City Council - Regular Meeting

like to call to order the regular meeting of the Capital City Council for Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We'll start with roll call, please. Council member Lopez here. Council member Hines present. Council member Vivey present. Vice Mayor Scazola here. Mayor Fado here. I'd ask you to please join me in the pledge of allegiance.

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We have no special presentations and proclamations this evening. We have no communications and petitions. Uh we now move to oral requests. This would be the time on the agenda for any member of the public to address the council on an item that's not on tonight's agenda. Is there any member of the public that wishes to speak under oral requests? Okay, seeing none, we will move on to um council announcements. First of all, the city is offering grant funding through the neighborhood association assistance grant program. uh and the Campbell Neighborhood Associations are invited to apply and encouraged to do so. The applications are open through Monday, February the 23rd. Uh for more information, uh representatives should please visit the city's website at campellca.gov. Secondly, the Santa Clara County Superior Court is now recruiting applicants for the 2026 27 civil grand jury. The civil grand jury serves as an independent oversight body, investigating local government agencies, reviewing resident complaints, and issuing reports and recommendations to improve government operations. And for more information, including uh the link to the website, uh please go to https uh colonback.courts.ca.gov. gov back CJ CGJ. Now, I'm sure many people wouldn't remember that. So, if you Google the Santa Clara County uh Government Courts or Superior Court, you can find the information there. The applications will be accepted through March the 27th,

2026. Our own Campbell Police Department has p has partnered with Fus uh to create a secure voluntary map of private security cameras in Campbell. This is totally voluntary on the part of residents if you're interested. The registry gives the officers a quick contact information for camera owners and supports communitydriven safety efforts. And for additional information, please contact our city website, campellca.gov/ camera connect. The AARP Foundation is providing free income tax assistance uh from Tuesday, February the 3, it's already started through Tuesday, April the 14th in room C34 at the Campbell Community Center. And the service is available for low to moderate income residents and adults and families ages 18 plus. Again, please visit our city website, campellca.gov, for more information. You're invited to celebrate the year of the Firehorse with entertainment and dinner for adults 50 and above on Friday, February 27th from 5 to7 p.m. at the Campbell Community Center. The cost is $25 per person. Tickets go on sale, they've already started going on sale on January the 20th. And um once again, please uh visit uh the city website, campellca.gov adultscenter. And finally, uh, Campbell's 49th annual Valentine 5K fun run, uh, or walk if you choose, uh, will once again this year be held on February the 7th. Starts at 900 a.m. Uh, it's over at Campbell Park there on Campbell Avenue. Um, you may register in advance and receive a free t-shirt and eligibility to receive your medal at the conclusion of the race. and information once again

is available on the city's website. That concludes the council announcements. So, we now move to the consent calendar. Uh these are items uh on tonight's agenda 7.1 through 7 uh 8, I'm sorry, 7.9. uh which the council will take as a single item of business unless a member of the council or staff or a member of the public would like to pull an item for further discussion. Would anyone like to pull an item for further discussion? Uh I wanted to um did mention one thing. Uh one of the items on tonight's agenda which I don't have to pull but I just wanted to take note and express uh our appreciation. We are going to receive a donation from the Campbell Senate Rotary um foundation uh for our adult sitter and I wanted to thank the Rotary for this donation and for the work that they do in Campbell uh and the support for a number of our city services. So that is item 7.9. So may I have a motion to approve the consent calendar?

So moved. Um, second. Motion by Vice Mayor Scazola, second by Council Member Hines. Roll call, please. Council member Lopez. Hi. Council member Hines. Hi. Council member Vy. Hi. Vice Mayor Skazola. Hi. Mayor Lopez. Mayor Fado.

Hi. We now move on to public hearings and the introduction to ordinances. Uh these are items 8.1 and 8.2 on tonight's agenda. Uh first I'll ask if any member of the council has any disclosures they would like to make regarding the two items on the agenda. Seeing none, we will move to um item 8.1. This is the approval of the 2025 Quinnquinial Speed Survey. Quinn Quinnial means the fifth annual I had to look that up to make sure I got that right. Uh the fifth annual speed survey and amendment to the council oh pardon me the Campbell Municipal Code section 10.32 speed limits and um our director of public works ALA will make introductory comments to be followed by Matthew J our traffic engineer. So, thank you both. Welcome.

Good evening, honorable mayor and members of the city council. I'm joined by city traffic engineer Matthew J. In line with the city's mission statement to foster a safe and vibrant community, with this item, staff recommends for the city council to approve the 2025 Quinn Queno speed survey recommendations and implement a 15 mile per hour speed limit when children are present on selected residential streets within 500 ft of schools. So speed surveys were conducted in or every five year hence quenu a total of 140 roadway segments were surveyed between March and July of 2025 based on the survey results and staff evaluation of the conditions. There are no changes to the speed limits being proposed Hamilton Avenue. However, because of the Hamilton resurfacing project and with the introduction of new bike lanes, we didn't survey Hamilton, but we'll wait till the construction is all complete. Then we will conduct the surveys. Then also while going through this process and reviewing the speed limits, this is where staff proposes to lower the limit to 50 miles per hour when children are present within 500 ft of schools. There are 15 residential roadway um residential roadway segments where speed reduction would be applied. So these are just residential. We're looking at um one lane in each direction. And now let me um have Matthew uh briefly walk you through the details of the process that led to our recommendations. Good evening, Mayor Fado, members of the

city council. Once again, we use the word conquenial, which means once every five years. The reason we're using it this evening is this state of California vehicle code requires that engineering and traffic surveys be performed every five years on arterial and collector streets. These surveys serve to adjust or establish speed limits and enforce speed limits where we're using electronic devices like radar guns. So last year between March and July, the engineering and traffic surveys were conducted and all calipers and arterials were surveyed except as Amy mentioned Hamilton Avenue for the reason of the resurfacing project or changed lane configurations in some places in terms of adding bike lanes where there aren't any right now or adding a buffer between traffic lights and bike lanes. So um in terms of the results of the engineering traffic uh surveys, first the majority of streets would not uh have their speed limits changed. the uh there are 10 roadways that would have been eligible for having their speed limits increased, but we are recommending not to do so because it would not be safe or reasonable and the California vehicle code allows us to hold the SE seats as they are currently. An example would be Lee Avenue. Current speed limit is 35 miles per hour, but our experience has been there's a lot of high-speed crashes and we don't feel it's safe to increase the speed limit to 40 miles per hour. In addition, the staff is recommending 15 mile per hour when children are put

in school zones and uh the purpose is to make the streets safer for students and this will be limited to two-lane streets and within 500 uh feet of school grounds. Example would be Westpar Avenue next to the village school. that street under our current neighborhood traffic calming program isn't eligible for traffic calming because the speeds are are not high enough. However, lowering the speed limit when children are present addresses the concerns that some school parents have in terms of controlling speeds next to the school. So in summary, there are no changes to the current speed limits being recommended. We are recommending creation of these 15 mph speed limits when children are present in school zones. The fiscal impact would be estimated as 20,000 uh dollars for the cost of community sites and the cost would be covered in our operational budget for street maintenance. Staff is recommending city council adopt a resolution to approve the attached 2025 formula speed survey and recommendations. In addition, staff is recommending adopting an ordinance for first reading to amend chapter 1032 of the capital Mississippi code speed limits to approve again the speed survey and recommendations. That concludes my presentation. Thank you Amy for presentation. Um first I'll ask u any members of the council have questions they'd like to ask on the report.

Um council member Lopez.

Um thank you. Just um a couple of questions. Is is there um I support the proposal. Um have you given thought to school zones? Um, when I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this. I I guess when children may not be obviously present, but there's I think especially parents have a concern that they may dart out or or not be seen by by drivers. Um, is there some kind of intermediate speed limit that could be considered or are there best practices? Well, well, the way the vehicle code is written when children are present, it's when children are either going to or or leaving school or during recess. Uh, no recess. So, it would apply during those times.

During specific hours? Yes. And when they're going to or leaving school? Okay. Um I'm I'm okay with that for now, but I am interested in kind of keeping um track and seeing if we have issues or um complaints. Um I'm thinking not just of school zones, but residential areas um with uh many children present. Um and so just maybe something to think about for for the future beyond the scope of um what's here. Um the the the other question I had was what other than just putting signs up, is there any other kind of communication that we typically do or that we uh could do to communicate the the changes in the area?

We are in the process of working with the Temple Union School District uh to have an article uh prepared by Department of Public Works to be included in school newsletters. uh we've approached a superintendent, but we haven't necessarily uh earned enough the details. Great. Um I I think those are all um great ideas and I just encourage you to keep thinking about other ways if this is implemented to get the word out. If I may on that, Mr. Mayor, can I jump in on that? That we we do have a education subcommittee uh that's supposed to help with issues and communication. So, we'll follow up with that uh with the school districts in our first meeting as well.

Oh, yes. Go ahead. What I've also seen is during those times just Thank you. If there's no other questions by members of the council at this time, uh I will go ahead and open the public hearing on this matter and uh I do have a card uh from um Steve Saunders to um make some comments under this item. So, please come up to the podium. Uh, good evening, Mr. Mayor, vice mayor, council members. I'm sorry I'm going to be a nattering nebog of negativism here. Uh I look at this data and what I see is that if you discount Hamilton, which is not an unreasonable thing to do, um 60% of the segments in our city, people choose to drive at least 5 miles an hour higher than the posted and proposed speed limits. And I don't know what the actual distribution looks like, but I've got to imagine that means that a significant portion or maybe even a majority of people are going faster to speed limits. And you pass something that says, "Oh, they're this and you can enforce it. You can do all kinds of but if the majority of people aren't doing that, it seems sort of like there's a real problem." And you know, I don't have an answer for

that, but it does bother me a great deal that you're passing laws that won't be obeyed. That's that's troubling. Now, the 15 mph speed limit thing, uh, that needs to have some kind of warning or something. Anywhere you do some kind of crazy speed limit change, like on Winchester when it goes down to 30 miles an hour, paint it on the road. do something extra because you're asking people to go into a situation they won't normally recognize. So, you know, I'm not saying don't don't adopt this. I'm just really worried about some of the basis of it and let's give everybody as big a break as we can in terms of warning. Thank you.

Did you want did you want staff response to the to the question? I'll tee it up and Amy make a comment if you'd like to. Yeah, Amy can correct me if I'm wrong, but I I when when the the speaker talks about the majority of people going at different speeds, the purpose of the speed survey under the vehicle code is to not inhibit the speed of vehicles, but actually set it at a reasonable limit. And we say it's the 85th percentile within 5 miles an hour of the 85th percentile, if I understand correctly.

Yes. and and based on our judgment we want to look at the conditions and we can set reduce that speed instead of increasing it higher. So looking at just the whole condition to us it doesn't really validate increasing

but when we when we when we say that we're setting a speed limit that means that at least 85 percentile 85% of the people are traveling that speed. Um so it's the 15% is the minority. Thank you. Does anyone else wish to make a comment? Okay, I will close the public hearing and bring the batter back to council for discussion and and action.

Yeah, I I just want to uh commend the staff on the 15 mph around the schools picking up my children once a week uh around the school.

Yeah, I I really strongly support this. appreciate that staff is being responsive to concerns we we've heard um to uh some of the points that that uh Steve one of our our commenters made, but also just a general concern of mine. I really support continuing to look at what we can to um improve safety. I think it it should be one of our biggest priorities um in general as a city. some of the things that um and theories within um the the scope of what we can do to make an impact for for our residents. So, I think this is a piece of it that will be significant, but there's definitely um larger pieces and um I I I hope we continue to look at it as we consider future work plans and budget items as well.

Thank you. Discussion. Yes, Vice Mayor Cassul.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor Fado. I just wanted to bring up uh you know I'm really particularly proud of uh when I first came on council several years ago. One of my priorities was to ensure that our students because during the pandemic there was all kinds of strange things as we're all familiar with. But one thing was when the kids went back to school there wasn't quite the the opportunity or or whatever to ensure that we even had crossing guards in that moment. So that was something that was alarming to me and many parents at the time. But uh the city took really quick action once you know it became an issue and and we're still working on it. But I have to say I was so pleased uh you know within just a few months of me coming on the council in the first place on the education subcommittee uh we prioritize the safer streets to school program and uh we've been implementing those over the few years. And so, uh, new sidewalks, new bike lanes as you're familiar with, but, uh, this is all only, in my opinion, going to add to the safety having these new slower speed limits around the schools. But I agree. I think that is an excellent point about, uh, that there should be some kind of, you know, warning, especially if it's during certain hours. It makes perfect sense that there should be maybe perhaps some other thing for, you know, people just driving along the streets who are unfamiliar, especially when there's a new law. Like, I think that's a great idea. uh and and maybe we should have or look in that and see what might be the best options for uh thinking not only of the the children but also of the motorists who are unfamiliar with these laws. Thanks.

If there's no further discussion, um would anyone care to make a motion on this matter? 25 Quinn Quentanial speed survey and amendment to Camel Municipal Code section 10.32 speed limits. Second motion by council member Hines, second by Vice Mayor Skazola. We'll have roll call, please. Council member Lopez. Hi. Council member Hines. Hi. Council member Vivey. Hi. Vice Mayor Skazola. Hi. Mayor Fado. Hi. Um, I request that you that you read the title of the ordinance.

Yes. One sec. Being an ordinance of the city council of the city of Campbell, amending chapter 10 of the Campbell Municipal Code entitled vehicles and traffic approving the quincquential 5-year speed survey and recommendations. I will move that further reading be waved. I'll second. Council member Lopez. Hi. Council member Hines. Hi. Council member By. Hi. Vice Mayor Scazol. Hi. Mayor Fado. Hi.

Thank you. We now move to item 8.2 for tonight's agenda. This item is um regarding the develop proposed development at 700 West Hamilton Avenue. And um I will call upon senior planner Steven Rose to uh make the staff present recommendation and presentation.

Thank you and good evening, Mayor Fado and members of the city council. Uh this subject item is for a major housing development project permit and tenative vesting subdivision map utilizing state density bonus law located at 700 West Hamilton Avenue. The project site is a 3.8 acre parcel which is developed with an existing office building which is used for a uh a gym right now on the ground level. Uh the location is uh southeast of the intersection south of Santaas expressway in Hamilton Avenue. The general plan and house and housing element designate the site as a commercial c for commercial corridor mixeduse development with a density of 45 to 60 units the acre. It's also a designated housing opportunity site by the city's housing element and has a corresponding uh zoning designation of commercial corridor mixed use. The proposed pro uh project really involves just really two permits uh significantly. The first is the a major housing development project permit which would allow for the uh what is 173 unit development consisting of 89 town home units which would be spread across eight four-story buildings uh a single fivetory uh building which would be which would house 84 condo units and again utilizing state density bonus law. The project also entails a request for a tenative subdivision map which would really help to subdivide the property to facilitate those new uh town home units. uh also establishing easements and allow for a right ofway dedication along Gail Avenue which would help provide a little culde-sac in the street just in regard to design and I'll and I do want to recognize we do have a project applicant uh uh Pamela Nighting and available audience as well and she'll speak a little bit more to the project architecture I believe in following presentation but I just want to capture the highlights they are fourstory uh town home buildings they have a Spanish style they have tile roofing and they're generally comprised of stucco and stone. Similarly, the podium building, although

being a story taller, would also incorporate similar Spanish style theme thematic elements, tile roofing, and stucco and stone uh side elements. In regard to affordable housing, uh the city's inclusionary housing ordinance requires 15% of the project to be affordable. Uh that equates to 26 units of this project. Our where our inclusionary orders require 11 low and 15 moderate affordable housing units. The project exceeds that requirement by providing 17 very low and nine moderate units. That's providing units at a greater a deeper level of affordability than our ordinance would otherwise require. And uh in so doing it also makes the project eligible for utilization of state density bonus law understanding that more than 5% of the units would be provided to at levels at a very low income level. So under state density bonus law, the project uh does qualify for two concessions and an unlimited number of waiverss. Specific to this project, the applicant is pursuing uh one concession with to alleviate the ground floor commercial requirements as say a ground flooror mixeduse requirement by our code along Hamilton Avenue and approval of an alternative housing plan uh which could allow for relocation of affordable units to the podium building or elsewhere throughout the project. It may also allow for additional market rate units to be built prior to those affordable units that are typically our affordable housing ordinance would require those be built in a concurrent nature. And then lastly, uh I just wanted to mention that point. It does require city approval and it and it needs to be reviewed by the community director and the city attorney and it would need to establish reasonable schedule and firm deadlines for fulfillment of all the project units. Uh just in terms of unlimited waiverss uh so the project is mainly using that to allow for reduced parking mainly grouping guest parking spaces on one side of the project for site efficiency and then to just numerous development standards setbacks adjacency

tree protection standards and the like. So city council review is highly limited by the housing accountability act and housing crisis act. Uh mainly just dealing with uh conformance with general plan and uh objective development standards. the project is so although the city went to uh some effort a few years ago to adopt multif family development and design standards those are largely voluntary with the use of the waiverss uh that the project is afforded and this in terms of general plan consistency we're just looking at does it meet the minimum density which it does uh so really based on an affirm an affirmative determination of the required findings uh the housing for the housing development project permit the vesting tenative subdivision map act and uh their sequel determination. In this particular case, it's a cap 32 exemption. Uh the planning commission at its December 9th meeting recommended that the city council uh approve uh adopt a resolution approving the the subject permit before you. And that concludes staff's presentation. I'm available for any questions.

Thank you. U members of the council have questions. Council member, so Stephen, um I just wanted to ask a couple questions about the affordable housing component. Um we we've had previous developments where the affordable units were spread um throughout the the development rather than being concentrated in one building. Um and in this particular proposal, it looks like all of the units are going to be in the in the podium building.

Not initially. So the project as it it so you you have the project standard condition approval. I think it's number eight in this permit where it does require dispersement and there's an affordable housing plan that shows the placement of those units within town homes and then possibly also in the podium building. What the concession would allow the developer to do is to ne negotiate with the city. So working with the community director, the city attorney to come to an arrangement if they so choose which it's not entirely sure certain yet they could choose to allocate or concentrate all of those affordable units in the podium building. That is an absolute possibility. Uh part of the reason that the developer and I could speak I could allow Pam Pamela's also a available in the audience tonight was looking to partner with anund an affordable housing developer to possibly convert the podium building into a 100% affordable housing building or and by concentrating the affordable units in that that part of that component of the project. It would just really facilitate that. The idea of the concession is to really result in a greater public benefit than we would otherwise achieve under the city's inclusionary ordinance. But it seems like the city's priority to develop affordable housing um is not really the priority when you're allowing a concession possibly to have all of the affordable units in one um one building and and that's the last part of the development that's going to occur and there's no guarantee that there that those be built. Um so so what is the guarantee? Yeah, I would add on I could pull up I do have a slide somewhat dedicated to this. So just really that it does require if they do utilize a concession they do pull the the trigger on that they decide they execute this alternative affordable housing agreement.

We would need to first establish what the firm time construct. There would have to be a reasonable construction timeline. So, we need to have a clear understanding of when the market rate units are coming online and when those affordable units are coming online and we need to come to a clear understanding for ultimate delivery of those affordable units. So, it does we don't run into a situation where they aren't necessarily built. So, you say we have to come to an agreement. At what point does that agreement occur? If if we if we're approving this tonight, it it seems like it's we're approving it with almost a blank check to say, well, whatever whatever you work out in your in your concession.

It's a great question. So they would need per the conditions of approval, they would need to come to that agreement prior to the recordation of the vesting subdivision maps prior to map recordation. And who does that come to the the director or does it come back to council? In this particular case, I'm inclined to say that it will need to come back to council just for to come the vacation of right of way and and to accept right ofway along Gail Avenue. So I do believe that element will come back, but the agreement would be executed in it does not require council action following tonight's item. It would be decided upon by the community health director and the city attorney. Go ahead,

Robbie Street community director for context and the applicant can speak to this. The the proposal by the applicant was a bit different and I know the applicant still looking at options. initial proposal he has was actually was for a 50% affordable project where they would partner with affordable housing developer and build a lot more affordable units in that podium than we would get and I know that the city and staff has had concerns on the timing of this. So I think at this point the presumption is uh the default is that they would move forward with the minimum 15% those units would be put dispersed without the project go forward. If for some reason they're able to negotiate get an agreement with affordable housing developer provide confidence to the city that project will be executed and that partnership we think the benefit of providing a 50% affordable project is worth negotiating. So, a little bit of context of why that concession and that negotiations they're they're moderating between those two proposals.

Well, it just seems like our priority as a city is to build af or get affordable housing and that that should really be the priority in my in my opinion. Um and then um I I had a question about the timing. Um I and I couldn't find it in the there's an attachment about the phasing of the project um and how project was going to be developed but I didn't see it an actual timeline as like six months or a year. Can you talk a little bit about that Stephen?

So the phasing exhibit mainly has to do with construction uh of the project. So how individual phases would come online to maintain fire department access, water access, storm water management. doesn't speak so specifically as to the timing in terms of the schedule. The only other part I'd like to add, if I may, on the affordable housing component and the timing of that element of it. The reason why it's somewhat open-ended is because a lot of the funding that an affordable housing developer would need to secure is would establish those timelines. So, I just wanted to articulate that the reason why we wanted to negotiate kind of a phase construction plan and the reason why we don't have a clear book end right now is to hopefully allow a lot of those funds to be secured and the schedules established through those grant funds. Um, that said, I can pull up that particular exhibit you're talking about. It is I think it's referenced as an exhibit of the resolution. I think it's exhibit

exhibit exhibit three but I couldn't find the specific like six months or it it it lists out the phasing of it but not the timeline and and the the question I had is there it also refers to there's a tenant there um so some of this um need the tenant um lease has to be exhausted or um that has to be um taken care of before construction. How what how long will that take?

So the so there'd be a period of time in which the office building on the site may remain. Understanding there's an existing cellular lease agreement on the roof of the building. If you guys have ever driven past the building, you see there's a bunch of towers on the roof. So it's just really recognizing that. Uh my understanding is it might be another year or so. And I again Pamela's in the audience tonight. She speak a little bit more specifically to the construction schedule, but my understanding is the lease agreement might come to pass within the next calendar year and we're hopefully within that period of time be working with the carriers to identify new new locations for them to go so that the building can be removed with the project. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you. I actually have similar concerns that council member Bbeby raised um regarding this. It has been our tradition to make sure that affordable housing is dispersed throughout a project or throughout the city. I'm very concerned about the idea that uh it be a certain section be identified as an affordable section and therefore psychologically or whatever looked down upon in some way. Um uh I always feel that uh all affordable housing should be integrated throughout the entire city and kind of dispersed and I feel that I'm concerned that that the provisions right now are just a little too loose and uh allow for too much flexibility and we're giving you know waiverss and considerations on other matters. Um but but I'm very concerned about this element u myself and um now if they wanted to convert one building to 100% affordable I mean that would be a different consideration but I am concerned that something like this should come back to council. Um, Stephen, could you say more about um the financing for uh affordable project like this? Obviously, the developer is not um does not, as I understand it, focus on affordable housing. And so to me, city's goal of having affordable units. Can you can you just talk about like realistically what the what the financing would look like and and why you're considering this option like um converting that one building um or just what are some of the other options you've considered some of the challenges that go along?

Yeah, I would say the city does already have two 100% affordable housing projects in the books that being the BTA project and 60 West Hamilton in the city. both of those projects. It's a kind of a competitive process by which you go through funding rounds and you're trying to identify a financial stack that gets you enough funding to build build the units and build a project. Uh those both of those projects are under I mean there you you need to have an entitled project. You there's a scoring process based on what income track that you're in and your access to amenities. But really it's a it's it's not just one source of funding that gets you there. A lot of the affordable housing developers we've been approached by even re in recent times in the city have looked for city contributions as well to try to close that gap which is why the city's been working on establishing a housing trust fund and we are making great strides that way but uh hopefully this particular project could identify their own financial mechanisms to allow for that component of the project to advance. Um I I would just go on to to mention the city's requirement for dispersement of units within a project is a local requirement. It is one of those requirements which is eligible for use of a concession under state density bonus law is that powerful and because the city is getting a greater and even more deeply more affordable housing mix as part of this project which is part of what they need to finance and fund. um the city's in a position where we're broadly obligated to accept that as a concession as well.

Thank thank you for that clarification. I think that's important. Um and could we actually hear from the developer who's in the audience just to talk a little bit more about the the the financing opportunities or challenges with financing the affordable component? Um, first of all, this All right, I I'll allow I'll allow this comment to come under presentations as opposed to coming later. So, I won't open the public hearing just yet. So, I'll allow you to go ahead. I'm also okay with with waiting and asking it later as a followup, however you wish to proceed.

Why don't you go ahead? No, please go ahead if you'd like to make your presentation right now and then we'll ask for council questions and then I'll open the public hearing after that. Sorry, I wasn't trying to go out of order. Thank you.

And then should I raise the presenter? Oh, perfect. Okay, hopefully this works. Um, thank you, um, mayor, vice mayor, and council members for being here today. Um, I'd also like to thank all of the hard work. Stephen probably knows this project better than anybody. So, Stephen and Rob and all of the others that were um, working on this project with me. My name is Pamela Salasing and I'm vice president at city ventures and I'm also a planning commissioner in my hometown which I know is not the same commitment as city council but I know the love of your home and the dedication that it takes to be here. For those of you who don't know much about city ventures, we are sustainable Bay Area builder that primarily focuses on infill developments. Our company actually came to life as a core belief in creating partnerships with municipalities. As Stephen mentioned, this site is located on the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Santa Expressway. As you can see here, to the north and west, it's surrounded by office and commercial, while on the south, it's adjacent to residential. There's also a local VTA

bus line along Hamilton Avenue that takes you to the VTA main expressways. The site is approximately 3.83 acres and currently has one large commercial building with surface parking which council member I will talk about the tenants because I know you brought that up. I have to say speaking of partnerships and before I quickly dive into the project we were very honored to be able to work in partnership with the city of Campbell on a site that was identified in the housing element and our goal today is really to bring the city's vision to life which is what we're here for. Um, Stephen alluded that I will talk briefly about architecture and before we ever submitted our application, um, I'm an engineer, not an architect, but I did notice that the city passed their objective standards via the formbbased code zone. And I could tell there was a lot of effort that went into this very long document, which quite frankly was a ton of effort on my part. Um, but it made the project worthy of being before you today. The way that the form base code zone structured made me realize that the city takes great pride over their design. Which is why we drew some inspiration from some existing gems that reflect the Spanish and Mediterranean architecture that you see in our drawings such as the Heritage Theater in the top left, the R. Kennedy House, and the Campbell Union Grammar School. And now it was that architecture that inspiration that led to the Spanish architecture that we submitted in our um present that we submitted. Um that includes the tile roof, the deco tile, the stone veneer, the metal rain railings and the light fixtures that also match. Now to quickly review the project as Stephen mentioned, we have 173 units, town home and podium on the 3oint acre site. units ranging from studios to 2100 square foot units. In addition to the architecture, the project for me is

special as it provides a place where two different worlds collide. Gale Avenue that you see on your left provides that typical suburban feeling while Hamilton that you see on your right provides that urban mixuse feeling. Focusing on Gail first, the first thing that surprised me was the unassuming dead-end street, which has a basketball hoop that the neighborhood currently uses. I'm a mama, so that was the first thing I noticed. We're breathing life into this dead end by creating the quintessential culde-sac, which we hope will create a space um here we go. a create a quintessential culde-sac which we hope will create a place for community gathering and also contributes to vehicular access and safety. Now there are existing homes that fa that face Gail Street. We continued this activation of the street to have our town homes not only face the street, but also included a sidewalk, which currently doesn't exist, and added a row of new trees and landscape area in between each walkway that leads to each individual front door. Now to the spine of the project which connects the two worlds I had previously described. Our goal was to have the urban thoroughfare that was commensurate to a rumor or living street that behaves differently than that of a typical street. And last but not least, along Hamilton being on a corner lot, we wanted to provide a certain presence to um and so we oriented the homes to face on Hamilton Street and provided landscape pockets throughout in keeping with the city's image streets. Now, I wanted to touch on what I feel is the heart of the project. We were able to take a wealthy 7,500 foot area, which is what I like to call our secret garden, urban green space that was created with this development in mind. The John D. Morgan Park is less than a

mile from the site. You also have a halfway park to the north um west and the Campbell Little League is less than a half a mile away. There's plenty of recreation to be had, but we wanted a place to be able to sit, breathe, even in this urban environment, and call it home. And I know you have questions and so before I start blabbing, would you like me to answer the questions that I picked up and heard now? Is that appropriate or should Yes, please go ahead and and um

members of the council have questions of that you'd like to ask of the um developer. Please go ahead. Can I just jump in and and just as a a matter of business, we normally provide the applicant five minutes of presentation that's been taken. Um there are some questions that council asked. So that's up to the mayor's discretion, but Okay. Like for the applicant at least get to those questions and then they have a threem minute rebuttal period after the public comment. Yes. Okay. So, so I I would just reiterate my question if you could get a little more specific about the challenges or opportunities that you foresee with financing the affordable component

um and how that intersects because I think that would play into um our decision potentially. Um so let me stop sharing. Um as Rob and Stephen had brought up before when we had originally submitted the project, it was actually 50% affordable because we had every intent to be able to partner with an affordable housing developer. So the design of the podium building that you actually see here was um done in partnership with their head of architecture. I don't want to name the names um just in case. Um, what had happened in there was that this site is actually outside of what HCD designates as an HCD uh, QCT DDA area, which is a development area. And the reason why that is so unbelievably important to affordable housing developers is because it allows you to have that 30% basis boost to your LITC or lowincome housing tax credits. And um council member, I can assure you that this that the city wants their housing built at the appropriate time because that was the biggest reason why we had to modify the application. And it was because there was certain timing or strains that were put on this affordable housing developer that we had presented to staff and that housing developer could not commit to the five-year timeline but in particular because we were outside the site is still outside of the QCTDA. What they did provide and it went through long discussions was that um internal revenue code 42 which is the lowincome housing tax credit. It's that federal tax incentive. Those federal tax

laws actually govern the moment that funds are provided to the affordable housing developer that it has to be utilized and built and occupied within a certain time frame. So, we had provided that to the city, but again, the city felt like it was a bit of a conjecture and so we kind of put our heads together and thought, how can we make sure to have the affordable housing because I can't change HCD's designation of the QCT DDA areas to get the 30% boostes and a base boost in the litec financing. And so, we thought to ourselves, I know what we can do. I provided the additional affordability to get my second concession so that I could create an opportunity if it exists for that building to be partnered with an affordable housing developer. And that was the only way I could do it was to give that extra. And when we sat down with Stephen and Rob and everyone, the thought was no matter what, to your point, council member, if the affordable housing developer isn't isn't able to get that financing, which then you can be assured that the federal government will use their IRS code to demand that that housing gets built. But notwithstanding that federal tax incentive and those tax laws, the goal was no matter what, the city would be protected. the affordable housing would be protected and you would get a greater benefit. And so that's kind of how I I I structured it. And the way I wrote the concession was the only way it would be allowed would to be provide a greater benefit than was already provided, which what I'm providing was even better than what the city required. So that's for the financing. But um I did want to talk about the May may may I is my three minutes up? May I answer one more

question? So we're just answering questions of the council now then we'll take public comments three minutes at that point addition. So if there's questions the council please address this. I believe I heard a question about dispersement or not but I will hold and just wait for an actual question. I had a question about the e existing building and the demolition of that and what the time frame is. Yes, you can speak to that.

So, right now the owner is in the pro. So, um they have already notified there is a Verizon lease on the on the roof. So, they have already notified Verizon the moment that we started this process that the housing development was in progress. Um housing development takes a long time, right? Entitlements take a long time and so does permitting. And so the owner let everybody know this is where my heart is and what the future of this land is is to provide housing. And so the if I'm not mistaken there is about a year or year one to two years left of that. But what we did was that's the reason why the construction phasing is in place. It's so that you can build the rest of the site while ma maintaining um the the Verizon lease and then the way that the city structured it and I remember that Stephen took great care to discuss with all I mean all the departments on how can we allow that building to stand to to make sure that the lease because we didn't want to stop the construction and so they those special conditions there one came from the police department about like you need to have water and power right so that there's no mischief and there can't be any tenants with the exception of you know there was a lot of and then with engineering I mean this part was fun because I am a civil engineer we went through with um Roger and the team kind of looking where how can the infrastructure be built in such a way where it truly actually can be phased and to keep that.

Did that answer your question? More or less. It's there isn't a specific time is is basically what I'm hearing, but it but construction and and uh preparation of the site and whatever can can still occur and around this building until it's demolished. Exactly. But the notice has been given to Verizon. Thank you. Thank you for answering our questions. Okay, thank you.

With that, I will go ahead and open the uh public hearing and uh I would invite members of the public to uh address the council on the matter. I do have one speaker card. Uh again, uh Steven Saunders, please uh come forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, council members. Um, overall this seems like a really interesting project, but I would be a lot happier if it was the 701 Gale Drive project rather than the 700 West Hamilton Avenue project. And what I really want to point to with that is that street Olivia Avenue dumping out there on the uh Hamilton Avenue, it whenever that whatever there's been in that building over the years, people coming out of there are a problem. Either they can't get out or they force their way out. And by having the project focused towards the backwards Gale Drive, I think would have been a a beneficial thing. I'm sure they can do something with signage or whatever, you know, go this way. Um, but the big concern I have is that that dumping out right there on Hamilton Avenue, right in the right turn lane to go southbound or north, which way anyway goantas expressway um is is is going to be problematic. um particularly if they want to go north because then they've got to go across three lanes to get to left turn lanes. And that brings us to the construction details. The route they show for their their trucks makes sense. Goes up to David, turns left, Gail turns left, turns left into the site. They come out and they're going to turn right. And it also shows them going north. If you want to take a truck out of that and get it into the left turn lanes, you're going to really disrupt traffic. Um, I hope we're ready for that. And finally, I wish they had given in their per their elevations the view we would get as a community. I'm I'm glad that

the Hamilton Avenue view is going to be much more interesting than on the north side of the street, but you're not real sure what we're going to see from Santaas Expressway. And it would have been nice to have that perspective, too. That's it. Thank you. Thank you. Are there other members of the public that would like to address the council on the matter? I will therefore close the public hearing and uh ask for council comments.

Sure. Um yeah, I'm I'm okay with starting. Um so so I I think in general it's a high quality proposal that that is thoughtful. Um, I, you know, I I initially wasn't going to ask staff questions, council member B, because I had the all the exact same questions that you did about concentrating the affordable units in one and and the timing and how can we protect ourselves um, as as a city. I think I I I think we're we're probably all concerned about that and and I I know staff um shares those concerns given the importance they have set upon uh building out our housing program generally and actually producing affordable units uh specifically which is something that um just with the market conditions everyone is is struggling with right now. So, the the the thing that flipped the switch for me and made me more open to it is um I see this really as deciding between uh do we allow the the concession um and this um uh this layout which may not be what we would want in the ideal scenario or do we want zero affordable units because the financing won't work out for the affordable housing and so um I I I wish there were better options for financing and for some of the choices. That's really what it came down to um for me and it was even more helpful seeing kind of the progress. I appreciate you taking through us in in detail um of the original intent um because 30% for financing a project is is just a massive shortfall. And so I'm impressed that you're actually able to find a way um to then um still not only still be able to produce any affordable units and have the financing work out, but to actually increase the number of units. I I think

that's a significant win. Um, and at the end of the day, I put my trust in staff and and Rob and his department because I know that they share our goal of producing those units and that they're going to do everything they can um to keep working to make sure that that actually um happens. I know that that's not going to change and that that's the the the north star. So, um I I would support the proposal sharing the same concerns. I I I wish we had a slightly different proposal, but I I think just being pragmatic that that that's the reality of what we have to consider.

Thank you. Did you want to follow up with any further answers or replies to anything? You don't need to. I'm just inviting you to do so if you wanted to. I just wanted to um I had made a note of um comments of if if there's like a different living and I did want to say that um the way that the that secret garden that I was describing earlier that was roughly 77 7,000 to 7500 it is open to that podium building and so it it all. If you notice, it's actually facing the front door. So, regardless of whether the concession is utilized, I think it'll be a beautiful um marrying of different uses in case it ever goes that way. But I did I did want to let you know that there there was a really thought process of everyone utilizing that secret garden, that site, and that spine, bringing the two worlds together. But thank you so much Thank you. Okay, so we're back at the council now uh for just further discussion or motion.

So I I will support the proposal. I I u appreciate the uh response to the questions that I had and um you know my ultimate goal is to to make sure that we um end up with a project that we all can be proud of and and and the ultimate goal is to get as much affordable housing as we can. And so, um, the efforts that you're making to to make sure that happens, um, I have a better understanding and I I, um, appreciate all the work that the staff has put into this and know that they will continue to monitor and look out for the the city's best interest. So, um, I I will support the proposal. Thank you.

Would anyone like to make a motion, please? I'd be happy to move the staff recommendation if there's no further. Second. We have a motion by uh Council Member Lopez, a second by Vice Mayor Skazola. Uh roll call, please. Council member Lopez. Hi. Council member Hines. Hi. Council member By. Hi. Vice Mayor Skazola. Hi. Mayor Fado. Hi.

Okay, that concludes that item. Thank you. We will now uh move on to uh item number nine, an item of new business. This is the designation of the city representatives for the county of Santa Clara Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee. And um I would uh propose that the council approve um council member uh Lopez as the representative and uh council member Hines as the alternate for this uh community development advisory committee regarding housing. So I'll make that as a motion.

Second. Have a motion and a second. Um does it require a roll call? I don't believe so. It does. Um, yes. All right. Roll call, please. Council member Lopez. I with my thank you to my colleagues. Mayor, Council Member Hines, I and again a thank you. Council member By. Hi, Vice Mayor Scazola. Hi, Mayor Fado. Hi. Thank you. Pardon me, Rob. I realize you were on the agenda here to say something.

Okay. We have a a no unfinished business. So now we move to council committee reports. So um we'll start with council member Lopez make your report.

Um could you could you come back to me? Let me I'm trying my council member Hines. Sure. Thank you, Mayor Patado. Uh I had a great opportunity to talk with Silicon Valley at Home uh review with Emily Ramos uh on city ordinances and policies. It was a very very good and exchange of ideas. Um really excellent program. The DCBA meeting had their first January meeting. There's uh lots of great plans uh for events throughout the year as with the chambers going to have lots of events that as well. So definitely look to those. Um had an opportunity to meet a couple of the San Jose District 9 candidates and um obviously very very good candidates for the uh the District 9 there. We continue to I continue to want to emphasize the partnership with San Jose uh because the uh the complexities of dealing with ourselves and and working with them. I had a uh opportunity and I'm on the San Jose Bristol Hotel committee advisory uh community advisory committee. Uh we had a great review uh the other day with a excellent program that they have put together with PATH uh is the name of the uh wraparound services organization. So really an excellent program that really we need to look at the top. Then I want to do a shout out to Emerald Art Studio which is right above the Starbucks. definitely um young or old. I had a six-year-old there that just was a having a great time as as did both of us grandparents and it's just an excellent excellent program to go and have some fun there. Thank you.

Thank you. I have no report tonight.

Thank you. Uh so new year, new leadership at SVCE. Um, also a new headquarters building that was purchased last year, but now we're in the process of uh uh we just approved an agreement to begin the interior renovation. So hopefully we'll be in there officially sometime in summer is is the hopes. Um, also, oh, we this is really interesting. We we approved the board approved an agreement for uh joining other energy providers investing in an advanced compressed air energy storage project. Now, have you ever heard of that before? I had not. This was a new one to me. And the reason why is I found out there's only two existing in the world right now. So, this would be the third. And the two existing in the world right now, they've they basically prove the concept works. And so, now this third one is going to be making it on a much larger scale. And so, uh we'll see how that goes. But we we're invested at least a little piece of it. So, uh pretty interesting. Um, also VTAC again, new year, new leadership, and I'm honored that my colleagues elected me as chair. And that's my reports. Thanks.

Thank you. And I'll only mention that I wanted to express my appreciation to the Campbell Press for uh repeatedly publishing uh the and advertising the program called Adopt a Storm Drain. Uh there's been a valiant valiant effort made recently to call the public's attention to uh the care of storm drains to prevent debris and other pollutants from getting into the storm system which goes directly into the creeks. And this was also an agenda item on the recent youth uh council uh meeting. Uh I look forward to listening to their report as well. So it's just an important aspect. Uh starting this coming year, Council Member Pines will represent us uh on the stormwater authority uh board uh as well as being our representative on the solid waste board. So that concludes my report.

What you want to say something? Oh, yeah. Yeah. You know what? I I called on you and you asked to come back and I just in my mind I just that was it.

No, no, sorry. I'm I'm throwing everything throwing everything out of order today. Um just a few things I was trying to pull up uh my list. Um we right early the the first week of the year we we had our um uh VTA meeting and a number of items but one of the ones which um I you know may be of interest to colleagues in the public is um we we had our most in-depth discussion uh yet at our public board meeting of the preparations for the Super Bowl games um that that are upcoming. Um the the the short version um is um this is actually something that we we know how to do as an agency pretty well both because of the uh 2015 um uh Super Bowl um as well as the the mega events Taylor Swift and Beyonce and others um which also happened at Levi Stadium over the past couple years. um and which actually in all likelihood were a larger number of people um trying to get to and from Levi Stadium than the actual Super Bowl will be. Um and so there there there is pardon the expression a game plan for it that that we're we're going to use. We also had the preview of um FIFA um the World Cup coming up is a whole different story just because the logistics are completely different as opposed to the light rail system that that we we um know how to use and and operate and um we know how to fill. And really the only constraint is um people getting into the the trains fast enough, but other than that, we can run the trains. Um FIFA is just a whole different order of magnitude of complexity that we're still working on and and um um also have a a plan for, but just in in terms of uh the information, but um you can go on VTA's website um if uh you actually uh plan to go to the games or or any any of the events and there'll be a lot of information on how to get around. Um, I also attended the Los Altos Council

reorganization which was um a special occasion because not only was it a reorganization and um they welcomed Sally Meadows as uh now Madame Mayor and thanked former mayor um Pete Daly um but uh it was it was the first uh reorganization I've seen where there was also a ticking deadline and resignation because um their former vice mayor Nissa uh Flagore was um stepping off um to be sworn in later this month. I think January 26, another public ceremony as county assessor. Um and so it was it was a great um celebratory um occasion. Um and lastly, I'll just mention for my colleagues um in 10 days, January 30th, um we will have um as a League of Cities Peninsula Division um what has become our annual uh legislators event now being called our legislator uh spotlight. Um and so if you haven't seen the email the information uh please feel free to reach out. I'm I'm happy to share that uh the information personally um but but we are looking at having this year not just state legislators but federal as well just given the complexities and challenges of what we face on the federal level and so um hoping to keep the program um interesting and it'll be in Santa Clair County this year. So a little bit uh less less of a a drive for us down here. Thank you. That concludes my report.

Thank you. With that, I will adjourn the meeting of the city council. Thank you for attending.