Permit medium - density housing (10 to 20 dwelling units /acre) in proximity to existing or <br />planned urban facilities. Access to commercial development, transit, and alternative <br />modes for transportation, schools and parks, and open space should be considered. <br />Medium — density residential development will be considered for the north Santa Clara <br />area consistent with this criterion. <br />It is not clear that this policy is applicable to this zone change application. There is no <br />suggested action" associated with this policy, and there is no standard for determining what <br />constitutes "access." For these reasons, the hearing official believes this policy could be <br />applicable at the time that land is designated in the RSSC rather than as an approval criterion <br />for a zone change application. <br />Nevertheless, the staff noted that the area of this request is designated in the Metro Plan and <br />RRSC for medium density residential. As noted below at EC 9.8865(3), which is incorporated <br />here by reference, the area is in proximity to existing or planned urban facilities. <br />Public Testimony submitted by Marilyn Mohr prior to issuance of the staff report notes that <br />medium density sites should have easy access to transit, parks and commercial services and be <br />sited on neighborhood collectors. Although this policy is not mandatory approval criterion due <br />to the phrase "should be considered," staff noted that the area designated in the RRSC for <br />medium density residential use does have nearby access to a community market, schools and a <br />park. Transit access is available on Maxwell Road about a half mile to the east. While this area <br />is not located directly on a collector street, the area is located on Maxwell Road a minor arterial <br />which is designed to carry large volumes of traffic. Ms. Maxwell also submitted Exhibit 5 at the <br />hearing, which contains a map showing the location of certain urban facilities in the vicinity of <br />the proposed zone change. The hearing official understands that the purpose of this exhibit <br />was to show the hearing official that the site does not have good access to these facilities, but <br />again, there is no standard in the policy for evaluating the sufficiency of access. <br />In addition to a Land Use Diagram and plan policies, the RRSC includes 12 subareas, which were <br />identified in order to consider and suggest future land use in the Land Use Diagram component <br />see page 2 -22 of the RRSC). Each of these subareas contains a description and <br />recommendations. In City File # Z 02 -19 (Merritt- Truax, Inc.), the hearing official concluded that <br />that the heading "recommendations" means they are not mandatory approval criteria. <br />Even though they are not mandatory approval criteria, staff provided the findings regarding two <br />of the recommendations below to demonstrate how the proposal remains consistent with <br />these recommendations. The applicable Maxwell /Park Avenue Subarea recommendations <br />page 2 -28) are as follows: <br />Recommendation 3: Concentrate medium - density development around the commercial <br />node, with a transition to low- density, particularly at the northern and southern end of <br />the subarea. <br />Hearings Official Decision (Z 10 -3)431