Memo (2017-03-3070 North First Street • Campbell, CA 95008-1423 • TEL (408) 866-2140 • FAX (408) 866-5140 • E-MAIL planning@cityofcampbell.com
To: Paul Kermoyan, Community Development Director Date: March 30, 2017
Nicole Brown, Economic Development Specialist
From: Daniel Fama, Senior Planner
Subject: Downtown Mix of Uses Follow-Up
Although the City Council's direction on the Downtown has been somewhat mixed, there is a reoccurring theme that the answer to a better balance of uses is not found in more regulation. To this extent, I propose a laissez-faire approach that removes much of the existing regulatory
framework for the Downtown. If the Council disagrees, they can direct staff to include more
regulation.
• Land Use: Rewrite the C-3 land use provisions to allow land uses comparable to the C-2 (General Commercial) Zoning District (less any obviously inconsistent uses such as
drive-through, ambulance centers, etc.), using the same land use terminology found in
the rest of the Zoning Code (with exception of "food retail" for parking reasons). This
would allow the market to determine if offices, salons, spas, and studios are desirable on Campbell Avenue, not City regulations.
• Sign Standards: Rewrite the C-3 signage standards to do the following:
o Expedite sign review by allowing all signs to be reviewed through a building
permit and no longer requiring separate (and costly) sign permits.
o Increase the maximum wall sign size from 40 square-feet to 50 square-feet (equal to the rest of the City).
o Create an allowance for ancillary menu/special/sale sign boards in addition to
wall and projecting signs that are already allowed.
o Allow wall signs on second-stories by right (currently requires a Sign Exception).
o Formalize A-frame sign allowance (on private property only).
o Allow for free-standing signs on certain properties.
• Parking Standards: Establish new parking provisions to do the following:
o Eliminate parking requirements to allow any use to locate in any existing building without limitation, with the exception of restaurants (not including food retailers), which could only exceed the requirement through payment of an in-lieu fee (to be
established).
Extend this parking provision to Winchester Boulevard and East Campbell
Avenue. We call these areas extensions of Downtown, it's time to start treating them that way.
o Create new parking standards that apply only to new construction (new buildings
and additions) that can be satisfied by provision of on-site parking (unlikely) or
payment of a realistic parking in-lieu fee (to be established).
MEMORANDUM
Community Development Department
Planning Division
Downtown Mix of Uses Memo Page 2
70 North First Street • Campbell, CA 95008-1423 • TEL (408) 866-2140 • FAX (408) 866-5140 • E-MAIL planning@cityofcampbell.com
• Boundaries of the C-3 Zoning District: Rezone the properties along Campbell Avenue from Third Street to just before Winchester Boulevard (as identified in red) from P-D to
C-3 to provide enhanced opportunities for new businesses without the burden of the
Admin. P-D Permit process.
• C-3 Zoning District Name: Revise the name of the C-3 (Central Commercial District) Zoning District to the C-3 (Historic Downtown) Zoning District to more accurately
reflect the purpose and intent of this designation.
• Economic Development: Develop an aggressive plan to target specific national/regional retailers that could potentially open a new location in Downtown. This would require
researching each retailers specific location policies to make sure that new locations are
not precluded by existing locations at nearby shopping centers (particularly Valley Fair
Mall and Santana Row)