City of Santa Clara
Meeting Minutes
Downtown Community Task Force
Draft
6:00 PM Hybrid Meeting
City Hall Council Chambers/Virtual
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
04/20/2023
The City of Santa Clara is conducting the Downtown Community Task Force meeting in a hybrid manner, in-person and a method for the public to participate remotely:
Via Zoom:
https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/91975789377
Meeting ID: 919 7578 9377 or
By Phone: 1(669) 900-6833
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The DCTF Chair, Adam Thompson called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Adam Thompson, Dan Ondrasek, Debra von Huene, Ana
Vargas-Smith , Butch Coyne, and Chan Thai
Present 6 -
Rob Mayer, Mathew Reed, and Atisha VarshneyAbsent 3 -
A motion was made by Vice Chair Ondrasek to excuse Members Varshney, Reed, and Mayer from the meeting. The motion was seconded by Member von Huene.
Aye: Thompson, Ondrasek, von Huene, Vargas-Smith, Coyne, and Thai6 -
Absent: Mayer, Reed, and Varshney3 -
CONSENT CALENDAR
There were no items.
GENERAL BUSINESS
04/20/2023Downtown Community Task Force Meeting Minutes
1. Update on Lease Agreements for the City Owned Property within the Downtown.
Assistant City Manager Manuel Pineda provide an update on Lease Agreements for the City Owned Property, Commerce Plaza and Peddlers Plaza, within the Downtown stating that the two leases will be expiring on May 31, 2024 and December 30, 2023, respectively. The City intends to extend the Peddlers Plaza lease to May 31, 2024 consistent with that of Commerce Plaza expiration.
2. Presentation by WRT on City Hall Relocation Study SIte Criteria and Comparison The City's consultant, WRT, provided information in a presentation on the City Hall Relocation Study task for Site Criteria and Comparison of locations in Downtown for which City Hall could relocate. The DCTF discussed the item and determined that the "Central Green South" (Block D and F) location would be the best locations in order to achieve the vision of the Precise Plan.
Public Comment:
- Skip Pearson, moving City Hall would cost a lot, can we reuse the Commerce Plaza building with possible ground floor retail. Downtown Campbell's success is based on the addition of a parking garage. City Hall should be moved as the land that is currently on has a lot of wasted space that could be used for affordable
housing.
- Mary Grizzle, Sonoma should not be included in the study as Sonoma did not build anything.
- Jonathon Evans, the community wants an active commercial space. Any City Hall Downtown should have the first floor dedicated to commercial uses. It is not clear to me that moving City Hall Downtown would bring what the community wants.
- Donna West, Santa Clara is a City of what is possible. We want accurate case studies that detail the financial impact of moving City Hall Downtown.
Replace the cities of Sonoma and Watsonville in the case studies. - Patricia Leung, SVP rent comes out of their budget, a new City Hall would come out of the General Fund. Would rather see more services provided to citizens that relocating City Hall. It is unclear to me why we need to swap cities for the case studies.
- Connie, replace the cities of Sonoma and Watsonville in the case studies.
04/20/2023Downtown Community Task Force Meeting Minutes
3. DCTF Member Varshney will share some case studies where developers have invested in placemaking and good architecture. Continued fro the March 14, 2023 Downtown Community Task Force meeting.
Continued to the May 18, 2023 Downtown Community Task Force meeting.
4. 23-547 Review of the Standard, Section 6.3.k - Architecturally Significant Historical Sites, in the Downtown Form Based Code.
Recommendation: There is no staff recommendation.
Staff Liaison, Lesley Xavier, provided portions of the text of the HT - Historic Combining Districts zoning district from the City’s Zoning Code for the DCTF to consider including in the Form Based Code for Downtown. The DCTF discussed the item and thought that more aspects of the HT District should be included.
Public Comment:
- Patricia Leung provided information about the post office in Downtown, it was designed by an architect in the Treasury Department, includes New Deal artwork and is eligible for the National Register of Historical Places. We need to do what we can to protect this building and register it.
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
There were no public presentations.
STAFF REPORT
Staff Liaison, Lesley Xavier, provided an update on the project schedule and confirmed that the Environmental Impact Report would start circulation in May for 45 days. Responses to DCTF Questions and Clarifications of the Form Based Code were distributed to the DCTF members for their review.
Update on the Response to DCTF Questions and Clarifications of the Form Based Code Status of the Project Schedule (Downtown Precise Plan, Form Based Code, Environmental Impact Report)
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Vice Chair Ondrasek, and seconded by Member von Huene to adjourn the meeting at 9:01 p.m..
The next regular scheduled meeting is Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 6 p.m.
Aye: Thompson, Ondrasek, von Huene, Vargas-Smith, Coyne, and Thai6 - Excused: Mayer, Reed, and Varshney3 -
04/20/2023Downtown Community Task Force Meeting Minutes
MEETING DISCLOSURES
The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.
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