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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTC Digest 2012-04-20TOWN COUNCIL WEEKLY DIGEST Week of April 16 - 20, 2012 T, „rIf%" 1. Letter - Jim Fraser - Town of Tiburon's Comments on Draft Jobs-Housing connection Scenario Document 2. Letter - Dept. of Housing & Community Development - Review of the Town of Tiburon 's Adopted Housing Element Agendas & Minutes 3. Minutes - Design Review Board - March 15, 2012 4. Action Minutes - Design Review Board - April 19, 2012 5. Agenda - Heritage & Arts Commission - April 24, 2012 6. Meeting Cancellation - Planning Commission - April 25, 2012 Regional a) The Redwoods Impact Report - Newsletter - Spring 2012 * b) Invitation - College of Marin 7th Annual President's Breakfast - 5/1/12 Agendas & Minutes c) None * Council Only L Town of Tiburon - 1505 Tiburon Boulevard - Tiburon, CA 94920 - P. 415.435.7373 E 415.435.2438 - www.ci.tiburon.ca.us April 19, 2012 Mr. Ken Kirkey, Planning Director Association of Bay Area Governments 101 Eighth Street Oakland, CA 94607 RE: Town of Tiburon's Comments on Draft Jobs-Housing Connection Scenario Document Dear Mr. Kirkey: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Draft Jobs-Housing Connection Scenario (DJHCS) document dated March 9, 2012. • Jim Fraser Mayor Emmett O'Donnell Vice Mayor . Richard Collins Councilmember Frank Doyle Councilmember Alice Fredericks Councilmember Margaret A. Curran Town Manager The Town acknowledges the challenge of planning for population growth over the next 30 years while meeting the goals of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to levels below that of current emissions. We further acknowledge that our town has a responsibility for a fair share of the regional growth necessary to meet the growing regional needs. We respectfully submit information that accounts for some of the particularized constraints that make the housing and job growth numbers projected in the DJHCS document unlikely and unrealistic in the Town of Tiburon. Fewer Housing Units Needed than Projected in Tiburon ABAG statistics show an increase of 131% in the population of seniors by 2040. Tiburon represents a larger proportion of this increase, and the seniors tend to be more affluent. They are more likely to live in the 54% of households that have more bedrooms than residents. Some will vacate these homes, making them available for new household occupants. Of the seniors who vacate their homes, some will move into existing group homes, others will move out of the area to be in assisted living facilities near family. The former will be part of the uncounted housing represented by those in group homes and their caretakers. Both the former and the latter will represent newly available housing units. Both groups of seniors reduce the need for new housing stock, more so especially in Tiburon than in most other communities. Another uncounted group that reduces the need for new housing stock in Tiburon is those residents who house live-in help. As an affluent community, Tiburon has a disproportionate number of seniors and young families who are able to provide accommodations for live-in help. These arrangements should be considered in projecting housing unit needs for Tiburon. Tiburon is a jurisdiction of less than 5 square miles of land and most remaining undeveloped land is on steep terrain subject to landslides, lacking infrastructure, and 1 otherwise severely physically constrained. The cost of developing these lands and the narrow roads from which transit corridors are not easily accessible on foot or b, bike constrain building, reducing the likely feasible density of housing. Constraints on Building the Required Density to Meet Growth Projections will Limit Growth In order to meet the housing needs projected for the Town in multi use high-density projects, the Town foresees a proliferation of buildings of unprecedented height along Tiburon Blvd, the transit corridor. The Town of Tiburon has already zoned its commercial transit corridor to permit 3-story high density multi use development, with current pushback from the community on new two story buildings. Much of the developed land in Tiburon that is currently relatively affordable is located in areas subject to climate change-related sea level rise, according to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Rezoning these areas for even denser development would be a travesty. They provide the moderate priced housing needed by younger families who are purposefully choosing Tiburon rather than a true urban setting in which to raise their children and/or age. Local Economy Depends on the Character of the Town The characteristics that make Tiburon different from other bayside tourist towns are the preservation of key aspects of a former railroad town. That identification is promoted and is a draw for tourists who help feed our local economy. While many buildings along Main Street and Ark Row in Tiburon have been renovated and refined, and there currently exist some two-story buildings along the range of Tiburon Boulevard frequented by visitors, the taller urban buildings that would be required to fulfill the draft job and housing projections will overwhelm the tourist visiting areas, resulting in an undesired "Potemkin Village" look. The identity of our former railroad town, with views of ridges and the bay and with in-scale buildings is one the town has cultivated and treasures. This identity attracts tourists and helps sustain local businesses. Their use of public transportation such as ferries makes the service viable for our residents as well. Tiburon's small resident population cannot support a downtown with local ferries, local services and stores in the absence of the tourist business. Loss of identity as a former railroad town will threaten the economic viability of our town and the ability of local business to serve local residents. Limited Capacity for Meaningful Job Growth to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions The limited transit network in Marin County cannot provide transportation to jobs in Tiburon's downtown area, which is well off the main regional corridor of U.S. Highway 101, and is a destination where a sizable number of workers are restaurant workers who have shifts that do not coincide with very limited bus schedules. The 2 capacity to provide local housing for these workers, as explained above, is constrained. Historically Tiburon is one of the towns with a jobs/housing balance, but the people who live in town do not work in town, and, vice versa. If such job growth occurs, we believe that it will increase rather than reduce the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to the Tiburon peninsula, as well as GHG emissions. Alternatively, if the growth in the knowledge sectors means more residents will work in their homes, the reduction in VMT may be less than anticipated. If it is assumed that the businesses that contract with or hire knowledge-sector home workers will be off the Tiburon Peninsula, there is little evidence to predict either a decrease in VMT or a corresponding reduction in GHG. Additionally, any improvements toward improving public transit will be inordinately costly, as such improvements would be hampered by less frequent and less predictable use by home office occupants, and the organization of car and/or van pools will be less likely to meet the needs of these workers when they must travel to the offices of the companies that hire them or contract for their services. All these factors will limit the ability of knowledge sector job growth in Tiburon to reduce GHG emissions. Finally, if it is foreseen that these knowledge-sector jobs will be located in local offices, again, the limited capacity to build such offices could threaten the local businesses that currently occupy our commercial spaces and serve the needs of our residents. Any reduction in the kinds of business that serve our local residents has potential to impair the balance of resident and tourist serving businesses that currently fuels a large portion of our small local economy. Unrealistic Housing Production Projections For Tiburon, the DJHCS projects 330 additional housing units and 460 additional households by 2040. The former number equates to an average of 11 new units constructed per year over the 2010-2040 timeframe. These projections are substantially higher than the 190 new households estimated for Tiburon by ABAG in its Proiections 2009 document for the period 2010-2035. When compared with historical trends, the projections appear totally unrealistic. The following table provides Town-generated figures for the number of new housing units built over the past 16 years in the Town of Tiburon. Year # New Units Built 1996 28 1997 34 1998 13 1999 18 2000 9 2001 13 3 2002 36 2003 3 2004 9 2005 3 2006 4 2007 2 2008 2 2009 4 2010 0 2611 0 178 Annual Average = 11 units The growth in housing units that occurred from 1996 to 2002 is largely reflective of numerous subdivisions previously undeveloped land that were approved in the 1980's and 1990's and provided a sizeable inventory of vacant lots to be constructed upon. The Town's supply of such undeveloped lands and their realistic potential output in units is now very small; the supply of vacant lots upon which to build is greatly shrunken and will never again approach the volume available in the 1990's. It is unrealistic and unjustifiable to project that over the next 30 years the output of housing units built in Tiburon will match the average number constructed during the past 16 years. Conclusion Based upon the above facts and rationales, the Town of Tiburon respectfully requests that ABAG coordinate its job, housing unit and household projections in the DJHCS with the realities of our small town and the economy so dependent upon its character. To this end, we also request that a peer review by qualified experts be performed on the assumptions upon which the projections are based. Sincerely, m Fraser, Mayor Town of Tiburon 4 STATE OF CALIFORNIA -BUSINESS, TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING AGENCY EDMUND G. BROWN JR Gov _rnor DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OF HOUSING POLICY DEVELOPMENT, 1800 Third Street Suite 430 e - ' CEiWED lot R P. o. Box 952053 Sacramento, CA 94252-2053 ' (916) 323-3177 / FAX (916) 327-2643 www.hcd.ca.gov PLANNING DIVISION April 18, 2012 Ms. Margaret Curran Town Manager Town of Tiburon 1505 Tiburon Boulevard Tiburon, CA 94920 RE: Review of the Town of Tiburon's Adopted Housing Element Dear Ms. Curran: Thank you for submitting Tiburon's housing element adopted April 4, 2012 and received for review on April 9, 2012. The Department is required to review adopted housing elements and report the findings to the locality pursuant to Government Code Section 65585(h), As you know, the Department's October 7, 2011 review found Tiburon's revised draft housing element addressed the statutory requirements of housing element law. As the adopted element is substantially the same as the revised draft, we are pleased to find the element in full compliance with State housing element law (Article 10.6 of the Government Code). To identify adequate sites to accommodate the Town's regional housing need for lower- income households, the element identifies the Reed School Site. However, the Site has not been declared surplus and requires other actions such as school board approval prior to being available for development. As a result, the Town should monitor and report on the effectiveness of Program H-y to facilitate development on the Site through the annual progress report required pursuant to Government Code Section 65400. Should monitoring reveal the Site and strategies to encourage use for housing are not effective in making the Site available for development in the planning period, additional sites should be identified at appropriate densities and programs should be revised or added, as appropriate. The Department is pleased to report the Town now meets specific requirements for several State funding programs designed to reward local governments for compliance with State housing element law. For example, the Housing Related Parks (HRP) Program, Local Housing Trust Fund and the Building Equity and Growth in Neighborhoods (BEGIN) programs include housing element compliance either as a threshold or competitive factor in rating and ranking applications. Details about these and other programs are available at this website at http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/hrc/plan/he/loan grant hecomp(011708.pdf. Ms. Margaret Curran Page 2 Specifically, the HRP Program, authorized by Proposition 1C, is an innovative new program rewarding local governments for the approval of housing for lower-income households and provides grant funds to eligible local governments for every qualifying housing start, beginning calendar year 2010. Additional information on the HRP Program can be obtained from this website http://www.hcd.ca.gov/hpd/hrpp/. The Department appreciates the dedication and assistance provided by Mr. Scott Anderson, Community Development Director, and Mr. Jeffery Baird, Baird + Driskell Community Planning, throughout the*course of the housing element review. We wish Tiburon success in implementing its housing element and look forward to following its progress through the General Plan annual progress reports pursuant to Government Code Section 65400. If the Department can provide assistance in implementing the housing element, please contact Robin Huntley, of our staff, at (916) 323-3175. Sincerely, Glen A. Campora Acting Deputy Director • MINUTES #4 TIBURON DESIGN REVEW BOARD MEETING OF MARCH 15, 2012 The meeting was opened at 7:03 p.m. by Chair Kricensky. A. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Kricensky, Vice-Chair Emberson, Boardmembers Chong, Johnson and Tollini Absent: None Ex-Officio: Planning Manager Watrous and Minutes Clerk Rusting B. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None C. STAFF BRIEFING Planning Manager Watrous provided an update of the appeal situation regarding the CVS signs. He said that the applicant withdrew their request for the Beach Road sign and the Town Council approved a durable material red sign facing Tiburon Boulevard. D. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND NEW BUSINESS 1. 92 MT. TIBURON COURT: File No. 21201; Afsaneh Royo, Owner; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of a new single-family dwelling, with a Variance for excess building height. The applicants propose to demolish more than 50% of an existing three- story dwelling and construct a new dwelling. The new dwelling would result in a total floor area of 6,689 square feet, with a 603 square foot garage. The house would have a maximum height of 39 feet in lieu of the maximum 30 foot height limit permitted in the RO-1 zone. Assessor's Parcel No. 058-261-02. The applicant is requesting Design Review approval for the construction of a new three-story single- family dwelling on property located at 92 Mt. Tiburon Court. The subject site is currently developed with an existing three-story dwelling. The project will demolish most (over 50%) of the floor area of the existing building and is therefore considered to be the construction of a new single-family dwelling. The house would cover a total of 5,208 square feet (11.0%) of the site, which would be less than the 15.0% maximum lot coverage permitted in the RO-1 zone. The floor area of the proposed house would be 6,689 square feet, with a 603 square foot garage, which would be 42 square feet less than the floor area ratio for a lot of this size. The proposed dwelling would have a maximum height of 39 feet. As the maximum building height in the RO-1 zone is 30 feet, a variance is requested for excess building height. Joseph Farrell, architect, introduced the project and said that they submitted a plan for a significant remodel and addition. He said that the existing home is one of the original homes in the neighborhood and is in a state of disrepair and in need of a remodel. He said that the rooms are very small and dark and there is no sense of entry to the house. He said that the goal of the remodel is to create a new home with new materials. The upper level would include a reconfiguration of the floor plan while the lower level would simply be remodeled. He said that they would like to create a better sense of entry and better vehicular circulation, along with better outdoor living space for the home. TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #4 3/15/12 Mr. Farrell reviewed the plans and showed the existing home location as well as the garage and driveway, stating that the site is covered with many old pine trees which are not in good health. He described the project as additions that infill the center of the U-shape of the existing home, with a garage addition to an existing home and small additions that create a better floor plan. He said that they did not plan any landscape changes other than removing trees that were recommended by the fire department. He said that they will replant some trees for screening, but they are flexible on the tree layout. Boardmember Tollini asked for the existing square footage, and Mr. Farrell said that it is 4,701 square feet, with 442 square feet of garage. The public hearing was opened. Robert Gloger said that he did not object to anything on the project, but was concerned about the process. He requested consideration be given to work time, starting and ending times, and work on weekends. He was concerned about heavy construction work and demolition. He also wanted to know when a decision on the project will be made and what can be expected in the timing of the process. Planning Manager Watrous said that it is up to the applicant when they submit the plans for a building check. Once an application is approved, the applicant has three years to obtain the building permit. Once the building permit is obtained the project must be completed within 18 months. Mr. Gloger said that he was very much in favor of the removal of the trees. He said that the story poles show that the house would not intrude into his views. He asked if they could consider not working on Saturdays because it is disruptive to his family. Boardmember Tollini said that heavy equipment cannot be used on weekends, but setting the workdays are beyond the scope of the DRB. He said that the Building Division has constraints and if there are additional concerns he could speak to the Building Official. Mr. Farrell said that the conditions of approval include work hours that his client will abide by. He suggested Mr. Gloger contact the applicant if he has plans on a Saturday at his home and they would try to work around it. He reassured Mr. Gloger that they are very close to being ready to move on the process once they receive approval. The public hearing was closed. Boardmember Tollini said that this is an attractive project and he would like to know what screening there will be. He said that he had some discomfort with preserving the height of the structure and maxing out the floor area ratio. He recognized a desire to utilize the existing foundation, but he was uncomfortable with taking the nonconforming house and making it larger. He said that the house would not have an impact on neighbors so he was not sure that mattered. Boardmember Johnson asked about size of neighboring structures. Planning Manager Watrous said that in general the homes in that area are very large. Chair Kricensky said that the footprint of the house is tiny compared to the other houses in the area. Boardmember Tollini said that the applications they have seen in the area have not been as tall as the current project. Vice-Chair Emberson said that she also struggled with this and questioned why the roofline did not go lower when an entirely new house was being built. She said that it does not fit the finding for special circumstances and this was a good time to bring the house into conformance. However, TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #4 2 3/15/12 she acknowledged that the lot is steep and the houses in the area are all massive. She liked the design and could make all of the variance findings except one, and she thought that it was a great idea to save part of the existing foundation. Chair Kricensky pointed out that the applicant was not really building a new house because they would be keeping an entire bearing wall. He said that it would require major reconstruction if they had to demolish that wall. Boardmember Johnson said that the alternative to make the house lower would require grading that would be more detrimental to the neighbors. He would rather they stick with what exists than to cut into the hillside and thought that perhaps there needed to be staff review of a final landscape plan. He was also concerned that if the stumps and roots of all of the trees are removed the hillside will be affected. Planning Manager Watrous said staff always reviews the landscape plan to be sure it complies with the approved design review plans. He said that if the Board needed additional landscaping then that could be an additional condition of approval. Vice-Chair Emberson said that the hills were bare in the past and there were no problems with the hillside. She said if new trees are planted she was fine with what was proposed. Boardmember Chong said he initially wondered if this was a lost opportunity to stack the house down the hillside. However, he said that that could cause a fourth level to be created, and the proposed visual bulk would not affect any neighbors. He said that the lot is very private and sits in a valley and because of the location he supported the house at the requested height. Chair Kricensky agreed and said that the mass on the downhill side would not change. He said that the rest of the addition would infill between the existing parts of the structure. He said that the existing house has a bizarre floor plan and he thought that they had designed a good solution. Mr. Farrell said that they approached the project as a remodel, not as a new home. He said that lowering the height would require removing about 1,000 square feet, and if they brought it down the hill it would block some of the neighbor's view. He also said that the hill is solid rock and grading would be very difficult. ACTION: It was M/S (Emberson/Chong) that the request for 92 Mt. Tiburon Court is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and approving the request, subject to the attached conditions of approval. Vote: 5-0. E. APPROVAL OF MINUTES #3 OF THE 2/16/12 DESIGN REVIEW BOARD MEETING ACTION: It was M/S (Emberson/Tollini) to approve the minutes of the February 16, 2012 meeting as written. Vote: 5-0. F. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m. TIBURON D.R.B. MINUTES #4 3/15/12 4/6 TOWN OF TIBURON Action Minutes - Regular Meeting Tiburon Town Hall Design Review Board 1505 Tiburon Boulevard April 19, 2012 Tiburon, CA 94920 7:00 P.M. ACTION MINUTES #5 ~r TIBURON DESIGN REVIEW BOARD CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL At 7:00 PM Present: Chairman Kricensky, Vice Chair Emberson and Boardmembers Johnson and Tollini Absent: Boardmember Chong Ex-Officio: Planning Manager Watrous, Associate Planner Tyler and Minutes Clerk Rusting PUBLIC HEARINGS AND NEW BUSINESS 1. 440 RIDGE ROAD: File No. 21204; Ridge Road LLC, Owner; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of a new single-family dwelling, with a Variance for excess lot coverage. The applicants propose to demolish an existing dwelling and construct a new two-story dwelling. The new dwelling would result in a total floor area of 4,190 square feet. The house would have a lot coverage of 17.6% in lieu of the maximum 15.0% lot coverage permitted in the RO-2 zone. Assessor's Parcel No. 059-082-21. Continued to 5117112 2. 10 CIBRIAN DRIVE: File No. 711124; Diane Lee, Owner; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of additions to an existing single-family dwelling. The applicants propose to construct a d616 square foot addition to the lower level of the existing house. The project would result in a total floor area of 3,842 square feet. Assessor's Parcel No. 03 8-011-40. Continued to 513112 3. 987 TIBURON BOULEVARD: File No. 712025; James and Susan Malott, Owners; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of additions to an existing single- family dwelling, with a Floor Area Exception. The applicants propose to add a 760 square foot studio and 240 square feet of storage space to an existing dwelling. The project would result in a lot coverage of 12.1% and a total floor area of 4,975 square feet in lieu of the maximum floor area ratio of 4,534 square feet. Assessor's Parcel No. 058- 132-09. Approved 4-0 4. 1 BENTON COURT: File No. 712020; Dan Morgan, Owner; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of a new single-family dwelling, with a Floor Area Exception. The applicants propose to demolish an existing dwelling and construct a new two-story dwelling. The new dwelling would result in a lot coverage of 20.1 % and a total floor area of 3,318 square feet in lieu of the maximum floor area ratio of 3,233 square feet. Assessor's Parcel No. 039-011-12. Continued to 5117112 Action Minutes #5 4/19/12 Design Review Board Meeting Page I 5. 687 HAWTHORNE DRIVE: File No. 21206; Michael and Elena Stephens, Owners; Site Plan and Architectural Review for construction of additions to an existing single- family dwelling, with Variances for reduced side yard setback and excess lot coverage. The applicants propose to add a new garage and addition that would add 895 square feet to the existing dwelling. The project would result in a lot coverage of 32.6% in lieu of the maximum 30.0% allowed in the R-1 zone and extend to within 6 feet, 8 inches of the left side property line in lieu of the 8 foot minimum side yard setback allowed in the R-1 zone. Assessor's Parcel No. 055-191-02. Continued to 5117112 MINUTES 6. Regular Meeting of March 15, 2012 Approved 4-0 ADJOURNMENT At 9:20 PM Action Minutes #5 4/19/12 Design Review Board Meeting Page 2 T I B U R O N N E R I T A C E I A R T S j COMMISSION i i i Town of Tiburon Heritage & Arts Commission 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA 94920 415-435-7373 www.tiburonheritageandarts.org AGENDA HERITAGE & ARTS COMMISSION April 24, 201.2 Town Hall Conference Room 7:00 p.m. I. Call to Order II. Roll Call III. Treasurer's Report IV. Minutes - Regular Meeting - March 27, 2012 Minutes - Special Meeting - March 29, 2012 V. Artist Recruitment - Etemad - Changes - New Artists VI. Old Business a. Chapman Memorial Event - Update - Gotz b. Del Mar Students Art Reception - Recap VII. New Business a. Landmarks Society Application for Sign at Old St. Hilary's Property - Approve, Approve with Modifications, or Deny - Laurie Tyler b. Heritage Preservation Award Reception - Shirley Mitchell - May 2, 2012 - Plan Event VIII. Landmarks Society Report IX. Announcements X. Adjournment 500 Neat Regular Meeting - Mai- 22, 2012 60 NOTICE OF MEETING CANCELLATION THE REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE NEXT MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012 i SCOTT ANDERSON, SECRETARY