Download - Distinctive Neighborhood Program
City of San José
Distinctive Distinctive Neighborhood Neighborhood
Program Program Policy OptionsPolicy OptionsCommunity MeetingCommunity Meeting
Thursday October 1, 2009San Jose City Hall
BackgroundBackground The City Council approved funding for the
development of the Distinctive Neighborhoods Program to address the following concerns:
Incompatible New construction
Incompatible Additions
Demolitions
Willow Glen and the Rose GardenWillow Glen and the Rose Garden
Brookwood Terrace NeighborhoodBrookwood Terrace Neighborhood
NorthsideNorthside
Eichler Homes in San JoseEichler Homes in San Jose
Ranch Homes in San JoseRanch Homes in San Jose
A Single-Family House Permit is required if:• New construction exceeds 30 feet or 2 stories in height,
• The floor area ratio (F.A.R.) of the house exceeds 0.45,
• The house is listed on the Historic Resource Inventory.
Existing Permitting ProcessExisting Permitting Process
Currently No Design ReviewAddition/Demolition below SF House Permit Size Thresholds and not listed on Historic Resource Inventory:
Building Permit (No Design Review)
Outreach Results Outreach Results Residents of Older Neighborhoods
Residents of Newer/rural Neighborhoods
Architectural Style and Design
Loss of Fabric
• Demolitions
• Loss of architectural elements and details
• Design of new construction
• Attached garages
• Inconsistent setbacks
• Loss and maintenance of trees
Bulk and Scale
• High density infill
• Monster Homes
• Second stories
• Loss of privacy
Open Space
• Loss of Landscaping and open space
• Loss and maintenance of trees
Four Policy Options Four Policy Options
Consider adding as SFH Permit Thresholds:
• Demolitions of houses over a certain age or built before a certain date.
City Wide Neighborhood Specific
City would create a Toolkit of overlays available to community:
1. Conservation Study Area
2. Zoning Overlay
3. Design Guidelines Overlay
• Implementation requires revisions to the Municipal Code• City Council approved funding for implementation of Citywide
option and Conservation Study Area.• Zoning and Design Guidelines Overlays are possible
implementation measures for the General Plan Update
Policy Options - City Wide Policy Options - City Wide
Require Permit Citywide to Demolish Older Homes
Add one of the following as a SFH permit trigger
Neighborhoods that could benefit:
Older neighborhoods
b. Demolitions of homes built before a certain date
(1945)
a. Demolitions of homes over a certain age
(50 years)
Policy Options – Policy Options – Neighborhood SpecificNeighborhood Specific Toolkit Option 1 - Conservation Study Area
Potential Neighborhoods that could benefit: Northside, Willow Glen, The Rose Garden and other older neighborhoods
DesignationApplication
DesignationApproved
Conservation Area
ConservationStudy Area
Development Review
Required submittals:
Historic Evaluations ofContributing Structures
Context Statement
Required submittals:
Context Statement HistoricEvaluations
List of Contributing StructuresOnly if application does not
meet Guidelines
+
+SFH Permit application
SFH Permit application
Policy Options – Policy Options – Neighborhood SpecificNeighborhood Specific
Toolkit Option 2 – Zoning Overlay
Potential Criteria for Designation:• Agreement of 2/3 of property owners.• The neighborhood should be clearly delineated.• The neighborhood must consist a minimum number of homes.• Characteristic must be present in 75% of the homes.
Distinct Development Standards for Designated Area
Distinct Setbacks
50 ft
Single Story District
25 ft
Public Right Of Way
Attached Garages
PotentialNeighborhoodsThat could benefit:EichlerNeighborhoods andothers
Implementation Implications:
Residents would pay for:- consultants to draft guidelines- planner to work with consultantThis process would take at least a year
Policy Options – Policy Options – Neighborhood SpecificNeighborhood Specific
Toolkit Option 3 – Design Guidelines Overlay
PotentialNeighborhoodsThat could benefit:
Willow Glen, The Rose Garden,Northside, other
Criteria for Designation:Same as Zoning Overlay
City of San José
End of Policy End of Policy DevelopmentDevelopment
Beginning of Policy Beginning of Policy ImplementationImplementation
Time LineTime Line
December
Planning CommissionAnalysis and Code Revision
Coordination with City Attorney
August September October November
2009
Outreach
July
City Council
Development of outreach strategy
October 1, 2009Community Meeting
October 2, 2009Developers Roundtable
October 7, 2009Historic Landmarks Commission Study
Session
Require Permit Citywide to Demolish Older Homes
Add the following as a SFH permit trigger
Neighborhoods that could benefit:
Older neighborhoods
Demolitions of homes built before a certain date
(1945 or 1955)
Map of Single Family Homes by Date of
Construction
Before 1945 (8009 SF homes)
1945-1949 (3738 SF homes)
1950-1954 (6629 SF homes)
1955-1959 (21,549 SF homes)
1960-1969 (44,052 SF homes)
1970-1979 (40,425 SF homes)
1980 to present (19,029 SF homes)
1950 Dutch Hamann became City Manager – beginning of mass annexations
1954 State legislation changed allowing cities to have other than a Unified School District
Major road block was removed from annexations
1945-1949 (3738 new single-family homes)
1950-1954 (6629 new single-family homes)
1955-1959 (21,549 new single-family homes)
Why choose 1955?
Demolitions of houses built prior to 1955
House is aCEQA
resource
House does notqualify for theinventory
Cat. I SFH Permit including a historic evaluation
House qualifiesas a Structure ofMerit
Cat II SFH PermitHearing
(includes notification sign)
Cat I SFH PermitNo Hearing
Require Permit Citywide to Demolish Older Homes
Definition of Demolition
Current – “removal of more than fifty percent (50%) ofthe exterior walls of a building”
Proposed - For single-family homes built before 1955 or for homes
listed on the Historic Resources Inventory demolition means removal of more than fifty percent (50%) of the exterior walls of a building, or removal of more than forty percent (40%) of the surface of all exterior walls facing a public street(s)
Definition of Demolition
Current –
Proposed for older homes –
50% of exterior walls
OR
40% of elevation surface
Conservation Area – Streamlining
DesignationApplication
DesignationApproved
Currentprocess
ProposedProcess
Development Review
Required submittals:
HistoricEvaluations ofContributingStructures
Context Statement
Required submittals:
Context StatementHistoric
Evaluations
List of ContributingStructures
Only if application does notmeet Guidelines
+
+SFH Permit application
SFH Permit application
Conservation Area – Pre-designation Protection
DesignationApplication
DesignationApproved
Currentprocess
ProposedProcess
CitywideProtection
CitywideProtection
Full Protection
CitywideProtection
Full Protection
Full Protection
ApplicationComplete
Notice
NoticeWithin 180 days
To conclude - To conclude - What do you think of the following?What do you think of the following?
Demolitions 1. Using 1955 as a cutoff date for requiring a SFH permit for a
proposed demolition.
2. New definition for the term “demolition” applicable to homes older than 1955 or listed on the HRI.
Conservation Area1. Streamlining the process for designation of a Conservation
Area rather than creating a new entity called a Conservation Study Area.
2. Requiring a Pre-designation protection for properties located within an area proposed to be designated as a Conservation Area.