Item No. _4a___ DATE: FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 28, 2020 TO: THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM: STEPHANIE DAVIS, PRINCIPAL PLANNER NEAL J. MARTIN, PLANNING CONSULTANT SUBJECT: MENLO COLLEGE, 2020 MASTER PLAN UPDATE, 1000 EL CAMINO REAL (APN 070 360 100) RECOMMENDATION: Planning Staff recommends that the Planning Commission accept the 2020 annual update from Menlo College. INTRODUCTION: The Town of Atherton established a policy to request the preparation of master plans for all private schools located in the PFS district. The guidelines further request that each year, the private schools provide input on the status of master plan preparation and implementation. The annual meeting is required to be noticed to all property owners within five hundred feet of the boundaries of the school. Menlo College’s Master Plan was received by the Planning Commission at their June 25, 2003 meeting. The Master Plan was updated in 2004 when the Planning Commission reviewed the update on February 25, 2004 and again in spring 2008, 2009, December 2010/January 2011, in 2014, 2018 and 2019. Menlo College has submitted the attached document providing their update to the Master Plan for the year 2020. ANALYSIS: The attached document is Menlo College’s submittal for their 2020 Master Plan Update. This Update supplements the 2003 Master Plan including updates that were made in 2004 and 2010 (see attachment 3). There has been no new construction of any facilities since the 2004 update. The Town recently approved a Conditional Use Permit for a new residence hall designed to house up to 288 students who currently reside off campus. The document also includes discussion of the impacts on enrollment and school functions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Planning Commission Staff Report October 28, 2020 Menlo College Master Plan Update - 2020 Page 2 Atherton Municipal Code (AMC) Section 17.36.050 suggests content of master plans include: land uses, their location and extent, circulation patterns, locations for parking and parking standards, current enrollment projections and maximum enrollment anticipated, a list of possible facilities to be developed, a schedule or priority of development, identification of historic or other unique facilities, heritage trees, and their disposition, identification of uses and their days and hours of operation, including evenings, and identification of other institutions or uses at the facility. The 2020 Update content is consistent with the AMC suggested criteria as follows: • Land use – The 2020 Update includes a general description of campus land uses, their location and extent on page 7. In addition, the 2003 Master Plan, as amended (see attachment 3) addresses campus land uses as listed below: o The maps and text included in sections “Project Recommendations”, pg.11-13; “Illustrative Master Plan”, “Framework Plan Recommendations”, pg. 13-14; and “Illustrative Framework Plan”, pg. 30-39 show the location and extent of existing and proposed land uses. • Circulation and Parking – The 2020 Update includes a description of campus circulation patterns and of parking locations and number of spaces on pages 8-9. In addition, a description of a traffic study performed to address the request made by the Planning Commission in 2018 is included on pages 9 and 10. The 2003 Master Plan, as amended addresses campus circulation and parking as listed below: o The map and text included in section “Illustrative Master Plan”, pg. 13 shows the interior vehicular and pedestrian circulation systems. Exterior public streets are also shown on the map. On-site parking facilities are described in the text on pg. 28. • Enrollment – The 2020 Update includes future enrollment projections on page 14. A discussion of the effects of Covid-19 on enrollment is included, indicating the enrollment has only declined 7% during the pandemic. The college expects resuming gradual growth once management of the coronavirus improves. In previous updates it was noted that approximately 25% of student enrollment is in evening classes. For example, if the total enrollment were 800 students, 200 of those would only be on campus in the evening. The table below provides historic enrollment data as well as the projections contained in the 2020 Update. The enrollment data below was obtained from several sources; (1) updated Residential Growth Projections from the 2010 Update, (2) information provided by Robert Talbott, Director of Facilities and Operations, via e-mail, (3) 2013-2014 through 2017-2018 actual and projected enrollment provided by Robert Talbott in his letter dated November 7, 2014, and (4) the 2018 Update. Academic Year Fall Enrollment Spring Enrollment 2009-2010 594 n/a 2010-2011 590 545 2011-2012 642 596 2012-2013 681 657 2013-2014 713 684 2014-2015 759 741 Planning Commission Staff Report October 28, 2020 Menlo College Master Plan Update - 2020 Page 3 2015-20161 750 750 2016-2017 750 750 2017-2018 750 750 The table below shows current and future enrollment projections provided in the 2020 Update. Academic Year Enrollment 2019-2020 850 ± 2021-2022 875 2022-2023 925 2023-2024 and beyond 1,000 • Facilities to be developed – The 2020 Update includes a general description of facilities to be developed (“Future Facilities”, page 11) including a new residence hall, upgrades to the Bowman Library, Dining Hall. Should new construction be possible, the priorities would begin with a new residence hall, new library and new dining hall. In addition, the 2003 Master Plan, as amended addresses facilities to be developed as listed below: o The map and text on included in section “Illustrative Framework Plan”, pg. 30-39 describes the facilities to be developed in the future. • Development Priority – The 2020 Update addresses the generalized development of Cartan Field (page 11) including an illustration of the potential land uses for the property. Recreation facilities listed include existing baseball, multi-use field, tennis and new aquatic center. Parking use is also listed. The Update includes a note indicating that development of Cartan Field is subject to a separate planning process because of shared ownership with Menlo School. • Historic facilities and Heritage trees – The 2020 Update addresses historic facilities and heritage trees on pages 12 and 13. One historic building on the campus is the Perry Stable building located on Cartan Field. That building was associated with the famous racehorse Phar Lap. The historic significance of the stable did not come to light until 2013. The College plans to retain the building in its present location and continue its use for storage. In addition, the 2020 Update identifies the El Camino Residence Hall in this section, noting that it was built shortly after the 1927 founding of the College. o In the 2003 Master Plan as amended, the map and text included in the section “Campus Heritage Trees”, pg. 27 describes the heritage trees on campus. • Use and hours of operation – A statement summarizing uses and their hours of operation is included on page 10 of the 2020 Update. Other institutions or uses on campus are described in general on page 7 of the 2019 Update. PUBLIC OUTREACH: The 2020 Update contains a section entitled “Engaging Our Community” on pages 14 and 15. The text describes various ways the College reaches out to the community and neighbors. One of the 1 Figures in italics are projections. Planning Commission Staff Report October 28, 2020 Menlo College Master Plan Update - 2020 Page 4 items indicates that the College communicates with immediate neighbors in advance of campus events that might increase traffic or noise in the area. RECOMMENDATION: It is Staff’s professional opinion that the Master Plan Update for 2020 submitted by Menlo College complies with the spirit and intent of the Town policies and ordinances related to Master Plans for private schools. Staff further suggests that the College establish an annual program of neighbor outreach, including open meetings to inform neighbors of existing and future plans and programs and listen to concerns and suggestions. POLICY FOCUS: The Atherton Municipal Code contains a policy to request the preparation of master plans for all private schools located in the PFS district. The AMC also contains guidelines for the contents of private school master plans. Menlo College has submitted a master plan and periodic updates in compliance with Town policy since 2003. FISCAL IMPACT: All costs associated with the update are paid for by the applicant. FORMAL MOTION: I move that the Planning Commission accept for filing the 2020 annual Master Plan update from Menlo College. Attachments: 1. Menlo College Master Plan Update, October 2020 2. The Campus Framework Plan, Menlo College, June 2003 and as amended February 25, 2004 and July 9, 2010 Menlo College Master Plan Update October 2020 Presented by: Steven Weiner, President Bob Talbott, Director of Facilities Menlo College, 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA 94027 TABLE OF CONTENTS INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT AND MAJOR CHANGES ...................................................... 3 LAND USES, LOCATION, AND FACILITIES ...................................................................... 7 CAMPUS MAP ......................................................................................................................... 8 CIRCULATION MAP ............................................................................................................. 10 TREE MAP ............................................................................................................................