DATE: May 26, 2016
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Planning Manager
SUBJECT
Title
Preliminary Review of a Proposed Project: Lincoln Landing Mixed Use Development (Application No. 201400648). Applicant: Scott Athearn on behalf of Dollinger Properties/Owner: DP Ventures LLC.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Commission reviews and provides feedback on the site layout and design of a proposed mixed-use development at 22301 Foothill Boulevard (Assessor’s Parcel Nos. 428-0026-067-03 and 428-0026-068-01).
Body
SUMMARY
This is a Work Session to provide a formal opportunity for the Planning Commission and members of the public to review current plans, hear directly from the project proponent, and provide comments on the architecture and site design of the proposed large-scale mixed use Lincoln Landing development. This session is informational and intended to provide a high level of feedback to the project proponent. This session should not be considered by the Commission, the public or the project proponent as a formal approval or denial of the project. No formal action is requested at this time.
BACKGROUND
On December 2, 2014, the applicant presented a Preliminary Concept Review of the proposed project to the City Council. A video <http://hayward.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=190> of that meeting is available on the City’s website. Following that meeting, the applicant met with and presented subsequent concept plans to various homeowners associations, neighborhood groups and interested parties. After incorporating modifications to the plans based on the feedback from those meetings, the applicant submitted a formal application on March 10, 2015.
Planning staff found the application to be incomplete and issued an incomplete application status letter on April 8, 2015. The applicant had additional meetings with the surrounding community, further refined the plans and resubmitted plans on February 2, 2016. The second submittal was also deemed incomplete on March 1, 2016; however, there was sufficient detail to allow sub-consultants to start the environmental impact analysis and for staff to initiate this work session process to accept public and Commission feedback on the revised proposed plans.
DISCUSSION AND STAFF ANALYSIS
Existing Conditions: The approximately 11.5-acre subject site is composed of two properties located at 22301 Foothill Boulevard (APN 428-0026-068-01) and 1155 Hazel Avenue (APN 428-0026-067-03). The site is bound by Hazel Avenue on the north, City Center Drive on the south, Foothill Boulevard to the east and San Lorenzo Creek to the west. The site is surrounded by residential uses to the west and across Hazel Avenue to the north, and commercial uses to the north, south and east of the project site.
The Foothill parcel is 9.14 acres and is developed with an approximately 334,488 square foot building that was constructed in 1958 to house Capwell’s department store. The structure underwent extensive renovation in the early 1980s in order to house the Mervyns headquarters. The site is also developed with a four-story parking garage with 579 parking spaces as well as surface parking lots and site landscaping.
The 2.38-acre Hazel property is developed with an approximately 5,310 square foot structure that was developed in 1965 for use as a Capwell’s showroom. The reminder of the Hazel site is developed with surface parking and site landscaping. Both sites have been vacant since 2008.
Zoning and General Plan: The site is zoned CC-C (Central City - Commercial) District. According to Hayward Municipal Code (HMC) Section 10-1.1521, the purpose of the CC-C District is to establish a mix of business and other activities which will enhance the economic vitality of the downtown area. Permitted activities include retail, service, lodging, entertainment, education and multi-family residential. The proposed development consists of ground floor commercial uses and off-street parking with multi-family residential units above, which are permitted Primary and Accessory Uses pursuant to HMC Section 10-1.1522. See Attachment IV for a consistency analysis between the existing CC-C District development standards and the proposed development.
The site has a City Center-Retail and Office Commercial General Plan land use designation, which generally applies to properties in Downtown Hayward. Allowed uses include retail, dining, services, offices, entertainment and recreational uses and mixed use with multi-family homes or office on upper floors.
Various General Plan Goals and Policies support establishment of large-scale mixed use development on strategic sites located in close proximity to Downtown Hayward and on the subject site. These include, but are not limited to the following: Goal LU-1, and Policies LU-1.3 and LU-1.5directing population and employment growth to infill sites in close proximity to transit; LU-1.4 calling for revitalization and redevelopment of abandoned and underutilized properties to accommodate growth; Goal LU-2, and Policies LU-2.1 through LU-2.6, supporting pedestrian activity and encouraging a variety of uses and urban housing opportunities to extend the hours of activity in and around Downtown Hayward; and, Goals LU-3, LU-4 and LU-5 as well as Policies LU-3.3, LU-4.1, LU-4.3 and LU-5.1, encouraging placement of large-scale neighborhood centers and mixed use development along corridors and arterials such as Foothill Boulevard. In addition, the project meets Mobility Element Goals and Policies supporting multi-modal transportation choices as well as transportation demand management policies to reduce single occupancy automobile trips by locating mixed use development and high density housing close to transit and jobs (Goal M-8 and Policy M-8.4).
Economic Development Strategic Plan: The project site is an identified catalyst site within a key retail area in the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan (FY 2014-2018). According to that plan, large-scale development on a catalyst site will likely provide immediate positive results to the City’s business attraction and retention efforts.
Proposed Project: The proposed project consists of a large-scale mixed use development mix of structured and surface composed of 476 multi-family market-rate residential units above 80,500 square feet of commercial development and a parking. The existing four-story parking structure at the southwestern corner of the site would be retained and rehabilitated for use with the new development.
The buildings on the site would be broken into two separate residential towers on the northern and southern portions of the site joined by a central commercial structure with no residential development above. The commercial development at the center of the site is intended to provide a break in the massing of the residential development to provide light and view corridors from the neighborhoods located west of the project site to the areas east of Foothill Boulevard.
Residential Development - The southern residential tower would be located along City Center Drive. The tower would be anchored by ground floor commercial uses intended to continue the commercial development pattern just south of the development along Foothill Boulevard. The tower would be six stories (89 feet at the tallest point) consisting of five stories of residential (total of 267 residential units) above ground floor commercial uses and structured parking. The tower would run along the southern property line from Foothill Boulevard to the existing parking garage at the southwestern corner of the site. Parking for the residential units would be located in the existing parking garage and would be accessed from a residential lobby between the existing and proposed structures. The proposed residential parking ratio for the southern tower would be slightly more than two parking spaces per unit (579 parking spaces in existing structure for 267 residential units).
The northern residential tower would be located along Hazel Avenue. The tower would be composed of six stories of development with two stories of ground floor parking to serve the residents of the tower and four stories of residential development above (total of 209 residential units). The development would gradually step back along the northern property line to break up the massing of the structure which is across the street from small scale commercial and residential development along the north side of Hazel Avenue. Specifically, the two ground floor stories of parking would be set back about 10 feet from the Hazel Avenue property line; two stories of residential above the parking would be stepped back 18 feet from the property line; and the remaining residential development up to six stories would be stepped back 41 feet from the property line (Attachment II, Sheet A12 for Section at Hazel Avenue). The structure would reach 86 feet in height at the tallest point which would be located the furthest back from Hazel Avenue. The proposed residential parking ratio for the southern tower would be about 1.27 parking spaces per unit (266 parking spaces in structure for 209 residential units).
Both residential towers would feature private residential lobby entrances at the corners of the buildings accented by towers and entrance features; building pop-outs with a variety of materials (brick, plaster in sand finish, metal railings, and wooden trellises), colors and detailing including but not limited to decorative columns, arched and rectangular glazing, trim elements at the various stories to break up the building planes both vertically and horizontally. The ground floor structured parking would be enhanced with varied window openings and decorative metal screens which would provide light and visibility into the garages.
The residential towers would include private balconies, rooftop patios and three podium courtyards in each residential tower totaling approximately 44,000 square feet of group open space for residents. Internal and external residential amenities would include a large wi-fi enabled, community room with kitchen area; pools; pet cleaning rooms; a maintenance shop; bar-b-que areas with seating, fire pits, outdoor televisions, lighting and landscaping; bike storage and repair rooms; and an approximately 1,500 square foot fitness center, among other elements.
Commercial Development - The residential towers would be anchored by ground floor retail that would be split into three pads (totaling approximately 20,500 square feet) fronting Foothill Boulevard and two major commercial tenants (total of 50,000 square feet) and a set of in-line tenant spaces (10,000 square feet) set further back on the site behind a surface parking lot. The total number of commercial tenant spaces and the commercial tenant mix is not determined at this time. With regard to parking, there would be 309 ground floor parking spaces allocated to the ground floor commercial uses resulting in a ratio of one parking space per roughly 260 square feet of commercial square footage where one per 315 square feet in required.
The Pad 1 commercial building would be located at the northeastern corner of the site adjacent to the existing gas station along Hazel Avenue. The roughly rectangular, single story structure would curve slightly to align with the Foothill Boulevard frontage and would be surrounded by a mix of landscaping and pedestrian walkways with small plaza area to the south of the building. The structure would range from 23 to 32 feet in height with varying rooflines and an enhanced tower element nearest Foothill Boulevard. Parking for the pad building would be located in the surface parking lot west of the structure. The tenant spaces would be accessed from the small surface parking lots to the side and rear of the building (Attachment II, Sheets A2 and A11).
The Pads 2 and 3 commercial tenant spaces would be located at the southeastern corner of the site at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and City Center Drive beneath five stories of residential development. The commercial frontage along Foothill Boulevard would match the other commercial development on the site with a mix of brick and plaster sand finishes painted with earth-tone colors, building pop-outs, aluminum storefront systems with substantial gazing and awnings. The commercial tenant spaces would be built to Foothill Boulevard; however, the main entrances for the tenant spaces would be from the internal ground floor parking garage. An approximately 20 foot wide pedestrian breezeway between the commercial pads would provide access to the tenant spaces and the ground floor parking garage (Attachment II, Sheets A2 and A7).
The major tenant commercial buildings would be located approximately 240 feet from Foothill Boulevard behind a surface parking lot mirroring the layout of the Safeway development located across Foothill Boulevard east of the project site. The commercial structure would have decorative brick siding punctuated by awnings, glass-enclosed, and frosted glass commercial storefronts. The tenant spaces would reach approximately 32 feet in height (in line with the third story of residential development) with taller decorative trellises to break up the roofline. The major tenant entrances would be enhanced with tower elements that would reach approximately 43 feet in height (in line with the fourth story of residential development), differentiated awnings, and would be finished with plaster with fine sand finish in earth-tone colors (Attachment II, Sheets A2, A7 and A7a).
The structures would be finished with a mix of brick, plaster with sand finish with earth-toned colors at building pop-outs and aluminum glass enclosed storefronts with awnings. The building would be further decorated with green screen trellises to break up the larger building planes.
Vehicular Site Access & Circulation - The main access to the site would be from a two-way driveway divided by a planting strip from Foothill Boulevard where an entry sign is planned. A secondary two-way driveway is located south of the Pad 1 commercial structure. Access to the ground floor retail parking under the southern residential tower would be provided from City Center Drive and from two internal access points. Access to the northern residential tower would be from two internal access points. A rear alleyway would run along the western property line from City Center Drive to Hazel Avenue to provide emergency access, commercial vehicle access and resident access to the existing and proposed residential tower parking garages.
Pedestrian Circulation and Design - With regard to internal pedestrian circulation, three pedestrian pathways would extend from Foothill Boulevard to the internal major commercial tenant spaces and the northern residential tower lobby. Internal pedestrian pathways and sidewalks would be differentiated from driveway aisles by scored, colored concrete and would be lined with trees and landscaping.
An approximately 15-foot wide pedestrian pathway would run along the central major and inline tenant spaces. First floor architectural design elements and ground floor uses impact the pedestrian experience. Widened pedestrian sidewalks and pathways would run adjacent to commercial tenant spaces with large, continuous aluminum and glass enclosed storefronts to enhance ground floor visual interest and to connect the interior uses and exterior spaces. Other ground floor pedestrian scaled elements include small plazas and outdoor eating areas, building pop-outs and recessed entries with varied materials, trellises and landscaping above the first floor commercial uses to frame the space. Additionally, street furniture such as decorative planters, bollards, lighting and benches would enhance the pedestrian experience.
The ground floor parking areas within the development and along Hazel Avenue would feature alternating rectangular and curved openings with decorative metal screens to break up the massing. The sidewalk along Hazel Avenue would meander with landscaped spaces and trees interspersed and street furniture such as decorative lighting, bollards and planters. As noted in the “Residential Development” section above, the structure along Hazel would be stepped back between the second and third stories and again between the third and fourth stories to reduce the scale of the building along that roadway.
Although the proposed development contains well-designed ground floor architectural features, staff believes that the pedestrian experience and aesthetic quality and interest as viewed from Foothill Boulevard could be enhanced with better connectivity and improvements to external and internal pathways. Specifically, staff recommends that entrances to the Pads 2 and 3 commercial tenant spaces be oriented to Foothill Boulevard rather than the internal structured parking lot or, at a minimum, that the proposed pedestrian walkway be designed as a flared plaza with entrances at the corners and outdoor seating/dining to lure pedestrians into the internal breezeway/arcade. In addition, staff recommends that the internal pathways from Foothill Boulevard to the major and inline internal commercial areas maintain a minimum eight-foot width and that the pathways be enhanced with trees and landscaping and possibly a trellis or other feature; and, that the Hazel Avenue sidewalks and frontage be enhanced and enlivened with the installation of freestanding or building mounted public art or some other pedestrian scaled features.
Landscaping & Public Open Space. The proposed development would provide perimeter landscaped areas along the property lines, and in parking lot medians to provide parking lot shading which is consistent with municipal code requirements for site landscaping.
With regard to public open spaces, the proposed development includes a Creek Walk along the existing Alameda County Flood Control-owned maintenance path that is currently gated and closed off to the public. As part of the proposed Creek Walk improvement, the existing approximately 12-foot tall, privately-owned retaining wall would be removed and replaced with a series of shorter, terraced, landscaped retaining walls to enhance visibility of the path, and to provide light and access to the pathway.
The proposed approximately 15-foot wide multi-use bicycle and pedestrian path would benefit residents of the development and those walking from the nearby neighborhoods to Downtown Hayward (alternative path to sidewalks along Hazel and Foothill). Other proposed improvements to the pathway include new ground surfacing, installation of railings and lighting for safety. Climbing vines would be installed on the opposite bank of the creek duct that would grow over the walls to add greenery to the creek. The Creek Walk would be punctuated with an approximately 2,000 square foot pocket park with play structure at the northwestern corner of the site.
Sustainable Building and Site Elements. The proposed project has undergone an initial GreenPoint rating process to quantify sustainable building and site elements. GreenPoint Rated is a rating system administered by Build It Green, a non-profit that supports sustainability in development. According to a checklist prepared for the project, the proposed development would achieve Gold level certification with a total of 139 point where a minimum of 50 points is needed to achieve GreenPoint Rated status.
Sustainable site and building elements include, but are not limited to installation of a green roof on the central commercial building, installation of highly efficient appliances and fixtures, and use of low emission and low VOC finishes and materials. The fact that the proposed development is a large scale mixed use development on an infill site within walking distance to services and BART also lends to the high sustainability rating of the proposed development.
Despite its already high GreenPoint Rating, staff will continue to work with the applicant to enhance the project sustainability through site improvements, as well as transportation and parking demand management solutions in an effort to reduce automobile trips. Specific site improvements might include installation of solar photovoltaic panels for the commercial areas or the common residential areas and use of permeable pavers and other materials. Transportation demand management solutions might include participation in a BART shuttle, provision of commuter transit passes to residents and workers among others. Parking demand management solutions to minimize the parking on site could include shared commercial/residential parking potential, unbundling the residential parking, shared car services among other best practices. Reduction of parking on-site could result in increased areas for pedestrians and green space resulting in additional environmental benefits.
Phasing. The development would be constructed in two phases. The first phase would include development of the southern residential tower composed of 267 residential units and all 80,500 square feet of commercial development as well as surface parking lots and landscaping. Phase 2, which would occur within five years of completion of the first phase, would consist of development of the northern residential tower composed of 209 apartments with ground floor parking.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Initial Study (IS) is being prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to determine if and to what extent the project will have a significant effect on the environment. The impact analysis in the IS will determine whether an Environmental Impact (EIR) or a Negative Declaration/Mitigated Negative Declaration (ND/MND) will be prepared for the project.
NEXT STEPS
Following the work session, environmental analysis will be completed and circulated for public review and comment. Following the required circulation period, the project will be considered at a future noticed Planning Commission hearing.
Staff contact
Prepared by: Leigha Schmidt, Senior Planner
Approved by:
Sara Buizer, AICP, Planning Manager
David Rizk, AICP
Development Services Director
end
Attachments:
Attachment I Area and Zoning Map
Attachment II Project Plans and Photo Simulations
Attachment III Proposed Project Zoning Consistency Matrix