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El Camino Real Specific Plan Update:
Land Use Policy Review
City Council Study Session
January 4, 2022
2City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Agenda
• Purpose of Study Session
• History and Background
• Preserving Sites for Commercial Uses
• Finding Suitable Residential Sites
• Schedule/Next Steps
• Key Questions
3City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Today’s Goal:
Confirm El Camino Real Corridor
Specific Plan
Land Use Scenario
Housing & Commercial/Retail
4City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Land Use Scenario Policy Consideration
Mutually Attainable
ONLY with higher density residential
and greater average building height
DOES THE LAND USE SCENARIO HAVE
THE RIGHT BALANCE?
Maximize
Commercial/Retail levels
Maximize
Housing
5City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Recent Land Use Policy/Directions
• July 2018: Density and development standards
presented to Council
• 2019: New State laws (SB35, SB330, etc.)
Lack of discretionary decisions
• e.g. Neighborhood Compatibility
Eliminated housing caps
No more “pools” of residential development
Limits down-zoning
Requires objective standards
General Plan/zoning consistency
6City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 • January 2020: Presented to City Council
Response to SB 330
Refined residential sites
• 2020-2021: Staff activity
Staff/stakeholder discussions
Site-specific density approach
Higher density explored on certain sites
Discovery of Commercial buildout anomaly
Recent Activity
7City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 What Happened? Why are we here?
• Detailed lot by lot analysis revealed:
Commercial calculation anomaly (net vs gross)
Difficulty in achieving proposed residential build-
out due to:
• Lot configurations
• Proximity of sensitive uses
• Understanding State laws suggested further
refinement
• Retailing is changing … no need to react now
8 History and Background
El Camino Real Land Use & Planning
9City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Brief History – El Camino Real Land Use
• Historic native Californian pathway
• 18th & 19th centuries: links missions
• Early to mid-20th Century
Residential to Commercial: Auto-centric
• 1980s (residential zoning added back in)
• 1993 Precise Plan – Opportunity Areas
• 2007 Precise Plan Update – Nodes added
• 2015 Plan Update Begins – more precision
MTC Grant awarded
Grant Expires June 2022
10City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Primary Retail and Transportation Corridor
Significance of El Camino Real
• Major Retail Sales Tax from El Camino Real
(excludes business to business)
40-46% of total retail sales tax for City
20-25% of El Camino Real sales tax from auto sales
• Convenient for many Residents and Visitors
• Important Transportation Corridor
• Opportunity for Additional Housing Sites
11City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 El Camino Real – Retail Sales Tax
12City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 *Includes business to business
Sunnyvale Per Capita Retail Sales Tax*
13City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Average Project on 2-acre site
Transient Occupancy Tax vs Sales Tax
145 room hotel
= $1,200,000 TOT*
VOLATILE
($326,000 in 2020)
25% FAR retail: 30,000 sf
= $70,000 Sales Tax*
STEADY
($70,000 in 2020)
*Based on 2019 Average TOT Revenue
14City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE)
General Plan Buildout Projections
• 2017 LUTE
Part of General Plan
Long term planning document that guides land use
and development and transportation improvements
• LUTE EIR “cleared” buildout for El Camino Real
Anticipated Commercial build-out at average 25% FAR
Expanded Residential by 4,200 units
Site Specific Densities not Selected
15City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 LUTE Build Out
Floor Area Ratio Calculations
BUILD-OUT
COMMERCIAL
(million s.f.)
FUTURE
FAR
NET CHANGE
from 2017
(million s.f.)
GROSS 4.20 22.96% 0.95
NET 4.20 27.55% 0.95
Adj/Net* 3.50 22.96% 0.25
16City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 April 2017: LUTE Adopted
+4,200 Housing units for Buildout
August 2017: R+ Alternative Selected for Study
+2,700 Housing Units for Buildout
El Camino Real Land Use Actions
2017
Existing
2017
LUTE
R+
Alternative
Housing Units 1,600 5,800 8,500
Commercial Area*
(sq. ft.) 3.25 M 3.5 M 3.32 M
*Build Out projections based on Average 25% FAR on NET area 17 Preserving Sites for
Commercial Uses
18City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Factors to Preserve Commercial
• Commercial-only sites
Variety of size and locations
Preserve auto dealership sites
Not suitable for higher density residential
• Mixed-use sites
Minimum Required Commercial based on:
• Lot size
• Frontage on El Camino Real
• Projecting commercial development
Assumes Average 25% commercial FAR
• Older Hotels 50%-100% FAR
• Newer Hotels 100%->200% FAR
• What do various FARs look like?
19City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Retail Center >25% FAR
What Does FAR look like?
Cala Center
• ~5.5 Acres
• ~70,000 sf
• 29% FAR
Hacienda Center
• ~10.3 Acres
• ~162,000 sf
• 36% FAR
20City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Retail Center <25% FAR
What Does FAR look like?
Spalding Square
• ~3.75 Acres
• ~30,300 sf
• 19% FAR
Camino Oaks +
10 Butchers BBQ
• ~2.9 Acres
• ~28,500 sf
• 24% FAR
21City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Pre-1990 Mixed Use
What Does FAR look like?
Charles Avenue Center
• ~3.9 Acres
• 57 Units
• ~35,000 sf (retail)
• ~20.5% FAR (retail)
717 Center
• ~2 Acres
• 20 Units
• ~18,000 sf
• ~20.1% FAR
(retail)
22City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Higher Density Mixed Use
What Does FAR look like?
Pastoria
• ~2.97 Acres
• 49 Units
• ~5,660 sf retail
• ~57,950 sf hotel
• ~45% FAR
(Retail + Hotel)
Elan Mountain View
• 2.39 Acres
• 164 Units
• 11,137 sf retail
• 10.7% FAR (Commercial)
23City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Hotels
What Does FAR look like?
AC Hotel (2018)
• ~1.25 Acres
• ~89,620* sf
• 165% FAR
*excludes underground parking
Maple Tree Inn (1985)
• ~2.9 Acres
• ~63,000 sf
• 51% FAR
24 Finding Sites for
Residential Uses
25City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Factors Used to Identify Residential sites
• Analyzed size, configuration & compatibility
w/adjacent uses
No high density near lower density residential
Large sites and corners preferred
Developer interest factored into analysis
• Incentive programs
State density bonus programs
Sunnyvale density bonus program
• How does this affect Building envelope?
26City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Proposed Residential Land Use
(Permitted vs. Not Permitted)
27City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 With Highest Density Sites
28City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 With Highest Density Sites
29City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Context for Highest Density sites
30City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Density Scenarios
89 du/ac
54 du/ac
31City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 • More Commercial
• Affordable Housing above minimum (State Programs)
• Open space available to the Public
• Sense of Place beyond minimum
Wayfinding
Public spaces/paths on/through parcels
• Public Art on Residential Development
• Sustainability
Net Zero Energy
Transit passes
Public Access to EV Charging Stations
Potential Incentives* for Housing
*Similar to Lawrence Station Area Plan Incentives
32City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Incentive Provide DU/Acre
More Commercial FAR +2.5% : +5% : +10% 3-12
Public Open Space 2-5
Residential Public Art 2% of valuation 2
Sustainable Features 2-6
Sense of Place 2-4
Maximum Local Points Available* 29
More Affordable Units City Minimum: L/VL 1.2
State Maximum: All* 27
Incentive Examples
*Maximum credit = 27 points
54 DU/acre base maximum
33 Next Steps
34City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Proposed Project Timeline
Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
2021
2022
Early 2022
Release public drafts
(Specific Plan & EIR);
45-day comment
period
Spring 2022
PC/City Council
consideration of
plan for adoption
January 2022
Study Session
35City of Sunnyvale – El Camino Real Specific Plan Update – January 4, 2022 Key Considerations for City Council
• Are higher density and height acceptable?
• Are the highest density locations appropriate?
• Does incentive framework fit the City’s needs?
• Is there the right balance of retail and housing?
36 Questions & Comments