10 - Laserfiche WebLink

ANALYSIS Conditional uses are those uses which, by their nature, require special consideration so that they may be located properly with respect to the objectives of the Municipal Code and with respect to their effects on surrounding properties. In order to achieve these purposes, the Planning Commission is empowered to approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for CUP's. General Plan The General Plan designation for the subject site is Retail/Highway/Service Commercial, Business and Professional Offices, which allows the development of a wide range of commercial and office uses, including neighborhood shopping centers. The subject site contains Oak Hills Shopping Center which is classified as a neighborhood shopping center with an anchor tenant grocery store and several ancillary retail and service commercial uses, consistent with the current General Plan designation. The proposed Heritage School shares common attributes with private schools, private nursery schools, tutorial schools, and colleges commonly found in neighborhood commercial centers, and therefore, would be consistent with the current General Plan designation. Zoning and Uses The subject property is zoned C-N District. An educational use like a Heritage School shares common attributes with private schools, private nursery schools, tutorial schools, and colleges. Those uses are conditionally permitted within the C-N District with the approval of a CUP. The applicant has applied for a CUP as required for a school in the C-N District. Therefore, if the CUP were granted, the Heritage School would be consistent with the applicable land use regulations. One of the primary concerns in reviewing a CUP application is the effect of a proposed use on surrounding uses. As stated earlier, the surrounding uses include the Pleasanton Senior Center, across Sunol Boulevard to the west; commercial offices and multi-family residential uses across Mission Drive to the north/northeast; multi- and single-family residences to the east; and offices and single-family residences across Junipero Street to the south. For the most part, a Heritage School would operate similarly to the previous approved use for the subject site and does not include an increase in the number of students at any given time or a change in parking demand. The existing tutoring facility has been operating since 2006 without any apparent adverse impacts on the surrounding area as no complaints have been reported to the City. Therefore, staff does not expect that the proposed Heritage School would create any adverse impacts on the surrounding uses. However, the proposed outdoor playground area could be incompatible with the surrounding uses because it would introduce a new project component intended for use by young children within an area designed specifically for parking, vehicular movements, and delivery vehicles associated with the shopping center. Consequently, staff is recommending denial of this portion of the proposal. Should future problems arise with the Heritage School, the City would have the ability to bring the application back to the Planning Commission for mitigation, or possible permit revocation, if necessary. Based on past experience with similar uses, staff feels that such an action would be unlikely. In addition, staff has included conditions of approval that will ensure the Heritage P14-0970 and P14-1173, Young Ivy Academy Planning Commission 4 of 9