LIST OF RELEVANT CITY POLICIES
EL CAMINO REAL SPECIFIC PLAN
GENERAL PLAN GOALS AND POLICIES
COMMUNITY VISION
GOAL I: Long-Range Planning: To engage in long-range physical, fiscal and economic development planning so as to create and sustain an outstanding quality of life in a community with appropriate balances between jobs and residences, development and supporting infrastructure, and the demand for services and the fiscal ability to provide them.
GOA
L II: Attractive Community: To maintain and enhance the appearance of Sunnyvale, and to distinguish it from surrounding communities, through the promotion of high quality architecture, the preservation of historic districts and structures, the maintenance of a healthy urban forest, and the provision of abundant and attractive open space.
G
OAL III: Environmental Sustainability: To promote environmental sustainability and remediation in the planning and development of the City, in the design and operation of public and private buildings, in the transportation system, in the use of potable water and in the recycling of waste.
G
OAL VI: Affordable Housing Options: To provide a variety of housing options by style, size, density and tenure, so all segments of the population may find appropriate high- quality housing in Sunnyvale that is affordable to them.
G
OAL X: Robust Economy: To retain, attract and support strong and innovative businesses, which provide quality jobs for the City’s workforce, tax revenue to support public services, and a positive reputation for Sunnyvale as a center of creativity and productivity.
GOA
L XI: Balanced Transportation: To provide and maintain a balanced multi-modal transportation system which provides choice, convenience and efficiency for the movement of people and goods.
GOA
L XII: Supportive Utilities: To provide and maintain water, sewer, solid waste disposal, and drainage facilities that are safe, efficient, and reliable, and which can develop sufficient capacity to meet the expected growth of the city.
GOA
L XIII: Community Identity: To foster a strong sense of community which promotes participation in civic affairs, community pride and a sense of place.
L
AND USE AND TRANSPORTATION
GOAL LT-1 COORDINATED REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANNING - Protect the quality of life, the natural environment, and property investment, preserve home rule, secure fair share of funding, and provide leadership in the region.
Attachment 2
Regional Participation
• Policy LT-1.1 Participate in coordinated land use and transportation planning in the region.
• Policy LT- 1.2 Minimize regional sprawl by endorsing strategically placed development density in Sunnyvale and by utilizing a regional approach to providing and preserving open space for the broader community.
o LT-1.2a Promote transit-oriented and mixed- use development near transit centers such as Lawrence Station, Downtown, and El Camino Real and in neighborhood villages.
o LT-1.2b In areas with mixed-use land designations, zone appropriate sites for mixed use.
• Policy LT-1.3 Contribute to a healthy job-to-housing ratio in the region by considering jobs, housing, transportation, and quality of life as inseparable when making planning decisions that affect any of these components.
• Policy LT-1.4 Coordinate with adjacent cities on local land use and transportation planning.
• Policy LT-1.5 Recognize and plan so that neighborhood villages may cross borders into adjacent cities.
o LT-1.5c Work with adjacent cities to eliminate barriers and facilitate ways to get across barriers to travel such as discontinuous streets, trails, bike lanes, sidewalks, and paths.
o LT-1.5d Partner with cities in the region to prevent and eliminate barriers by using the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Bicycle Standards.
R
egional Infrastructure
• Policy LT-1.6 Integrate land use planning in Sunnyvale and the regional transportation System.
o LT-1.6a Promote shorter commute trips and ease congestion by advocating that all communities provide housing and employment opportunities.
o LT-1.6b Support regional efforts which promote higher densities near major transit and travel facilities.
• Policy LT-1.7 Emphasize efforts to reduce regional vehicle miles traveled by supporting active modes of transportation including walking, biking, and public transit.
GOA
L LT-2 ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE LAND USE AND
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT - Support the sustainable vision by incorporating sustainable features into land use and transportation decisions and practices.
G
reen Development
• Policy LT-2.1 Enhance the public’s health and welfare by promoting the city’s environmental and economic health through sustainable practices for the design, construction, maintenance, operation, and deconstruction of buildings, including measures in the Climate Action Plan.
Attachment 2
Greenhouse Gas Reduction
• Policy LT-2.2 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate and the environment though land use and transportation planning and development.
GOA
L LT-3 AN EFFECTIVE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM - Offer the community a variety of transportation modes for local travel that are also integrated with the regional transportation system and land use pattern. Favor accommodation of alternative modes to the automobile as a means to enhance efficient transit use, bicycling, and walking and corresponding benefits to the environment, person throughput, and qualitative improvements to the transportation system environment.
E
ffective Integration of Transportation and Land Use Planning • Policy LT-3.1 Use land use planning, including mixed and higher intensity uses, to support alternatives to the single-occupant automobile such as walking and bicycling and to attract and support high investment transit such as light rail, buses, and commuter rail.
o LT-3.1b Establish reduced parking requirements for transit, corridor, and village mixed-use developments and for developments with comprehensive TDM programs that are consistent with the City’s established goals. • Policy LT-3.5 Follow California Environmental Quality Act requirements, Congestion Management Program requirements, and additional City requirements when analyzing the transportation impacts of proposed projects and assessing the need for offsetting transportation system improvements or limiting transportation demand.
A
Well-Designed and Well-Operated Transportation Network
• Policy LT-3.6 Promote modes of travel and actions that provide safe access to city streets and reduce single-occupant vehicle trip lengths locally and regionally. • Policy LT-3.10 Prioritize street space allocated for transportation uses over parking when determining the appropriate future use of street space. • Policy LT-3.21 Implement best practices, innovative facilities, and technology to enhance complete streets.
C
omplete Streets That Balance All Transportation Modes
• Policy LT-3.22 Provide safe access to City streets for all modes of transportation. Safety considerations of all transport modes shall take priority over capacity considerations of any one transport mode.
o LT-3.22a Give priority to meeting minimum design and safety standards for all users. Determine configuration of the roadway space based on options, including at a minimum an option that meets minimum safety-related design standards for motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.
• Policy LT-3.23 Ensure that the movement of cars, trucks and transit vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities does not divide the community. City streets are public spaces and an integral part of the community fabric. o LT-3.23a P
rovide clear, safe, and convenient links between all modes of travel, including access to transit stations/stops and connections between work, home, commercial uses, and public/quasi-public uses.
Attachment 2
o LT-3.23b Encourage the incorporation of features that enhance street public spaces, such as street trees, public socialization spaces, and sidewalks separated from the curb.
• Policy LT-3.24 Ensure effective and safe traffic flows for all modes of transport through physical and operational transportation improvements. o LT-3.24a Continue to utilize the City’s transportation fee program to apply fee revenues to any right-of-way improvements that will improve alternative transportation access and experience.
An E
ffective Regional Multimodal Transportation System
• Policy LT-3.28 Support statewide, regional, and subregional efforts that provide for a safe, effective transportation system that serves all travel modes consistent with established service standards.
o LT-3.28b Advocate expansion of and enhancement to bus, light rail, commuter rail, and shuttle services within Sunnyvale, consistent with adopted service level standards and incorporating a certainty of ongoing investment. o LT-3.28d Work in coordination with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to ensure that the City creates streets that are transit-friendly, including bus signal preemption, adequate street and transit stop furniture, and appropriate lighting for nighttime riders.
• Policy LT-3.30 Support regional and cross-regional transportation improvements and corridors while minimizing impacts to community form and intracity travel. o LT-3.30b Continue to support First-Last-Mile transit, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements that connect to regional-serving transit.
o LT-3.30c Explore public and private opportunities to provide transportation and complete street improvements near regional-serving transit.
GOA
L LT-4 AN ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITY FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES - In combination with the City’s Community Design sub-element, ensure that all areas of the City are attractive and that the City’s image is enhanced by following policies and principles of good urban design while valued elements of the community fabric are preserved. • Policy LT-4.1 Preserve and enhance an attractive community, with a positive image, a sense of place, landscaping, and a human scale.
• Policy LT-4.2 Encourage nodes of interest and activity, public open spaces, well- planned development, mixed-use projects, signature commercial uses, and buildings and other desirable uses, locations, and physical attractions.
o LT-4.2a Promote the development of signature buildings and monuments that provide visual landmarks and create a more distinctive and positive impression of Sunnyvale within the greater Bay Area.
o LT-4.2c Allow for innovative architectural design.
o LT-4.2d Promote distinctive commercial uses.
• Policy LT-4.3 Enforce design review guidelines and zoning standards that ensure the mass and scale of new structures are compatible with adjacent structures, and also recognize the City’s vision of the future for transition areas such as neighborhood village centers and El Camino Real nodes.
o LT-4.3b Develop zoning incentives (such as floor area bonuses or height Attachment 2
exceptions) for projects that incorporate special architectural and pedestrian design features, such as landscaped courtyards or plazas.
o LT-4.
3c Enforce local design guidelines that ensure buildings and monuments respect the character, scale, and context of the surrounding area. • Policy LT-4.4 Avoid monotony and maintain visual interest in newly developing neighborhoods, and promote appropriate architectural diversity and variety. Encourage appropriate variations in lot sizes, setbacks, orientation of homes, and other site features. o LT-4.4a Develop design guidelines that address the pedestrian scale of development.
GOA
L LT-6 PROTECTED, MAINTAINED, AND ENHANCED RESIDENTIAL
NEIGHBORHOODS - Ensure that all residential areas of the city are maintained and that neighborhoods are protected and enhanced through urban design which strengthens and retains residential character.
GOA
L LT-7 DIVERSE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES - Ensure the availability of ownership and rental housing options with a variety of dwelling types, sizes, and densities that contribute positively to the surrounding area and the health of the community. • Policy LT-7.2 Determine the appropriate residential density for a site by evaluating the site planning opportunities and proximity of services (such as transportation, open space, jobs, and supporting commercial and public uses). • Policy LT-7.4 Promote new mixed-use development and allow higher-residential density zoning districts (medium and higher) primarily in Village Centers, El Camino Real nodes, and future industrial-to-residential areas.
• Policy LT-7.5 Consider the impacts of all land use decisions on housing affordability and on the housing needs of special needs groups within Sunnyvale.
GOA
L LT-8 OPTIONS FOR HEALTHY LIVING Create a City development pattern and improve the City’s infrastructure in order to maximize healthy choices for all ages, including physical activity, use of the outdoors, and access to fresh food. • Policy LT-8.3 Enable the availability of fresh food in the community. o LT-8.3b Maintain provisions in the Zoning Code that allow retail food sales in commercial zoning districts.
• Policy LT-8.4 Promote compact, mixed-use, and transit-oriented development in appropriate neighborhoods to provide opportunities for walking and biking as an alternative to auto trips.
• Policy LT-8.5 Promote walking and bicycling through street design. o LT-8.5a Develop complete streets principles to accommodate all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters, and wheelchair users, along with motor vehicles in transportation corridors.
o LT-8.5b Enhance connectivity by removing barriers and improving travel times between streets, trails, transit stops, and other pedestrian thoroughfares. o LT-8.5f Support streetscape standards for vegetation, trees, and art installations to enhance the aesthetics of walking and biking.
GOA
L LT-9 ADEQUATE AND BALANCED OPEN SPACE Provide and maintain adequate Attachment 2
and balanced open space and recreation facilities for the benefit of maintaining a healthy community based on community needs and the ability of the City to finance, construct, maintain, and operate these facilities now and in the future. • P
olicy LT-9.1 Ensure that the planned availability of open space in both the City and the region is adequate.
o LT-9.1a Define a minimum open space standard for residential uses, mixed-use developments, business developments, and Village Centers. • Policy LT-9.9 Support the acquisition or joint use through agreements with partners of suitable sites to enhance Sunnyvale’s open spaces and recreation facilities based on community need and through such strategies as development of easements and rights- of-way for open space use, conversion of sites to open space from developed use of land, and land banking.
• Policy LT-9.10 Refrain from engaging in the development of open space and/or recreational facilities without prior assurance that ongoing maintenance needs will be addressed.
• Policy LT-9.18 Improve accessibility to parks and open space by removing barriers.
GOA
L LT-11 SUPPORTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT Facilitate an economic development environment that supports a wide variety of businesses and promotes a strong economy within existing environmental, social, fiscal, and land use constraints.
• Policy LT-11.2 Support a full spectrum of conveniently located commercial, mixed-use, public, and quasi-public uses that add to the positive image of the community. • Policy LT-11.3 Promote business opportunities and business retention in Sunnyvale. o LT-11.3a Encourage conveniently located retail, restaurant, and other supportive land uses near business areas.
• Policy LT-11.4 Participate in regional efforts to respond to transportation and housing problems caused by economic growth in order to improve the quality of life and create a better environment for businesses to flourish.
o LT-11.4a Support land use policies to achieve a healthy relationship between the creation of new jobs and housing.
GOA
L LT-12 A BALANCED ECONOMIC BASE – Develop a balanced economic base that can resist downturns of any one industry and provides revenue for City services. • Policy LT-12.4 Attract and retain a diversity of commercial enterprises and industrial uses to sustain and bolster the local economy and provide a range of job opportunities.
o LT-12.4a Promote a variety of commercial, retail, and industrial uses, including neighborhood shopping, general business, office, clean technology, and industrial/research and development.
o LT-12.4b Ensure that rezoning of industrial or commercial areas and sites will not significantly hurt the community’s economic base.
• Policy LT-12.5 Encourage land uses that generate revenue while preserving a balance with other community needs, such as housing.
• Policy LT-12.7 Maintain an adequate supply of land zoned for office, industrial, and retail development to meet projected needs.
Attachment 2
• Policy LT-12.8 Provide quality neighborhood, community, and regional retail centers/uses to meet the needs of residents.
• Policy LT-12.9 Consider the importance of tax generation (retail, hotel, auto, and business-to-business uses) to support the fiscal health of the community and to fund municipal services.
GOA
L LT-13 PROTECTED, MAINTAINED, AND ENHANCED COMMERCIAL AREAS, SHOPPING CENTERS, AND BUSINESS DISTRICTS Achieve attractive commercial centers and business districts and buildings that are maintained and allow a full spectrum of businesses that operate unencumbered.
• Policy LT-13.2 Improve the visual appearance of business areas and districts by applying high standards of architectural design, landscaping, and sign standards for new development and the reuse or remodeling of existing buildings. o LT-13.2a Promote land use patterns and urban design that strengthen the sense of uniqueness in existing and new business areas and districts. o LT-13.2b Look for opportunities to create points of entry or gateways to unique business areas and districts.
Commercial Uses and Shopping Centers
• Policy LT-13.4 Support a full spectrum of conveniently located commercial uses and shopping centers that add to the positive image of the community. o LT-13.4a Utilize adopted City design guidelines to achieve compatible architecture and scale for renovation and new development in shopping centers and commercial buildings.
• Policy LT-13.5 Support convenient neighborhood-serving commercial centers that provide services that reduce automobile dependency and contribute positively to neighborhood character.
GOA
L LT-14 SPECIAL AND UNIQUE LAND USES TO CREATE A DIVERSE AND COMPLETE COMMUNITY Provide land use and design guidance so that special and unique areas and land uses can fulfill their distinctive purposes and provide a diverse and complete community fabric.
Existing Plans
• Policy LT-14.2 Support the following adopted specialized plans and zoning tools, and update them as needed to keep up with evolving values and new challenges in the community: Downtown Specific Plan, Lakeside Specific Plan, Arques Campus Specific Plan, Lawrence/101 Site Specific Plan, Precise Plan for El Camino Real, Moffett Park Specific Plan, Peery Park Specific Plan, and Lawrence Station Area Plan.
Future Plans
• Policy LT-14.3 Use special area plans to guide land use and development in areas that support alternative travel modes, Village Centers, economic development, and a better jobs/housing ratio.
C
OMMUNITY CHARACTER
GOAL CC-1 DISTINGUISHED CITY IMAGE Promote Sunnyvale’s image by maintaining, enhancing and creating physical features, including functional and decorative art, which distinguish Sunnyvale from surrounding communities and by preserving historic buildings, Attachment 2
special districts and residential neighborhoods which make the City unique. • Policy CC-1.3 Ensure that new development is compatible with the character of special districts and residential neighborhoods.
• Policy CC-1.4 Support measures which enhance the identity of special districts and residential neighborhoods to create more variety in the physical environment. • Policy CC-1.7 Encourage neighborhood patterns that encourage social interaction and avoid isolation.
• Policy CC-1.8 Provide and encourage the incorporation of art – both functional and decorative – in public and private development.
GOA
L CC-2 ATTRACTIVE STREET ENVIRONMENT Create an attractive street environment which will complement private and public properties and be comfortable for residents and visitors.
• Policy CC-2.1 Maintain and provide attractive landscaping in the public right-of-way to identify the different types of roadways and districts, make motorists more comfortable and improve the enjoyment of residential neighborhoods.
GOA
L CC-3 WELL-DESIGNED SITES AND BUILDINGS – Ensure that buildings and related site improvements for private development are well designed and compatible with surrounding properties and districts.
• Policy CC-3.1 Place a priority on quality architecture and site design which will enhance the image of Sunnyvale and create a vital and attractive environment for businesses, residents, and visitors, and be reasonability balanced with the need for economic development to assure Sunnyvale’s economic prosperity.
• Policy CC-3.2 Ensure site design is compatible with the natural and surrounding built environment.
GOA
L CC-4 ACCESSIBLE AND ATTRACTIVE PUBLIC FACILITIES Provide public facilities which are accessible, attractive and add to the enjoyment of the physical environment.
• Policy CC-4.2 Maintain beautiful and comfortable outdoor public places which provide a shared sense of ownership and belonging for Sunnyvale residents, business owners and visitors.
HO
USING
GOAL HE-1 ADEQUATE HOUSING - Assist in the provision of adequate housing to meet the diverse needs of Sunnyvale’s households of all income levels. • Policy HE-1.1 Encourage diversity in the type, size, price, and tenure of residential development in Sunnyvale, including single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, mixed-use housing, transit-oriented development and live-work housing. • Policy HE-1.2 Facilitate the development of affordable housing through regulatory incentives and concessions, and/or financial assistance. • Policy HE-1.3 Utilize the Below Market Rate (BMR) Housing requirements as a tool to integrate affordable units within market rate developments and increase the availability of affordable housing throughout the community.
Attachment 2
GOAL HE-4 ADEQUATE HOUSING SITES - Provide adequate sites for the development of new housing through appropriate land use and zoning to address the diverse needs of Sunnyvale’s residents and workforce.
• P
olicy HE-4.1 Provide site opportunities for development of housing that responds to diverse community needs in terms of density, tenure type, location and cost. • Policy HE-4.2 Continue to direct new residential development into specific plan areas, near transit, and close to employment and activity centers.
GOA
L HE-6 SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS Maintain sustainable neighborhoods with quality housing, infrastructure and open space that fosters neighborhood character and the health of residents.
• Policy HE-6.1 Continue efforts to balance the need for additional housing with other community values, including preserving the character of established neighborhoods, high quality design, and promoting a sense of identity in each neighborhood. • Policy HE-6.2 Promote neighborhood vitality by providing adequate community facilities, infrastructure, landscaping and open space, parking, and public health and safety within new and existing neighborhoods.
• Policy HE-6.3 Continue a high quality of maintenance for public streets, rights-of-way, and recreational areas, and provide safe pedestrian, bike, and transit linkages (accessibility) between jobs, residences, transportation hubs, and goods and services.
ENVI
RONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
GOAL EM-1 ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLIES Acquire and manage water supplies so that existing and future reasonable demands for water, as projected in the 20-year forecast, are reliably met.
• Policy EM-1.1 Manage water supply to meet demands for potable water through the effective use of water supply agreements.
• Policy EM-1.2 Maximize recycled water use for all approved purposes both within and in areas adjacent to the City, where feasible.
GOA
L EM-5 MINIMAL POLLUTION AND QUANTITY OF WASTEWATER Ensure that the quantity and composition of wastewater generated in the City does not exceed the capabilities of the wastewater collection system and/or the Water Pollution Control Plant. • Policy EM-5.2 Ensure that wastes discharged to the wastewater collection system can be treated by existing treatment processes of the Water Pollution Control Plant.
GOA
L EM-6 EFFECTIVE WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM Continue to operate and maintain the wastewater collection system so that all sewage and industrial wastes generated within the City are collected and conveyed under safe and sanitary conditions to the Water Pollution Control Plant.
• Policy EM-6.1 Inspect critical points in the wastewater management system annually to ensure that the proper level of maintenance is being provided and that the flow in sewers does not exceed design capacity.
GOA
L EM-7 EFFECTIVE WASTEWATER TREATMENT Continue to operate and maintain the Water Pollution Control Plant, using cost effective methods, so that all sewage and Attachment 2
industrial wastes generated within the City receive sufficient treatment to meet the effluent discharge and receiving water standards of regulatory agencies. • P
olicy EM-7.4 Produce quality recycled water and seek to maximize the use of this resource.
Attachment 2