To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council, Members of the Planning Commission
From: Mike Parness, City Manager
Prepared By: Jacques LaRochelle, Public Works Director
TITLE:
Title
Civic Center and Downtown West End Gateway Project (JL FC15PW02) (the “Project”)
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Provide preliminary comments on the design of the public facilities portion of the Civic Center Project, including a proposed City Hall located at 1600 First Street, Fire Station No. 1 located at 1115 Seminary Street, and a public parking structure located at 1511 Clay Street.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Meeting Purpose
The purpose of this study session is to provide a preliminary review of the application for the public facilities portion of the Project. Preliminary review is a process applied to significant projects which would benefit from early consultation while an application is being processed for formal review. The Comments received during this informal process are intended to serve as guidance only, and should not be considered as preliminary support of or opposition to an application. Other issues such as environmental impacts, General Plan and Zoning consistency will be addressed in more detail at the time a future application is deemed complete and scheduled for a formal public hearing.
Project Description
As described in the September 5, 2017 Staff Report on the Project, the public facilities entitlements are anticipated to include a design review permit and use permit for a new Civic Center campus to include: (a) a 130,193 gross square feet (GSF) City Administration and Public Safety Building, of which 18,000 GSF will be completed as cold shell on 4th floor, on the former Community Services Building Site at 1600 First Street; (b) a 13,167 GSF Fire Station No. 1 on the current Housing Authority Building Site at 1115 Seminary Street; and (c) a 271-stall Public Parking Structure on a surface parking lot at 1511 Clay Street (the “Clay Street Garage Expansion Site,” west of existing Clay St Garage) currently owned by the City. The public entitlements may also include the abandonment of Washington Street (from First Street to Clay Street), and abandonment of a portion of Clay Street to facilitate construction of the new parking facility in front of the Clay Street Garage Expansion Site. The locations of these improvements are shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Map of Civic Center Site
The Project also includes a private development on the existing City Hall, Police/Fire Administration Building, and Fire Station No. 1 Sites (the Superblock Site), to include: a 250 key hotel (+/- 25 keys) with 10,000 GSF of meeting and ballroom space), approximately 40,000 GSF of retail, 100 residential units (+/- 10 units), and onsite parking structure to serve the private development. The private development portions of the Project are not subject to this meeting and will be filed under a separate application.
Study Session Topics
Plenary Properties Napa (“PPN”), the City’s development partner, will present the public portions of the Project following the general process described below:
1. Introduction
2. Site Context
3. Design Concepts
4. Plans
5. Elevations
6. Materials
7. Chambers and Plaza
Please see attached Design Booklet (Attachment 1) for more information.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
No direct financial impacts to the City have been identified relative to providing preliminary review of the Project.
CEQA:
The Public Works Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not in-and-of-itself a “project” (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change in the environment. However, the Recommended Action is a part of a larger “project” that will be subject to environmental review in accordance with CEQA at the “earliest feasible time” prior to “approval” consistent with CEQA Guidelines Sections 15004 and 15352. The larger “project” is the approval of the Civic Center and Downtown West End Gateway Project, and staff plans to bring back a CEQA analysis concurrently with the recommended approval of the Project.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - PPN Design Booklet “Civic Center Design Update - November 14, 2017”
NOTIFICATION:
None