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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPJT Minutes 1986-07-01SRCC/PLANNING C MISSION MINUTES (Special int) 7/1/86 Page 1 In the Council Chambers of the City of San Rafael, Tuesday, July 1, 1986 at 7:30 PM. Special SRCC/Planning Commission Meeting: Councilmembers present: Lawrence E. Mulryan, Mayor Dorothy L. Breiner, Councilmember Gary R. Frugoli, Councilmember Richard Nave, Councilmember Jerry Russom, Councilmember Absent: None Commissioners present: Robert Livingston, Chairman Michael J. Smith, Vice -Chairman Albert J. Boro, Commissioner Joyce B. Rifkind, Commissioner Suzanne M. Scott, Commissioner Maynard H. Willms, Commissioner Absent: Richard O'Brien, Commissioner Also Present: Pamela J. Nicolai, City Manager; Jeanne M. Leoncini, City Clerk; Gary T. Ragghianti, City Attorney; Anne Moore, Planning Director; Jeff Baird, General Plan Coordinator; Daniel Iacofano, Facilitator RE: PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING GENERAL PLAN REVISION - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ISSUES - File 10-6 x 115 Mayor Mulryan declared the public hearing opened. Mayor Mulryan stated that this is the first of two public hearings to be held, with the second public hearing to take place tomorrow, July 2, 1986. Mayor Mulryan introduced Mr. Daniel Iacofano who gave an introduction as to what was to be discussed this evening. Mr. Jeff Baird, General Plan Coordinator, gave an update on the General Plan, stating that the General Plan revision work program sets forth a seven step process: 1) Data collection; 2) Public Workshops & Survey of Residential and Business Opinions on Various issues; 3) Preparation of background reports on Natural Environment, Health & Safety and tonight, Community Development issues; 4) Policy Direction on major issues facing the City; 5) Preparation of the draft plan and EIR; 6) & 7) To begin in September, 1986, will be the public review of the Draft General Plan, Environmental Impact Report, and adoption of the Revised General Plan. Planning Director Moore explained that the Community Development section had been divided into four sub -sections, and encouraged those present to speak on any of the four areas that are of interest. Mr. Daniel Iacofano recapped results that were presented in the Policy Workshops held in May pertaining to Natural Environment and Health & Safety. Most of the data reflect results from the workshops and community survey. Mr. Iacofano stated that tonight would be the second series on the Policy Topics. Mr. Iacofano then recapped the Community Survey results. The concept of the survey was to create representative sample of residents in order to get a balanced profile of the different neighborhoods and types of respondents, social background, etc. His presentation was divided into the following parts: Major Assets and Liabilities Slides shown were of the natural environment, which was on the top of the list signifying the access to the bay and the proximity to San Francisco and the City's general location in the Bay Area. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 1 SRCC/PLANNING C....MISSION MINUTES (Special a--Lnt) 7/1/86 Page 2 Historically significant buildings contribute to the character of the community. Community services were rated highly in the workshops, which was confirmed during the survey, with the feeling that City services are of high quality. Traffic was the first choice of liabilities, with transportation access, ability to connect from City streets into major arterials and to move throughout and out of the City identified as well. Development on ridges was noted as a major liability, and marshland losses were mentioned as a threat to the environment. Noise from the quarry was pointed out as a liability, although some people classified the quarry to be an asset contributing to the economic base of the City. Lack of affordable housing was also noted as a major liability. Favorite Places in San Rafael Number one is the Marin County Civic Center. Gerstle Park and China Camp were considered to be favorite places with Downtown second on the list. Major Issues Facing San Rafael Traffic Management, Growth Management, Transportation Access, and Affordable Housing were all identified in both the workshops and survey. The need for a downtown plan is consistent with some of the results of previous workshops held last year on the downtown area. Community Services & Facilities There is a strong indication for improvements in child care, entertainment and youth activities. The community is very satisfied with Parks and Adult Recreation programs. In comparison, major shopping and neighborhood shopping were rated relatively low. The Police and Fire Departments were rated with high satisfaction. Mr. Iacofano took the same set of questions to see how people were willing to pay for service improvements. The results dropped a little. Child care and entertainment were high, with youth activities and parks clearly showing a higher role for the public sector and, therefore, a willingness on the part of the public to pay for those kinds of programs. Local transit and libraries followed, but neighbor- hood shopping improvements were seen as less needing improvement. Downtown usage is quantified in the survey response by residents and businesses, which gives an indicator of how knowledgeable the sample population is about downtown. The sample shows that there is fairly strong usage of downtown by people in San Rafael. Most people get downtown by car, however, nearby residents also walk quite often. Likes of Downtown The downtown area was shown to be used for shopping, restaurants and banks by residents. The survey showed that people liked downtown because of the small town atmosphere, variety of shops, also restaurants, cleanliness and convenience. Dislikes of Downtown Consistent dislikes were parking followed by traffic. Transients were noted as a third dislike. Suggested Improvements for Downtown Improve parking; wider shop selection. Mr. Iacofano closed his presentation stating that he gave some of the highlights to be used as a reference point in the later stages of the planning process and the discussion tonight. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 2 SRCC/PLANNING C' ISSION MINUTES (Special Jc it) 7/1/86 Page 3 Mayor Mulryan then called upon Jeff Baird to give a presentation re "What Should the Overall Image of San Rafael Be?" 1. WHAT SHOULD THE OVERALL IMAGE OF SAN RAFAEL BE? Mr. Baird stated that he would be presenting background information which would be followed by Planning Director Moore presenting the recommended approach. Mr. Baird stated that there are two main aspects to this question, 1) How Urban should San Rafael Be?; and 2) How Can the City enhance unused or underutilized assets of San Rafael? Mr. Baird reviewed slides of San Rafael. Assets - Open hillsides and the natural environment; and that San Rafael is the urban center of the County, with a number of services available. Identifiable, high quality residential neighborhoods in the City and the small town community feeling are also important. Water orientation and wetlands were also identified as assets.. In addition, there is a Farmers Market and the historic character, such as the Dominican Convent. The City has taken a number of positive steps to improve the downtown area through beautification and other means. A future asset is the railroad right-of-way, for example, with potential use as a transit -way for high volume travel. This should be looked at from an overall design aspect in terms of the presentation of San Rafael for people passing through. There are areas along the railroad that are not attractive, where buildings should have put an attractive side toward the railroad right-of-way. The freeway frontage, i.e. Highway 17 and Francisco Boulevard areas, provide an opportunity to attract customers because of the high visibility of the businesses in the area. The City has been involved in undergrounding utilities, focusing attention on landscaping, and building facades and other means to improve the area. But, an areawide approach needs to be taken to improve and beautify those areas. Underutilized assets such as creeks and the Canal came out in the workshops. In some cases the Canal is not utilized as an asset, with projects oriented away from the water, thereby prohibiting access and views of the Canal. There are still areas in the downtown area that could be improved, through unifying aspects, linkages between Albert Park and "A" Street, north through the Mission where, through unifying landscaping and other means, a pedestrian access design could unify the area and pull it together. In closing, Mr. Baird added that City policies and evaluation of specific projects have been very effective. The special attention that has been shown to the downtown area could be applied to other areas of the City where, through special attention, other areas could capture some of the underutilized opportunities that exist, such as the Canal and Freeway frontage. Recommended Approach Planning Director Moore stated the following staff recommendations: a. Retain the "small town" character of San Rafael by maintaining the existing scale of development and have an emphasis on natural features and connections between areas. b. Identify special localized areas where somewhat higher intensity development or special public areas would be appropriate to create focal points which would strengthen and enhance the physical characteristics and image of the City. c. Identify the important community entryways, major travel corridors, major linkages and waterways, and develop prioritized design policies and programs consistent with the overall goals of the City. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 3 SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 4 Emphasizing design in the core area of downtown has been remarkably successful and it is proposed that the same level of detail be put to other important areas of San Rafael. This approach does not differ from the basic philosophy or approach of the current General Plan. The current General Plan Goal 5 - states "that it is the City's goal to preserve and improve the character and quality of the manmade portion of the environment". What is different in the revision of the General Plan, is that it will have very specific descriptions on how this will be accomplished. There will be specifics regarding height and bulk and where higher buildings should be placed; what the development focal points in the community will be; where we need landscape boulevards or avenues to tie an area together or to give it special character. Ms. Moore gave the example of the Draft East San Rafael Neighborhood Plan, which identified streets to be given uniform, specialized street tree treatment, thereby appearing as the major streets in the neighborhood. This is what will be looked at throughout the City. In response to Councilmember Russom's request to explain item "b" Ms. Moore commented that the existing General Plan identifies activity center areas such as Northgate and Downtown and applies the approach used in the 1974 General Plan to identify portions of the City where more intensified urban scale development is appropriate and consistent with the history of San Rafael. Right now, staff concludes that the Downtown area, Northgate, West Francisco Boulevard and non-residential portions of the East San Rafael Neighborhood are activity areas. The potential for higher development in the North San Rafael area at Silveira and St. Vincent's is still under evaluation by staff. Councilmember Russom clarified that staff is looking at the focal points where higher intensity development can occur in a positive sense, where it enhances the characteristics of the City rather than from the negative point of view, where it would be the least disruptive. Ms. Moore responded that that was the approach. Councilmember Frugoli stated that North San Rafael should be looked at as a major residential area for housing although nothing is there at present. Mayor Mulryan asked for comments or questions from the audience. Ms. Susan Cornblatt of 1971 Fifth Avenue, stated that she could not respond to the recommended policy identifying special localized areas appropriate for higher intensity development because the areas are not specified in the report. In response, Ms. Moore indicated that they expect to build on the use of activity center designation in the existing General Plan. The two major areas so designated are Downtown and Northgate. Staff concluded that it is appropriate to continue to regard those areas where more intense urban scale development will be concentrated. In addition, staff is focusing in on West Francisco Boulevard which historically has been an activity center, and the East San Rafael Neighborhood which is the area south of the Canal and East of Highway 101, where there are non-residential uses. The real question involves North San Rafael. It is not proposed in the areas men- tioned above to deviate from what has been the historical use. North of Northgate, the Silveira Ranch and the lands of St. Vincent's have been involved in agricultural activities and contracts until the past couple of years. The agricultural activities are still in place but the contracts encumbering the lands are no longer active. This is the major expansion area for the City of San Rafael. At this point, staff does not know if that area should be treated as a continuation of Northgate where large scale office buildings and office -retail centers would be, or if it should be more similar to the Marinwood/ Lucas Valley community area. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 4 SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 5 Ms. Cornblatt asked at what point in the process do specific recommendations become part of the plan; Ms. Moore answered that they would be in the Draft General Plan, however, the recommenda- tions only become policy through City Council adoption after a lengthy public review and comment process. Ms. Cornblatt stated that the specifics would have been helpful if they were included. Mrs. Georgeanna McCardy asked for clarification of the relationship between the County of Marin and San Rafael in regard to North San Rafael. Mayor Mulryan replied that the City limit currently is at Lucas Valley Road,with the planning area boundary along Big Rock Ridge. LAFCO is the Agency having the responsibility to determine if a property should be incorporated into the City. The agricultural areas and school (in the case of St. Vincent's) will require muni- cipal services and so the question is posed as to what City they will come into. It has been agreed that these properties are within the City of San Rafael's sphere of influence and so are included in the plan. They are County, but only because they are not currently municipal in nature. Part of the plan is to determine that if and when they become municipal, how should it be used? Mrs. McCardy stated that Marinwood and Lucas Valley did not wish to to belong to the City of San Rafael and that the County should play a more major role in the decisions affecting these areas. Mayor Mulryan stated that Marinwood is already municipal in nature and the discussion is on changes that are different from what they are now; the areas that would require municipal services if they were to change to municipal type uses. Mr. Kevin Langdon of 823 Idleberry Road in Lucas Valley stated that he originally lived in Terra Linda. When he saw Terra Linda heading toward incorporation he moved to Lucas Valley. He stated that there is now a new awareness of preserving the environmental values in San Rafael. He referred to a small development in the Marinwood/Lucas Valley area of 18 units of senior citizens housing which was over- whelmingly rejected by the majority of the residents of the Lucas Valley area at a public meeting. Mr. Langdon continued to state that Lucas Valley is closer to the St. Vincent's and Silveira pro- perties. He stated that it was extremely important that the character of their community not be changed and said that the most important property from their point of view is the Daphne property with the Silveira property as the second most important property. They would like to have a low density residential designation in that area. Mayor Mulryan reminded the audience that the annexation of Marinwood and Lucas Valley is not a part of tonight's proceedings, noting that ten years ago, efforts were taken to acquire open space in the Terra Linda area and indicating that many acres have already been secured through funds raised by people of this community. Ms. Victoria DeWitt of 40 Fremont Road spoke on a new lane being added north on the freeway and asked what the procedure is on this. Mayor Mulryan stated that the lanes are to accommodate what is projected already. Ms. DeWitt suggested that in future plans there be pre -planning on the freeway so that the lanes are added prior to the development. Mr. Bob Hoffmann of 114 Plymouth Cove in East San Rafael, spoke on the SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 5 SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 6 options of downtown lacking policy direction more than other areas in the City. He asked if the preliminary Neighborhood 30 Plan was being used as a policy direction, and it was explained that the agenda is broken up into two parts and that it would be brought up later on in the evening. Ms. Moore interjected that relative to Downtown, it was made very clear at all of the workshops that the reason there appears to be an emphasis on Downtown different from many of the other areas, is because there has not been specific attention paid to it as an activity center in the past. There has been to Northgate through the Northgate Activity Center Plan. She indicated that although the Plan needs revision and modification we are not starting from scratch. Likewise in East San Rafael, there are a lot of data and proposed policies ready for evaluation which provide a good solid starting point. The West Francisco Draft Policy Statement has also received much attention through public hearings and deliberations by the Planning Commission and City Council. Downtown, however, has not received similar treatment. Staff is not saying that Downtown is more important than all those other areas, but that it has not gotten its due attention in the past which needs to be remedied in this plan. Regarding the East San Rafael data, public reaction to some of the proposed policies is being used as background informa- tion by staff and not as policy. All of the draft proposals are open for re-examination and possible modification in East San Rafael. Mr. Mark Baird of 230 Solano Street said that he recently moved into the San Rafael area and has a business here, adding that he likes San Rafael and that he found that the trees are very attractive and was concerned about their maintenance. Mayor Mulryan explained that the City has a tree program whereby it is hoped that over a period of time all of the trees will be be taken care of equally, and that there are no priorities by neighbor- hood. Mr. Baird asked how the public will have the opportunity to take part in the specifics of the General Plan. Mayor Mulryn responded that the public has had the opportunity to take part in the surveys and workshops already and that tonight is the review of what has taken place in the workshops, and that from this the Draft General Plan will be done. Subsequent public hearings will be held in which further involvement is encouraged. Ms. Moore added that staff would like to hear from people regarding what should or should not be in the General Plan and that they should communicate with the Planning staff in writing if possible. She stated that scores of letters have been sent to major property owners requesting meetings so staff could understand what people's expectations are for their property, and further that this is an open invitation to contact staff within the next two to three weeks. Mr. Harry Winters, President of the West End Neighborhood Associa- tion stated that there does not seem to be much focus on the neighbor- hoods and environment on the agenda. He felt that this revision was being done in a hasty manner to avoid legal challenges to continued business and commercial development and trying to avoid bad mistakes in the development of San Rafael. Mr. Winters referred to the General Plan revision 11 years ago where there were many specific proposals made concerning future residential and commercial development and that the planners at that time stated that such specifics were not appropriate to the General Plan but would be implemented in Ordinances to be adopted afterwards, with very little follow through. He noted, for example, today the same Slope Ordinance is being used, and stated that the Planning Department recognizes that it is still inadequate. Mr. Winters continued to state that this General Plan needs to either be more specific or the City Council must make sure that there is a real followup with the specifics indicated. He then added that there is a pronounced aversion to much of the development that has been occur- ring. One example, the ridgetop housing (Villa Marin) in Terra Linda is conceived by most people to be horrible and also noted an open area on Second and Third Streets where there is a 3 -story building being built right up to the lot line causing a narrow -like canyon effect. SRCC/PT,ANNTNG COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Paqe 6 SRCC/PLANNING C -MISSION MINUTES (Special , int) 7/1/86 Page 7 Ms. Yahudid Lieberman of 124 Laurel Place was concerned as to where the boundary lines are in the downtown area and the neighborhood, and would like to see the area north of downtown which is now single family housing, recognized as a separate area with its own identity and not "fuzzed in" with the heavy density of downtown commercial. Ms. Alice Vipiana of 337 Mountain View Avenue stated that she is heading a committee called "8 is Enough". This means that the 8 lanes through the Dominican area are enough and they are opposed to another bus lane on the railroad tracks or having a rail system through the area. She claimed that they are faced with the smog and fumes from the highway and that the air quality, dust and noise levels are being affected by the widening of the highway and that the wall creates a "trumpet" effect. Also, since there is no alternate route, if an emergency occurs on the freeway they get shut off from fire or health services. She concluded that she would like to see a bottleneck in San Rafael to a point where some of the other cities in the County have to take their fair share. Mr. Scott Kimmich of 76 Golden Hinde Boulevard spoke on the street traffic where he lives, stating that it is used for emergency vehicles to Kaiser Hospital, as an entrance to the high school and as an access street to the Northgate Shopping Center and that 50 more units are being built there. He commented that hopefully traffic control is being worked on with the traffic survey being done now. He recommended putting a stop sign down the street be- cause of speeding down the hill. Ms. Marie Schooley of 259 Yosemite Road, Contempo Marin, spoke on the Smith Ranch Airport and the McInnis Parkway, asking that attention be focused in these areas on traffic and the 12 foot brick walls that would be built if a high occupancy vehicle lane is added, stating they are opposed to it. Ms. Schooley stated that they approve of the railroad which is not an impact on City traffic. She referred to the transit trolley system in San Diego which does not have an impact on City traffic, stating that it pays for itself and requesting emphasis be put on such a system. Mayor Mulryan responded to Ms. Schooley's suggestion that the railroad system be considered, noting it is a question of money because there is no Federal money available. He stated that the question of Smith Ranch Road is one of the key reasons why the City is undergoing the process of the General Plan revision. The City Council and Planning Commission must determine what the development potential will be on Smith Ranch Road without affecting the quality of life in that area. Ms. Helen Amaroso of 75 Blossom Drive stated that economically, they should use what was bought and paid for, referring to ideas made 15 years prior to the last General Plan revision. Ms. Moore stated that staff has gone back to two plans prior to the 1974 plan with the material being reviewed by staff, but there are no plans to publish it. Mr. Paul Cohen of 514 "C" Street, President of the Carpenters' Local in Marin County, stated that there seems to be two concepts on the image of San Rafael. Staff is focusing on what the image is for people travelling through, and he is also concerned about the image from the neighborhoods. He stated that these view points would need to be reconciled and that some development is inevitable, even though some people want it to happen elsewhere. It is an opportunity for the people to help in making the develop- ment as acceptable as possible. George Silvestri, Jr., Attorney in San Rafael, spoke on behalf of Ross General Hospital. He referred to page LU -21 stating that Ross Hospital is licensed for 195 beds, but in fact it is 193 beds. On page LU -21 and LU -22 re the four principal hospitals in Marin County, that it does not speak to Ross Hospital's pending applica- tion to relocate the hospital to the 16 -acre site owned by the hospital on Smith Ranch Road. Page 8-14 refers to the Smith Ranch area and that it indicated residential units are being considered, and that Ross Hospital has no plans to have residential development for that property. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 7 SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 8 Mr. Jerry Craner of 16 Oakridge Road, representing Los Ranchitos, stated that San Rafael should have a small town image, but that Northgate has grown and they do not feel that they have a small town image; Page P-2, that the residential areas would be protected, but needs to know how they are to be protected. Page LU -24 on air quality - "Maintenance of air quality standards should not be con- sidered a significant constraint to development." Mr. Craner stated that should not be included in the report. Ms. Moore explained that right now, San Rafael is enjoying the best air quality in the entire Bay Area. Even with the maximum develop- ment and growth projections, there are no projections for any sig- nificant exceedances of Federal and State air quality standards in Marin County in the future. This is partly because of the conversion to non-leaded fuel and Federal and State requirements for emission controls. Mayor Mulryan stated that the people of Marin do not want to adhere to Federal or State standards but to be better than that and informed staff that this should be revised. Ms. Moore replied that this would be discussed in detail the Environmental Impact Review. Commissioner Livingston commented that the intent was not to ignore air quality; however, the factors acting as constraints were present long before the question of air quality became an issue. Councilmember Russom indicated that it was a poor choice of word- ing, and interpreted it to read, "probably will not be a constraint because the air quality level is so high". Mr. Daniel Simonsen, member of the Cultural Affairs Commission, spoke on their interest of trees in San Rafael and suggested having an ordinance adopted to protect the trees and requiring tree planting in future development. Ms. Moore stated that there is no work being done on an ordinance but that evaluation for this kind of ordinance is clearly within the Image Section of the General Plan. Given the City's designation of "Tree City USA", there are significant heritage trees in San Rafael that should be protected. She stated that there could be more em- phasis on street trees and having an ordinance including heritage trees will be looked at. Councilmember Breiner agreed with the recommendations on P-5, and referred to (b) of the Recommended Approach. She was concerned about special localized areas and the appropriateness of higher intensity development. She stated that there should be a very pre- cise and specific identification of those sites. Councilmember Nave stated that the small town image is good and that new housing or commercial development should not infringe on the existing neighborhoods. A circulation pattern should also be de- veloped which minimizes the impact on the neighborhoods. He added that the plan is well done. Councilmember Frugoli referred to P-5 (c) re major linkages and waterways, stating that the waterways give the City an advantage and should be used, especially in the East San Rafael area, from Pickleweed to the Richmond -San Rafael Bridge. 2. WHAT SHOULD THE CITY'S ECONOMIC AND FISCAL GOALS BE AND WHAT SHOULD BE THE OVERALL DIRECTION FOR DOWNTOWN? Ms. Moore called upon Mr. Richard Recht, of Recht, Hausrath & Associates, the economic consultants who wrote the background report entitled "Enconomic Conditions and Issues", an appendix to the Community Development Background Report. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 8 SRCC/PLANNING MMISSION MINUTES (Special pint) 7/1/86 Page 9 Mr. Recht presented information on the economy of San Rafael, hoping that the people would understand the opportunities and constraints that are available to the City as part of the General Plan process. He noted that every Community has to bring in money from outside. Marin has a large number of commuters working in San Francisco who do bring money into the City; some amount of insurance; some amount of economic base media production and almost no manufacturing. He went on to state that one out of four persons is employed in the retail trade and San Rafael is the center of the business economy in Marin County, dominating almost all retail and service catego- ries. Fiscally, sales tax revenues account for two-thirds of City revenues. Retail Sectors One sector is called "comparison goods" which is major shopping usually done in regional centers with department and apparel stores. Historically, downtown San Rafael has been the dominant retail center with Macy's and Penney's Department stores the only two in the County. Northgate was then developed almost two decades ago and it accounts for almost 15 percent of the City's taxable sales. The Village in Corte Madera opened last year with Corte Madera Town Center opening this year and a Novato Center being proposed. The Village has had a significant effect on San Rafael both down- town and at Northgate. Town Center will probably compete with the stores in San Rafael. The proposed Hahn Center in Novato is up in the air because, as quoted in the papers, Macy's will not make a commitment. Although population is low between San Rafael and Santa Rosa, if the Hahn Center is built, it would have the biggest effect on San Rafael's retail. Mr. Recht stated that it was his presupposition that Macy's would not enter the Hahn Center and would continue to maintain a strong store in downtown San Rafael. San Rafael has tripled the California per capita per household sales in general. It tripled the California sales and apparel, general merchandise, primarily department stores, and home furnishings and appliances. He noted that San Rafael has grown faster than the rest of Marin and faster than the State. Mayor Mulryan interjected that Mr. Recht's figures differed from his own. Mr. Recht explained that he compared calendar year 1985 which had some decline in the fourth quarter with the opening of the new center, with the 1970 sales and that the tables are in the report. Mr. Recht added there is a strong growth pattern in San Rafael; however, there is a noticeable impact in the San Rafael stores in areas that compete with the new center at the Village. Eating and Drinking This is a strong sector but only 40 percent above California and Marin averages and it is not growing as a percent of retail sales despite the number of restaurants opening. The large restaurants are concentrated on Fourth Street. Buildinq Materials San Rafael accounts for 74 percent of County taxable retail sales in building materials, up from 43 percent in 1970. The Francisco Boulevard West area has the largest percentage. Automobile Dealers and Supplies This presents more revenues than other sectors, with 60 percent of new car sales in the County. The City has a strong central location advantage in the marketing of automobiles, resulting in the strongest dealers in the County. If an effective auto center were to be located outside San Rafael, it would compete very strongly with dealerships remaining in San Rafael. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 9 SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 10 Non -Retail Sectors There has been a steady County growth utilizing office space, i.e. finance, insurance, real estate, legal and medical. There also is an overbuilding of office space. In the long term, there is a potential for steady growth if there are cities that are willing to zone the land for office space. Mr. Recht stated that in his many meetings with staff, he found that staff is very concerned that they have appropriate policies for the residential neighborhoods, however, in his perspective, there are not the number of options available for the neighbor- hoods that there are for downtown. There needs to be a deter- mination on how to achieve protecting the neighborhoods, enhancing and maintaining their character, rather than bringing up the question, Should the neighborhoods be changed from low density to high density? Alternative Emphases Mr. Recht indicated that the six different emphases listed, would give City Council and the Planning Commission choices on policies that would enhance the downtown area. 1. Maintenance of Diversity - This should be maintained. Downtown is a classic marketplace with stores, office employment, ser- vices and restaurants all supporting one another. If this is desirable, it is recommended that it be made a policy and that potential weak sectors in this diversity be determined if needed to be protected and the potential dominant sectors. 2. Retail Center - Establishing downtown to be a strong retail center. Seek downtown to compete with the new centers adding more stores and providing covenient parking, etc. 3. Office Center - This is the modern downtown to be solidified as the business center of Marin with the image of the "key place" of Marin. 4. Regional Sales & Service - This is to be distinquished from the retail shopping center which focuses on fairly narrow sectors of sales, apparel and household goods. Downtown should be seen as the marketplace with a wide range of stores that do not usually locate in regional centers. Examples - musical instruments, bicycle sales and repairs, hobby stores, rare books, flooring and wall coverings, window coverings as well as department stores, apparel stores, restaurants, etc. 5. Local Sales and Service - Emphasis is to provide shopping for residents, i.e. groceries, drugstores, hardware and drycleaning. The physical design would be low key with intent in preserving the present character of downtown, having a slight advantage of cutting down on traffic. 6. Housing - Affordable housing in the County and City; shortage of multiple units with the major part of the policy having new multiple units downtown with the retention of older and larger homes being converted to other uses. Mr. Recht stated that in his opinion not all or even a majority of the above can be pursued equally, because they compete for space and require different support policies. The City would play some role for some activities and another role for others. Policy choices should be made if some activities are more important than others. Re the PG&E parcel, Mr. Recht stated that this parcel should be planned with its relationship to downtown and Francisco Boulevard West area, and that decisions should not be made with the PG&E parcel being isolated. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 10 SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 11 There should be careful thought put into the Francisco Boulevard West area which is about one and one-half percent of the City land area providing 13 percent of retail sales, building materials, auto and other retail. Economically, the land is worth more for new development than for most of the present uses. If there are no policies to protect the present uses, the present uses will be cut back gradually and new development will take its place. If it is in the public interest to keep the present activities, then protection is required; if new development is appropriate, there has to be a policy decision as to the type. This should be done in relationship as part of the economic goal of the City as a whole but particularly with regard to downtown. Commissioner Smith referred to Mr. Hoffmann's question as to why there is so much emphasis on the Downtown and East San Rafael areas. He stated that two-thirds of the City's budget is derived from sales tax dollars, and that without these dollars the City would have a difficult time supplying the services the people want. In response to Commissioner Smith's questions on estimates on the reduction of sales taxes in the year 1986 over 1985 and observations as to the parking needs, Mr. Recht replied that he had not taken data on fiscal year 1986 but extracted it from the raw data from the fourth quarter of 1985. The two-thirds figure is a percentage of general fund revenues. Mr. Recht pointed out that the City would need to be more ag- gressive in terms of change if it wants to preserve the downtown for sales to local residents. The economy indicates that the people are not preferring to use the drycleaners and grocery stores downtown and the City would need to act to protect them. Regarding parking, Mr. Recht stated that he was not involved in a study where adequate parking was listed as a concern. The people have come to expect that when they go shopping, they would drive to the store and that there would be parking in that area. Mr. Recht agreed with Councilmember Frugoli that the PG&E site should also be tied into the downtown area. Commissioner Scott asked Mr. Recht what the feasible use for the PG&E lot would be and he replied that, as an example, the City has a dominant position in building materials. If the area was established as a building materials center, not lumber or aggregate, but wall coverings, paint, etc., combination of wholesale and retail, residential and commercial, it would be a center that would dominate the sales of materials in Marin in the future. Commissioner Boro inquired regarding economic change in the West San Rafael area. He wanted to know if a model had been developed which would show where the sales tax comes from in the City and that if change did occur would they be able to anticipate it. Mr. Recht replied that the question addresses the basic data and that some analyses was done from the 300 pages produced by the State Board of Equalization each year. This identifies receipts from each retail outlet on a monthly basis. This was broken down by various types to track in detail, some data over time which were not available from other sources. The City calculated the principal sources of retail sales tax from this material for the Francisco West area when the issue came up about one year ago. The material gave a good idea of the volume of sales and the contributors to it. Mr. Harry Winters commented on evaluating the least aggressive and the least revenue producing plans for downtown versus the most aggressive, stating that this is only half of the equation. He asked what other obligations will be coming down on the City with each one of the plans. He stated that the overall revenue picture, not only what it will produce for the City but what it will involve, must be analyzed. SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 11 SRCC/PLANNING C. MISSION MINUTES (Special .nt) 7/1/86 Page 12 Mr. Rick Norman of 96 Bret Harte Road stated that the Economic Analysis is complete pointing out the fact that the City of San Rafael is at an economic crossroad and asked Council and Commissioners to support the recommended approaches. Ms. Rezee Acadry of 1565 Fourth St., stated that they have no parking in the area and need to park in the one and two hour zones on "F" Street and would like to have a sticker program to allow them to park in their neighborhood. Mr. Kevin Langdon of 823 Idleberry Road in Lucas Valley spoke on the rail corridor indicating that he has not seen suggestions to use the existing tracks which he states would be a small fraction in cost. He also spoke on the City controlling both new housing and new businesses and said that there is a tolerable balance now, but if changed it would become worse. He suggested that strong emphasis be placed in keeping things the way they are especially land development and that much of the land should be reserved for open space. Councilmember Frugoli stated that the recent statistics from the Marin County Chamber of Commerce showed that there was an increase of 86 percent in jobs and an increase of less than six percent in population, so jobs and housing are not close to being in balance. He added that there is no housing for the people who actually work in San Rafael and as a result they have to commute causing traffic problems on Highway 101. Mayor Mulryan commented that 57 percent of jobs in San Rafael are held by people living in this area which is an extremely high average. In response to an earlier question, Mr. Recht interjected that he did not include Inter -Governmental transfers and user charges into the percentage of sales tax revenues figure he had quoted. Councilmember Russom commented that the lion's share of the City budget goes toward Police and Fire protection and streets and road maintenance which are essential services the City pays for. It should not be thought that the City generates money for the sake of taking in money. The revenue is taken for real and critical needs. Councilmember Nave stated that the City of San Rafael is the economic hub of Marin in terms of growth and sales tax, and compared to other cities relating to streets, parks and services, that San Rafael is the leader, indicating this is true because the City has been able to get tax money to provide exceptional services. Ms. Victoria DeWitt of 40 Fremont Road stated that the City's services are very good and that the City was very responsive during the time of the recent storm. She added that even though the shopping center at Corte Madera is taking sales away from the City that she did not care for it and would continue to shop in San Rafael. Mr. Bob Hoffmann stated that he participated in a downtown committee about one and one half years ago to determine how the downtown area could be reorganized within a regional context. He suggested that the report is available and that it should be looked at. Mr. Paul Cohen agreed with Mr. Rick Norman's statements that in addition to the auto usage in the West Francisco Boulevard area, it is important to also consider the construction usage. He asked if the report could include more detail on the significance of lumber and aggregate revenues to the City, and if there have been attempts made to identify possible alternatives for this type of usage; what area is worth more for new development rather than for usage of this type and is there a tradeoff to the City (is it worth giving up possible revenue for new development to preserve this kind of centrally located, construction uses in the County)? SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 12 SRCC/PLANNING 'OMMISSION MINUTES (Specia- Joint) 7/1/86 Page 13 Mayor Mulryan indicated that this is an excellent point and that although the documents may not reflect this, a great amount of time has been spent on this matter. Mr. Recht interjected that the Detailed Economic Report has some of the figures requested by the above speaker and that 13 percent of the City's sales tax was identified as coming from the West Francisco Boulevard area. Furthermore, 60 percent was construction related and 23 percent was auto related with 17 percent remaining. Mr. Roger Smith of 1968 Fifth Avenue, working as a commercial real estate agent in San Rafael, spoke in favor of maintaining large offices and similar type uses in downtown San Rafael. Mr. Ralph Crocker of 13 Hyannis Cove commented that the Planning staff and Mr. Recht are to be complimented on the quality and quantity of the material presented. However, he focused on the Montecito Shopping Center, stating that it is deteriorating and that the private market is likely to resolve the situation. He indicated that this would be successful and beneficial to the City and stated that there should be a long term planning policy to combine redevelopment of Montecito with other areas flanking the Canal. Mayor Mulryan stated that they have been trying to convince the numerous owners to accomplish what the City has not been able to do before, which is to turn the front of the shopping center to the Canal rather than its back. Mr. Recht stated that he had not given this matter the attention it deserves and that he agreed with the statement made by Mr. Crocker. Commissioner Willms referred to the positive impact of new buildings on the Canal such as Ferro Plaza,and future ones to come,such as the Davood property (at 700 Irwin Street). Ms. Eileen Anderson of 304 "H" Street wondered why a building on the PG&E property could act as a building materials store when the stores in Montecito having building materials have done away with most of their paints, etc. Mr. Recht responded that he did think that the PG&E property would be good for this type of business and added that in general, the Montecito Center's activities do not support a multiplicity of building materials nor is it a Countywide setting. Mayor Mulryan commented that they are generally looking at a linkage between West Francisco and Downtown and want it to be retail with building related retail as well. Commissioner Livingston critized the report's recommended approaches for policy. He stated that it would be expanding the boundaries of downtown into the Francisco Boulevard area as well as part of East San Rafael, and that he is afraid of losing the discretionary dollar, now called comparison goods shopping. Mr. Dan Iacofano wrapped up this portion of the meeting by giving a recap of what was discussed. Mayor Mulryan then continued the hearing to Wednesday, July 2, 1986. JEANN M. LEONCINI, City Clerk APPROVED THIS DAY OF 1986 MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL SRCC/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES (Special Joint) 7/1/86 Page 13