To: HONORABLE MAYOR AND From: Stephen M. Haase[LI1]
CITY COUNCIL
Subject: SEE BELOW Date: November 20, 2003
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 3
SNI AREA: Spartan Keyes
SUBJECT: PDC03-029. A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT REZONING LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF S. FIFTH AND KEYES STREETS.
RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend that the City Council approve the proposed rezoning.
BACKGROUND
On November 19, 2003, the Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider a Planned Development Rezoning from LI Light Industrial to A(PD) Planned Development to allow up to 148 multi-family attached-dwelling units on a 2.16 gross‑acre site. Staff clarified the project site included an assumed 10-foot street vacation along the project’s South Sixth Street frontage, consistent with the street vacations that have occurred or are planned for the JSM (Sixth/Martha) and Virginia Terrace (Sixth/Virginia) housing developments to the north of the subject project site, respectively.
The Director of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement recommended approval of the proposed Planned Development .
The project developer,
David Neale of CORE Development, represented the project.
Robert Mills, Director
of the SJSU School of Art and Design, which operates the adjacent SJSU Foundry
to the north of the project, spoke in support of the project. He noted the project would contribute to the
formation of an ‘Arts Quarter’ as envisioned in the draft Martha Gardens
Specific Plan.
The Commission then
closed the public hearing and Commissioner Levy made a motion to recommend
approval of the project as proposed by the applicant and recommended by
staff. The motion was seconded and
unanimously adopted by the Commission.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
A public hearing notice for the project was published in a local newspaper and mailed to all property owners and tenants within 1,000 feet of the subject site. A community meeting, with staff present, was held February 13, 2003. Response from the neighborhood was generally favorable, because of the project’s intention to be affordable residential space for artists, and because the project includes gallery and retail spaces.
COORDINATION
This project was coordinated with the Department of Public Works, Fire Department, Police Department, Environmental Services Department, and the City Attorney. A final memo from the Department of Public Works and a traffic memo are included in the original Planning Commission staff report.
CEQA
Mitigated Negative Declaration, City File PDC03-029
STEPHEN
M. HAASE
Secretary, Planning Commission