AgdaPkt 2005-11-14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7Lf- // Staff Report To: Planning Commission Subject: Stormwater Amendments October 4, 2005 Page 3 of 6 determined based on engineering criteria (a brief manual has been created to outline the potential permeability of the materials and the variable factors to be considered). . . A proYision is added to require that a minimum of 60% of a front yard area be of pervious materials (again allowing. ,lor permeable paving materials). Some exceptions are made for narrow lots. . . . Site planning is encouraged to direct storm~ater to landscaped, open space or permeable areas where feasible. . Rooftop gardens and landscape could be used to satisfy open space requirements for multi-family projects. . Planned developments would need to proyide a Stormwater Control plan to address pervious area and stormwater treatment methods. . Definitions are provided for frequently-used terms in the ordinance revisions. These requirements are generally applicable to new deyelopment or redevelopment of more than 50% of existing paved areas. Variances may be requested for difficult sites. Staff has evaluated several sites regarding application of these requirements, and believes that the restrictions are not onerous but provide for enhanced stormwater protection and improved site design. Parking Rates and Parking Design A second recommended approach to minimizing stormwater impacts is to reduce the area of a site devoted to parking and to design parking such that pollutants are not concentrated in stormwater discharged from the site. The draft ordinance attempts to address these issues in the following ways: . Parking rate (spaces per square foot or spaces per seat, etc.) requirements are reduced slightly for multi-family development along EI Camino Real and along Woodside Road, based on the proximity of those sites to transit and to retail services. . Parking rate reductions for mixed-use development are expanded to include mixed non-residential uses (e.g., retail and office), but would require a more rigorous parking analysis than is currently required. . The design dimensions of some parking elements, such as the size of parking spaces and widths of driveways, are reduced slightly, acceptable to the City's Traffic Engineer. . Parking lot design encourages the use of permeable materials for parking and driveways and requires permeable materials for excess parking spaces. Several best management practices are suggested to break up expanses of paved areas and to direct drainage to landscape or other permeable surfaces prior to discharge from the site.