AgdaPkt 2003-06-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3. Medical Office and Research and Development Uses The third group of amendments relates to definitions, uses allowed, and parking requirements for medical office and research and development uses. These uses have evolved in significant ways over time and the current definitions and requirements often do not reflect the current nature of the uses. For example, definitions and parking standards for "research and development" uses do not exist in the Zoning Ordinance. Parking criteria for medical office uses (1 space per 200 square feet plus 5 spaces per doctor) appear to be unnecessarily punitive and inconsistent with other communities' standards, and are difficult to monitor and enforce. Recent proposals for medical clinics and research and development uses have provided a better understanding of these specific uses. Current "permitted" and "conditional" uses in the City's applicable zoning districts also need to be modified to accurately reflect those uses as well. The key provisions of the amendments include the following Parking for medical offices (and clinics) is required at one space per 200 square feet of gross floor area (deleting the 5 spaces per doctor requirement), except within 1,500 feet of the Caltrain station, where the requirement would be one space per 250 square feet. • The definition of "medical clinic" is updated to provide for multiple professional and /or paraprofessional practitioners who offer a variety of health related services at one location. • Allowable uses for each commercial district are modified to clarify whether "medical office," "medical clinic" or both are allowed, and to clarify that dental offices and support medical laboratories are included as "medical office." • "Research and development" is defined and is further divided into two kinds: "laboratory type" (including substantial laboratory space) and "office type" (predominantly an office setting). • Allowable uses for commercial and industrial districts, as appropriate, are modified to identify whether "office type" or "laboratory type" (or both) research uses are permitted or conditionally permitted. • Parking standards for research and development uses are set to reflect the components of the particular use: 1 space per 600 square feet for laboratory, manufacturing, or assembly use; 1 space per 250 square feet for office space; and 1 space per 1,000 square feet for warehouse use. • In the Industrial Restricted (IR) district, limitations on offices "accessory to a primary commercial or industrial use" are clarified to include common areas (hallways, bathrooms, kitchens, and meeting rooms) only if they primarily serve the office use. Staff believes that these changes provide necessary updated definitions and clarifications regarding medical offices, medical clinics, and research and development uses, and to indicate which are "permitted" or "conditional" uses in the applicable zoning districts. The definitions also allow for a distinction between the types of research and development