Land Use Concepts - City of Walnut Creek

CITY OF WALNUT CREEK
Shadelands Gateway Specific Plan
Advisory Committee Meeting 4
March 27, 2012
Meeting Overview
Overview of Specific Plan and Purpose
Finalize Planning Principles
Land Use Concepts
Review
of AC meeting #3 results
Present alternatives
Exercise to gather AC input
Public Comment
Next Steps
3/29/2012
WHAT IS A SPECIFIC PLAN?
A Specific Plan is a zoning tool and regulating
document for a specific area
A Specific Plan is a document that:
Regulates community development for public
and private property
Captures the vision for an area
Establishes the land use, development, mobility
and circulation policies and standards
Contains architectural design guidelines
Provides streetscape, public improvement and
facility recommendations
Plans for infrastructure and phasing
Contains an implementation action plan
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PURPOSE of
SHADELANDS GATEWAY SPECIFIC PLAN
Offer an opportunity for collaboration
between residents, local businesses,
business park tenants, and other
stakeholders;
Determine land use(s) that provide
the best future development
potential for both the community
and the land owner;
Balance the needs of the community
with those of the applicant;
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PURPOSE of
SHADELANDS GATEWAY SPECIFIC PLAN
Create a viable, competitive vision
for the prominent project site;
Offer an opportunity to study
alternative land uses and analyze
the potential impacts…
traffic,
the viability of the surrounding
shopping centers and downtown
businesses,
the future of the Shadelands Business
Park
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Meeting Purpose:
Finalize Planning
Principles
Review land use
concepts
Gather input on
land use concepts
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Planning Principles
Finalize Planning Principles
1.
Create a welcoming, [iconic, thoughtful, authentic] and distinctive gateway
element at this key entry to Walnut Creek at the intersection of Ygnacio Valley
and Oak Grove Roads.
2.
Establish a family friendly and attractive mix of uses that supports the needs of
neighborhood residents and businesses while, at the same time, being
economically viable for the land owner. Retail uses should be neighborhood
oriented retail rather than destination or big box retail.
3.
Create activity nodes that focus on lively pedestrian-friendly environments with
synergistic uses that can serve the existing Shadelands Business Park and
surrounding neighborhoods.
4.
Provide a variety of public amenities such as a park, plaza, water feature,
promenade and neighborhood gathering place.
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Finalize Planning Principles
5.
Enhance the economic viability and attractiveness of the greater Shadelands
Business Park.
6.
Minimize traffic impacts through land use selection, enhanced mobility options
and circulation improvements. Minimize increased through traffic in Woodlands
neighborhood.
7.
Establish a multimodal circulation network of “complete streets” that balances
the needs for safety and comfort of pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and transit
riders. , in addition Consider ways to enhancing connections to downtown
Walnut Creek, and BART, and surrounding neighborhoods.
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Finalize Planning Principles
8.
Provide safe and convenient parking, for business and residential uses,
opportunities for shared parking strategies, and minimize the visual
impacts of parking from Ygnacio Valley Road through parking lot
design.
9.
Incorporate the significant existing trees into the design of the project.
10.
Encourage Provide for sustainable design practices and features.
11.
Craft a clear and practical strategy for implementation.
12.
Consider the relationships between and impacts on Shadelands and
the adjacent commercial centers and business park. impacts on the
entire area.
3/29/2012
AC Meeting #3 Results
Common Ideas
A Combination of uses including:
• 55,000 sf grocery
• Mix of small and medium retail
• Mix of small and sit-down restaurants
• Health club
• Office and research and development
• Senior housing
• Neighborhood and Business Park Serving Uses
Diagonal parkway from gateway to center of site
Gateway feature at Ygnacio Valley Road and Oak Grove Road
Variety of open spaces types – pocket parks, passive parks, linear parks, and plazas
Preservation of large trees
Landscaped setback at Ygnacio Valley Road
Full vehicular access at Shadelands Drive and North Via Monte
Pedestrian Oriented development
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Water Feature
Land Use Concepts
Land Use Concepts
The following land use concepts are for
visionary/ illustrative purposes only. The
specific plan will contain a land use diagram
that is supported by guidelines and policies
that regulate and guide development. These
images do not represent a proposed project.
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Land Use Concepts –
Common Elements
Gateway feature at Ygnacio Valley Road and Oak
Grove Road
Mix of uses - local-serving retail and facilities to serve the
larger Shadelands Business Park and adjacent
neighborhoods
Variety of open spaces types – pocket parks, passive
parks, linear parks, and plazas
Preservation of large trees
Landscaped setback at Ygnacio Valley Road
Full vehicular access at Shadelands Drive and North Via
Monte
Room for future bus stops on Shadelands Dr & YVR
Good pedestrian linkages to surrounding neighborhoods
Improvements at Oak Grove/YVR intersection
3/29/2012
Land Use General Comments –
Economic Considerations
Pros:
Good mix of uses –
Facilities to serve the larger Shadelands business park
Local serving retail and park
Sets the stage for continued redevelopment of other portions of
Shadelands Business Park by providing retail and restaurant options
for daytime workers
Retail and personal services (gym, medical, restaurants, grocery) will
serve to reduce off-site daytime trips by those employees (e.g. stay
at Shadelands to eat lunch, run errands)
“Signature” park promotes future marketing and redevelopment
potential of larger Shadelands Business Park
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Land Use General Comments –
Economic Considerations
Cons:
Height limits are not maximized therefore property owner land
values or potential tax revenues to the City of Walnut Creek
may not be maximized.
Large quantities of land are devoted to surface parking
(related to above point), which makes the land uses more
feasible (least expensive parking solution), but do not
maximize urban infill opportunities.
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Land Use Concept #1 - Illustrative
Building Orientation
Buildings primarily
on perimeter of site
Ygnacio Valley
Road lined with a
75’ greenway and
buildings (backs)
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Land Use Concept #1 - Elements
Site Access
Oak Grove Road – right in/right out access
only
Shadelands Drive – full access
North Via Monte – full access
Ygnacio Valley Road - no access
Circulation
Central roundabout 3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #1 - Elements
Pedestrian
Accessibility
Pedestrian/bike
loop trail around
site
On-Site
Off-Site
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Land Use Concept #1 – Elements
Shadelands Green
Gateway and plaza
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Land Use Concept #1 – Elements
Outdoor Dining
Pedestrian Paseos
Storefront Shopping
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Land Use Concept #1 – Elements
Rooftop Parking Example of
Burlingame Safeway
Rooftop Parking on
Safeway
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Land Use Concept #1 – Traffic
Considerations - Pros
Right in-right out only at Oak Grove/Citrus
restricts cut-through traffic across the site
Bike/Pedestrian path set back from busy
streets (Oak Grove, YVR)
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #1 Traffic
Considerations – Cons
Access to southeast corner of site is
circuitous for people coming from the east
and south sides
No housing on site = less internal trip
capture
Having buildings on outer edges leads to
longer walk times for pedestrians
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #1 –
Economic Considerations
Pros:
Provides good balance of retail, restaurant,
medical office, and park uses
Allows site to be developed by different types of
developers
Amount of retail is likely supportable (market
study in progress)
Con:
Lack of housing may affect financial feasibility
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #2 - Illustrative
Building orientation
Centralized
retail/restaurant core
onto common green
Buildings line internal
neighborhood street
Buildings along North Via
Monte street edge
75’ landscaped buffer
with berm along Ygnacio
Valley Road to screen
parking
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #2 – Elements
Site Access
Oak Grove Road – no access
Shadelands Drive – full access
North Via Monte – full access
Ygnacio Valley Road – right in/right
out
Circulation
Internal neighborhood street with
diagonal parking
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Land Use Concept #2 – Elements
Pedestrian Accessibility
Sidewalk loop
around site
On-Site
Off-Site
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Land Use Concept #2 – Elements
Gateway and promenade
Plaza /Park court
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Land Use Concept #2 – Elements
Central village green
surrounded by
restaurants, outdoor
dining and retail
Paseo
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Land Use Concept #2 –
Elements
Senior Townhomes
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Land Use Concept #2 – Traffic
Considerations - Pros
Bike/Pedestrian path set back from YVR
On-street parking for Shadelands Green will keep traffic
slower and safer
No access from Oak Grove limits potential for cutthrough traffic on Citrus
Right in-right out access from YVR takes some pressure
off of YVR/North Via Monte intersection
Having buildings closer together shortens interior walk
times
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #2 – Traffic
Considerations - Cons
Pedestrian connection from Citrus Ave to
center of site is not well defined
Access through the senior residential area
good for residents but not for community
entering from Oak Grove/Shadelands
corner
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #2 –
Economic Considerations
Pro:
Centerpiece feature of restaurant grouping
provides nice synergy
Con:
Housing – age-restricted independent living
housing is not a popular product type to
build:
lower profit margins than with assisted living
limits marketability to segment of housing buyers
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 - Illustrative
Building Orientation
Buildings along
Ygnacio Valley
Road
Mixed-use building
orientation toward
central park
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 - Elements
Site Access
Oak Grove Road – right in/right out only (offset
from Citrus Ave.)
Shadelands Drive – full access
North Via Monte – full access
Ygnacio Valley Road – right in only
Circulation
Central loop around park
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 - Elements
Pedestrian
Accessibility
Pedestrian/bike
loop trail
around site
On-Site
Off-Site
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 - Elements
Gateway plaza and entry
features
Large natural green space
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 - Elements
Outdoor dining
Office/residential/retail
Senior Housing
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 – Traffic
Considerations - Pros
Bike/Ped path set back from busy streets
(Oak Grove, YVR)
On-street parking alongside Shadelands
Green will keep traffic slower and safer
Right in access from YVR takes some
pressure off of YVR/North Via Monte
intersection
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 – Traffic
Considerations - Cons
Access road from YVR needs to physically restrict outbound
traffic towards YVR
Off-set intersection on Oak Grove may lead to cut-through traffic
from Citrus to the site (one-way westbound only)
Access to parking near Oak Grove intersection needs to restrict
left turns at a minimum and should be eliminated if possible
(don’t want too many vehicle maneuvers near an intersection)
Large interior park puts buildings further apart and leads to
longer walk times for pedestrians
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 –
Economic Considerations - Pros
Senior housing in 3 stories would allow
small assisted living or other housing with
services– offers opportunity/feasibility
Placement of gateway feature with two
restaurants offers nice branding statement
to entire Shadelands area for passers-by
3/29/2012
Land Use Concept #3 Economic
Considerations – Cons
Water feature may be difficult to maintain
over time; needs to be carefully designed
to minimize water use and maintenance
costs
3/29/2012
Land Use Concepts –
Common Elements
Gateway feature at Ygnacio Valley Road and Oak
Grove Road
Mix of uses - local-serving retail and facilities to serve the
larger Shadelands Business Park and adjacent
neighborhood
Variety of open spaces types – pocket parks, passive
parks, linear parks, and plazas
Preservation of large trees
Landscaped setback at Ygnacio Valley Road
Full vehicular access at Shadelands Drive and North Via
Monte
Room for future bus stops on Shadelands Dr & YVR
Good pedestrian linkages to surrounding neighborhoods
Improvements at Oak Grove/YVR intersection
3/29/2012
Next Steps
Work Plan/ Process
3/29/2012
AC Meeting #5
Date: Wednesday April 25th – Preferred Land
Use Alternative Concept
Purpose: Review and comment on Preferred
Land Use Concept
Topics:
Review results of Advisory Committee
Meeting #4
Present and gather input on preferred land
use alternative
Next steps
3/29/2012
Public Comment
Public Comment
Generally limited to 2-3 minutes per person
Limited to topics on the agenda
Total time allocated for public comment is
30 minutes
People wishing to speak during public
comment need to inform at the beginning
of the meeting
Opportunity for written comments is
available on the back of the agenda
3/29/2012