Using arithmetic and the information provided in the 12/5/17 City Council staff report Attachment A., the Maximum Allowable Development threshold for non-residential SF has already been exceeded. According to my calculations, the total square feet for the pending projects is 85,151 SF, which is 18% of the 474,000 SF MAD. The approved projects total is 438,049 SF, which is 82% of the 474,000 SF MAD. The threshold is 80%. It appears the Council needs to take some action on a future agenda to fulfill the Implementation requirements of the ECR/Downtown Specific Plan. Patti > On Dec 1, 2017, at 5:16 PM, Patti L Fry > > Planning Commission - FYI. You can help monitor the Plan, particularly the > differential rate of development of housing units and non-residential > square footage in light of the housing shortage. > > Here is the link to the referenced City Council staff report > https://www.menlopark.org/DocumentCenter/View/16119 > > > Patti Fry > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Patti L Fry > Date: Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 4:47 PM > Subject: El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan Maximum Allowable > Development > To: City Council > > > City Council: > > On your agenda for December 5, 2017 is an Information Item regarding the > status of development allowed by the ECR/Downtown Specific Plan. It shows > that with pending and approved projects, the non-residential square footage > would reach 92% of the Maximum Allowable Development ("MAD"). > > It appears that the Council must act, not just be informed, before any > pending non-residential projects are approved because the actual approvals > have exceeded, or are about to exceed, the threshold at which the Council > is required to decide whether to amend the Plan with appropriate > environmental review or make no changes. That threshold is 80%, yet the > staff report clearly shows that approved and pending projects would > comprise 92% of the maximum allowable non-residential development allowed > under the Plan (77% in 2015) and only 72% of the maximum allowable housing > units (71% in 2015). > > As stated in the staff report (page G16 of the Specific Plan): > "After the granting of entitlements or building permits for 80 percent or > more of either the maximum residential units or maximum non-residential > square footage, the Community Development Director will report to the City > Council. The Council would then consider whether it wished to consider > amending the Plan and completing the required environmental review, or the > Council could choose to make no changes in the Plan." > > Since the staff report does not indicate that the Council was advised of > the threshold being exceeded, it appears that the issue of retaining the > plan as-is or amending it must be addressed by the Council. The approved > and pending non-residential development of 92% clearly exceeds the 80% > threshold. Additionally, it appears that monitoring the status of the Plan > should be done more frequently than every two years at this point. > > Patti Fry > Menlo Park resident and former Planning Commissioner > > > > > Received on Sat Dec 02 2017 - 13:49:46 PST
