a more pleasant walking experience, the four acres of publicly accessible parkland, and the preservation of the iconic Cambrian Park Plaza carousel. This is in addition to the 428 housing units provided (plus 27 accessory dwelling units) and 181,340 square feet of commercial space. The Cambrian Village proposal before Council is the culmination of years of work and collaboration between the District 9 Council Office, community, and developer to create a vibrant main street for Cambrian.
The Cambrian Village Project will bring much-needed housing and jobs to what is currently an underutilized plot of land that is primarily surface parking. Cambrian Village is the type of development that we would like to see within an urban village: a mixed-use pedestrian-oriented infill higher-intensity development with plentiful open space that still respects the urban fabric of the surrounding community. Additionally, the developer’s decision to provide onsite affordable units, the 27 affordable by-design accessory dwelling units, and the diversity of the types of housing proposed ensures that households with a diversity of income levels will be able to call Cambrian Village home.
Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requirements can be met with 50 units of on-site affordable housing at 100% area median income (AMI) and paying an in-lieu fee. This should be codified in Planned Development Zoning Standards and General Development Plan.
The signers of this memorandum have not had, and will not have, any private conversation with any other member of the City Council, or that member’s staff, concerning any action discussed in the memorandum, and that each signer’s staff members have not had, and have been instructed not to have, any such conversation with any other member of the City Council or that member's staff.