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<br />within an existing strip commercial area. Even ifthe Planning Commission determines that the site <br />is within an existing strip commercial area, the proposal does not consolidate strip commercial, but <br />rather expands commercial uses onto a portion of property that is currently vacant. Hmvever, it is <br />also noted that the applicant is proposing fPO and ISR overlays which would require adherence to <br />applicable development standards, consistent with this policy. <br /> <br />Nerv neighborhood commercial uses shall be located awayfrom River Road in locations that <br />facilitate the provision o/commercialfacilities scaled to a residential area and that allow <br />for dispersal {~,f commercial uses throughout River Road-S'anta Clara (Poli"J1 6.0) <br /> <br />The commercial uses planned in the Metropolitan Plan for the north Santa Clara/loating <br />node are no longer needed and should be eliminated ji'om jllrther consideration at this time. <br />(Policy 8.0) <br /> <br />The applicant is not proposing a ne\v neighborhood commercial use (but is proposing to rezone 2 <br />acres trom C-I Neighborhood Commercial to C-2 Community Commercial), and the subject site is <br />not in the north Santa Clara area, therefore these policies are not applicable as mandatory approval <br />criteria. However, examination of the Commercial and Industrial Land Use findings provides a <br />context for these policies and for Policy 3, limiting expansion of strip commercial areas. The <br />findings state when the RRSC was being developed, the Metro Plan allocated 23 acres of <br />community commercial to the Santa Clara area and 5 acres of a community commercial floating <br />node to the north Santa Clara area. After Metro Plan acknowledgement, an additional 21 acres of <br />community commercial zoning was added north of Division Avenue and east of River Road (south <br />of the subject site). The RRSCJinds that the 21 additional acres of commercial-zoned land plus 8 <br />acres north of Wilkes Drive "is large enough to meet virtually all of Santa Clara's commercial land <br />needs that were anticipated by the Metropolitan Plan, including the commercial portion of the <br />tloming node" (page 2-17). Additionally, the description of the subarea adjacent to the subject <br />property (h. River Road/Irving) states that there is a fully-developed commercial node at the <br />intersection of Irving and River Road (page 2-31). These findings in addition to the policies provide <br />that the direction of the RRSC plan is to limit the amount o[additional community commercial in <br />Santa Clara, limit the amount of new commercial on River Road, and disperse commercial uses <br />(especially neighborhood commercial) throughout River Road-Santa Clara. Re-designation of7.3 <br />acres to Commercial adjacent an existing community commercial tacility, Santa Clara Square, is not <br />consistent with the adopted plan text. And although the plan text is not applicable as mandatory <br />approval criteria, the text provides useful context for other plan policies which are applicable. <br /> <br />i. River Road/Division subarea <br /> <br />Recommendations <br /> <br />3. The transition from professional office use to medium-density residential use should occur <br />in the vicinity q,f a line projected southfrom the east boundary {~,fthe Santa Clara <br />Elementary School property. <br /> <br />4. Rezone parcels north qj'Santa Clara Square and south of Green Lane for professional <br />office use. <br /> <br />Staff Findings - October 8, 2007 <br />Page 23 <br />