SUBJECT:	2005-0506 – Albert Mangini II [Applicant/Owner]:  Application on a 10,881 square-foot site to construct four townhomes  located at 832 Maria Lane (near E El Camino Real) in an R-3 (Medium-Density Residential) Zoning District;
Introduction of an Ordinance	Rezone from R-3 (Medium-Density Residential) to R-3/PD (Medium-Density Residential /Planned Development) Zoning District,
Motion	Special Development Permit for the construction of four townhomes,
Motion	Tentative Map to subdivide one lot into four individual lots and one common lot

REPORT IN BRIEF     

Existing Site Conditions	Single-Family Home
Surrounding Land Uses
North	Apartments and Townhomes
South	Retail Commercial/Auto Repair
East	Townhomes
West	Hotel
Issues	Design Compatibility
Environmental Status	A Negative Declaration has been prepared in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act provisions and City Guidelines.
Planning Commission Recommendation	Approve per staff recommendation
Staff Recommendation	Approve with conditions

 

Click here for map (.pdf)

 

PROJECT DATA TABLE

 

Starred ** items indicate deviations from Sunnyvale Municipal Code requirements.

 

Description of Proposed Project

 

The applicant has requested a Planned Development Combining District zone change for a 0.25-acre parcel for the purpose of redeveloping the property to four townhome style ownership housing units.  In conjunction with the combining district rezone request, the application includes a Special Development Permit for the design of the housing units and a tentative map for the purpose of subdividing the property into individual ownership opportunity housing units.   The application for a Planned Development rezone does not increase the allowable density of the site.

 

Background

 

The Planning Commission held a hearing on December 12, 2005 and voted 5-0, with one member absent, to support staff's recommendation to approve the project. Planning Commission did not propose changes to the conditions of approval.  The applicant spoke in support of the project and no other members of the public spoke regarding the project.

 

There are no other previous land use actions associated with the site.  The existing home was constructed in 1956 and is not listed as a heritage resource. 

 

Environmental Review

 

A Negative Declaration has been prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act provisions and City Guidelines.  An initial study has determined that the proposed project would not create any significant environmental impacts (see Attachment C, Initial Study).

Rezoning

 

Discussion of Rezoning:   The applicant is requesting a Planned Development Combining District (PD) in conjunction with the existing R-3 zoning for the site.  The request does not change the permitted density of the site but instead is a common tool utilized throughout Sunnyvale for the development of infill and small lot development projects.  PD is intended to allow for flexibility in meeting the City's development standards and in some instances to place stricter controls on new development.  With a PD the applicant may propose deviations to the zoning standards through the requested Special Development Permit.  The most common deviation proposed in the PD is minimum lot size for the purpose of creating individual ownership units.  Such is the case with the subject application.  

 

Below are the City Council Policy Guidelines from 1998 for approving a PD zoning request

 

·         To facilitate development or redevelopment of a site to improve the neighborhood.  (The PD facilitates the development of ownership units on substandard lots while staying within required density ranges)

·         To allow for a proposed use that is compatible with the neighborhood but requires deviations from development standards for a successful project.  (The re-development pattern for the neighborhood is similar with primarily ownership townhome development.) 

·         To allow for the development and creations of lots that are less than the minimum size required in the base zoning district.  (provides fee simple townhome lots accessed by a common private drive)

 

 

Site Layout: The project proposes a four-unit attached housing building oriented perpendicular to Maria Lane.   The vehicular access to the units is via a private drive along the east property line.  Pedestrian access to the units is provided along the same private drive.   The end unit near Maria Lane has its pedestrian access oriented to Maria Lane rather than the private street.  The guest parking for the project is located at the rear of the site to improve the landscaping and streetscape of the project.  Existing mature landscaping is primarily situated on the west and southwest property lines.   Each of the units has a private rear yard area between the building and the west property line.  The private yards are approximately 15 feet in depth and extend the width of the units for an average of nearly 400 square feet per unit.

 

The site currently is bordered by commercial uses to the south and to the west.  However, existing mature landscaping and solid walls provide sufficient separation and buffering from these adjoining uses to mitigate normal conflicts of residential and commercial uses.  The property to the east is developed as duet townhomes that have their backyards located along the common boundary of the subject site.   The proposed design has provided a separation from the existing development on the east property by placing the new development towards the west side of the subject site.   A fence with new landscaping along the private drive is proposed as part of the design to address issues of compatibility.  

 

The applicant has requested a deviation to the front yard setback requirement of 20 feet.  The average setback is proposed at approximately 17.5 feet for the site with a minimum of 17 feet.   The setback deviation is proposed by the applicant due to the applicant's efforts to maintain wide floor plans while providing for the guest parking in the rear of the site rather than along Maria Lane as originally designed.  The applicant has also requested the 2.5 foot deviation due to similar setbacks of neighboring development and due to the curvilinear nature of Maria Lane.  Staff is supportive of the deviation request due to the desire to have the parking located at the back of the site and compatibility with neighboring developments in terms of architecture and site layout.    However, reducing the width of each unit by 2 feet from a typical of 27.5 feet to 25.5 feet would provide setback compliance of 20 feet average as well as widen the guest parking area.  If such a change in unit width is required, it would reduce each townhome's gross floor area by approximately 150 square feet. 

 

Easements and Undergrounding: Maria Lane is not improved to City standard specifications along the frontage of this site.  As a result, the applicant is required to dedicate one foot of land for right-o