City of Sunnyvale
Meeting Minutes
Planning Commission
5:30 PM Telepresence Meeting: City Web Stream |
Comcast Channel 15 | AT&T Channel 99
Monday, April 25, 2022
Special Meeting: Study Session - 5:30 PM | Public Hearing - 7:00 PM 5:30 P.M. STUDY SESSION
Call to Order
Pursuant to Government Code Subdivision 54953(e), the meeting was conducted telephonically; pursuant to state law, the City Council made the necessary findings by adopting Resolution No. 1089-21, reaffirmed on April 5, 2022.
Vice Chair Pyne called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM.
Roll Call
Vice Chair Martin Pyne
Commissioner Sue Harrison
Commissioner John Howe
Commissioner Nathan Iglesias
Commissioner Carol Weiss
Present: 5 -
Chair Daniel Howard
Commissioner Ken Rheaume
Absent: 2 -
Chair Howard arrived before 6:00 PM.
Commissioner Rheaume’s absence is excused.
Study Session
Planning Officer Shaunn Mendrin announced Commissioner Harrison’s recusal from Study Session Item A due to the proximity of her home to the Sunnyvale El Camino Real Specific Plan (ECRSP) area.
A. 22-0497
Draft El Camino Real Specific Plan
Adjourn Study Session
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April 25, 2022Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
7 P.M. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
Pursuant to Government Code Subdivision 54953(e), the meeting was conducted telephonically; pursuant to state law, the City Council made the necessary findings by adopting Resolution No. 1089-21, reaffirmed on April 5, 2022.
Chair Howard called the meeting to order at 7:08 PM.
ROLL CALL
Chair Daniel Howard
Vice Chair Martin Pyne
Commissioner Sue Harrison
Commissioner John Howe
Commissioner Nathan Iglesias
Commissioner Ken Rheaume
Commissioner Carol Weiss
Present: 7 -
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Public Comments on the ECRSP were continued during Oral Communications.
Planning Officer Mendrin announced Commissioner Harrison’s recusal from Study Session Item A and Agenda Item 2 due to the proximity of her home to the ECRSP area.
Commissioner Harrison requested her recusal. Speaking in her capacity as a Sunnyvale resident and not as a Planning Commissioner, she noted that the Bernardo Gateway Node does not appear to be zoned homogeneously. While the northern portion is zoned MU-54, she questioned the zoning of the southern portion.
She encouraged maintaining publicly accessible open space requirements robust for high-density residential areas.
Alison Warner, speaking in her capacity as Senior Vice President at Balboa Retail Partners, discussed retail trends pre-COVID-19 and trends that may be seen post-COVID-19. In particular, she highlighted the fact that smart retailers still require less space to conduct their businesses. She expressed her concerns that what is being proposed by the Draft ECRSP poses restrictions on the placement of uses such that retailers evolve, and space becomes obsolete. These restrictions affect the Hacienda and Cala Shopping Centers (two properties owned by Balboa Retail
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April 25, 2022Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
Partners).
Josh Rupert, owner of property on El Camino Real, shared his concerns regarding the ECRSP’s open space and commercial requirements. He also emphasized the fact that retail is a community benefit and advised that municipalities should think of it as such.
Mike Serrone, speaking on behalf of the Livable Sunnyvale Board and the Livable Sunnyvale El Camino Real Specific Plan Committee, commended staff on their work on the ECRSP and the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the ECRSP.
He then urged the Planning Commission and the City Council to approve the ECRSP in a timely manner and provided his reasons for doing so. Lastly, he commented that the addition of housing on a transit corridor like El Camino Real will reduce traffic.
Ed Gocka was unable to provide public comment due to connectivity issues.
Jennifer Renk, a representative of Balboa Retail Properties, inquired about when the Planning Commission will deliberate on Study Session Item A. Chair Howard confirmed with Planning Officer Mendrin that no action will be taken by the Planning Commission during the meeting other than to hear comments pertaining to the DEIR and that the Planning Commission will take action on the ECRSP and EIR during a future Planning Commission meeting.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Commissioner Weiss asked staff if the Meeting Minutes of April 11, 2022 for Agenda Item 3 may be revised to indicate that she questioned the presence of both a tankless water heater and the use of a conventional water heater in the proposed project’s plans. She intended to ask whether the proposed project could include two tankless water heaters instead of one tankless water heater and one standard water heater.
MOTION: Commissioner Howe moved and Commissioner Weiss seconded the motion to approve the Consent Calendar with the following revision to the minutes:
1.) Note that the first sentence of the fourth paragraph on page six pertaining to Agenda Item 3 should read as follows: “Commissioner Weiss questioned the presence of one tankless water heater and one conventional water heater on the proposed project’s plans.”
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April 25, 2022Planning Commission Meeting Minutes
The motion carried by the following vote:
Yes: Chair Howard
Vice Chair Pyne
Commissioner Howe
Commissioner Iglesias
Commissioner Weiss
5 -
No: 0
Abstained: Commissioner Harrison
Commissioner Rheaume
2 -
1. 22-0506
Approve Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of April 11, 2022
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS
2. 22-0466 Public Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the El Camino Real Specific Plan (ECRSP)
Location:
Existing Plan: El Camino Real Specific Plan Area
File no.:
2014-7432 (El Camino Real Specific Plan)
General Plan Designation:
El Camino Real Corridor Mixed-Use - With various sub-land use designations of El Camino Real (ECR) Mixed-Use, ECR Corridor Commercial, ECR Office, ECR Public Facilities, ECR Medium Density Residential, ECR High Density Residential
Proposed Removal from Plan Area and Land Use Designation Changes within the Existing Plan Area - 815 E. Fremont (211-25- 013) to Residential High Density, 801-834 Kingfisher Terrace (211-43- 013 through 211-42-033) to Residential High Density, 1332 Poplar Avenue (313-03-006) to Residential Low Density, and 1075-1088 Ed Roth Terrace (213-35-052 through 213-35-058) to Residential Medium Density
Proposed Land Use Designation Change Associated with Plan Updates - 201 Old San Francisco Road (209-31-068) to Commercial and 510-769 Fall River Terrace (201-36-001) to Residential Medium Density
Zoning:
El Camino Real Specific Plan Zoning District - With various sub-zoning districts of El Camino Real (ECR) - Commercial (ECR-C), ECR-Mixed Use (ECR-MU), ECR-Office (ECR-O),
ECR-Public Facilities (ECR-PF), ECR-Medium Density
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Residential (ECR-R3), and ECR-High Density Residential
(ECR-R4)
Proposed Removal from Plan Area and Rezoning of
Existing Sites within the Existing Plan Area - 1075-1088 Ed Roth Terrace (213-35-052 through 213-35-058) to Medium
Density Residential (R-3).
Proposed Zoning Change Associated with Plan Updates -
510-769 Fall River Terrace (209-36-001) to Medium Density Residential (R-3).
Applicant: City of Sunnyvale
Project Planner: Jeffrey Cucinotta, 408-730-7424 or
[email protected]
COMMENTS ONLY
Provide public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report.
Senior Planner Jeffrey Cucinotta presented the staff report with a slide presentation.
Chair Howard opened the Public Hearing.
Zach Kauffman posed questions regarding the ECRSP DEIR which pertained to the Hexagon traffic analysis, the examination of greenhouse gas emissions, and the impact of rezoning Michaels and Dollar Tree. He also inquired about an email from Hexagon from December 14, 2020 and the 17 comment letters received by the City on the Notice of Preparation for the ECRSP’s DEIR that were cited but not included with the staff report. Lastly, Mr. Kauffman asked about whether congestion avoidance was considered as a part of the traffic analysis conducted for the ECRSP DEIR.
Chair Howard closed the Public Hearing.
Chair Howard advised no action will be taken on this agenda item.
Senior Planner Cucinotta informed the Planning Commissioners that the ECRSP and the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the ECRSP are scheduled to be heard at the June 13, 2022 Planning Commission meeting.
STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES
None.
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS
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-Commissioner Comments
None.
-Staff Comments
Planning Officer Mendrin announced that on April 26, 2022, the City Council will consider the introduction of an ordinance to amend Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 19.76 (Short-Term Rental of Residential Property), adoption of a resolution to amend the FY 2022/21 Citywide fee schedule related to fines for violations of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance, provision of direction on compliance and enforcement service level, and find that these actions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.
Planning Officer Mendrin informed the Planning Commissioners that on April 28, 2022, the City Council is scheduled to have a Land Use Workshop on the Moffett Park Specific Plan.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Howard adjourned the meeting at 7:47 PM.
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