Table of Contents 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Regional and Local Setting 3 Specific Plan Area 5 Purpose and Intent of the Plan 6 Key Community-Generated Design Goals 6 Previous Planning Efforts 7 Statutory Requirements of the Specific Plan 8 Plan Contents 8 2: COMMUNITY PROCESS AND OUTREACH 11 Outreach Strategy 12 Community Meetings 13 TOD Bus Tour 14 CAC Meetings 15 Planning Commission and City Council Meetings 16 3: EXISTING CONDITIONS 17 Historic Context 18 Demographics 18 Land Use 19 Urban Design Character 23 Traffic and Circulation 27 Infrastructure 31 Hazardous Materials 33 Parks and Open Space 34 Community Services 36 Community Organizations 37 Economic Conditions and Jobs-Housing Ratios 38 RAVENSWOOD / 4 CORNERS TOD SPECIFIC PLAN CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO Table of Contents 4: VISION AND CONCEPT 41 Vision Statement 42 Plan Concept 42 Open Space and Public Amenity Concepts 48 Building Form 54 Development Potential 59 Circulation Network 59 5: GOALS AND POLICIES 63 Land Use and Community Character 64 Transportation and Traffic 75 Utilities and Public Services 79 Cultural Resources 84 6: LAND USE 87 Land Use Districts 88 Land Use Regulations 90 Development Standards 97 Performance Standards 103 7: STREETSCAPE STANDARDS 105 Street Types 106 Street Right-of-Way Standards and Guidelines 116 RAVENSWOOD / 4 CORNERS TOD SPECIFIC PLAN CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO Table of Contents 8: CIRCULATION 121 Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation 122 Vehicular Circulation 123 Parking 126 Transit 128 9: PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SERVICES 133 Water Supply 134 Utility Infrastructure 136 Public Safety 142 Cultural, Institutional, and Civic Uses 143 Schools 143 Parks, Open Space, and Trails 144 10: IMPLEMENTATION 147 Technical Implementation Items 148 Fiscal Impact Analysis 148 Conceptual Financing Plan 152 Development Phasing 159 RAVENSWOOD / 4 CORNERS TOD SPECIFIC PLAN CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO Table of Contents APPENDIX A: DESIGN STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES APPENDIX B: ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS APPENDIX C: FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS EXHIBITS AND TABLES APPENDIX D: CONCEPTUAL FINANCING PLAN TABLES AND ATTACHMENTS RAVENSWOOD / 4 CORNERS TOD SPECIFIC PLAN CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO INTRODUCTION 1 From the time the City of East Palo Alto was incorporated in 1983, its residents and leaders have worked diligently to main- tain and enhance the community. In some parts of the city, these efforts have borne fruit. But change has been slow to come to the Ravenswood Business District and 4 Corners. In recent years, the City Council has focused its attention on the Ravenswood Redevelopment Project Area, which is the last of its Redevelopment Areas that has seen little change since the adoption of the Redevelopment Plan. As a result, the tide has begun to turn. New apartments have been built near 4 Corners, with rents that are affordable to the city’s residents. In addi- tion, the City has worked to improve the appearance and func- tion of Bay Road, making it a more pleasant place for people to walk and ride bicycles. But a great deal of work remains. There are still many vacant properties in Ravenswood/4 Corners that could be developed, as well as opportunities to use developed properties in a way that better meets the community’s needs. The area’s public utilities, including water, stormwater, and wastewater pipes, must also be improved so that significant new development can occur. To shape the future of Ravenswood and 4 Corners, the City of East Palo Alto has prepared this plan, the Ravenswood/4 Corners Transit Oriented Development Specific Plan. The Specific Plan outlines how Ravenswood and 4 Corners can be transformed into thriving districts that provide places to live; employment opportunities; parks and open spaces; and ameni- ties for all of East Palo Alto, such as expanded library service and a new community center. It creates a framework for trans- forming the intersection of University Avenue and Bay Road into a new “downtown” for East Palo Alto. In addition, it pro- vides detailed regulations for all new development that occurs in Ravenswood and 4 Corners. 1 INTRODUCTION The Specific Plan reflects extensive community input. From October 2009 through March 2011, the City led a community process that included 15 public meetings, of which three were highly interactive public workshops. Commu- nity members offered a wide variety of ideas for the future of Ravenswood and 4 Corners, and as many of these ideas as possible have been incorporated into this Specific Plan. The Specific Plan’s title refers to the concept of “transit oriented development” (TOD). Successful TOD results in homes, stores, and workplaces that are locat- ed near transit stops and designed to increase ridership potential and proximity to services. As a result, TOD can make it easier for people to use public transit for their daily trips. The Plan takes advantage of opportunities to connect new development in East Palo Alto with improved public transit that may be pro- vided in the future. The following sections provide an overview of the Specific Plan and describe the chapters that follow this introduction. 2 RAVENSWOOD / 4 CORNERS TOD SPECIFIC PLAN CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO INTRODUCTION 1 Regional and Local Setting East Palo Alto is located in the southeast portion of the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately 30 miles southeast of San Francisco and 18 miles northwest of San Jose. US 101 crosses through southeast East Palo Alto. The city is bordered at the south by Palo Alto and at the west and north by Menlo Park. The San Francisco Bay forms the city’s eastern boundary. Figure 1-1 shows the regional location of East Palo Alto. §¦¨80 §¦¨5 99 Figure 1-1: East Palo Alto Regional Location FAIRFIELD STOCKTON 4 OAKLAND SAN FRANCISCO TRACY §¦¨580 HAYWARD §¦¨680 §¦¨880 §¦¨280 101 ! EAST PALO ALTO PACIFIC OCEAN §¦¨280 SAN JOSE §¦¨5 17 §¨152 1 ¦ 0 10 20 miles RAVENSWOOD / 4 CORNERS TOD SPECIFIC PLAN 3 CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO 1 INTRODUCTION The Plan Area that is addressed in the Specific Plan is located in the northeast portion of the city, west of the San Francisco Bay. A portion of the Plan Area shares a boundary with the city limits. Figure 1-2 shows how the Plan Area fits DUMBARTON RAIL within the city. 84 Figure 1-2: Project Plan Area RAVENSWOOD OPEN SPACE PRESERVE DUMBARTON RAIL 84 SAN FRANCISCO BAY WILLOW ROAD COOLEY LANDING RAVENSWOOD OPEN SPACE PRESERVE BAY ROAD PALO ALTO BAYLANDS NATURE PRESERVE SAN FRANCISCO BAY WILLOW ROAD COOLEY LANDING BAY ROAD PALO ALTO BAYLANDS NATURE PRESERVE £¤101 UNIVERSITYAVENUE IKEA CITY OF MENLO PARK £¤101 UNIVERSITYAVENUE IKEA CITY OF MENLO PARK CITY OF PALO ALTO SPECIFIC PLAN AREA CITY LIMITS CITY OF PALO ALTO 0 1,000 2,000 feet SPECIFIC PLAN AREA CITY LIMITS 0 1,000 2,000 feet 4 RAVENSWOOD / 4 CORNERS TOD SPECIFIC PLAN CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO INTRODUCTION 1 Specific Plan Area The Plan Area encompasses approximately 350 acres and is generally bounded at the west by University Avenue; at the north by a rail line, where future Dumbarton Rail passenger service is planned; at the east by the baylands along the San Francisco Bay; and at the south by Weeks Street. The Specific Plan Area also extends south from Weeks Street to Runnymede Street in the southeast along Pulgas Avenue. In addition to University Avenue, which is an important corridor within the city as well as the region, the Plan Area includes Bay Road, a major east-west corridor in East Palo Alto. Figure 1-3 shows the Plan Area boundary. DUMBARTON RAIL LINE Figure 1-3: Plan Area Boundary BAY TRAIL DUMBARTON RAIL LINE BAY TRAIL DREW COURT TULANE AVENUE RAVENSWOOD OPEN TEMPLE COURT SAN FRANCISCO BAY SPACE PRESERVE STEVENS AVENUE UNIVERSITY AVENUE UNIVERSITY XAVIER STREET DREW COURT TULANE AVENUE PURDUE AVENUEHUNTER STREET GEORGETOWN STREET RAVENSWOOD OPEN TEMPLE COURT SAN FRANCISCO BAY SPACE PRESERVE STEVENS AVENUE FORDHAM STREET PURDUE AVENUEGONZAGA STREET UNIVERSITY AVENUE UNIVERSITY ILLINOIS STREET XAVIER STREET PURDUE AVENUEHUNTER STREET GEORGETOWN STREET COOLEY LANDING FORDHAM STREET PURDUE AVENUEGONZAGA STREET NOTRE DAME AVENUE ILLINOIS STREET COOLEY LANDING JACK FARRELL PARK NOTRE DAME AVENUE BAYLOR STREET BAYLOR ANNAPOLIS STREET ANNAPOLIS MICHIGAN AVENUE TARA STREET TARA BAY ROAD PULGAS AVENUE PULGAS JACK BAY TRAIL FARRELL PARK DEMETER STREET DEMETER BAYLOR STREET BAYLOR ANNAPOLIS STREET ANNAPOLIS ILLINOIS STREET ILLINOIS GONZAGA STREET GONZAGA FORDHAM STREET FORDHAM BAY ROAD MICHIGAN AVENUE AVENUE PULGAS TARA STREET TARA BAY ROAD PULGAS AVENUE PULGAS PALO ALTO BAYLANDSBAY TRAIL NATURE PRESERVE DEMETER STREET DEMETER CLARKE AVENUE CLARKE PAUL ROB\ PAUL CAROLE CT CAROLE ILLINOIS STREET ILLINOIS WEEKS STREET GONZAGA STREET GONZAGA FORDHAM STREET FORDHAM BAY ROAD AVENUE PULGAS PALO ALTO BAYLANDS NATURE PRESERVE UNIVERSITY AVENUE RUNNYMEDE STREET CLARKE AVENUE CLARKE PAUL ROB\ PAUL CAROLE CT CAROLE WEEKS STREET UNIVERSITY AVENUE SPECIFIC PLAN AREA RUNNYMEDE STREET 0 300 600 feet 5 SPECIFIC PLAN AREA 0 300 600 feet 1 INTRODUCTION Some small parts of the Plan Area are located outside of the general boundaries described above. At the southeast boundary, a small area south of Weeks Street is included because it is part of the City’s Redevelopment Area. Similarly, the southwest boundary extends to include blocks west of University Avenue in the 4 Corners Area, and to include all parcels within the Ravenswood Redevelop- ment Area. The Plan Area is bounded at the east by the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve and the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. Cooley Landing, which is part of the Plan Area, extends into the San Francisco Bay. The Plan Area also encompasses University Village, a single-family neighbor- hood immediately east of University Avenue. While the Specific Plan does not call for new development or land use changes in University Village, it includes focused improvements that will help make University Village a better place to live.