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SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: November 17, 2010 AGENDA ITEM:
DEPARTMENT: Community Development CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson
PREPARED BY: Michael Fossati DIRECTOR: John F. Livingstone, AICP
SUBJECT: Adoption of the General Plan’s Circulation and Scenic Highway Element and
conforming amendment to the Open Space and Conservation Element trails
map.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Planning Commission recommends the City Council;
• Approve the Resolution to adopt the revised General Plan’s Circulation and Scenic Highway
Element (Circulation Element) including a conforming amendment to the Open Space and
Conservation Element (Open Space Element).
REPORT SUMMARY:
On October 20, 2010, the City Council considered the adoption of the Circulation Element and
Initial Study / Negative Declaration (IS/ND). Council approved the IS/ND, but requested Staff
make the following changes within the Circulation Element.
• Replace the following sentence “Quito Road is a two-to four-lane north-south roadway
and essentially forms the City’s eastern boundary. Quito Road links Lawrence
Expressway (south of Saratoga Avenue) to Saratoga-Los Gatos Road” with “Quito Road,
with the Sunland exception, forms the City’s eastern boundary. Quito Road links
Lawrence Expressway with four lanes to Cox Avenue, proceeding south to Saratoga-Los
Gatos Road as two lanes.” (page 5, paragraph 9)
• Replace “Bohlman Road/Montevian Road” with “Bohlman Road/Montevina Road.”
(page 23, paragraph 6)
• Provide more clarity by adding new language to the section titled Future Traffic
Operations regarding why certain sections of roadways will be allowed to operate at LOS
E and F standards. (page 27, paragraph 3)
• Revise the Vision statement’s Pledge item 1 to reference “vehicular” travel instead of
“automobile” travel and include Pledge item 2 to state “promote a healthy and active
community by providing transportation opportunities for bicyclist and pedestrians.”
(Preface, page 3, paragraph 2)
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• Revise Goals, Policies, and Implementation Measures section to include a new Goal CI-
1b stating “Encourage healthy, active living, reduce traffic congestions and fossil fuel use,
and improve the safety and quality of life of residents of the City of Saratoga by providing
safe, convenient, and comfortable routes for walking, bicycling, and public
transportation.” and Policy 1.3 stating “Provide safe, convenient and comfortable routes
for walking, bicycling, and public transportation that encourage increased use of these
modes of transportation, enable convenient travel as part of daily activities, improve the
public welfare by addressing a wide array of health and environmental problems, and
meet the needs of all users of the streets, including children, older adults, and people of
disabilities.” (page 37, paragraph 4 and 7)
Per City Council’s request, the changes discussed above have been incorporated into the revised
Draft Circulation Element, dated November 17, 2010 (Attachment 1a). Adoption of the
Circulation Element would also include adoption of a conforming amendment to replace the
existing trails map in the Open Space Element (Attachment 1b). Replacing the existing trails
map within the Open Space Element would fix inconsistencies between the trails map in the
Circulation Element and Open Space Element.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The approved contract amount with Fehr and Peers to prepare the Circulation Element was
$14,000.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The Circulation Element update would not be adopted and the current Circulation Element would
remain in effect.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
• Continue this item and direct staff and consultants to revise the Circulation Element, or
• Do not approve the Circulation Element update. This will leave the existing Circulation
Element as the City’s land use regulatory document.
FOLLOW UP ACTION:
None required.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
A public notice of the Circulation Element update was sent to all adjoining jurisdictions, all
regional traffic management agencies, all tribal agencies and school districts within the City’s
jurisdiction, the Santa Clara County Recorder’s office and the State Clearinghouse. A copy of
the agenda packet is also made available at the Saratoga Branch Library each Monday in advance
of the Council meeting and residents may subscribe to the agenda on-line by opting in at
www.saratoga.ca.us. Notice of this meeting was properly posted and published in the Saratoga
News on November 2, 2010.
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ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution to adopt the Circulation and Scenic Highway Element with the following
attachments:
a. Draft Circulation and Scenic Highway Element – November 17, 2010
b. Draft Trails Map – Open Space and Conservation Element
2. Staff Report – City Council Meeting – Oct. 20, 2010