SR 05:069 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commission staff report, the amendment would enable the project to proceed forward without the sidewalk if the City Council determines that the sidewalk should not be constructed. DISCUSSION Public Sidewalk Connecting Sycamore Terrace to San Carlos Way The applicants would construct the sidewalk on an existing easement created for this purpose straddling Parcel Four and the adjoining Bozorgzad property. It would be maintained by the City in conjunction with the existing water line located in the easement and underneath the proposed sidewalk. A series of concrete steps and landings flanked on both sides by stone-faced retaining walls would connect the sidewalk to San Carlos Way. A computer generated photograph of the sidewalk connection to San Carlos Way is attached. Staff had recommended that the sidewalk be retained and constructed by the applicant with the proposed project. The Planning Commission did not concur with the staff recommendation and voted to delete the sidewalk. Background The proposed sidewalk is one of three sidewalk connections required by the North Sycamore Specific Plan from the north side of the Specific Plan area to the San Carlos Way, San Antonio Street, and Independence Drive neighborhoods. A copy of "Figure V-2, Proposed Circulation Plan", of the Specific Plan is attached showing these connections. These connections were planned to provide direct pedestrian links between the existing neighborhoods and the Specific Plan area and from the existing neighborhoods to the Sycamore Creek public trail by Sycamore Creek Way. Because these are sidewalks, similar to other sidewalks in the City connecting neighborhoods together, they do not appear in the City's "Community Trails Master Plan". With the City's review of PUD-99-02, the PUD development plan for the Bozorgzad property, it was determined that the best alignment for the sidewalk would be on an easement between the Bach and Bozorgzad properties and then on the east side of Sycamore Terrace. (Copies of the approved development plan and the ordinance for PUD-99-02 are attached.) A straight continu- ous pedestrian connection would then be achieved from San Carlos Way to Sycamore Terrace and then to Sycamore Creek Way. As required by Condition No. 8 of the Bozorgzad PUD ap- proval: "The construction of the pedestrian path on the Bach property shall be the respon- sibility of the developer of the Bach property. The exact location and timing for the installation of the path shall be determined in conjunction with the Bach PUD application." The issue of deleting the pedestrian sidewalk from the North Sycamore Specific Plan was raised by Mr. Bozorgzad with his PUD application and by some neighbors on San Carlos Way, San Juan Way, and Sonoma Drive. This issue was discussed at a neighborhood meeting conducted SR05:069 Page 5of15