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Planners Approve Revised Azule Crossing Proposal By A Vote Of 5-1
Barry says project violates the 'spirit of Measure G'
Developers made changes
By Kara Chalmers
The proposal for a revitalization of the gateway shopping center, Azule Crossing at 12312 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, was approved by Planning Commissioners 5-1 on Nov 10. New commissioner Cynthia Barry voted against it, and Commissioner Lisa Kurasch was absent.
At the first public hearing for the development on Oct. 27, commissioners and some neighbors voiced concerns over the proposal. The owner, Azule Crossing Inc. (represented by the Griffin Co. of Saratoga), and Classic Communities Inc. of Palo Alto, listened to the commissioners' and the neighbors' suggestions and came to the Nov. 10 Planning Commission meeting with a revised plan.
The new development will be both commercial and residential. It calls for the existing front commercial building at Azule Crossing to be refurbished and expanded. The three other buildings on site will be demolished to make room for the residential component, but some of the businesses from those buildings will be relocated to the new retail building. The residences will be either 4,500-square-foot single-family homes or 3,000-square-foot attached townhouses.
Commissioners commended the applicant for addressing concerns from the previous hearing so swiftly and completely.
"Given the fact that the developers have met with the neighbors and asked for their responses and received their input, and have responded to our requests so very well, so precisely, I think that at this point we need to go forward," said Planning Commission Chairwoman Mary-Lynne Bernald.
"It's nice to know the commissioners appreciated and recognized how much thought and consideration went into the project," said Kristin Davis, whose grandfather purchased the property in 1937.
Davis' mother and two uncles are the owners of the property, Azule Crossing Inc. Kristin Davis owns the Front Window, a retail store in Azule Crossing.
"This is an emotional issue for us, given our roots in this community," Davis said at the meeting. "My grandfather came to America in the first place in search of the freedom and the right to own land."
She said that, in Saratoga, there is a need and a desire for smaller homes with less maintenance, especially for the elderly, some of whom are family.
The concerns of some commissioners at the first hearing Oct. 27 had to do with the number of residences, parking, the lack of a road from the commercial site to the residential one, the lack of open space and the color scheme of the retail building.
Since then, the developers have made some changes.
The approved development will have 25 residences. There will be 13 on-street parking spaces for the residential section (in addition to the four that come with each home), an automobile and pedestrian access to the commercial from the residential site, and two new open space areas. Also, the home at the entrance to the residential section on Seagull Way will be single-story rather than two-story, to fit in better with nearby homes. The commercial building color scheme was changed to dark, earthy colors.
The companies will contribute 50 percent to the cost of installing a needed traffic light at the intersection of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Seagull Way.
The reasons commissioners gave for supporting the project varied. Some said the city has a responsibility to provide more alternative affordable housing and that this would be a good way to do so.
Commissioner Barry said she could not support the project on the basis that it would be a shame to have serious neighborhood opposition and that the spirit of Measure G is an issue.
According to city staff, Measure G--the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative that would require that the developer put the proposal on the ballot--does not apply here because the proposal is for a commercially zoned area.
"Measure G either applies to something or it doesn't," Commissioner Margaret Patrick said. "It is what it is ... and it doesn't apply in this situation."
Barry also said that although the commercial property may not be viable today, in the future it could be revitalized. "Saratoga's growing and changing, and I think there's reason to believe that that area might be revitalized," Barry said.
But Scott Ward, vice president of Classic Communities, said that the three Azule Crossing buildings slated for demolition to make room for the residences, are not viable retail spaces. "[The space] has not and will not generate retail tax revenues for the city of Saratoga," he said. "So to mourn its loss is inappropriate. Market forces are working against retention of this portion of the property for retail use."
Barry asked if there could be a study session between residents and developers before the commission made a decision. Ward replied that the proposal has been on the table in one form or another for more than a year and that the companies have met with some neighbors.
"We feel pleased that a relatively limited number of our immediate neighbors have expressed concerns about this development," Ward said at the meeting. "That's a very difficult standard to achieve today when there are broad-based concerns about the pace of development activity. So, we believe that we are in a position to move forward at this point."
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
