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HomeMy WebLinkAbout083004JointPC-CCminAPPROVED MINUTES Monday, August 30, 2004 Joint Study Meeting Burlingame City Council and Burlingame Planning Commission 1. STUDY MEETING CALLED TO ORDER A joint study meeting of the Burlingame City Council and Burlingame Planning Commission was held on August 30, 2004 at Burlingame Public Library in the Land Community Room. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Mayor Rosalie O'Mahony. 2. ROLL CALL Council Present: Baylock, Coffey, Galligan, Nagel, O'Mahony Council Absent: None Commissioners Present: Auran, Bojués, Brownrigg (arrived 7:10 p.m.), Keele, Keighran, Osterling and Vistica Commissioners Absent: none Staff Present: CM Nantell, CP Monroe, CA Anderson, SP Brooks 3. STUDY SESSION TO REVIEW THE REVISED PROJECT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF PENINSULA MEDICAL CENTER AT 1783 EL CAMINO REAL, ZONED UNCLASSIFIED AND C-3 – review of the Revised Environmental Impact Report and Revised Project to replace the existing Peninsula Hospital with a new six to seven-story hospital building, a four to five-story office building for hospital support space and medical offices, a parking garage and a helipad CP Monroe gave a brief description of the project. She reviewed the project issues related to parcel mergers and rezoning of portions of the site. She noted that the now proposed project was the preferred alternative, the Revised Project. She introduced Todd Tierney, project architect, Oren Reinbolt, hospital project manager, and Rod Jeung, EIP, environmental consultant for the project. Todd Tierney gave a presentation regarding the Revised Project, noting that one of the primary constraints in designing a new hospital on the site is the need to keep the existing hospital open during construction. He described the project using a three-dimensional model of the site and the proposal, renderings of the project and samples of exterior materials. The Hetch Hetchy water line which runs through the site along the same alignment as Magnolia Drive will be relocated to the front perimeter of the site, leaving a 10-foot space on either side to allow for the planting of deep- rooted screening trees along the property line adjacent to Davis Drive residences, along El Camino Real and along Trousdale Drive. The 809-space parking garage, to be located at the Trousdale/El Camino Real intersection, would be built in Phase One of the project, to provide parking for the City of Burlingame City Council/Planning Commission Joint Meeting August 30, 2004 Approved Minutes -2- existing hospital during construction and addressing some of the construction parking impacts. The relocation of the Hetch Hetchy water line would occur during Phase II. He also noted that the Revised Project was developed to address many of the issues raised in the Draft EIR for the Original Project, including to provide more open space along El Camino Real and Trousdale. It would also provide for direct and comfortable pedestrian access to the main entrance of the hospital from the bus stop on El Camino Real, which would be accessed through a pocket park between the medical office building and the parking garage. There would be two entrances to the hospital from Trousdale, the main entrance at Magnolia and an entrance for staff and emergency vehicles further to the west. There would be another staff only entrance at Marco Polo Way. The helipad is proposed near the center of the site adjacent to the emergency department. The loading dock would be underneath the hospital building, accessed from El Camino Real, with a landscaped buffer on either side. Kevin Day, project architect with Anshen + Allen, described the exterior features of the project and the thoughts that went into the architecture. The Revised Project offers more opportunity for expression along El Camino Real, bringing the office building forward makes the project more active along the street frontage and sets up a new street edge more compatible with the planned street edge on the other side. The hospital building consists of two L-shaped towers, so that every patient room will have a long-distant view and no room should look into any other. The tower face at the main entry creates the identity for the site, with a stair tower clad in a glazed wall, and full-length windows at the end of every corridor; sun shade supports are proposed at the parapet level to create interest and conserve energy. Other portions of the hospital building are formed from pre-cast concrete with varying textures and shades and strong horizontal lines. The lobby area on the lower levels of the building would be mostly glass and would include horizontally scored gold-colored stone elements which are also carried through to the adjoining screen wall. The parking structure would be made of pre-cast concrete consisting of a "hybrid moment frame", with a glazed wall at the corner to define the stair way. There would also be perforated metal panels on the face of the structure to provide screening of parked cars and allow for ventilation. One level of the parking structure is fully buried below grade. There would be a trellis like structure at the corner of Trousdale and El Camino Real similar to the one on the hospital structure. The office building would have a two-story glass bay enclosing the dining terrace, and the base level would be aluminum and glass, using an anodized aluminum with a bronze tone. The tower elements of the hospital facing Davis Drive would have less glazing and would use a special glass which is translucent with a sand blasted acid etch to block views for a sense of privacy. The glass in the stair well will also have a silk screened pattern which would block light being emitted. Rod Jeung and Trixie Martelino, EIP Associates, environmental consultants, gave a brief overview of the environmental review process to date and the history of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the Original Project and the Revised Draft EIR which analyzed the impacts of the Revised Project. The original project would have five significant and unavoidable impacts, while the Revised Project would have two significant and unavoidable impacts. The impacts which would be avoided with the Revised Project are the loss of open space character along El Camino City of Burlingame City Council/Planning Commission Joint Meeting August 30, 2004 Approved Minutes -3- Real, the objectionable building design along El Camino Real and the parking deficit during construction. In the original analysis, cumulative traffic and construction noise was listed as a significant and unavoidable impact. This was based on the cumulative impacts if the project and the PG& E project to locate a new Jefferson Martin transmission line along Trousdale were built at the same time. Since that time, it has been decided that the PG&E Jefferson Martin project will not be routed along Trousdale. Therefore, there will be no significant and unavoidable cumulative traffic and construction noise impacts. She also noted that in comparing the Original Project, the Revised Project, Alternative C (a modification to the original project design) and the no project alternative, the Revised Project is the preferred alternative because there are fewer significant and unavoidable impacts. Ms. Martelino then reviewed the public comments on the Draft EIR and the Revised Draft EIR. She noted that these comments would be addressed in the Response to Comments document, which is expected to be available for public review on September 17, 2004. The comments and responses with the Draft EIR will then be considered by the Planning Commission and City Council at the public hearings to be held on the project and the EIR. Mayor O'Mahony asked if there were any questions for any of the speakers. Councilmembers and Commissioners asked the following questions: Question: How will the lights from the hospital and office structures impact the homes along Davis Drive? Architect's Response: The glazed surfaces would have shades inside to prevent extensive light spill, and the glass used on the stairwell tower would be translucent with a silk screened pattern which would limit the amount of light emitted. Question: In making the hospital structure earthquake-proof, will there be pile driving? If so, how many? Architect's Response: There would be no piles driven for any of the structures. For the hospital, the base isolated system being used to protect the structure during the earthquake is like a bathtub below the building, similar to a concave plate with a moat, allowing the structure to roll during an earthquake. Question: With the Revised Project, the overall open space is less than in the original project, explain why; is the undeveloped land considered as open space at this time? EIP Response: There are two calculations on open space, overall open space, which includes the undeveloped space at the west end of the site and open space which will be landscaped as a part of the project. The undeveloped space was larger in the Original Project, but in the Revised Project the landscaped open space, particularly on the El Camino Real and Trousdale frontages, as well as along Davis Drive has increased. The focus of the open space concern addressed in the EIR analysis is the open space along El Camino Real as identified in the Open Space Element in the General Plan. Question: Has the future growth on the undeveloped 4.15 acres been considered for parking impacts? EIP Response: In the future, when a project is submitted for the 4.15 acres, it will be required to provide its own support parking on-site and will go through both the environmental review and City of Burlingame City Council/Planning Commission Joint Meeting August 30, 2004 Approved Minutes -4- conditional use permit processes. Also, future use of the undeveloped space was considered in the current Draft EIR when looking at traffic and parking impacts under cumulative conditions. Question: How was the parking calculated to fulfill the demand in the medical office building, were the different types of doctors and their differences in the number of patients seen in an hour taken into account? Fehr and Peers Response: The parking demand for the office building was calculated based on the square footage, looked at the parking demand per square foot. Also compared the demand number to other medical office buildings. In general, there has been an increase in patient and staffing levels for medical office buildings, this was taken into account in determining parking as well. However, we did not look at the mix of specialties within a particular building, because it was assumed that the other medical office sites that were studied would have a mix of types. A comparison was not made specifically with the Mills medical building in San Mateo. Question: Will the parking in the garage be paid parking? Applicant Response: The parking garage is being designed so that it can work for paid parking. It has not yet been decided whether there will be a charge for parking. Staff noted that if the operator were to decide to charge for parking, they would need an amendment to their conditional use permit. Question: We want business to thrive at Burlingame Plaza shopping center across the street, need to make sure it will function well and that there is good accessibility in and out. The alley through the middle of the shopping center is only 30 feet wide, with trucks, there may be no room for cars to pass; on Magnolia, there will still be trucks loading and unloading, would congestion be alleviated by having two separate hospital entrances on Trousdale and El Camino Real? Were the traffic studies done when school was in session to see the cumulative impact? Response: These specific issues will be discussed in the Response to Comments document. Question: What additional improvements would be needed to bring the level of service (LOS) at the intersection of Trousdale and El Camino Real from LOS E to LOS D? Response: This item will be addressed in the project staff report. Question: How will access change for Burlingame Plaza, will the main entrance from Trousdale be eliminated? Fehr and Peers Response: The main entrance will not be eliminated, but there will be no left turns into or out of the site at Trousdale from the main entrance, access will be limited to right turns in and out. There will continue to be access to the shopping center from the other three sides. The North Burlingame/Rollins Road Specific Plan proposes a reorientation of the main entry to El Camino Real by creating a central access directly off El Camino Real into the center rather than the current frontage road access. Question: With the pathway proposed to Davis Drive, will people be able to park on Davis Drive and walk through to the hospital on the vacant lot if they cannot find parking on site? Architect's Response: The concept was to allow residents in the Davis Drive area to gain pedestrian access through the site to El Camino Real. It would be a long distance for parkers to gain access to the main entrance of the hospital from this walkway. Parking closer to the entrance would be available on site. City of Burlingame City Council/Planning Commission Joint Meeting August 30, 2004 Approved Minutes -5- Question: Has a traffic study been done regarding the Marco Polo access to the parking lot? Will there be an impact on this street once people discover they can get access here rather than at the main entrance? EIP Response: The Marco Polo access is now open to anyone. With the project Marco Polo is proposed as a staff entrance only. It is not possible to get to the parking garage from this entrance so visitors would be discourage from using this entrance. Question: On the site plan, it appears that most of the employee parking shown near Marco Polo is compact, why? Applicant Response: The layout shown on the site plan is how the existing parking lot is striped now. Most of the spaces in that area are compact. They are revising the parking layout so that the compact spaces will be more evenly distributed throughout the site. Question: Is there a pedestrian walkway which will encircle the site to provide a place for visitors and patients to exercise? Architect's Response: Yes, there will be an interconnected pathway that encircles the hospital building and medical office building. Question: I understand that with the rerouting of the water line between Davis Drive and the new hospital building, there can be no deep-rooted plants over the water line, but is there a way to use taller landscaping in the areas on either side of the water easement to get better screening? Can the trees be planted early in the process? Architect's Response: The landscape plan shows two rows of trees on each edge of the water easement, we are looking at planting the area near Davis Drive first, the water line will be relocated in the second phase, so can't put lower landscaping over the line until it's moved, but will do the landscaping as soon as the water line is put in. The trees at the front along El Camino Real and Trousdale will be planted in a strip 9-feet wide; two species will be used, per the street tree recommendations in the North Burlingame/Rollins Road Specific Plan. Question: With the property line change and shift of parking on the Magnolia Garden site, how will emergency vehicles access that site. Architect's Response: There will still be parking and access on the east side of the building, and there will also be a new row of parking on the west side of the building, both parking areas have adequate aisle widths to accommodate emergency vehicles. Question: What materials will be used for the parapet on the hospital building? Architect's Response: The concrete wall of the building will extend upward and act as a parapet, it will have a metal edge. An aluminum/steel trellis will define the top of the building. Question: Will the helipad be raised above grade? Architect's Response: Slightly, there is a four-foot difference in grade between the parking lot and the helipad to insure proper aviation access. The area around the helipad will be heavily landscaped, but with plants which won't interfere with a helicopter's flight path. City of Burlingame City Council/Planning Commission Joint Meeting August 30, 2004 Approved Minutes -6- Question: Is this project subject to design review? Staff Response: It is not subject to the formal commercial design review process, but as a part of the conditional use permit process, one of the required findings is that it be compatible with the surrounding area, so design is a consideration. Comment: Have a grave concern with the architecture being incompatible with the residential neighborhood next to it, would like to see materials used which are more residential in nature, the light colors proposed will stand out and darker colors generally cause an object to recede, would like to see a parapet with a hipped roof and tiling. Also concerned about the massing of the glazing and how much sunlight will reflect off the building, would like to see more attention to the finish details to make it better fit the area where it is located. Question: The water main is being rerouted along the south side of the site, which causes large trees to be removed, why can't it be routed west through the site and rejoin at Magnolia in order to preserve the trees? Architect's Response: In meeting with the San Francisco Water District, explored many possibilities. There are some constraints. There is an existing line in El Camino Real. Required to reroute within the site and must connect at both ends to existing pipe off-site. It was decided to route the pipe close to the property line so it would not interfere if there ever was a need for future expansion of the facility. This benefits open space on El Camino Real and allows the most flexibility to leave options open in the future. Question: The residential path proposed is a nice amenity, but there is concern it could become a crime magnet. Will the pathway be lit and policed or would it be better to take it out of the project? Architect's Response: We are working with a security consultant to provide appropriate design and enough lighting so that it is safe, without the light being obtrusive to the immediate neighbors or patients. Also want to have an area where patients can walk and where neighbors can cut across the site. Finally, there also needs to be fire access along this side of the building, the path can be done within the water easement where a structure cannot be built or dense vegetation planted so the path serves both pedestrian access and safety equipment purpose. Question: Have you looked at energy consumption in the design of the facility, there is a lot of glass proposed and shading could be added to the façade to make it look less institutional. Architect's Response: We are taking a very proactive approach to energy conservation, looking at different variables, weighing the short-term costs versus the long-term savings, are incorporating some of the items included in the green guidelines for health care and are using reflective surfaces that don't create heat islands. Question: Why are you not proposing a second parking structure or another level on the parking garage to reduce the amount of paved area created? Architect's Response: We're looking at different alternatives for paving, such as porous concrete and lighter colors. The bulk of the parking is in the garage, which will serve the medical office building. This location is the most convenient patient access to the facilities. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public had the following questions regarding the project. City of Burlingame City Council/Planning Commission Joint Meeting August 30, 2004 Approved Minutes -7- Question: Is there an upward slope of the walkway from the bus stop on El Camino Real to the hospital entrance or will it all be on the same level? Architect's Response: The walkway will be nearly flat from El Camino Real to the elevator and stairs in the parking garage which will take people to the entries of the office building and hospital which are also flat. Question: What is the slab to slab height in the patient care areas? Architect's Response: In the patient care areas, the height will be 15' floor to floor, there will be 17'-6" floor to floor for the surgical areas, and 19' floor to floor in the below-grade loading dock area. Question: Do the patient rooms overlook other patient rooms? Architect's Response: All patient rooms look out to a distant view, there are no views from one patient room into another. We recognize that seeing into another patient room as a problem now, and worked hard to be sure it is not a problem in the new hospital. Question: Regarding the noise impacts from the cooling towers adjacent to residences on Davis Drive, have you looked at any other locations for them? Architect's Response: The cooling towers need to be next to the main power plant for security and to reduce the length of the piping required. They will be buried. The proposed wall surrounding the cooling towers will also act as a sound barrier for both the cooling towers and the equipment inside the hospital. CP Monroe reviewed the next steps in the process, noting that it is expected that the Response to Comments document for the EIR will be released and posted on the City's website on September 17, 2004. The Planning Commission hearing has been scheduled for September 27, 2004. The project will be reviewed by the Airport Land Use Committee to consider the project's consistency with the San Francisco International Airport Land Use Plan on September 30, 2004, followed by consideration by C/CAG, acting as the Airport Land Use Commission on October 14, 2004. The City Council hearing and action is tentatively scheduled for November 1, 2004. 5. CONSENT CALENDAR FOR CITY COUNCIL a. Approve letter to County Civil Grand Jury regarding Narcotics Enforcement and authorize Mayor to sign letter Mayor O'Mahony noted that there was an item on the Consent Calendar for action by the City Council, a letter to the County Civil Grand Jury. Councilmember Baylock moved approval of the consent calendar. The motion was seconded by Councilman Coffey. Mayor O'Mahony called for a voice vote and the motion passed on a 5-0 voice vote. 6. ADJOURNMENT Mayor O'Mahony adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m..