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


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


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


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


DesignationApproved

Currentprocess

ProposedProcess

Development Review


HistoricEvaluations ofContributingStructures

Context Statement


Context StatementHistoric

Evaluations

List of ContributingStructures

Only if application does notmeet Guidelines

+

+SFH Permit application

SFH Permit application

Conservation Area – Pre-designation Protection


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.

distinctive neighborhood program

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