Title
PLN24-0494 - 1109 Chestnut Street - Planned Development Amendment to Extend the Term of the Existing Approval. Applicant: St. Joseph’s Community. Public hearing to review a request to extend the term of the St. Joseph Community Master Plan Planned Development Permit, PD-98-01, as amended by Resolution PB-09-22. The project is exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15162 based on the prior Negative Declaration and no substantial change in circumstances, in the project, or new information.
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TO: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
FROM: Steven Buckley, Secretary
APPLICATION: PLN24-0494 - 1109 Chestnut Street - Planned Development Amendment to Extend the Term of the Existing Approval. Applicant: St. Joseph’s Community. Public hearing to review a request to extend the term of the St. Joseph Community Master Plan Planned Development Permit, PD-98-01, as amended by Resolution PB-09-22. The project is exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15162 based on the prior Negative Declaration and no substantial change in circumstances, in the project, or new information.
ZONING DISTRICT: R-4-PD (Residential Planned Development Zoning District)
GENERAL PLAN: Medium-Density Residential
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The applicant is requesting an extension of the current term period, which requires that all work approved in the Planned Development PD-98-01 be completed by November 30, 2024. The applicant requested a 15-year extension of the permit; no other changes to the Master Plan were being sought. Staff recommends approval of the Planned Development Amendment with no expiration date and modifications to clarify the means of street closure on Chestnut Street.
BACKGROUND
On November 29, 1999, the Planning Board approved Planned Development Application PD-98-01 (also referred to as the Master Plan) and Use Permit UP-99-22 for the St. Joseph site at 1109 Chestnut Street and other addresses associated with the St. Joseph Community. The Planning Board decision was upheld by the City Council (Resolution No. 13190) upon appeal. Pursuant to this resolution, “Any part of the project not completed within ten (10) years from November 30, 1999, shall require a new Planned Development approval prior to proceeding with the remaining construction.” Currently, there are no projects under construction or anticipated in the foreseeable future. See Exhibit 2 for discussion of the Master Plan and its implementation.
DISCUSSION
As presented in Resolution PB-09-22, Planning Board previously extended the approval for 15 years, to November 30, 2024, in the expectation that some additional projects would come forward. At that time, a condition was added that requires the applicant to provide a phasing schedule for future projects and for those projects to undergo Design Review. However, no further development projects are anticipated at this time, as enrollment and staffing have not reached levels that would warrant expansion.
However, the Planned Development also carries several conditions that address community concerns from 25 years ago, including traffic, parking, special events, pedestrian safety, and aesthetics, among other things. For this reason, staff supports extending the timeframe of the permit by making the Planned Development approval permanent and indefinite, as would normally be the case for a typical Planned Development rezoning. This would ensure continued implementation of the controls and benefits to the applicant and the surrounding community.
Separate from this Planned Development Amendment application, the applicant wishes to explore amending the current Chestnut Street closure plan between San Antonio and San Jose Avenues. This block, which has school buildings on both sides and no residential or commercial frontage, is presently closed only during school hours for student safety. This closure was approved by the City Council in 2000; the school is interested in modifying this to allow longer closures, possibly at all times, for motor vehicles (bicycles and pedestrians would still be able to pass unhindered).
Because this is a public right-of-way, Public Works staff is taking the lead on discussions with the applicant, and Fire and Police Department input will be required, as well as Transportation Planning staff. Preliminary discussions among staff indicate that it is agreed that the design and function of the closure system (gates, signs, etc.) should be improved from the current improvised system. Staff also notes that the right-of-way is not available as a full closure because the area is also planned as a Neighborhood Greenway, or complete street project slated for implementation in the next year or so. A Neighborhood Greenway, also called a “Bike Boulevard” in some cities, is a residential street that has been modified to prioritize bicycle and pedestrian traffic while calming vehicle traffic.
Staff has drafted a condition of approval that reflects the timing of the City-sponsored improvements and the requirement that any changes to the right of way must meet traffic engineering standards. This condition is consistent with the City Council resolution that approved the partial closure in 2000, which defers to the Director of Public Works to determine the manner in which the closure would be implemented. The applicant would be required to fund the modifications to the existing closure features and to participate in future changes that could affect the neighborhood greenway implementation.
FINDINGS
The Planning Board must make findings concerning the project, as required by AMC section 30-4.13.f.3, including the cross-referenced AMC section 30-21-3.b, subsections 1, 2,3, and 4. In light of the fact that the project was approved almost 25 years ago and no complaints or concerns have been raised in the meantime, staff has drafted the findings to reflect that no changes to the original development plans, the conditions of approval would remain in place, and the street closure would be renegotiated with the City Engineer to improve transportation services, so the project can be reapproved.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The project is Exempt from additional environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 - Subsequent Environmental Review, in that there are no changes in the project, circumstances, or new information that would lead to a different conclusion than was reached when the Mitigated Negative Declaration was originally adopted in 2000.
PUBLIC NOTICE
A notice for this hearing was mailed property owners and residents within 300 feet of this site, published in the newspaper and posted at the subject property. No comments have been received as of the writing of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Find the project Categorically Exempt from CEQA, hold a public hearing and approve the Planned Development Amendment No. PLN24-0494 to extend the vesting period indefinitely and modify the condition of approval related to the street closure, as presented in the draft resolution (Attachment 1).
Respectfully Submitted By: Steven Buckley, Planning Services Manager
Exhibits:
1. Draft Resolution
2. Prior Approvals and Analysis