AgdaPkt 2013-07-22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7.A. - Page 4 would be a major junction defined by a realigned Hamilton Street and a traffic circle. The Plan identified this circle as Depot Circle. The alignment change was intended to shift the street grid to an alignment anticipating the eventual redevelopment and subdivision of Sequoia Station. During the development of the Block 2 plans and discussions with others about the potential for development of the Winslow Lot, it became apparent that the change envisioned in the Hamilton Street alignment made the Winslow Lot a very difficult site to develop and did not benefit the development of Block 2. With the decision by the Joint Powers Board that runs Caltrain to work with the California High Speed Rail Authority on a high speed rail plan that would blend the two systems, rather than separate them, the likelihood of a grade separation at the crossing of Hamilton Street and the railroad became improbable. Consequently, staff has directed the developers away from a traffic circle and the alignment shift. This change in street designation must be reflected in a Plan amendment. The second modification also has to do with street designations and design. Theatre Way was envisioned in the Plan as a wide public street traversing Block 2, crossing the railroad tracks and creating a traffic link through a redeveloped Sequoia Station. As noted above, grade separation is not a likely scenario with Caltrain and high speed rail. It is also highly unlikely that either of these rail systems would allow a new at-grade crossing at this location. Staff and the developer have redefined the Theatre Way extension into the site as a private drive into the office complex and parking garage. By redefining the roadway as private, the developers are able to upgrade the surface materials that would be in a public street and absorb the increased maintenance costs. The change in the Downtown Precise Plan from a traffic circle to a more regular intersection of Hamilton Street and Winslow Street also creates an opportunity for more integrated public space with the development. As designed, there are three discrete publicly accessible spaces adjoining the project. One is at the main building entry and is associated with the extension of Theatre Way into the project site. The second is a large area just northerly of the driveway, where the lower of the two buildings steps back from the street. This publicly accessible open space creates a number of opportunities for the developers to encourage businesses that engage the street, to provide a platform for art pieces, or to enable public gatherings. This space was created when the developers resolved some issues with their subterranean parking design; by improving parking efficiency and the building floorplates, the developers created this valuable gathering space. The third public space is the public plaza at the north end of the project, where the developers envision a restaurant that opens onto the plaza. The entire plaza is publicly owned (the Redwood Creek culvert run under a portion of the plaza immediately adjacent to the new office building) and serves as a link between the Caltrain station and Downtown, and which could provide an opportunity for the restaurant to license some of the space for its needs. The Planning Commission also recommended approval of a third series of amendments to the Precise Plan. There are some minor revisions that staff has identified that could eliminate confusion and increase flexibility in the management of Downtown