3A Public Hearing 2007 0507 - Laserfiche WebLink

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311 MacArthur Boulevard; PLN2006-00 1 04 3 May 7, 2007 23 units. Marketing analysis conducted by the applicant indicated that the retail and office market was not strong enough to support the amount of new commercial space proposed and that the previous proposal's residential unit size was too large. As such, they reduced the size of the residential units from an average of 2,425 square feet to an average unit size of 1,500 square feet in the current proposal. . At the Planning Commission public hearing on April 12, 2007, the revised plans, showing an all-residential project with 23 townhome units, open space in the narrow Herma Court lot, and no commercial space. The planned development, rezone, and the vesting tentative map received a formal recommendation for approval from the Commission. . The applicant initially requested consideration of two versions of the site plan and tentative map for the April 12, 2007 Planning Commission hearing. One version was based on a lot swap that would have facilitated the placement of the open space area within the interior of the site, rather than in the narrow Herma Court lot. However, the City Attorney's Office has counseled Planning staff and the Commission that only one version of the project may be considered at this time. Because the lot swap negotiations had not be accomplished at the time of the April 12 hearing, the Planning Commission considered and forwarded only the "alternate" plan, with the open space on the Herma Court. Current City Council Policy Not applicable Previous City Council Action Not applicable City Council Committee Review and Action The proposal was presented to the Business Development Committee on June 8, 2006. The Committee expressed favorable comments on the proposed project especially with the site planning and architecture which would enhance the MacArthur Boulevard corridor. Applicable General Plan Policy The General Plan Land Use Map designates the subject property as Corridor Mixed Use and Low Density Residential. The Corridor Mixed Use designation is described as a "mix of commercial and residential uses oriented in a linear development pattern along major transit-served arterials. Development should be designed to encourage walking and bicycle use, and should be sufficiently dense to support increased transit services along the corridors" (p. 3-12). Low Density Residential is intended for single-family homes, but is conditionally compatible with duplex development (p. 3-16). As described above, these General Plan designations allow for a residential project with density of up to 25 units for this one acre site. The General Plan provides that a high density residential project would be conditionally compatible within the Corridor Mixed Use land use designation. This proposed layout of the residential development would be a compatible transitional use between the single-family uses to the west, and commercial uses to the north, east and south. The higher density portion of the project is concentrated