To: HONORABLE MAYOR AND From: Katy Allen

CITY COUNCIL

Subject: SEE BELOW Date: 10-15-03

Council District: 7

SUBJECT: SPECIAL STREETLIGHTING STANDARDS FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS HILL PLANNED COMMUNITY

RECOMMENDATION

Adoption of a resolution amending Resolution No. 63396 adopted on December 10, 1991, which sets streetlighting standards for new development, to provide for special streetlighting design standards for the Communications Hill Planned Community.

CEQA: Resolution Nos. 63624 and 70194, PP03-09-306.

BACKGROUND

Communications Hill is one of the most visually prominent features in Santa Clara Valley. The largely undeveloped slopes of Communications Hill itself total about 500 acres and rise over 300 feet above the surrounding valley floor. Council adopted a Specific Plan for Communications Hill in April 1992. The objective of the Communications Hill Planned Community is to provide a comprehensive planning framework for development of a unified, high-density, pedestrian-oriented, urban community with a mix of uses on and around Communications Hill. The Communications Hill Planned Community has also been incorporated in the 2020 General Plan. Attachment A shows a map of the Planned Community.

ANALYSIS

One of the key elements identified by the Communications Hill Specific Plan is “walkable streets”. As stated in the Specific Plan, “Streets are walkable if their widths, traffic volumes, landscaping, parking arrangements, lighting and sidewalk design serve walkers and if the buildings that enfront streets give them life and vitality.” Streetlighting plays an integral part in the design of “walkable streets”.

To implement the vision of the Specific Plan and create comfortable pedestrian-oriented streets, continuous streetlighting will be installed on all public streets. To add character to the streets, the Planned Development Permit for the hilltop development further requires that pedestrian-scale ornamental electroliers be installed on all public streets except the main collector Communications Hill Boulevard. A unique ornamental fixture was evaluated and selected by the City for use in this development. Attachment B shows an image of the selected fixture. Maintenance of these unique fixtures is included in the community facilities district which has been established for this planned community.

The City of San Jose’s current streetlighting design standard for subdivisions in Resolution 63396 is not well suited for the intended hilltop development. The current resolution references the American Standard Practice for Roadway Lighting published by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) in 1964 as the streetlighting design standard for subdivisions. Due to the Hill’s uniqueness and prominence in the valley, an excessive number of streetlights will produce significant light pollution at night and create undesirable visual effects from dusk to dawn when viewed from the valley floor.

A study was conducted by Alliance Engineering Consultants under City direction and in cooperation with developers of the Communications Hill site in search of a more suitable lighting standard for this development. The study included a survey of the current practices of various cities in their hillside/hilltop developments, and an analysis of streetlighting practices recommended by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). A summary of the study is attached to this memo for Council’s information. (See Attachment C)

Based on the findings of the study and recognizing the objective of creating pedestrian-oriented streets, a modified streetlighting standard is proposed for the streets in the hilltop development (see Attachment B). The proposed streetlighting standard deviates from the City’s adopted standards in that a slightly lower lighting level is recommended for the local streets and intersections in the hilltop development. However, it is at the high end of the range of the streetlighting levels employed by the cities surveyed.

The proposed streetlighting level reduces the number of required electroliers to be installed, therefore reducing light pollution at night and minimizing the undesirable visual effects. It is expected that the high-density dwelling structures will also provide a significant amount of ambient light onto the streets during nighttime hours with high pedestrian traffic. Combined with the output from the pedestrian-scale streetlights, this will create a well-lit and comfortable walking environment.

PUBLIC OUTREACH

Not applicable.

COORDINATION

This memorandum, lighting study, and proposed resolution amending Resolution No. 63396 have been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, and the Department of Transportation, as well as the Communications Hill landowners and developers.

CEQA

Resolution Nos. 63624 and 70194, PP03-09-306.

KATY ALLEN

Director, Public Works Department

HF:MA:dcs

Attachments

Attachment A - Communications Hill Planned Community Vicinity Map

Attachment B - Special Ornamental Electrolier for Public Streets in Communications Hill Planned Development

Attachment C - Communications Hill Planned Community Streetlighting Study Executive Summary

Attachment D - Special Streetlighting Standards for Public Streets in the Hilltop Development of Communications Hill Planned Community

ATTACHMENT A

COMMUNICATIONS HILL PLANNED COMMUNITY

VICINITY MAP

(to be provided separately)

ATTACHMENT B

SPECIAL ORNAMENTAL ELECTROLIER

FOR PUBLIC STREETS

IN COMMUNICATIONS HILL PLANNED COMMUNITY

ATTACHMENT D

SPECIAL STREETLIGHTING STANDARDS

FOR PUBLIC STREETS

IN THE HILLTOP DEVELOPMENT OF

COMMUNICATIONS HILL PLANNED COMMUNITY

The following streetlighting design standards shall apply in the hilltop development of Communications Hill Planned Community as designated in the General Plan. All public streets shall have continuous streetlighting designed to meet the specified levels and uniformity or better. The special ornamental electrolier shall be installed on all local public streets except the main collector Communications Hill Boulevard. The City’s standard octaflute electrolier with the full cutoff “shoe box” luminaire shall be installed on Communications Hill Boulevard.

Street Lighting Level Recommendation
No.	Street or Intersection	Average Horizontal Footcandles (and Uniformity Ratio)	Average Horizontal Footcandles at Intersection
1	Residential Cul-de-sac Streets	0.4 (6 to 1 Avg/Min)	N/A
2	Residential Through Streets	0.4 (6 to 1 Avg/Min)	N/A
3	Intersection of two Residential Streets (T Junction)	N/A	0.6 Average 0.15 Minimum
4	Intersection of two Residential Streets (Cross Junction)	N/A	0.6 Average 0.15 Minimum
5	Communications Hill Blvd. Approx. 500’ from Hillsdale and Curtner, respectively	1.2 (3 to 1 Avg./Min)
6	Communications Hill Blvd. (remaining section)	0.9 (3 to 1 Avg/Min)	N/A
7	Intersection of Communications Hill Blvd. & Residential Street	N/A	1.3 Average 0.3 Minimum