26 ATTACHMENTS (B) - Laserfiche WebLink

ATTACHMENT 5 PUD-OS-02M, James Happ, Northstar Realty Services. Inc./Kenneth and Pamela Chrisman Application for a major modification to an approved PUD development plan to replace the approved production home designs with design guidelines for the property located at 1944 Vineyard Avenue, in the Vineyard Avenue Corridor Specific Plan Area. Zoning for the property Is PUD-LDR (Planned Unit Development -Low Density Residential) District. Ms. Decker summarized the staff report, and described the background, scope, and layout of the proposed project. Commissioner Fox noted that Condition No. 19 referred to the floor area ratio (FAR) as 25 percent for Lots 1-5, and 30 percent for Lots 6-10. She inquired why the exact numbers from the Centex production homes were not included as the square footage allowed. Ms. Decker replied that the Planning Commission requested that staff revisit what had actually been approved. The applicants had previously indicated they would go either way but that 25 percent and 35 percent would be acceptable. This particular condition would have to be revised should the Commission support the originally approved production home sizes. She added that the home sizes differed and were somewhat less in size than as indicated in Table 3. Commissioner Fox noted that Tab 4 of the Attachments discussed PAP-53, when the Planning Commission had voted to deny the Tentative Map; the grading was originally for a tract home. She inquired whether staff knew why there had not been an alternate grading plan submitted since custom homes were now proposed. Ms. Decker replied that construction process began with laying out the backbone infrastructure, which included the mass grading at one time. The intent of this request was not to modify the grading but to have the same pad and house design with respect to location. The applicants have reconfirmed their interest in having the same floor areas and sizes; they were somewhat limited in terms of where the homes could be placed on those sites. The grading, infrastructure and house sizes would remain the same; the exterior appearance of the houses would change. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner Fox regarding whether a custom home development could take as long as ten years for all the lots to be purchased and developed, Ms. Decker replied that this issue had been the subject of extensive discussion by staff. She identified several similar examples in Pleasanton that had previous approvals but were never built. She noted that a production home approval did not warrant or guarantee any sooner construction and that there must be a buyer, choices made by the buyer, and completion of the escrow period. Production homes would be custom in terms of interior finishes, floor materials, carpeting, and cabinetry; staff had found that completion of production homes can take the same length of time because it was market-driven. The timeline for buildout could go quickly in a good market, and a slower market would lead to a longer buildout period. EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, February 27, 2008 Page 1 of 13