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Officials gather input on revision of General Plan
Business owners along McGlincey Lane and Dell Avenue would be affected by zone changes
By Erin Mayes
The planning commission held two informational meetings on April 1 and 3, to gather information from the public regarding their concerns about zoning and traffic issues in the General Plan update.
Community Development Director Sharon Fierro said about 100 people showed up for the first meeting, with most concerned about the zoning designations recommended by the General Plan task force in the Dell Avenue and McGlincey Lane areas.
The planned changes would designate some areas for research and development land use, which would accommodate campus-like environments for businesses and research and development facilities that function as testing, packaging, publishing and printing facilities.
Properties that are currently zoned for Industrial uses would face new restrictions, some of which include work on automobiles, lumber yards, towing services and anything that is "obnoxious or offensive or creates a nuisance" through the emission of substances, such as smoke and dust, according to planning commission materials.
Existing businesses that conform to their zoning, but do not conform to the research and development zone change, will be designated "legal nonconforming," meaning that the business will be allowed to remain in operation, but cannot be expanded or rebuilt.
"We were trying to get feedback that we could take back to the city council," Fierro said.
Surveys that were targeted specifically at businessowners in the Dell Avenue and McGlincey Lane areas were given out. The survey asked owners, on a scale from one to five, if they strongly opposed or strongly favored creating certain provisions in the nonconformance ordinances.
It is not yet clear how much input the commission has received from the public.
Some Campbell residents have concerns about issues other than legal non-conformance, such as traffic.
Maria Smith said she lives near the intersection of Bascom and Apricot avenues, and that commuters tend to use this area as a short cut. Her main problem with the commuters is that they speed.
"Traffic's an issue on all of our streets," Smith said. "All of us have a lot of young children on our streets."
Smith said she's not sure what ought to be done to deter speeding in her neighborhood, because the residents are divided on the issue.
"If you get speed bumps, you'd be upsetting some folks who think it would be lowering the property value," she said, adding that another possibility would be to install photo radar.
Campbell used to be notorious for cracking down on speeders in the 1970s, Smith said.
"We want that 'zero tolerance for speeding' reputation back," she said.
The General Plan is a blueprint for future development in Campbell. State law requires cities to adopt general plans and to update them every 10 years. Campbell last amended its plan in 1993.
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Campbell, California
