By Khalida Sarwari
Two projects received the go-ahead from the Campbell City Council this month.
The first is a 25-unit small-lot single-family subdivision on property located at 125 S. San Tomas Aquino Road, a site formerly occupied by various auto businesses. The council voted 5-0 to grant the applicant, Arcadia Homes, Inc., a planned development permit, a zoning map amendment and a General Plan amendment.
Currently, the zoning and General Plan allow for commercial use, but the zoning will be changed to planned development to allow for residential development on the site, said Paul Kermoyan, interim director of community development.
A handful of residents addressed the council about concerns regarding construction noise, traffic, hazardous materials and safety due to the demolition of a wall separating a neighborhood from the proposed property. All homes in that neighborhood back up to the property.
Some of those issues, such as the noise and traffic impacts, were addressed in a mitigated negative declaration, an environmental document that determined there would not be any negative environmental impacts caused by the construction of the property. The document has been out for public review for several months, Kermoyan said.
“No matter what kind of project you have, there’s always going to be noise of some kind,” Arcadia Homes president Michael Fletcher told the council. “We will try to minimize that as much as we can, obviously.”
Several residents, though, expressed concern about their back yards being exposed once construction begins. One resident said she would lose the use of her backyard deck. Others said they feared their homes would be left unprotected. But Kermoyan said that a rear fence which delineated property lines was removed by some residents who wanted extra space in their back yards, and they did so without a permit.
“We’ve offered to meet with residents and try to resolve their issues in terms of the decks,” Fletcher said.
A contractor will secure the proposed property by installing a temporary chain-link fence, said Kermoyan.
He said the site has undergone inspection by the county and water district, and they have determined there is no risk of hazardous materials. Regarding concerns about rodents, Kermoyan said the likelihood that they would come from the site–which for the most part is paved–is unlikely, because rodents typically live in vegetation. Nevertheless, Fletcher said he has offered to have exterminators inspect the site.
“The neighbors felt they were coming from the auto shop buildings,” Kermoyan said. “That was a brand-new concern.”
The next step in the project is completing construction drawings and demolishing of the auto center, said Fletcher. “Now the real hard work starts,” he added.
Construction is expected to get under way in spring of 2013. The homes will be built in phases and range from 1,500 to 2,200 square feet.
The motion will come back to the council on July 3 for a second reading before receiving final approval.
The second project discussed at the council meeting was regarding a planned development permit to allow the construction of a 5,393-square-foot, one-story commercial building at 2135 Winchester Blvd. on the former site of the A & W building.
Property owner Scott Plautz raised concerns that certain elements of the project would be cost-prohibitive, but the council ultimately disagreed with him and voted 3-2 to proceed with the project as presented.
Councilman Rich Waterman and Vice Mayor Evan Low voted to allow for Plautz’s concessions.
Plautz disagreed with three requirements stipulated by the Winchester Master Plan, a community document that was adopted in 2009 to provide guidance, policies and standards for the development of that street.
“Street improvements for that portion of Winchester Boulevard are intended to create a beautiful streetscape that includes expansive sidewalks, evenly spaced trees, benches, nice streetlights void of any above-ground cabinets,” Kermoyan said. “In order to achieve that goal, there are conditions that are placed on developers.”
Plautz said relocating traffic control cabinets and supporting cabinets, readjusting an electrical power meter and installing structural soil within the sidewalk system–all required by the plan–would be cost prohibitive.
“We incurred additional costs due to the master plan,” Plautz said. “My question to the council was maybe the master plan needs to undergo a revision process. Those conditions especially in these tough economic times are a deterrent to being able to develop.”
Ultimately, Plautz said he was happy with the council’s decision and was looking forward to the next phase of the project.
“There’s still more work to be done,” he said. “We’re hoping that this works out.”
A construction date has not yet been set.
“I really want to see this project come into fruition,” Low said. “I’m extraordinarily eager to get this project moving forward.”
City Council gives its approval to a couple of major building projects in Campbell
