Plan Area Profile

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3/71EXECUTIVE SUMMARY |

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The San Antonio Precise Plan Area has been identified

as a change area by the Mountain View General Plan.The Precise Plan process is building on the San Antoniovisioning process that took place in late 2012, andwill continue to be driven by an inclusive communityengagement process that will encourage the communityto discuss the improvements and development standardsthat they want to see in the San Antonio Precise PlanArea. The outcome will be a Precise Plan that alignswith the General Plan, sets goals and policies, identifiesopportunities and constraints, provides developmentregulations and standards, and identifies methods ofimplementing necessary investment in the San AntonioArea. The Plan will serve as a guide for developers

interested in building in the area, as well as a tool forthe City and community to ensure future developmentand improvements adhere to the goals set forth in theplanning process.

This Precise Plan Area Profile is an existing conditionsreport for the San Antonio Area. It compiles a reviewof the physical conditions and existing regulations, andprovides an analysis of factors that will affect planningin the Precise Plan Area. It is broken down into fourparts as outlined below:

Part I: Context, Regulatory Framework, andLand Use and Urban Design. This part in-cludes a description of the Plan Areas re-gional surroundings, existing regulations, landuses, developments underway, and urban de-sign character.

Part II: Infrastructure Analysis. This part dis-cusses water, sanitary and stormwater systemswith regard to their current demand and gen-eration, levels of system operations, currentdeficiencies, impacts of proposed conditions

from the General Plan, and regulatory consid-

erations. This section also discusses electri-cal and gas infrastructure relating to the PlanArea.

Part III: Transportation Analysis. This part de-scribes key aspects of the multimodal transpor-tation system serving the Precise Plan Area anddiscusses physical, regulatory, and operation-al characteristics and issues affecting the PlanArea and surrounding context that are either abarrier to, or an opportunity for, establishing awalkable and transit-oriented community in thePlan Area.

Part IV: Economics Analysis. This part sum-marizes the market conditions for residential,office, retail, and hotel uses within MountainView, and also includes a more focused dis-cussion of the implications that these condi-tions would have for the Precise Plan Area.

As the San Antonio Precise Plan moves forward, thefindings from the four parts of the Profile will need to beconsidered as interrelated sets of issues. For example,issues regarding land use and intensity are boundtogether with pedestrian and bicycle opportunities, andin turn, both of these will affect vehicle circulation. TheProfile is intended to give context to all of these issuesand to provide a guide to the community and decision-makers as the Precise Plan process moves forward.

The following section provides summaries of severalkey topics covered in the Profile. These summaries alsoinclude an Areas for Further Study section, whichdetails various ideas and opportunities for change thatshould be examined in greater detail.


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The San Antonio Caltrain Station is just north oPlan Area on Showers Drive, and the Mountain VCaltrain Station is two miles to the east in DowntBus service operated by the VTA also serves the Area, most notably at the San Antonio Transit Clocated on Showers Drive at Latham Street. This cis utilized by six different regional bus routes operthroughout Santa Clara County.

While Mountain View contains many parks and ospaces of varying size, the western region of the has significantly fewer parks than other regions ocity.

Areas for Further Study:Alternatives for increasing the park acre per in this Plan Area to a ratio closer to the standaddressed in the Parks and Open Space Plawhich is a city-wide planning effort currunderway. The city-wide standard is an avera

of 3 acres of park land per 1,000 residents.

Plan Area

The Plan Area includes 123 acres and is compriseda mixture of large parcels with large buildings that mup the San Antonio Center and are oriented away frthe streets, and smaller parcels with smaller buildthat function independently from one another. Fomost part, the larger parcels found in the Plan Arealarger than those in its immediate surroundings, mathe area stand out from surrounding neighborhood

The San Antonio Center takes up roughly half oPlan Area. The center is a regional retail developmwhich sits on a nearly 60-acre, uninterrupted sublock where access to its commercial uses is limitthe four major roads that bound it: El Camino RealAntonio Road, California Street, and Showers Dri

Though San Antonio Center has served as a mshopping destination for over 50 years, its combinaof big box buildings and expansive parking lotsoutdated and not conducive to more comfortawalkable retail and entertainment uses.

Areas for Further Study:

Opportunities for encouraging or ensuringmore grid-like pattern of small blocks or improvements to achieve a more convenand comfortable walkable and bicycle-frienenvironment while reconciling the Plan Atraffic bottlenecks.

PART I: CONTEXT,REGULATORYFRAMEWORK, LAND USEAND URBAN DESIGN

Regional Location

Located at the intersection of the San Francisco Peninsulaand the South Bay Area, the City of Mountain View isuniquely situated as a gateway to Silicon Valley, and isserved by several major freeways that connect it to thegreater Bay Area.

The Plan Area fits neatly into an existing chain ofpedestrian-oriented commercial corridors along thePeninsula that branch off of the Caltrain line, andfeature active pedestrian street life that is present from

morning to evening on both weekdays and weeknights.Like other communities developed in the pre-WorldWar II era, these places feature a grid-style streetsystem, prominent main street style retail corridor,and are located near a train station; all of which makethem pleasant, engaging, and walkable pedestrianattractions.

Areas for Further Study:Alternatives for capitalizing upon the Plan Areasregional location as an opportunity for SanAntonio to become a pedestrian-oriented placewith a sustained active street life.

Surrounding Context

The San Antonio Precise Plan Area sits along thewestern edge of Mountain View, and is situatedbetween El Camino Real and the Central Expressway,both of which connect to Downtown Mountain View.San Antonio Road runs through the western edge ofthe Plan Area, and is one of few north-south streets thatcrosses the Caltrain line, making it the most direct routefor accessing Highway 101 from the Plan Area.

East-west bicycle travel through the city is largely limited

to California Street, which offers a well-marked Class IIbicycle route1 between Downtown Mountain View andthe Plan Area. However the Class II route ends just westof the San Antonio Road intersection, leaving bicycliststraveling to the western-most portion of Mountain Viewand Palo Alto with fewer safe options.

1 A Class II bicycle route is defined as on-street routemarked with bike lanes.


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Existing Land Use

The San Antonio Precise Plan Area is nearly surroundedby residential land uses, most of which are multi-familyapartment buildings. Retail uses predominantly existalong El Camino Real, as well as the central portionof the Plan Area in San Antonio Center. Retail landuses range in type and scale, from big box styledepartment stores to smaller shops and restaurants.

There is also considerable range in the age of retailuses and their buildings, from stores that have openedwithin the last six months, such as the Safeway at TheVillage at San Antonio Center, to stores that have anestablished history in the Plan Area like Jo-Ann Fabricand Craft Store.

There are a number of grocery stores in and around thePlan Area, with Safeway and Trader Joes located onadjacent parcels in San Antonio Center, and a WholeFoods less than a quarter-mile away from them on ElCamino Real (just outside of the Plan Area boundary inLos Altos). There is also the Milk Pail Market, a locally-owned, open air market on California Street.

Areas for Further Study:Determine how to retain valued existing retail andattract more local retailers; Use the market studyto hone in on most needed retail types, and thepotential for more restaurants, as well as mostneeded housing and office types; consider howto best create buffers between the distinctivelydifferent land uses where necessary.

Size of Parcels

A majority of the acreage in the Plan Area is made upof large parcels greater than two acres in size, followedby a relatively even mixture of medium (between oneand two acres) and small parcels (less than one acre).This mixture of parcel sizes in the Plan Area allowsfor smaller, and perhaps locally-owned, establishmentslike the Milk Pail Market to co-exist with major retailanchors.

Areas for Further Study:Alternatives for locating smaller or locally-owned

businesses and housing within smaller parcels,potentially leaving large parcels for larger scalenational retailers, office or a hotel.

Parcel Ownership

Over 70% of the Plan Area is owned or operated byeight unique owners, resulting in a large area that iscontrolled by few entities. Groups of parcels withshared ownership or management are found covering

much of San Antonio Shopping Center (including theTarget parcels on the eastern side of Showers Drive),west of San Antonio Road, North of California Street,and the entire Hetch Hetchy right-of-way running east-west through the Plan Area.

Areas for Further Study:Coordination with owners of multiple parcels toensure that there is a cohesive vision for the PlanArea and strategies for implementing the PrecisePlan improvements in the long-term.

Building Footprints

Buildings with the largest footprints are typically foundwithin the interior of the Plan Area, and set back fromthe major streets, while smaller buildings are morevisible from the street, with the majority located alongSan Antonio Road and its cross streets.

Areas for Further Study:Opportunities for continuing and expanding uponthe existing development pattern of smaller scalebuildings and/or massing along the edges andlarger buildings located within the interior.

Parking

Land that is dedicated to parking makes up aconsiderable proportion of the Plan Area andfurthermore, parking lots and their driveways dividemost of the buildings in the Plan Area from the publicright-of-ways.

The parking garages for the new Safeway andapartment buildings in The Village at San AntonioCenter are the only parking garages in the Plan Area,and offer new alternatives to the surface parking trendsthat take up most of the space within the San AntonioCenter.

Areas for Further Study:Alternatives for parking, including above groundand/or underground parking structures that will bepleasant and well-used, and exploration of sharingparking between uses.

Site Circulation

Public streets cater mainly to cars, particularly ElCamino Real and San Antonio Road, and providefew pedestrian comforts. Public streets include bothshorter and more walkable street segments along thenorthern portion of the Plan Area, as well as the longand uninterrupted stretches of Showers Drive and ElCamino Real.


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San Antonio Center has its own internal circulationsystem that makes use of its interconnected parkinglots. The primary routes function as make-shift streetsthat wind around the parking lots, allowing for cars totravel from one end of the site to another. These routesinclude painted travel lanes, stop signs, pedestriancrosswalks and some non-contiguous sidewalks, andlandscaping, all of which make them more easilydistinguishable routes for both drivers, and in someareas, for pedestrians.

The Plan Area also has smaller, secondary routes thatdo not have as many of the streetscape elements thatthe primary routes offer, and parking lanes which arethe least suitable pedestrian routes within the Plan Area.

Each retail building in the San Antonio Center has aback of house area or loading dock to receive freightdeliveries. Large trucks access these loading areas usingthe same site circulation system as private automobiles.

The loading areas are all oriented differently and onlya few of the existing buildings might be able to share acommon service alley so that trucks could be separatedfrom autos and pedestrians.

Areas for Further Study:Options to provide more convenient andcomfortable bike and pedestrian connectionsthrough the Plan Area, and clear connectionsfor drivers to onsite parking areas, options fordesignating either one common service alleyfor trucks or multiple service driveways sharedbetween buildings wherever feasible, and addresstraffic bottleneck concerns at San Antonio Roadand California Street.

Precise Plan Area Street Character

The Plan Area includes a combination of major arterialroads and smaller local streets. El Camino Real, theregional connector that runs the length of the Peninsula,is often crowded with traffic across eight travel lanes,and also includes numerous driveways along its edges.Due in part to these characteristics, as well as its lackof consistent street trees and building setbacks, it is oneof the least pedestrian-friendly streets in the Plan Area.

San Antonio Road is also a busy regional connectorand leads directly to Highway 101, but it is smallerin scale and more pedestrian friendly. This is perhapsdue to the mature street trees along the road, both inthe median and along the sidewalks.

Showers Drive and California Street typically featuretwo travel lanes with bike lanes in each direction andstreet trees. California Street is more shaded than otherstreets in the Plan Area due to mature trees on fronting

properties, and some median street trees as well.

Areas for Further Study:Opportunities for roads, or portions of roawithin the Plan Area that are suitable for mcharacter improvements to become mattractive, with active, welcoming, pedestfrontages, and opportunities for land dedicatresulting in improved sidewalks and/or protecbicycle facilities when sites fronting public sredevelop.

Edges, Areas of Activity and Views

The edges of the Plan Area are primarily boundedresidential uses on the north, east, and south. Mothese buildings contain multi-family residential for some single-family homes to the south andCrossings neighborhood, a development with sinfamily homes and townhomes, located between Precise Plan Area and the Caltrain Station.The major area of activity in the Plan Area isintersection at El Camino and San Antonio. Recthis area has been reinforced by The Village at SAntonio Center which frames a gathering space atcorner. The other three corners do not currently as strong a presence.

Preservation of views towards the mountains has clearly stated as a priority for residents. Currentlyare public views to the south from San Antonio RShowers Drive, and at a few locations along CalifoStreet. Other vistas in the Plan Area are difficult tfrom ground level.

Areas for Further Study:Development of neighborhood transition stratalong residential edges of the Plan Aralternatives for additional activity areas inPlan Area; and opportunities for preservation enhancement of existing public views.

Landscape Character

There are a fair number of existing trees throughouPlan Area, including a significant oak tree along thCamino Real side of the Plan Area. However, due tolarge percentage of parking lots, the overall impresof the Plan Area is one of a heavily-asphalted, genvironment.

In light of this, some of the parking lots have goodcover, particularly the portion that fronts the norentrance to the Kohls and 24 Hour Fitness.

The General Plan identifies the Hetch Hetchy rig


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way as an opportunity for mobility and open space. Thenew park on the western portion of the Hetch Hetchyright-of-way is a major focal point and landscapefeature as the area develops. It currently serves as theonly form of open space inside the Plan Area.

Areas for Further Study:Preservation of significant trees where feasible,utilization of rain gardens and other stormwatercatchment areas to increase green ground coverin the Plan Area, and use of permeable materialsto treat stormwater, green roofs, and green wallsin new development. Opportunities for using theHetch Hetchy right-of-way for open space andexploring a mix of open space types to meet theneeds of the Plan Area users.

Gatekeeper and Pipeline Projects

Development pressure in and around the Plan Area ishigh, as demonstrated by the relatively high percentageof properties that have come forward as Gatekeeper2 projects. There are currently three active Gatekeeperprojects in the Plan Area, one inactive project, and tworecently completed or under construction projects.

While several of these Gatekeeper projects are alreadywell into their development review process, ideally thePrecise Plan will give clear direction to projects that arecurrently proposed and not yet under construction.

Areas for Further Study:Coordinate with Gatekeeper projects to help

projects meet the Precise Plan goals and objectivesand understand what conflicts may need resolution.

Walkability

The Plan Area was studied to determine how easy it isto walk to and from transit stops, which determines itswalkability. The walkability analysis included half-mile walking distances from the San Antonio CaltrainStation and from the proposed VTA Bus Rapid Transitstop on El Camino Real along public sidewalks in thePlan Area.

Due to the large block structure of the Plan Area andlimited pedestrian infrastructure, such as a lack ofinternals streets and continuous sidewalks through the

2 The term Gatekeeper refers to the authorization byCity Council to have staff work on a submitted proposalin order to ensure that development applications areprocessed timely. Gatekeeper status is granted to projectsdeemed suitable by the Council, pending availability ofstaff resources.

center, the areas that are within walking distance ofboth of the transit stations are minimal.

Areas for Further Study:Additional public sidewalks, accessible walkways,improvements to existing sidewalks, and a finergrain of internal streets to increase the walkabilitydistance for the two transit stations further into theSan Antonio Precise Plan Area.

Blocks and Intersections

Analysis has been done to compare the size of blocksand the number of street intersections of DowntownMountain View and the Plan Area. There is no disputethat parcel and ownership patterns in the Plan Area arevery different from Downtown, and that Downtown willnot be replicated in the Plan Area.

However, this analysis is useful in that it shows how a

street grid comprised of smaller blocks helps to createa place where people like to meet, walk, shop, andwork.

Areas for Further Study:Improvements to the street layout of the Plan Area,including bisecting large areas at the interior bynew streets with bike and pedestrian connections,even if they are private streets that feel public.

Existing Building Character

The building character in the Plan Area includes a

variety of building types, sizes, and ages, and ultimatelylacks a cohesive style. The big-box style of buildingsthroughout the site lack human-scale architecturalfeatures such as ground-floor windows and variationsin facade materials.

There are some examples of more contemporarybuilding types that include the architectural featuresnoted above, including the recently constructedVillage at San Antonio Center development, and theCommunity School of Music and Arts building.

Some older buildings in the Plan Area have uniquecharacter and design elements, such as the Firestone

auto service shop on San Antonio Road which featuresa unique roof form.

Areas for Further Study:Potential for new, architecturally significantbuildings and urban design features that forge anew character that fit into Mountain View but stilldefine the San Antonio Precise Plan Area.


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PART II: INFRASTRUCTURE

Water Supply

The City water system in the San Antonio PrecisePlan Area is sufficient to provide water service for

the current domestic demands and fire flows forsprinklered buildings. An overview of the mainlines in the San Antonio area shows that only oneshort main line segment along the El Camino Realis classified as being approximately 5% below a5,000 gpm fire flow requirement. Overall, theCitys water supply and distribution network isrobust.

Areas for Further Study:Evaluate the Precise Plan development alternativeswith the existing water system capacity to determineif additional lines and supply will be needed toaccommodate new growth as proposed in thepreferred Precise Plan alternative.

Sanitary System

The sanitary sewer system in the San Antonio PlanArea is susceptible to additional flows likely tobe generated by higher density developments.Although the City of Mountain View is a memberof the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality ControlPlant, sanitary sewer flows in the San AntonioPrecise Plan area crossing into and out of thecity limits bordering Los Altos complicate thesystem flows, individual line maintenance, andpotential capital improvement projects. Whilethe majority of the existing sanitary sewer systemin the San Antonio Precise Plan Area is sufficientto accommodate the existing sanitary generation,there are areas of localized deficiencies thatwould become more pronounced with increaseddevelopment density.

Areas for Further Study:Evaluate the Precise Plan development alternativeswith the existing sanitary system capacity todetermine improvements that can accommodatenew growth as proposed in the preferred PrecisePlan alternative.

Stormwater Drainage

The storm drain system in the San Antonio PrecisePlan Area is adequate to convey existing flows.Since regulatory requirements of the San FranciscoBay Region Municipal Regional Stormwater

NPDES Permit (MRP) place limitations on fustormwater discharges from a site, any newdevelopment or redevelopment project will brequired to meet or reduce site runoff. This implthat future stormwater runoff will not exceed tcurrent impacts to the existing storm drain syste

Areas for Further Study:Evaluate the Precise Plan development alternawith the existing stormwater drainage syscapacity to determine if runoff will reqadditional capacity to accommodate new grow


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PART III:TRANSPORTATION

Multimodal Performance Measures

Performance measures assess how well a transportationsystem or facility functions relative to an establishedstandard, criterion or accepted norm. They are usedin planning the transportation facility needs in order toaccommodate long-range estimates of travel demand,and they are used in the land use development reviewprocess to identify impacts of increased travel demand.Traditional performance measures have focused almostexclusively on facilities for automobile travel such asintersections, roads, and highways using measuresthat gauge motorist convenience such as delay andtravel time. More recently, performance measures havebeen developed that assess the physical environmentand the condition and operation of facilities usedby pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users. Multipleagencies control and operate the streets and transitsystems that serve the San Antonio Precise Plan Area,and each agency adopts their own set of performancemeasures that provide the data used to determineconformance with their established standards.

Performance measures are used in the preparation of thePrecise Plan in: 1) planning and evaluating alternativeland use and circulation schemes to determine whichcan best achieve the goals and objectives establishedfor the Precise Plan; 2) comparing the Plans performancemeasures against standards to identify and mitigate

environmental impacts of the Plan under CEQA; and3) use performance measures as a design control inplanning details related to the Plans transportationinfrastructure.

Areas for Further Study:Multimodal performance measures that informdevelopment of the Plans elements to effectivelyinfluence a shift in mode share from automobiles towalking, bicycling, and transit.

Site Circulation

Circulation within the Plan Area today is limiteddue to the size of the blocks created for large retailcenters and office buildings. Local access to the SanAntonio Precise Plan Area is confined to surroundingarterial streetsEl Camino Real, San Antonio Road, S.Rengstorff Avenue, Central Expressway, or CaliforniaStreet. The need to manage access on these arterialstreets intentionally channels a substantial amount oftraffic to a limited number of signalized site driveways,and to the approaches of the major intersections

circumscribing the retail centers, resulting in large andcongested intersections uninviting to pedestrians andbicyclists.

In addition, the commercial centers have regularlyspaced limited-access driveways (e.g., right-in /right-out) partially intended to relieve traffic demandat driveways, but primarily for customer convenienceof easy ingress that avoids the out-of-direction travelrequired to use the signalized driveways. Egressusing the limited-access driveways, however, is lessconvenient and often requires drivers to make u-turnsat the congested signalized driveways they were tryingto avoid.

Existing traffic operations were studied at 41intersections within the San Antonio and El CaminoReal Precise Plans to determine current traffic conditions.No intersections within the San Antonio Precise PlanArea exceeded the level of service (LOS) standard

established for it. The following three intersections aremajor traffic gateways to the Plan Area and operatewithin their respective LOS standards: San Antonio Rd/ El Camino Real (C-); San Antonio / California Street(D); and Showers Drive / California Street (C).

Areas of Further Study:Evaluate Precise Plan development alternatives withexisting traffic conditions to determine circulationimprovements that can reduce congestion, alongwith increased mode share improvements, todetermine the preferred Precise Plan alternative.

San Antonio Center CirculationThe San Antonio Center, comprised of multipleproperties, forms what is functionally a singlesuperblock and a significant barrier to travel for allmodes of transportation. The Center is permeable topedestrians and bicyclists who wish to pass through theblock and avoid the alternative routesEl Camino Realand California Street. The Centers internal circulation isfor access to surface parking lots resulting in circuitouspaths most of which are shared with automobiles withinparking lots.

Each retail building in the San Antonio Center has a

back of house area or loading dock to receive freightdeliveries. Large trucks access these loading areas usingthe same site circulation system as private automobiles.The loading areas are all oriented differently and onlya few of the existing buildings might be able to share acommon service alley so that trucks could be separatedfrom autos and pedestrians.

Areas for Further Study:Options for providing pedestrian and bicycle


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access into and through San Antonio Center thatare compatible with the new development recentlycompleted, currently under construction, and soonto start construction; and options for designatingeither one common service alley for trucks ormultiple service driveways shared betweenbuildings wherever feasible.

Transit and Transit-Orientation

The San Antonio Precise Plan Area is well servedby transit and compact enough to allow transitaccessibility to the entire area. The Plan Area containsa Transit Center and has a Caltrain station in closeproximity. The majority of the Plan Area is within a 15-and 20-minute walk of the San Antonio Transit Centerand the VTA 522 Rapid Bus stops on El Camino Real,respectively. Similarly, the San Antonio Caltrain stationis accessible from the entire Plan Area within a shortwalk. However, to walk in the most direct path fromone street to another in the Plan Area, pedestrians haveto navigate through the expansive parking lots using acombination of parking lot aisles and the discontinuoussidewalks that exist on private property, but the routespedestrians must choose are likely to be circuitous andunpredictable.

The absence of express train service and relatively smallamount of parking (200 spaces) at the San AntonioCaltrain station creates a less utilized neighborhood-serving station. The proximity of existing transit-oriented-development (TOD), the potential for significantly moreTOD in the Plan Area, and the proximity of the San

Antonio Transit Center, makes the Caltrain station idealfor emphasizing pedestrian and bicycle access. In fact,bike share facilities were recently installed at the stationand near the San Antonio Transit Center.

Under Caltrains Comprehensive Station AccessProgram, the San Antonio station would meet the criteriafor a Neighborhood Circulator or an IntermodalConnectivity station both defined as stations locatedin moderate to high residential density areas with lowto moderate Caltrain service levels, but future TODopportunities are moderate to high. The access priorityfor these types of stations is walking, bicycling andtransit.

Areas for Further Study:The development of the San Antonio PrecisePlan in regards to the Caltrain Station shouldconsider including development standards thatensure an adequately high density of housingand commercial land uses to maximize theadvantage of the stations proximity, andincreased transit ridership and concepts toimprove the areas pedestrian and bicycle

connectivity to encourage the Areas residand employees, as well as persons frooutside of the Plan Area to walk and bicyto the Caltrain station.

Bicycle System Coverage and Limitations

The Plan Area is well served by an existing, butextensive, bicycle system that is suitable for the cbicyclist who rides for recreation, errands, shopor dining trips to the downtown, or to access trafor commute trips. Within the Plan Area, the cabicyclists can use Class II bicycle lanes to acCaltrain, the San Antonio Transit Center and the RBus stops on El Camino Real. They can use the Clbike lanes on California Street to access downtownuse the lanes on Rengstorff Avenue or Shoreline to access the land uses and recreational opportunito the north.

The existing network has limitations for the inexperibicyclist uncomfortable biking next to traffic anlonger-distance bicycling commuter due to gaps inconnectivity into Palo Alto and Los Altos, and thof direct long-distance facilities on major corridowhich the experienced bicyclist can access plaanywhere on the Peninsula.

El Camino Real is viewed as both an opportunityan obstacle in this regard. Some bicyclists belthat El Camino Real would make an excellent bicrouteit is a straight and direct route from Paloto Sunnyvaleusing Class II bicycle lanes. A gsolution for the casual, inexperienced, and lodistance bicyclist, however, is implementation cycle track, a type of dedicated bike lane thaphysically separated from traffic using a raised meda painted median, or on-street parking. Implementhis type of facility within El Camino Reals constright-of-way would require trading on-street parkithe cycle track on most segments.

Areas for Further Study:Developing a more robust system of bicycle faciincluding off-street paths (e.g., along the HHetchy right-of-way), cycle tracks or bufferedlanes on segments of El Camino Real or CalifoStreet, and Bicycle Boulevards on low volumelow speed streets such as Latham Street.


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PART IV: ECONOMICS

Housing

Future job and household growth in Mountain View willgenerate demand for more multi-family rental units and

for-sale housing. The city will continue to attract many younger, single-person and other non-family householdslikely to generate continued demand for multi-familyhousing, particularly one- and two-bedroom units. Inaddition, condominium and townhouse developmentis surging in the city as home prices escalate and thenumber of families increases.

Mountain View plays an important role in housingSilicon Valleys workforce at a range of incomelevels. The city provides housing for a relatively highshare of the market areas low- and moderate-incomehouseholds.

Between 2010 and 2030, demand for housing inMountain View is expected to total between 6,500and 7,200 new units. The demand for housing isstrong in Mountain View, and nearly 3,000 units arealready in the pipeline, indicating that the city is well-positioned to capture much of the projected demand.

Office

Growing employment, particularly in the professionaland information sectors, is driving a boom in MountainViews office market. According to local real estatebrokers, the San Antonio Road area is one of the

most desirable locations for tenants, second only todowntown Mountain View and the North Bayshore/Shoreline area (which is dominated by Google). SanAntonios appeal lies in its Caltrain station and the newrestaurants and retail on the verge of opening. Officebuildings in the other segments of El Camino Realcommand lower rental rates and are less attractive fortenants and developers.

A large number of office projects are already inconstruction and in advanced stages of planning.

It is estimated that there is five million square feet ofoffice development in the pipeline in Mountain View,Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale. This pipelinedevelopment would satisfy much of the future demandfor new office development in the market area over thenext 20 years.

The city could attract between 953,000 to 2.3million square feet of additional development beyondwhat is already in the pipeline. Assuming MountainView maintains its existing market share of officedevelopment in northern Santa Clara County, the city

could see another 953,000 to 2.3 million square feetof office development. Mountain View may capturemore (or less) space depending on the pace of futurejob growth, relative land supply, land use regulations,amenities, and other factors.

Retail

Future population growth will support demand for 1.2to 1.4 million square feet of new retail in Mountain Viewbetween 2010 and 2030. The city is likely to be mostcompetitive in attracting convenience retail like grocerystores, general merchandise stores, restaurants, bars,and service retail, and less competitive in attractingcomparison retail such as electronics, furniture,appliances, and clothing stores.

Most new retail development is likely to occur in existingactivity centers.

Given the limited availability of land in MountainView, new retail development is likely to occur in majoractivity centers and nodes, or in redevelopment of oldershopping centers. The San Antonio Precise Plan Area isan extremely attractive location for retail development.The new retail that has opened at San Antonio Centerto date has been highly successful, and the numberof retail proposals in the pipeline in the Precise PlanArea indicates that developers are eager to continuebuilding. The development of proposed new office,residential, and hotel space in the Plan Area is likelyto contribute to the continuing strength of San Antonioas a retail node. However, as redevelopment of theolder retail properties is completed, land supply foradditional development is likely to become a limitingfactor. Assuming site availability, the potential tenantsare most likely to be restaurants, other grocery andfood stores, and personal/business services (e.g., nailsalons, spas, banks, cell phone stores).

Hotel

The Silicon Valley hotel market is strong, with growingdemand for hotel rooms in and around Mountain View.

Over the next two decades, the Silicon Valley isestimated to generate demand for 8,000 new rooms.

Lack of available sites and financial feasibility presentchallenges to attracting hotel development in thePlan Areas. Hotel developers typically require largeparcels of at least two acres, which are difficult to findin Mountain View. Furthermore, hotels are generallynot the highest and best use for most properties inMountain View when compared to the performance ofoffice and residential projects in Mountain View.


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Precise Plan Areas

The Precise Plan Areas are poised to capture muchof the future development potential in Mountain View.Much of the recent development activity in MountainView, as well as planned projects, are located in thetwo Precise Plan Areas. Furthermore, there are multipleprojects in construction and planning phases set to becompleted in the short term, in or near the San Antonioand El Camino Real Precise Plans.

The limited number of large, developable sites in thePlan Areas presents a challenge for accommodatingnew demand. The Plan Areas, especially the El CaminoReal Precise Plan Area have only a limited number ofsites of that size available for redevelopment. Smaller,shallower sites are typically more difficult to redevelopinto higher density projects due to capacity constraints.

San Antonio is a competitive location for office,multi-family residential, and retail. Due to its excellentaccessibility, the proximity to Caltrain, and the highlevel of amenities in the San Antonio Center, theSan Antonio Precise Plan Area is very attractive todevelopers, particularly for office projects, apartments,and convenience retail uses. Hotel development mayalso be possible in the plan area if suitable sites areavailable.


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PART I

1 CONTEXT 1.1 Regional Location 51.2 Surrounding Context 71.3 Plan Area 9

2 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK 2.1 General Plan Change Areas and Land Use 112.2 Existing Zoning 152.3 Existing Precise Plan Regulations 162.4 Housing Element 192.5 San Antonio Area Visioning Report 202.6 Parks and Open Space 23

3 LAND USE & URBAN DESIGN 23.1 Existing Land Use 273.2 Size of Parcels 293.3 Parcel Ownership 313.4 Building Footprints 333.5 Sub Areas 353.6 Parking 393.7 Site Circulation 413.8 Building Entrances 453.9 Plan Area Street Character 463.10 Areas of Activity, Edges, and Views 493.11 Landscape and Natural Character 513.12 Gatekeeper and Pipeline Projects 533.13 Walkability 553.14 Blocks and Intersections 573.15 Existing Built Character 58


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4 | San Antonio Precise Plan Area Profile October 2013

REGIONAL LOCATIONFIGURE 1-1

San Antonio Precise Plan Area El Camino Real Precise Plan Area

North Bayshore Precise Plan Area

0 0.5 1 Miles

10 1

101

2 8 0

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85

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NORTH BAYSHORE

EL CAMINO


17/71CONTEXT | 5

1. University Avenue, Downtown Palo Alto2. California Avenue, Palo Alto3. San Antonio Precise Plan Area4. Castro Street, Downtown Mountain View

1 CONTEXT

0 0.5 1 Miles

101

2 8 0

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85

237

C A L T R A I N


SA N FR AN CI SC O BAY

MI DP EN IN SU LAOPEN SPACE PRESERVE

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PEDESTRIAN-ORIENTED COMMERCIAL CORRIDFIGURE 1-

1.1 Regional Location

Located at the intersection of the San FranciscoPeninsula and the South Bay Area, the City of MountainView is uniquely situated as a gateway to Silicon Valley(see Figure 1-1), and benefits from the cultural andeconomic amenities that come with such a distinction.

Several major freeways and interchanges run throughthe city, helping to connect it to the greater Bay Arearegion:

Highway 101 connects San Jose to SanFrancisco

State Route 237 connects Mountain View tothe East Bay Area

Highway 85 connects Mountain View toCupertino, southern San Jose, and Highway17

Key regional attractions include Moffett Field, an activeairfield operated by NASA Ames Research Centeradjacent to the northeast corner of Mountain Views citylimits, and numerous major office campuses for SiliconValley technology companies.

The city is nestled between the San Francisco Bay tothe north, and the base of the Midpeninsula RegionalOpen Space District to the south.

The Plan Area fits neatly into an existing chain ofpedestrian-oriented commercial corridors along thePeninsula that branch off of the Caltrain line, andfeature active pedestrian street life that is present frommorning to evening on both weekdays and weeknights(see Figure 1-2).

Like other communities developed in the pre-WorldWar II era, these places feature a grid-style streetsystem, prominent main street style retail corridor,and are located near a train station; all of which makethem pleasant, engaging, and walkable pedestrianattractions.


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A D O B E

C R E E K

C E N T R A L E X W Y

C A L I F O R N I A S T

U S H W Y 1 0 1

C A S T R O

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W M ID D LE F IE LD R D

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C H A R LE S T O N R D

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San AntonioCaltrain Station

VTA BusTransfer Station

Future VTABRT Stop

Mo unt ainView

Caltrain/ VTA Light

Rail Station

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Precise Plan Area Bike Route Schools

Transit Stations Parks

Downtown Mountain View

Major Roads

Secondary Roads

Parks1. Del Medio Park

2. Hetch Hetchy EasementOpen Space

3. Klein Park 4. Gemello Park

5. Monta Loma Park 6. Thaddeus Park

7. Rengstorff Park 8. Castro Park 9. Sierra Vista Park 10. McKelvey Ball Park 11. Mariposa Park 12. Whisman Sports Center

13. Eagle Park 14. Stevenson park

15. Dana Park 16. Pioneer Memorial Park 17. Fairmont Park 18. Willowgate Community

Gardens19. Mercy-Bush Park

20. Charleston Park

Schools 21. Community School of

Music and Arts 22. Mona Loma Elementary

School 23. Mariano Castro

Elementary School 24. St. Joseph Catholic

School 25. Crittenden Middle School 26. Theuerkauf Elementary

School 27. Stevenson Elementary

School

28. Mountain View Academy 29. Graham Middle School

SURROUNDING CONTEXTFIGURE 1-3


19/71CONTEXT | 7

1.2 SurroundingContext

The San Antonio Precise Plan Area sits along the

western edge of Mountain View, adjacent to both LosAltos and Palo Alto. Less than two miles to the east isDowntown Mountain View, and the retail and diningattractions of Castro Street, as well as the Citys Centerfor the Performing Arts.

The Plan Area is situated between two major arterialsthat run through the Peninsula to San Jose: El CaminoReal and the Central Expressway (Alma Street). Bothstreets also connect the Plan Area to DowntownMountain View.

The Central Expressway functions like a typicalexpressway; it has long blocks that rarely break for

cross traffic, limited sidewalks, higher traffic speedlimits, and sound walls and landscaping that hide andbuffer adjacent uses while also creating a consistentand tree-lined street wall.

In contrast, El Camino Real has more frequently spacedintersections, consistent sidewalks, and buildings anddriveways that front the street. Building setbacks rangeconsiderably, resulting in an inconsistent street wall.

Commercial uses along El Camino Real range in scalefrom larger big box retail and office buildings tosingle-story buildings containing smaller footprint retail,restaurants, fast food, gas stations or other auto-relatedservices, and small offices.California Street is a curving tree-lined boulevard withbike lanes that runs east-west, bisecting the Plan Areaand connecting it to the central core of DowntownMountain View. The street and bike lane end justwest of the Plan Area and result in vehicular high-turnvolumes at San Antonio Road.

San Antonio Road is one of few north-south streets thatcrosses the Caltrain line, and serves as the most directroute for accessing Highway 101 from the Plan Area.

Bicycle routes within and around the Plan Area featuresome good facilities; however, their overall connectionto one another and surrounding context lacks flexibility,continuity, and safe options. Traveling north and souththrough Mountain View is restricted to a limited numberof streets due to the Caltrain line. San Antonio Road,the Caltrain-crossing street closest to the Plan Area,offers no bicycle facilities.

East-west bicycle travel through the city is largely limitedto California Street, which offers a well-marked Class II

bicycle route1 between Downtown Mountain View andthe Plan Area. However the Class II route ends just westof the San Antonio Road intersection, leaving bicycliststraveling to the western-most portion of Mountain Viewand Palo Alto with fewer safe options.

The San Antonio Caltrain Station is just north of thePlan Area on Showers Drive, and the Mountain ViewCaltrain Station is two miles to the east in Downtown.Bus service operated by the VTA also serves the PlanArea, most notably at the San Antonio Transit Centerlocated on Showers Drive at Latham Street. This centeris utilized by six different regional bus routes operatingthroughout Santa Clara County.

Bus service operated by the VTA also serves the PlanArea. The San Antonio Transit Center on Showers Driveat Latham Street is utilized by six different bus routesthat run regionally throughout Santa Clara County.

A Bus Rapid Transit line has been proposed by theVTA which, when completed, would include a stop atthe intersection of El Camino Real and Showers Drive,and would offer riders a faster and more comfortableexpress bus option for traveling along El Camino Realbetween Palo Alto and San Jose.

The Plan Area includes one school, Community Schoolof Music and Arts, and includes several public andprivate schools in the vicinity.

Mountain View contains ample parks and open spacesof varying sizes; however, the western region of the cityand the Plan Area have significantly fewer parks than

the citys other regions. One way of understanding thescarcity of parks in and immediately around the PlanArea is to compare the ratio of park square footageper housing unit for this area to the ratio for the entirecity. Mountain Views city-wide ratio is 1,221 squarefeet of open space for every housing unit, yet for everyhousing unit that is west of Rengstorff Avenue and southof Central Expressway, there is only 26 square feet ofopen space.

1 A Class II bicycle route is defined as on-street routemarked with bike lanes.


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SAN ANTONIOPRECISE PLAN AREAFIGURE 1-4

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1 2 3 ACRES

0 250 500 Feet

Precise Plan Boundaries

2030 General Plan San Antonio Change Area

Draft Additional Parcels to Study in Precise Plan Area


21/71CONTEXT | 9

1.3 Plan Area

Situated along several major thoroughfares and theCaltrain line, the Plan Areas location is highly visible,well-traveled and well-suited for attracting visitors from

throughout the southern Peninsula. It is also well-situated to serve as the gateway to Mountain Viewfrom surrounding communities to the west.

The Plan Area includes 123 acres and is comprisedof a mixture of large parcels with large buildings thatmake up San Antonio Center and are oriented awayfrom the streets, and smaller parcels with smallerbuildings that function independently from one anotherand face the street. For the most part, the largerparcels found in the Plan Area are larger than those inits immediate surroundings, making the area stand outfrom surrounding neighborhoods.

On the one hand, large parcels make for attractivedevelopment opportunities, since such clusters oflarger parcels are not as common in MountainViewparticularly in close proximity to transit stations.However, the large scale of these parcels is also anobstacle to the creation of a cohesive area wherepeople are comfortable walking and biking.

A large portion of the Plan Area is part of San AntonioCenter, a regional retail development, which sitson a nearly 60-acre, uninterrupted super block,where access to its commercial uses is limited to thefour major roads that bound it: El Camino Real, SanAntonio Road, California Street, and Showers Drive.Internally, the super-block has an intricate network ofdriveways connecting large parking lots, ultimatelymaking it feasible for one to drive from one cornerof San Antonio Center to another without needing toaccess the external right-of-ways. It is not as convenientor comfortable to walk or bike through San AntonioCenter, however.

Though San Antonio Center has served as a majorshopping destination for over 50 years, its combinationof big box buildings and expansive parking lots thatcover much of the site is outdated and not conducive tomore contemporary, walkable retail and entertainmentuses.The form and character of the Plan Area changessignificantly along the western side of San AntonioRoad. Smaller local streets, Fayette Drive and MillerAvenue, intersect with San Antonio Road to createmore walkable segments, and several one- and two-story office buildings are oriented towards the sidewalkwith landscaping and a mature tree canopy thatprovide both shade and a respite from the surrounding

hardscape street environment.

Several eras of retail development styles are representedin the Plan Area, ranging from the recently completedmixed-use retail project at San Antonio Road and ElCamino Real that includes a Safeway, restaurants, andtwo five-story apartment buildings, to the 1970s Kohlsbig box style building on the northern edge of SanAntonio Center.

The Plan Area is relatively flat, which would typicallyfoster a pleasant and accessible pedestrian andbicycling circulation; however, the expansive blocksand lack of comfortable and convenient routes throughthe central portions of the Plan Area and along themajor roads nullifies this topographical characteristic.


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S A N

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INTENSITY 1.35 FAR maximum(43 du/acre or30-90 residents/acre)Up to 0.50 FAR can be officeor commercial

HEIGHTSUp to 3 s tor ies

GENERALMIXED-USE

INTENSITY 26-35 DU/acre(55-74 residents/acre)


MEDIUM-HIGHDE NS I T Y RE S I DE NT I AL

INTENSITY 0.35 FAR


NEIGHBORHOODCOMMERCIAL

INTENSITY 2.35 FAR(70 DU/acre or60150 residents/acre)Up to 0 .75 FARcan be off ice or commercial


MIXED-USECENTER

INTENSITY 1.85 FAR maximum (SanAntonio)(60 DU/acre or50130 residents/acre)Up to 0 .50 FARcan be off ice or commercial


MIXED-USECORRIDOR

0 250 500 Feet

i i i i i i ll i

i i

i

l i i

i i l

GENERAL PLAN LAND USEFIGURE 2-1

General Mixed-Use Medium-High Density Residential

Neighborhood CommercialMixed-Use Corridor

Mixed-Use Center Gatekeeper Request for Changeto Mixed-Use Corridor

Draft Additional Parcels toStudy in Precise Plan Area


23/71REGULATORY FRAMEWORK | 11

2.1 General PlanChange Areas andLand Use

The 2030 Mountain View General Plan includes goalsand policies for five Change Areas identified to serveas areas where significant change should occur for the

next 20 years. The following goals and policies forthe San Antonio Change Area, which is containedwithin the San Antonio Precise Plan Areas boundaries,allow for higher intensities and an increase in land usediversity, as well as improved bicycling and pedestriancirculation and connections to public transportation.

Goal LUD-21: A gateway neighborhood with diverseland uses, public amenities and strong connections tosurrounding areas.

Policy LUD 21.1: A mix of land uses. Supporta mix of commercial land uses serving theneighborhood and the region.

Policy LUD 21.2: Higher-density residentialnear transit. Encourage higher-densityresidential uses near bus and Caltrain stations.

Policy LUD 21.3: Improved connectivity.Promote improved connectivity to adjacentneighborhoods, destinations and Downtown.

Policy LUD 21.4: Improved pedestrianand bicycle circulation. Support improvedpedestrian and bicycle circulation andconnectivity throughout the area.

Policy LUD 21.5: Hetch Hetchy right-of-

way. Promote the use of the Hetch Hetchyright-of-way for open space and mobilityimprovements in the area.

Goal LUD-22: A revitalized San Antonio Center witha diverse mix of uses and connections to adjacentneighborhoods.

Policy LUD 22.1: San Antonio Centertransformation. Support the transformation ofSan Antonio Center into a regional mixed-use

and commercial destination. Policy LUD 22.2: Residential uses. Support

new residential uses within San AntonioCenter.

Policy LUD 22.3: Gathering spaces.Encourage new plazas, open space andother gathering spaces in San Antonio Center.

Policy LUD 22.4: Pedestrian-oriented designelements. Ensure that developments includepedestrian-oriented design elements suchas accessible building entrances, visiblestorefronts and landscaping.

Policy LUD 22.5: Finer street grid. Promotea finer street grid and improved connectivitywithin San Antonio Center.

Policy LUD 22.6: Improved mobility. Supportimproved mobility within San Antonio Centerfor vehicles, transit, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Policy LUD 22.7: Improved bicycle andpedestrian connections. Promote improved

bicycle and pedestrian connections to theSan Antonio Caltrain station, El Camino Realbus service, adjacent neighborhoods and thecitywide bicycle and pedestrian network.

Policy LUD 22.8: Parking area safety. Ensuresafe pedestrian and bicycle access throughparking areas.

The General Plan also describes form and charactercomponents for change areas, and breaks them downinto four key topics:

Pedestrian and bicyclist environment Site layout and design Plazas and shared space Building-to-street relationship

General Plan Land Use Designations2: The San Antonio

2 *A General Plan Amendment application has beensubmitted to the City to change the designation of theseparcels to Mixed-Use Corridor.

2 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK


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acre or 60150 residents/acre), of which upto 0.75 FAR can be office or commercial

Height Guideline: Up to 8 stories

The Plan Area also has a small pocket ofNeighborhoodCommercial along the northern side of California Street

and adjacent to The Crossings residential development,and there isMedium-High Density Residentialallowed along Ortega Avenue at Latham Street.

Neighborhood Commercial areas promote commercialactivity for surrounding neighborhoods, with retail andservice businesses such as grocery stores, cleaners,restaurants, beauty salons and similar types of uses.This category is defined by the following requirements:

Allowed Land Uses: Commercial with retailand personal services; parks, plazas andopen space

Intensity: 0.35 FAR Height Guideline: Up to 2 stories

Medium-High Density Residential is for multi-familyhousing such as apartments and condominiums, withshared open space provided for common use. Thiscategory is defined by the following requirements:

Allowed Land Uses: Multi-family residential;parks and open space

Density: 2635 DU/acre, approximately 5574 residents/acre

Height Guideline: Up to 3 stories

Existing multi-family apartment building along SanAntonio Circle

Electric vehicle parking area in the recently completedVillage at San Antonio Center


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EXISTING ZONINGFIGURE 2-2

S A N

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C A L T R A I N


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I R

F A Y E T T E D R

L A T H A M S T

San Antonio Center P(9)

San AntonioStation

P(8)

California Street-Showers Drive

P(11)

394 Ortega Av en ue

P(12)

P

P(8)

0 250 500 Feet

Commercial/Residential - Arterial

Precise Plan Areas

Draft Additional Parcels to Study in Precise Plan Area

Precise Plan Boundaries



2.2 Existing Zoning

The Plan Area contains parcels zonedCommercial/ Residential-Arterial (CRA) and five Precise Plan/Planned Community Areas. The CRA district includes

the portion of the Plan Area that is west of San AntonioRoad and south of the intersection with San AntonioCircle.

The rest of the Plan Area is within one of four PrecisePlans and one Planned Community district, which aredesigned to provide for uses that would be appropriatefor a planned area development. Each plan providesfurther area-specific standards for the districts densityand land uses, and general development andstreetscape design. The following Precise Plans arefound within the Plan Area:

San Antonio Station (P8): Includes the parcels on thenorthern side of California Street and east of SanAntonio Road, as well as the parcels that front SanAntonio Circle within the Plan Area. The entire districtextends north and east beyond the Plan Area to includethe Caltrain station and the Crossings residentialdevelopment.

San Antonio Center (P9): Includes all parcels within theblock bounded by El Camino Real, San Antonio Road,California Street, and Showers Drive.

California Street to Showers Drive (P11): Includesparcels within the block bounded by Showers Drive,Latham Street, and California Street. It does not includethe parcels along Ortega Avenue that are also withinthe block.

394 Ortega Avenue (P12): Contains the parcels at thenortheastern-most tip of the Plan Area along CaliforniaStreet and Ortega Avenue.

Northwest Corner of Ortega Avenue and Latham Street:Contains a parcel regulated by a standalone PlannedCommunity district for the specific development on thesite.


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16 | San Antonio Planning Area Profile DRAFT

2.3 Existing PrecisePlan Regulations

Key existing land use and development standardssummarized below for each of the planned commudistricts in the Plan Area.

San Antonio Station Permitted Uses: Retail, residential, din

entertainment, personal service, office, chcare, hotel, public park, and public or quapublic uses

Density: Maximum density of 35 dwelunits per acre for multi-family units, anddwelling units per acre for efficiency studi

Heights: 50-foot maximum Setbacks: 10-foot minimum setback betwbuildings, and 25-foot minimum setback

San Antonio Circle. Open Space: 20% minimum for office, ho

public and quasi-public uses, 55% for mfamily, 45% for townhouses, 25% for efficistudios

San Antonio Center Permitted Uses: Large-scale retail, med

and small-scale retail and personal servirestaurants

Lot Size: 40,000 square feet minimum Intensity: 961,000 square feet maximu

commercial building potential for entire si Heights: 55-foot maximum for comme

buildings; 80-foot maximum for hotel residential buildings

Setbacks: None for buildings; 25-fminimum from public streets for parking l

Open Space: 15% of total site area for eacproposed development

California Street to Showers Drive Permitted Uses: Large-scale (30,000

floor plate or greater) indoor-retail ancdepartment store or drugstore, grocery storestaurant, banks and other local-servoffices, gas stations and auto service, retand personal service

Heights: 35-foot maximum Setbacks: Minimum of 75 feet from the ce

Smaller retail uses located along the eastern edge ofCalifornia Street and directly adjacent to the largerTarget building on Showers Drive

Existing buildings at San Antonio Center with entrancesoriented towards adjacent parking lots



line for 25% of the street frontage; and aminimum of 120 feet for the remainder of thefrontage for Showers Drive and CaliforniaStreet; minimum of 70 feet from the center linefor Latham Street; no minimum for commercial-to-commercial property lines; minimum of 40

feet for commercial-to-residential property lines Open Space: 15% minimum

395 Ortega Avenue Permitted Uses: Moderate-density housing Density: Maximum of 14.4 dwelling units per

acre with a density bonus of an additional14.4 dwelling units for each acre of the HetchHetchy right-of-way

Open Space: Hetch Hetchy right-of-way mustbe fully incorporated into the sites overall sitedesign with at least 70% of the right-of-waylandscaped.

Smaller-scale retail along the northern end of SanAntonio Road

Phase I of the Merlone Geier development with groundfloor retail and apartments above


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HOUSING ELEMENT SITES(Adopted 2007-2014)FIGURE 2-3

C A L T R A I N

1 01



10 1

85

237

0 0.5 1 Miles

SAN ANTONIO

Precise Plan Area

Low Income Sites Moderate/Above Moderate Income Sites

Medium Income Sites Transit Stations



2.4 Housing Element

The Citys adopted Housing Element describes bothhow Mountain View plans to meet the projected housingneeds of all economic segments of the community and

the Citys fair-share allocation of regional housingneeds. The following goals, policies, and actions fromthe Housing Element are the most pertinent to the SanAntonio Precise Plan Area:

Goal 1: Support the production of new housing unitsserving a broad range of household types and incomes.

Policy C: Encourage a mix of housing types,at a range of densities, that serves a diversepopulation, including units serving both

young and mature families, singles, youngprofessionals, single-parent households,seniors, and both first-time and move-up

buyers. Policy D: Provide higher density housing near

transit, in the Downtown, near employmentcenters, and within walking distance ofservices.

Program 8 - Update Residential Densitiesin General Plan: Use the General PlanUpdate as an opportunity to target keysites near transit and existing services forhigher-density development that allowshousing and/or mixed use. Some ofthe target areas include San Antonio, El

Camino Real, Moffett Boulevard and OldMiddlefield.

Goal 7: Promote energy-efficient and environmentallysensitive residential development, remodeling, andrehabilitation.

Policy A: Support environmentally sustainablepractices in all aspects of residentialdevelopment.

Program 1 - Green Building Principles:Continue to encourage developersto use green building principals. TheCity has adopted a Green BuildingCode and Water Conservation inLandscape Regulation to require that newdevelopments incorporate green buildingtechniques. The City will work withdevelopers to identify design techniquesto implement the Green Building Codeand Water Conservation in LandscapeRegulations. The City will requestsubsidized developers to incorporatethese elements in their developments when

feasible, and will consider providingassistance to these projects to supportgreen building principles.

Program 6 - Energy Efficiency:Encourage and support energy-efficiencyimprovements and modifications for

existing subsidized housing units and low-income households.

The Housing Element also includes an analysis ofpotential housing sites throughout the city for varyingincome levels. Most of the sites are concentrated aroundmajor arterials and/or transit lines. The following sitesidentified in the Housing Element are located within ordirectly adjacent to the Plan Area boundary:

395 Ortega Avenue on the eastern side ofthe Plan Area was suggested as a potentialmedium-income housing site.

The 2650 and 2656 El Camino Real site,partially contained by the San Antonio PrecisePlan Area, was included as a potential low-income housing opportunity. The 2.93-acresite contains four parcels, two of whichare part of the Hetch Hetchy right-of-way.Although the Housing Element indicates thatlow-income housing would be suitable for thissite, a multi-family project with no allocationfor low-income housing units is already underconstruction on the site.

The City is currently updating its HousingElement to cover the 2014-2022 planning

period.


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2.5 San Antonio Area Visioning Report

In 2012 the City of Mountain View worked wmembers of the community on a visioning profor shaping the future of the San Antonio ChaArea. Over a three-month period the City hostedcommunity workshops and provided online interatools to gather input from the community and ultimdetermine any agreed-upon opportunities or preferefor change and enhancement in the Change Arearefine the 2030 General Plan direction over the n20 years.

Overall, each of the workshops were attended 60 to 80 participants, and over 700 responses wersubmitted electronically via the online interactive The final San Antonio Visioning Report, whilregulatory, includes invaluable information abouways in which the community views the San AnChange Area that will greatly inform the final Antonio Precise Plan.

The following community principles were the regroup discussion held at the community workshop

Create human-oriented streets, open spacand buildings.

Create a balanced multimodal communwith appropriate design, traffic mitigatiand safety measures.

Expand and improve the pedestrian netwthrough means such as connections throSan Antonio Center and access to transit.

Expand and create an interconnected bicynetwork.

Create a range of community gatherispaces in the neighborhood.

Ensure proper transitions from higher denwithin San Antonio Center to adjacneighborhoods.

Retain existing and encourage n

neighborhood-serving businesses mixed regional commercial destinations. Retain existing and encourage new commu

services. Explore opportunities to create a greenw

along the Hetch Hetchy right-of-way.

Common preferences amongst community particifor changes or improvements included the followi



Connectivity Improved pedestrian and bike connections Major new north-south and east-west streets

and pathways Tree and landscaping buffers in residential

areas Retail streets with a walkable main street

character Open Space

A greenway along Hetch Hetchy Balanced ratio of built space to open space Amenities for community gathering Mix of well-designed open spaces that

provide an inviting environment Childrens play areas

Land Use and Intensity New buildings to include stepbacks,

setbacks, staggered heights, faadevariety, and individual identity

Large retail wrapped with mixed usedevelopment

Ground-floor design with large windows,entries, and other human-scaled features

New buildings that fit into the neighborhood

There were also topics that participants felt should bestudied further, several of which were:

Specific bike and pedestrian design standards Location of new north-south and east-west streets

and pathways Potential for bike- and pedestrian-only retail

pathways Relationship of pathways and greenways to

new open space Economic impact of designating areas as open

space Landscape design styles Ratio of hardscape to landscape Use of open space to create viewsheds Building heights and intensity in different

locations Importance of mountain views Architectural styles Design of parking structures Affordable housing near transit


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PARKS AND OPEN SPACESFIGURE 24

143

C HAPTER 6

Parks, Open Space andCommunity Facilities

Mountain ViewHigh School

Graham Middle School&

Mountain ViewSports Pavilion

CrittendenMiddle School &Whisman Sports

Center

City ofSunnyvale

City of Los Altos

City of Palo Alto

C A L T R A I N

L IG H T RA

I L

N

.5.250 1 mile

Source: City of Mountain View, County of Santa Clara, 2011

LEGEND

Community Garden

Community Park

Other Open Space

Neighborhood Park

Regional Park

Mini Park

School-owned

SAN ANTONIO

0 0.5 1 Miles

Mini Park

Source: City of Mountain View, County of Santa Clara, 2011

Neighborhood Park Other Open Space

Regional Park School-owned

Community Park Community Garden

Precise Plan Area



2.6 Parks and OpenSpace

Mountain View has nearly 1,000 acres of parks andopen space that range from large regional open spaceslike the Stevens Creek Trail to small neighborhood parks,all of which offer a variety of recreational amenities.

The General Plan establishes a standard of at leastthree acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, which theCity exceeded in 2010 with 13.5 acres of parklandper 1,000 residents. While greatly exceeding theGeneral Plan standard, this ratio does not provide forthe equitable distribution of open spaces within eachneighborhood so that all residents have a park withinwalking distance of their home.

Bicycle and pedestrian routes linking the citys parks

and opens spaces together is also an important topicto consider. As mentioned previously in Chapter 1.2Surrounding Context, the citys existing bicycle routesystem leaves some areas lacking safe routes forcyclists, particularly in and around the Plan Area.

The Hetch Hetchy right-of-way offers a unique openspace possibility for the Plan Area where a chainof large, connected open spaces could essentiallyfunction as a public trail, and/or greenway.

The Parks, Open Space and Community FacilitiesElement of the General Plan includes several goals andpolicies that are important to consider for the purposesof the San Antonio Precise Plan.Goal POS-1: An expanded and enhanced park andopen space system.

Policy POS 1.1: Additional parkland. Expandpark and open space resources to meet currentCity standards for open space acreage andpopulation in each neighborhood.

Policy POS 1.2: Recreation facilities innew residential developments. Require newdevelopment to provide park and recreationfacilities.

Goal POS-2: Parks and public facilities equitablydistributed throughout the community and accessible toresidents and employees.

Policy POS 2.1: Distribution of parks. Givepriority for park acquisition to the PlanningAreas identified in the Parks and Open SpacePlan.

Policy POS 2.2: Connectivity and transit


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Precise Plan Area

Parks

PARKS AND OPEN SPACEADJACENT TO PLAN AREAFIGURE 2-5


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access. Improve connectivity and transitaccessibility to parks.

Policy POS 2.3: Pedestrian and bicycleaccess. Improve pedestrian and bicycleaccess to parks, and create new connectionsto parks to minimize pedestrian and bicycletravel distances.

Policy POS 2.6: Diverse park amenities.Design parks to address a range of activitiesfor diverse populations.

Goal POS-6: An integrated system of multi-use trailsconnecting to key local and regional destinations andamenities.

Policy POS 6.1: Citywide network ofpathways. Develop a citywide network ofpedestrian and bicycle pathways to connectneighborhoods, employment centers, open

space resources and major destinations withinthe city.

The City is currently updating the Parks, Open Spaceand Community Facilities Element with a target tocomplete the update before the end of Fiscal Year2013-14.


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EXISTING LAND USEFIGURE 3-1

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C A L T R A I N


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0 250 500 Feet

il i i i

l i

i l

i il

i l

i i

i

l i il

i l il l

i i

Grocery Car and General Services Medical Multi-Family Vacant Recreation/Fitness

Mixed-UseRetail

Restaurant Industrial Mini-Mart Single Family Personal Care

Retail Institution/Education Big Box Retail Office Parks


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3 LAND USE & URBAN DESIGN

3.1 Existing Land Use

The San Antonio Precise Plan Area is nearly surroundedby residential development, most of which are multi-family apartment buildings. With so many homes inclose proximity to the Plan Area, potential bufferingsolutions for protecting these sensitive uses is animportant topic to consider.

Retail uses are the predominant use along El CaminoReal, as well as the central portion of the Plan Area,San Antonio Center. Retail uses range in type andscale, from big box style department stores to smallershops and restaurants.

There is considerable range in the age of retail uses,from stores that have opened within the last six months,to stores that have an established history in the PlanArea, such as Jo-Anns Fabrics.

San Antonio Centers buildings also demonstrate abroad range of construction ages, the most recent ofwhich is The Village at San Antonio Center at the ElCamino Real and San Antonio Road intersection.

There are a number of grocery stores in and around thePlan Area, with Safeway and Trader Joes located onadjacent parcels in San Antonio Center, and a WholeFoods less than a quarter-mile away on El Camino Real(just outside of the Plan Area boundary in Los Altos).There is also the Milk Pail Market, a locally-owned,open air market on California Street.

Office uses within the Plan Area are clustered mainlyalong San Antonio Road, not including one six-storyoffice building on the El Camino Real side of San

Antonio Center, adjacent to the new Safeway.Auto-and general-service businesses are largelyclustered in the northwestern portion of the Plan Areaalong San Antonio Road and California Street, withsome additional businesses on the northern andsouthern ends of Showers Drive.


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PARCEL ACREAGESFIGURE 3-2

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0 250 500 Feet

< 1 Acre

1 - 2 Acres

> 2 Acres



3.2 Size of Parcels

A majority of the acreage in the Plan Area is made upof large parcels greater than two acres in size, followedby a relatively even mixture of medium (between one

and two acres) and small parcels (less than one acre).This mixture of parcel sizes in the Plan Area allowsfor smaller, and perhaps locally-owned, establishmentslike the Milk Pail Market to co-exist with major retailanchors.

Smaller parcels are typically found fronting along themajor streets (El Camino Real, San Antonio Road,California Street, and Showers Drive), while the largerparcels occupy the interior locations. There are no largeparcels west of San Antonio Road, which is indicativeof that areas role as a transitional zone between themajor retail development at San Antonio Center to themulti- and single-family housing along Fayette Drive,Miller Avenue, and California Street.

PARCEL ACREAGE COMPARISOFIGURE 3-Small parcels < 1 acre

Total: 18.3 acres

Medium parcels between1 and 2 acresTotal: 25.1 acres

Large parcels > 2 acresTotal: 61.9 acres


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PARCEL OWNERSHIPFIGURE 3-4

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2

1

7

5

5

3

2

4

6

6

6

8

0 250 500 Feet



3.3 Parcel Ownership

Over 70% of the Plan Area is owned or operated byeight unique owners, resulting in a large area that iscontrolled by few entities.

Groups of parcels with shared ownership ormanagement are found covering much of San AntonioShopping Center (including the Target parcels on theeastern side of Showers Drive), west of San AntonioRoad, North of California Street, and the entire HetchHetchy right-of-way running east-west through the PlanArea.


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EXISTING BUILDINGSAND VIEWSHEDSFIGURE 3-5

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0 250 500 Feet

Public Viewsheds



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M I L L E R A V E

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3.4 BuildingFootprints

Buildings with the largest footprints are typically locatedwithin the interior of the Plan Area, and set back fromthe major streets.

Conversely, the smaller buildings are more visible fromthe street, with the majority found along San AntonioRoad and its cross streets.

Nearly all of the buildings are detached from oneanother, and their setbacks, both from the street as wellas from adjacent buildings, vary considerably fromparcel to parcel. This building characteristic contributesto the fact that there are no streets in the Plan Area withconsistent street walls to frame the pedestrian realm.

Noticeable clusters of buildings tend to be locatedaround the four-way intersections in the Plan Area,particularly along San Antonio Road. Larger footprintbuildings in San Antonio Center are not as denselyclustered, largely due to the parking lots that separatemany of the buildings from the street and from oneanother. However, there are two loosely clusteredgroups of buildings in the Center: one at the northernend of the Center near California Street (Ross, Bev-Mo,

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store, 24 Hour Fitness, Kohls,etc.), and another at the southwestern corner of theCenter (The Village at San Antonio Center).

BUILDING FOOTPRINT SIZE COMPARISFIGURE 3-

< 10,000 SF

10,000 - 20,000 SF

20,000 - 30,000 SF

30,000 - 40,000 SF40,000 - 50,000 SF

> 50,000 SF


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SUB AREASFIGURE 3-8

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0 250 500 Feet



3.5 Sub Areas

The sub areas described below (with the addition ofSub Area G, the Village at San Antonio Center) werepreviously devised in the San Antonio Area Visioning

Report for discussion purposes only, and may notcorrespond to any sub areas to be defined in thePrecise Plan.

Sub Area A This sub area contains a mixture of large,

medium, and small parcels with buildingsthat are setback from their parcel lines andsurrounded by parking.

Due to the elevation increase that occurs asSan Antonio Road tra

Documents

Plan Area Profile