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One step closer: Sunnyvale Quadhomes site plan changes approved by council
By Zachary Markovic, zmarkovic@starlocalnews.com
Multi-family homes are one step closer to a reality after the Sunnyvale town council approved the site plan changes made by developer VCZ for the Sunnyvale Quadhomes project.
In joint sessions with the Planning and Zoning commission and the council, the two groups discussed and eventually approved the site changes. After hearing the recommendation from the commission the council passed the site change ordinance with a vote of 4-1, Councilwoman Paula Yates was the dissenting vote.
The council also added a provision to the ordinance that the project has to have management that lives on site.
The public hearing and joint meeting represents the required public hearing for Ordinance 12?12 regarding VCZ’s proposed concept plan amendment for the property at 201 Planters Road. The commission and council had met at the end of June to discuss the project and wanted to present their discussions and open the floor to public comments at Monday’s meeting.
Paul Holden, spokesman for VCZ, said because of changes to state funding for housing Gov. Rick Perry signed into office last year the company had to make quick changes to site plan so the group would still be competitive for state funds for the Sunnyvale Quadhomes project.
Initially the project was to have 16 one bedroom units, 48 two-bedroom units, 32 three-bedroom units and zero four bedroom units at 96 total units in the complex. Holden said the company had to change the make-up of the units and a bit of the footprint to accommodate the changes made by the governor last year. The new plan now has zero one-bedroom units, 48 two-bedroom units, 40 three-bedroom units – an increase of eight units – and eight four-bedroom units.
Holden said after they saw where they might rank in terms of winning state funds in February they had to make a quick decision to change the site plan.
“Before we could file on March 1 we had to come up with the tie breaker plan before we could send the application off,” Holden said. “We apologize for the fact that we did not have an opportunity to go back through the process with the council. But we knew if we got the award we would have to come back before the council and request the changes then. Our application is ranked number two in the region which is very good and we are confident we will receive the award at the end of July.”
In a memo to the council town administrators report that the new Concept Plan still shows most structures to be two stories in height, but some dwelling units are planned to be single-story units to accommodate smaller families, families without children, and also to meet ADA accessibility requirements. The density of the project is still less than six units per gross usable acre, and the fourplex building design meets the standards for maximum dwelling units per structure.
Access to the proposed development will still be from Planters Road, an existing concretepaved/improved collector street. The entrance is divided to provide the Town’s required two points of access.
The overall layout of the complex has not substantively changed, and still shows inclusion of a clubhouse/office and visitor’s parking near the entrance, and site/leisure amenities including a network of walking/jogging trails throughout the site’s open space areas, several play areas, several barbeque/picnic facilities, and a meandering exercise trail in the private recreation/preserved landscape area in the rear portion of the site. The Concept Plan also still shows an area that can be used for stormwater management (i.e., filtration, detention, etc.) if such is determined to be necessary by the town’s engineer during site plan and engineering review for the project.
Town administration and the Planning and Zoning commission approved of the changes and recommended the council approve the site plan.
Mark Egan, chair of the planning and zoning commission, said the commission has seen this project as a way to show how open a community Sunnyvale is.
“We have always been comfortable with the development,” Egan said. “It meets, and exceeds to a certain degree, what he citizens of the town have wanted and what we have set up in ordinances. And so we are all very pleased with the development of the property.”
Holden said once they hear about the award at the end of July they will begin the process of closing and then construction will begin.
In joint sessions with the Planning and Zoning commission and the council, the two groups discussed and eventually approved the site changes. After hearing the recommendation from the commission the council passed the site change ordinance with a vote of 4-1, Councilwoman Paula Yates was the dissenting vote.
The council also added a provision to the ordinance that the project has to have management that lives on site.
The public hearing and joint meeting represents the required public hearing for Ordinance 12?12 regarding VCZ’s proposed concept plan amendment for the property at 201 Planters Road. The commission and council had met at the end of June to discuss the project and wanted to present their discussions and open the floor to public comments at Monday’s meeting.
Paul Holden, spokesman for VCZ, said because of changes to state funding for housing Gov. Rick Perry signed into office last year the company had to make quick changes to site plan so the group would still be competitive for state funds for the Sunnyvale Quadhomes project.
Initially the project was to have 16 one bedroom units, 48 two-bedroom units, 32 three-bedroom units and zero four bedroom units at 96 total units in the complex. Holden said the company had to change the make-up of the units and a bit of the footprint to accommodate the changes made by the governor last year. The new plan now has zero one-bedroom units, 48 two-bedroom units, 40 three-bedroom units – an increase of eight units – and eight four-bedroom units.
Holden said after they saw where they might rank in terms of winning state funds in February they had to make a quick decision to change the site plan.
“Before we could file on March 1 we had to come up with the tie breaker plan before we could send the application off,” Holden said. “We apologize for the fact that we did not have an opportunity to go back through the process with the council. But we knew if we got the award we would have to come back before the council and request the changes then. Our application is ranked number two in the region which is very good and we are confident we will receive the award at the end of July.”
In a memo to the council town administrators report that the new Concept Plan still shows most structures to be two stories in height, but some dwelling units are planned to be single-story units to accommodate smaller families, families without children, and also to meet ADA accessibility requirements. The density of the project is still less than six units per gross usable acre, and the fourplex building design meets the standards for maximum dwelling units per structure.
Access to the proposed development will still be from Planters Road, an existing concretepaved/improved collector street. The entrance is divided to provide the Town’s required two points of access.
The overall layout of the complex has not substantively changed, and still shows inclusion of a clubhouse/office and visitor’s parking near the entrance, and site/leisure amenities including a network of walking/jogging trails throughout the site’s open space areas, several play areas, several barbeque/picnic facilities, and a meandering exercise trail in the private recreation/preserved landscape area in the rear portion of the site. The Concept Plan also still shows an area that can be used for stormwater management (i.e., filtration, detention, etc.) if such is determined to be necessary by the town’s engineer during site plan and engineering review for the project.
Town administration and the Planning and Zoning commission approved of the changes and recommended the council approve the site plan.
Mark Egan, chair of the planning and zoning commission, said the commission has seen this project as a way to show how open a community Sunnyvale is.
“We have always been comfortable with the development,” Egan said. “It meets, and exceeds to a certain degree, what he citizens of the town have wanted and what we have set up in ordinances. And so we are all very pleased with the development of the property.”
Holden said once they hear about the award at the end of July they will begin the process of closing and then construction will begin.
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