2013/06/13 Planning Commission Resolution (2)�.�=fie
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City of Rohnert Park
Planning Commission Report
DATE: June 13, 2013
ITEM No: 8.3
SUBJECT: PL2013-013SR/CUP Conditional Use, Site Plan and Architectural Review for
a Drive-Thru Restaurant
LOCATION: 6305 Commerce Boulevard (APN143-051-010)
REQUEST: Panera Bread Bakery Restaurant with a Drive-Thru Window
APPLICANT: Moni Dosanjh, RSI Group Inc. for Panera, LLC
ACTION: Adopt Resolution No. 2013-20 Approving Site Plan Review, Architectural
Review and Conditional Use Approval for Panera Bread Bakery
Background
North Bay Shopping Center is located at the southwest corner of Commerce Boulevard and
Rohnert Park Expressway. The center consists of four (4) buildings on an 8.40 acre site.
Existing stores are 24 Hour Fitness, Grocery Outlet, Subway, Chipotle, Baskin Robbins and
several other small retail uses. The proposal is to demolish an existing 10,200 vacant retail
building at the north end of the shopping center and construct a new 4,200 square foot Panera
Bread Bakery.
Applicant's Proposal
Details of Panera Bread Bakery peration: The proposal is to demolish a 10,200 square foot
commercial building located at the north end of the shopping center and replace it with a Panera
Bread Bakery with a drive-thru window. Panera serves a wide variety of food consisting
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primarily of sandwiches, salads, soups and other food items including bread baked daily. Panera
Bread also offers catering service.
Panera Bread is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to
8 p.m. Their peak sales takes place during the lunch hour followed by breakfast. Their slowest
time is during the dinner hour. Diners have the choice of eating in the restaurant, using the
drive-thru or taking out food from within the restaurant. The restaurant can average between 400
to 600 transactions per day with 30 % of the total transactions taking place through the drive-
thru. Customers eating in the restaurant building place their order at the service counter and are
given a pager and when the order is complete, they are notified and can pick up the food from the
consolidation area.
Site Plan: There are presently four (4) commercial buildings on the shopping center site with the
most recent addition being the Chipotle Restaurant which recently opened (Exhibit A). The
10,200 square foot building located behind the Valero gas station has been underutilized for a
number of years and when the fagade of the buildings in the shopping center were recently
upgraded, that building was not included. The proposal is to demolish the building and replace it
with Panera Bread (Exhibit B).
The Panera building is 4,200 square feet so there is a net reduction of 6,000 square feet of
building area in the shopping center. Panera Bread will have a drive-thru with customers
entering the driveway on the east side of the building, proceeding along the rear (north side) of
the restaurant to the menu and order board, and arriving at the pick-up window on the west side
of the building. Cars would than exit to the main east/west driveway (Exhibit D). There is a
one-way access driveway along the east side of the drive-thru aisle providing access to parking at
the rear (north side) of the building. Exiting that area will be restricted to a two-way driveway
along the west side of the building. There will be an outside seating area located in front of the
building near the entrance.
Traffic Analysis: A Traffic Analysis dated May 21, 2013, was prepared by W -trans
(Attachment). The purpose of the Traffic Analysis was to:
Analyze the a.m. and p.m. trip generation traffic impacts.
Analyze on-site circulation.
Analyze Pedestrian circulation.
A.M. trip generation traffic impacts: The project is expected to generate approximately 94 net
new trips during the a.m. peak hour (7:00-9:00 a.m.) and 47 net new trips during the p.m. peak
hour (4:00-6:00 p.m.). Based on consideration of existing traffic patterns, the following
assumptions were developed for assigning the project -generated new trips:
35 % to/from US 101 via Rohnert Park Expressway
35% to/from the east on Rohnert Park Expressway
15 % to/from the north on Commerce Boulevard
15% to/from the south on Commerce Boulevard
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Of the pass -by and diverted trips projected to be associated with the project, 70 percent were
assumed to be captured from existing traffic on Commerce Boulevard fronting the shopping
center and 30 percent were assumed to originate from drivers already traveling on Rohnert Park
Expressway.
Regarding capacity analysis, the intersection of Commerce Boulevard and Rohnert Park
Expressway is currently operating at a acceptably Level of Service C (LOS) overall during both
the a.m. and p.m. peak periods. Using the trips added by Panera Bread, the project would be
expected to have a less -than -significant impact with the LOS C remaining at the intersection.
The increase in delay would be approximately 2.5 seconds during the morning peak hour and 0.7
seconds during the afternoon peak hour.
Automobile Circulation: Approximately one-half the vehicular trips associated with Panera
Bread will enter the shopping center site via the northerly driveway just southerly of Valero.
Parking is available along that twenty-four (24) foot wide entry driveway and also at the rear of
the restaurant. A twelve (12) foot wide one-way driveway will provide access to the parking at
the rear of the restaurant. Exiting that area will be via a two way driveway that extends along the
front of the primary shopping center building. Access to the drive-thru is by a driveway that
extends along three sides of the Panera Bread building. It is recommended that the twelve (12)
foot wide driveway have one-way arrows and a do not enter sign at its terminus at the rear
parking area.
Pedestrian Circulation: The Traffic Analysis addresses path -of -travel from Commerce
Boulevard to the restaurant entrance, from the restaurant to the main commercial building and
from the north parking area to the restaurant entrance. The restaurant has shown the path of
travel from Commerce Boulevard on the attached landscape plan (Exhibit E). The City's
Building Official had reviewed the plans and required path -of -travel to the north parking area
and the main shopping center building can be provided.
Findings: The Traffic Analysis makes the following recommendations:
A "Do Not Enter" sign should be posted at the northerly end of the 12 -foot wide one-way drive
aisle along the east side of the restaurant.
The site plan should be updated to include a pedestrian connection between the north parking lot
and the public entrances, or alternatively, the building plan should be reconfigured to add a
public entrance on the north side of the building.
A pedestrian connection between the restaurant and the North Bay Center's main anchor
buildings should be established.
The City should work with the applicant to determine the feasibility of establishing an accessible
sidewalk between the restaurant and Commerce Boulevard.
Parking_ Analysis: There are two ways to determine parking for a shopping center. One is on an
individual use bases and the other is to divide the total gross square footage of the buildings by
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300 per the Zoning Ordinance. Using the individual use method, the new Panera Restaurant total
parking required is 370 spaces (Exhibit Q. Dividing the total square footage of all the buildings
on the shopping center site including Panera Restaurant by 300 requires 310 parking spaces
(92,870 sq. ft. _ 300 = 310). There are a total of 391 parking spaces including Panera Bread on
the site plan. Using 370, the higher of the required parking number, results in a surplus of 21
parking spaces. It should be noted that by removing the existing Redwood trees along the
Rohnert Park Expressway frontage of the shopping center, approximately seven (7) additional
spaces could be provided adjacent to Panera Bread. However, staff and the applicant concurred
there was more benefit to the shopping center in retaining those mature trees over the gain of
only seven (7) spaces.
Architecture: The exterior of the building is a combination of stucco with ceramic tile and stone
wainscoting. There is variation in the roof line and offsets in the building walls to break up the
fagade and roof line. Awnings with a design element will be placed over all of the storefront
windows and over the drive-thru window (Exhibits G and H). The color of the building walls
will be Panera Bread yellow and Panera Bread green dark walnut and Audubon russet accents
(Exhibits I and J). The refuse enclosure will be located in the north parking lot. It will be
constructed of concrete block with stucco coating and a roof cover and will be painted to match
the building colors (Exhibit K).
Signage: Wall signs with the Panera logo will be located on all of the building walls. The words
Drive thru will be placed on the east, north and west building walls. The menu sign in the drive-
thru will be 4 3/4 by 7 1/3 feet on a two foot base. The preview menu sign will be 5 3/4 feet high
and 5 feet wide. The sign colors will match the building colors (Exhibits L to S).
Landscaping: Landscaping will be placed on all sides of the building and will consist of a
variety of trees, shrubs and groundcover. All of the trees except those in the outside seating area
will be 24 inch box specimens Exhibit E).
Staff Analysis
Building Location_ and Use: The building to be demolished to accommodate Panera Bread has
been underutilized for several years and is in a poor location for tenant identification. The
Panera Bread building will have better visibility from both Commerce Boulevard and Rohnert
Park Expressway. Panera Bread will attract new customers to the shopping center that will
benefit other uses on the site. It will also be a welcome restaurant addition to Rohnert Park.
Traffic and Circulation: The attached Traffic Analysis indicates that the additional traffic
generated by Panera Bread will only have a minor impact on the intersection of Rohnert Park
Expressway and Commerce Boulevard. The LOS at that intersection will not change from its
current designation of LOS C. Access to and traffic circulation around the restaurant site is
adequate and should not impact other areas of the shopping center. The stacking for the drive-
thru conforms to the requirement in the Zoning Ordinance for a minimum stacking for six (6)
cars behind the menu order board. The modification to the site plan regarding the exit from the
drive-thru results in a safer merge with the existing shopping center driveway. Calculating
parking on an individual use basis or by the shopping center as a whole results in a surplus of
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parking using either method. Since Panera Bread peak use time is the lunch hour when other
uses such as the market or 24 Hour Fitness are not at their peak usage, parking in the center will
be adequate.
Drive-Thru: The drive-thru extending around three (3) sides of the building provides ample
staking so cars should not back up into the main travel lane. They are providing the required
queuing for six (6) cars behind the menu board. The modification to the exit from the drive-thru
will provide a safer merge into the two way aisle.
Building Design and Signage: The building design colors and use of materials is in
conformance with the recently adopted Design Guidelines. The design is compatible with the
recently remodeled buildings in the shopping center, facade articulation elements are included
and the use of materials including tile provide an attractive building design. The proposed wall
signs also conform to the signage guidelines of the Design Guidelines. There is an existing
Signage Program for the shopping center and the proposed signs are in conformance with the
Signage Program.
The proposed vinyl material for the awnings does not conform to the Design adopted by the City
council in 2012. The Design Guidelines state that Vinyl and shiny fabrics should not be used
(Page 52 under 5 Awnings should use high quality materials.). Staff recommends the use of
canvas or metal awning material.
Landscaping: The landscaping around the building will screen the drive-thru lane and provide
an attractive element to the plan. The existing redwood trees around the north and eastside of the
property will be saved. Using 24 inch box specimen trees will give a more mature look to the
landscaping.
Environmental Determination
This proposal is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental
Quality Act CEQA Class 1 Section 15302 Replacement or Reconstruction. Replacement or
reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located the
same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as
the structure replaced.
FindinLrs
The recommended findings to approve a Conditional use Permit, Site Plan Review and
Architectural Review for Panera Bread Bakery Restaurant are included in the attached
resolution.
Public Notification
This item has been duly noticed by publication in the Press Democrat for the Conditional Use
Permit, Site Plan Review and Architectural Review and posted at the prescribed locations in
Rohnert Park. Property owners within 300 feet of the project were mailed notices of the proposed
application.
Page 5
Staff Recommendation:
Based on the analysis and findings of this report and the attached resolution, Staff recommends
that the Planning Commission, by motion, adopt Resolution No. 2013-20 approving Conditional
Use, Site Plan Review and Architectural Review to allow Panera Bread Bakery Restaurant,
subject to the findings and conditions of approval.
Attachments:
Vicinity Map
Applicant's Supporting Statement
Focused Traffic Analysis for Panera Bread dated May 21, 2013
Exhibit A Shopping Center Site Plan
Exhibit B Building to be Demolished and Panera Bread Location
Exhibit C Parking Analysis
Exhibit D Detail on Panera Bread Drive-thru Revised
Exhibit E Landscape Plan
Exhibit F Building Floor Plan
Exhibit G North and South Elevation Details
Exhibit H East and West Elevation Details
Exhibit I East and South Colored Elevations
Exhibit J North and West Colored Elevations
Exhibit K Refuse Enclosure Detail
Exhibit L Site Plan Showing Sign and Awning Location
Exhibit M Sign Detail
Exhibit N Sign Detail
Exhibit O Preview Menu Board
Exhibit P Menu Board
Exhibit Q Order Canopy Detail
Exhibit R Height Restriction Bar
Exhibit S Directional Sign Details
APPROVALS:
IqA
Marilyn Ponton AICP, Development Services Manager
Date
Page 6
aux 3
PLANNING COMMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 2013-20
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF ROHNERT PARK, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT AND SITE PLAN AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW FOR PANERA BREAD
BAKERY RESTAURANT WITH A DRIVE-THRU AT 6305 COMMERCE
BOULEVARD (APN 143-051-010)
(Moni Dosanjh, RSI Group Inc. for Panera, LLC)
WHEREAS, the applicant, Morn Dosanjh, RSI Group Inc. for Panera, LLC, filed
Planning Application No. PL2013-013SR/UP for a Conditional Use Permit, Site Plan and
Architectural Review to allow a 4,200 square foot Panera Bread Bakery Restaurant with a drive-
thru at 6305 Commerce Boulevard (APN 143-051-010 ), in accordance with the City of Rohnert
Park Municipal Code;
WHEREAS, Planning Application No. PL2013-013SRJUP was processed in the time
and manner prescribed by State and local law;
WHEREAS, on June 13, 2013, the Planning Commission reviewed Planning Application
No. PL2013-013SR/UP during a scheduled public meeting at which time interested persons had
an opportunity to testify either in support of or opposition to the project; and,
WHEREAS, at the June 13, 2013, Planning Commission meeting, upon hearing and
considering all testimony and arguments, if any, of all persons desiring to be heard, the
Commission considered all the facts relating to Planning Application No. PL2013-013SR/UP;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
ROHNERT PARK DOES RESOLVE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. That the above recitations are true and correct.
Section 2. Factors considered. The Planning Commission, in approving Planning
Application No. PL2013-013SR/UP, makes the following factors, to wit:
A. That the developments general appearance is compatible with existing development and
enhances the surrounding neighborhood.
Criteria Satisfied. Panera Bread Bakery Restaurant will be compatible with the other
restaurants and commercial uses in the shopping center and will blend in with the
architecture of the existing commercial buildings. It will be a substantial improvement
over the existing commercial building to be demolished.
B. That the development incorporates a variation from adjacent on-site and off-site
structures in height, bulk, and area; arrangement on the parcel; openings or breaks in
the fa(ade facing the street; and/or the line and pitch of the roof.
Criteria Satisfied. The building design colors and use of materials is in conformance with
the recently adopted Design Guidelines. The design is compatible with the recently
remodeled buildings in the shopping center, fagade articulation elements are included and
the use of materials including tile provide an attractive building design.
C. That the development will be located and oriented in such a manner so as to provide
pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular connections with adjacent properties, as appropriate,
and avoids indiscriminate location and orientation.
Criteria Satisfied. The building location at the north end of the shopping center will have
convenient vehicle access from Commerce Boulevard and Rohnert Park Expressway.
Adequate pedestrian access will be provided to Commerce Boulevard and to the main
commercial building in the shopping center. There are bike lanes on both Rohnert Park
Expressway and Commerce Boulevard for easy and safe bike access.
Section 3. Environmental Clearance. This proposal is categorically exempt from the
requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act CEQA Class 1 Section 15302
Replacement or Reconstruction. Replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and
facilities where the new structure will be located the same site as the structure replaced and will
have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission does hereby
approve Planning Application No. PL2013-013SR/CU subject to the following conditions:
Planning
1. The Conditional Use, Site Plan and Architectural Review approval shall expire one year
from the Planning Commission approval date, unless prior to the expiration a building
permit is issued and construction is commenced and diligently pursued toward
completion.
2. The facility shall comply with any and all applicable provisions of the Rohnert Park
Municipal Code and any state or federal agency.
3. Any landscaping damaged during construction shall be replaced.
4. The applicant shall provide a minimum of four (4) bicycle parking spaces adjacent to the
entrance to the building, details subject to Development Services approval.
5. The landscaping shall be maintained in a neat, weed free, litter free condition at all times.
6. The awning material shall be either canvas or metal, details subject to Development
Services approval prior to installation.
7. Any existing trees to remain shall be protected during construction.
8. The outside walls of the refuse enclosure shall be covered with stucco and painted to
match the building colors.
9. All signage shall conform to the requirements of the Sign Program for the shopping
center.
10. A "Do Not Enter" sign shall be placed at the northerly end of the 12 -foot wide one-way
drive aisle along the east side of Panera Bread.
11. ADA pedestrian connections shall be provided between the restaurant and Commerce
Boulevard, the north parking area, the main commercial building on the site and the
refuse enclosure, details subject to approval of the Building Official.
12. A refuse container shall be placed in the outside eating area in front of the building.
13. No mechanical equipment, electrical conduit or plumbing piping shall be placed on the
exterior building walls.
14. Any gas meters or back-flow-preventer shall be screened from view, details to approval
of Development Services.
15. All new landscaping shall be provided with an automatic irrigation system.
Engineering
16. All utilities shall be placed underground and shown on the drawings for a Building
Permit.
17. Panera Bread shall utilize water -conserving devices including but not limited to low -
flush toilets and faucets where applicable.
18. Improvement plans shall be submitted showing how the proposed pad building is planned
to be served by water, sewer and storm drain utilities.
19. The project shall comply with all applicable accessibility requirements. All crosswalks
and pedestrian paths -of -travel shall be constructed of decorative paving material, subject
to staff approval.
20. The floor of the refuse enclosure shall be sloped to drain to an internal floor drain which
is plumbed to the sanitary sewer. The plumbing shall be directed through a grease -oil -
sand separator prior to discharge to the sanitary sewer.
21. Any new trees within five (5) feet of the public right-of-way or any paved parking or
pedestrian walkways shall have root barriers that are approved by the Engineering
Department.
kW44-
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May 9, 2013
City of Rohnert Park
130 Avram Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
RE: Panera Bread #1734 Rohnert Park, CA
Description of Operations
To whom it may concern:
This letter is to serve as a formal explanation of our intended operations at the proposed Panera
Bread Bakery Cafe at the North Bay Center in Rohnert Park, CA.
Panera Bread is a retail bakery cafe concept consisting of approximately 1,600 units operating
across the country and in Canada. Our menu consists of soups, salads, sandwiches, specialty
breads, and baked goods. Attached is a copy of our current menu for your reference. Our peak
sales occur at lunch, followed by breakfast. Our lowest volume is the dinner period. Depending
on the volume of the cafe we can average between 400-600 transactions per day. We are
currently tracking approximately 30% of our total transactions are from the drive thru.
Panera's hours of operations can vary per market, but generally are Monday through Saturday
from 6am to 9pm and Sunday from 7am to 8pm. During these business hours, customers have
the option of dining in, ordering meals for take-out, or utilizing the drive-thru window. All menu
items are available for purchase regardless of which method the customer decides to make their
order.
For customers choosing to dine in, they place their order and make payments at the service
counter. Once their order is placed, they are given a paging device to alert them when their food
is ready to be picked up from the consolidation area. The customer's order is freshly prepared
behind the service counter, and served on real China and with flatware. When all meal order
items are complete, a Panera associate consolidates this order. One or more associates are
continuously walking through the dining room area to remove dirty dishes as customers are
finished with them, and to refill beverages at the customer's request. The Panera associates
wipe down tables and reset the dining area to be ready for the next customers.
We hope that this has provided you the level of detail you were looking for regarding our
operations. Should you need additional information, please feel free to contact me directly at 314
984-2614.
Thank you,
Mark Etherington
Sr. Development Project Manager
Panera, LLC
3630 S. Geyer Rd, Suite 100
Sunset Hills, MO 63127
(314) 984-1000
Fax (314) 909-3370
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w -t ra ns
May 21, 2013
Ms. Marilyn Ponton
City of Rohnert Park
Whitlock & Weinberger
130 Avram Avenue
Transportation, Inc.
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
490 Mendocino Avenue
Suite 201
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Focused Traffic Analysis for Panera Bread
voice 707,542.9500
fax 707.542.9590
Dear Ms. Ponton•
web www.w-trans.com
Whitlock & Weinberger Transportation, Inc. (W -Trans) has completed a focused traffic analysis for a
proposed 4,200 square foot Panera Bread restaurant at the North Bay Center shopping center on the
southwest corner of Rohnert Park Expressway and Commerce Boulevard. The project would entail
demolition of an approximately 10,200 square foot retail outbuilding in the northwest corner of the
shopping center. The potential for the project to affect traffic operation on the surrounding roadway
network was evaluated for the morning and evening peak periods of 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m.
respectively. These periods typically represent worst-case operating conditions on surrounding streets.
Onsite circulation for automobiles and pedestrians was also evaluated.
Trip Generation
While completion of the project would result in the demolition of approximately 10,200 square feet of
existing retail space, this portion of the shopping center has been underutilized with several empty
storefronts for the past several years. As a result, for the purposes of evaluating near-term traffic
impacts, the Panera Bread restaurant was conservatively considered to be a new use that displaces no
existing trips. The anticipated trip generation for the project was estimated using standard rates
published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) in Trip Generation Manual, 9th Edition, 2012.
The trip generation potential was developed based on standard rates for a "Bread/Donut/Bagel Shop
with Drive Through" (ITE LU #940) land use.
Some portion of traffic associated with restaurants is drawn from existing traffic on fronting streets.
These vehicle trips, referred to as "pass -by," are not considered new but are instead comprised of
drivers who are already driving on the adjacent street (in this case Commerce Boulevard) and choose to
make an interim stop. Related to pass -by trips are "diverted link" trips in which drivers already traveling
on a nearby street (in this case Rohnert Park Expressway) choose to make an interim stop, but must
travel on one or more connecting roadways to do so.
The percentage of these pass -by and diverted link trips was developed based on information provided in
the Trip Generation Handbook: An ITE Recommended Practice, ITE, 2004. This reference includes pass -by
and diverted link data collected at numerous locations for many land uses including restaurants. The
raw data was distilled to focus on fast food restaurants between 4,000 and 5,000 square feet, resulting in
an average pass -by deduction of 42.8 percent and an average diverted link deduction of 11.8 percent.
For the purposes of this analysis, a 42 percent deduction was conservatively applied to capture both
pass -by and diverted link trips.
As shown in Table I, the proposed project is expected to generate approximately 94 net new trips
during the a.m. peak hour and 47 net new trips during the p.m. peak hour.
Ms. Marilyn Ponton Page 2 May 21, 2013
Table I
Project Trip Generation Summary
Land Use
Size
AM Peak Hour
PM Peak Hour
(ksf)
Rate Trips
In Out
Rate Trips
In Out
Bread Shop with Drive -Through Window
4.20
38.60 162
81 81
5.49 80
39 41
Pass -by and Diverted Link Trips
-42%
-68
-34 -34
-34
-16 -17
Total
94
47 47
47
23 24
Note: ksf = 1,000 square feet; rates in trips per thousand square feet of floor area
While it was assumed for the traffic analysis for the project that all trips are new, taking no credit for
the existing 10,200 square foot building to be demolished, it should be emphasized that this existing
building did historically generate traffic into and out of North Bay Center. Using standard ITE rates for
the "Shopping Center" land use along with a 35 percent pass -by deduction, it is estimated that the
building to be demolished historically generated approximately nine primary trips during the a.m. peak
hour and 36 primary trips during the p.m. peak hour. In comparison, the proposed Panera project
would be expected to generate substantially more a.m. peak traffic but only slightly more p.m. peak hour
traffic.
Trip Distribution
Based on consideration of existing traffic patterns as well as census data for Rohnert Park residents and
employees, the following assumptions were developed for assigning the project -generated new trips.
• 35 percent to/from US 101 via Rohnert Park Expressway
• 35 percent to/from the east on Rohnert Park Expressway
• 15 percent to/from the north on Commerce Boulevard
• 15 percent to/from the south on Commerce Boulevard
Of the pass -by and diverted link trips projected to be associated with the project, 70 percent were
assumed to be captured from existing traffic on Commerce Boulevard fronting North Bay Center, while
30 percent were assumed to originate from drivers already traveling on Rohnert Park Expressway.
Capacity Analysis
As shown in Table 2, the intersection of Commerce Boulevard/Rohnert Park Expressway is currently
operating acceptably at LOS C overall during both peak periods. Upon adding trips that the project
would be expected to generate, the project would be expected to have a less -than -significant impact
with operation remaining at LOS C and increases in delay averaging approximately 2.5 seconds during
the morning peak hour and 0.7 seconds during the afternoon peak hour. Copies of the calculations are
enclosed for reference.
Ms. Marilyn Ponton Page 3 May 21, 2013
Table 2
Summary of Near -Term Intersection Level of Service Calculations
Study Intersection
Existing Conditions Existing plus Project
AM Peak PM Peak AM Peak PM Peak
Delay LOS Delay LOS I Delay LOS Delay LOS
I. Rohnert Park Exp/Commerce Blvd 23.8 C 33.5 C 26.3 C 34.2 C
Notes: Delay is measured in average seconds per vehicle; LOS = Level of Service
Onsite Circulation
Automobile Circulation
The free-standing restaurant would be located in the northwestern portion of the North Bay Center,
interfacing with the existing main parking lots and drive aisles on the south; the smaller parking areas to
the west and north of the new building would be reconfigured. Circulation for the restaurant's drive-
through would wrap counterclockwise around three sides of the building. A one-way northbound, 12 -
foot wide drive aisle would be located between the Panera drive-through lane and the existing Valero
gas station parcel to the east, connecting the shopping center's main parking lot to a 27 -space parking
lot on the north side of the restaurant. The 27 -space parking lot would also be accessible via a
bidirectional extension of the shopping center's primary north -south drive aisle that passes directly in
front of the main shopping center buildings.
The restaurant drive through would originate and terminate in an existing shopping center drive aisle.
With the proposed perpendicular parking spaces along the south side of the restaurant, the drive aisle
would be reduced from its current width of 28 feet to a width of 24 feet, which is the minimum width
required for effective circulation with perpendicular spaces. A combination of curbs and parking lot
striping would be used to delineate drive-through circulation. Drive-through access and circulation
would be consistent with methods used at similar types of facilities within shopping centers, and would
be expected to operate acceptably.
The 12 -foot one-way drive aisle connection to the rear parking lot is an unusual configuration, though it
would not be expected to create an adverse safety concern. The site plan shows a directional arrow
and "do not enter" pavement legends to convey the one-way circulation. It is recommended that a "do
not enter" sign be posted on the northern end of the drive aisle to further reinforce the one-way
northbound circulation.
Approximately one-half of the vehicular trips associated with Panera are expected to enter and exit
Commerce Boulevard via the northernmost driveway at North Bay Center, with the remaining half
entering and exiting via the shopping center's central and southerly driveways. The northern driveway
is located immediately adjacent to one of the driveways serving the Valero gas station. Review of aerial
photos indicates that these adjacent driveways have been in place for at least 20 years. While
consolidation of these driveways would be desirable, the presence of a median on Commerce Boulevard
restricts both driveways to right turns in and out, minimizing to an acceptable level the potential for
safety or operational impacts to occur.
Ms. Marilyn Ponton Page 4 May 21, 2013
Pedestrian Circulation
The public doors to the restaurant will face south. Because most visitors arriving by car will seek
parking closest to the front door, and because the restaurant's rear (north) parking area is not easily
visible, much of the restaurant's parking activity is likely to occur in the spaces between the restaurant
and the northern side of Grocery Outlet. The site plan indicates an accessible curb ramp connecting the
front of the restaurant to the parking spaces in this area of the shopping center. There is a lack of
pedestrian facilities, however, between the restaurant and its northern parking lot. In order to reach
the front doors, pedestrians would need to either walk within vehicular drive aisles and across the
drive-through area along the building's west and south sides, or walk within the 12 -foot wide drive aisle
on the east side of the restaurant. The site plan should be reconfigured to establish a clear walking
route between the north parking lot and the public entrances on the south side of the restaurant, or
alternatively, to add a public entrance on the north side of the building.
Pedestrian connectivity to the sidewalks along the frontage of North Bay Center's major tenants is
acceptable, though it could be substantially strengthened by slightly lengthening the sidewalk on the
south side of the restaurant to the west, and striping crosswalks across the drive-through and parking
lot drive aisle toward the main shopping center building. This would require eliminating a modest
amount of proposed landscaping and relocating a proposed trash can.
The restaurant would have marginally acceptable pedestrian connectivity to the existing sidewalks and
transit stop along Commerce Boulevard. Most pedestrians attempting to reach the restaurant from
Commerce Boulevard would likely walk the shortest route which would be along the major drive aisle,
although a somewhat circuitous walking route does connect Commerce Boulevard to Chipotle and
Grocery Outlet, and then back toward Panera. Pedestrian connectivity to Panera would be substantially
improved if a sidewalk were provided within the easement that separates Valero from the North Bay
Center parking lots. This sidewalk improvement would likely require removal of existing landscaping
and may also require reconfiguration of existing parking spaces. It is recommended that the City work
with the applicant to determine the feasibility of establishing such a pedestrian connection between the
restaurant and Commerce Boulevard. Combined with the connection recommended above between
Panera and the main shopping center building, this sidewalk would create a convenient and safe
pedestrian linkage that serves both the project and the northern portion of North Bay Center.
Conclusion
Findings
The proposed project would be expected to add 94 new a.m. peak hour trips and 47 new p.m. peak
hour trips to existing traffic volumes on the surrounding roadway network.
The restaurant would replace an approximately 10,200 square foot retail outparcel that is currently
vacant. It is estimated that this former retail space historically generated approximately nine a.m.
peak hour and 36 p.m. peak hour trips.
The project would be expected to create no change to the existing LOS C operation at the
intersection of Rohnert Park Expressway/Commerce Boulevard. Average vehicle delays are
anticipated to increase by approximately 2.5 seconds during the morning peak hour and 0.7 seconds
during the p.m. peak hour.
Ms. Marilyn Ponton Page 5 May 21, 2013
• The proposed configurations of the restaurant's parking areas and drive-through access points are
expected to operate acceptably.
• There is a lack of pedestrian connectivity between the restaurant's northern parking lot and the
public entrances to the building.
• Pedestrian access between the restaurant and Commerce Boulevard would be marginally
acceptable, but should be improved if possible.
Recommendations
• A "Do Not Enter" sign should be posted at the northerly end of the 12-foot wide one-way drive
aisle along the east side of the restaurant.
• The site plan should be updated to include a pedestrian connection between the north parking lot
and the public entrances, or alternatively, the building plan should be reconfigured to add a public
entrance on the north side of the building.
• A pedestrian connection between the restaurant and the North Bay Center's main anchor buildings
should be established.
• The City should work with the applicant to determine the feasibility of establishing an accessible
sidewalk between the restaurant and Commerce Boulevard.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide these services to the City of Rohnert Park. Please contact us
if you have any questions or comments.
Si neer
achary Matley, AICP
Associate
JZM/RPA907-3311
22. All parking areas, driveways, and open storage areas shall be paved with asphalt
surfacing. All site work areas, including curbs, gutters, sidewalk and berms separating
landscaped areas from parking areas shall be concrete. All plans shall be prepared by a
licensed professional civil engineer, licensed to practice in the State of California, in
accordance with City standards and submitted to the City Engineer for review and
approval.
23. The on-site drainage system shall be designed in accordance with the Sonoma County
Water Agency's Flood Control Design Standards, details subject to approval of the City
Engineer.
24. The developer shall comply with the construction hours pursuant to Municipal Code
Section 9.44.120.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said action shall not be deemed final until the
appeal period has expired and that the appeal period shall be ten (10) working days from the date
of said action. No building permits shall be issued until the appeal period has expired, providing
there are no appeals.
DULY AND REGULARLY ADOPTED on this 13th day of June, 2013 by the City of
Rohnert Park Planning Commission by the following vote:
AYES: �5 NOES: ABSENT: Z_ ABSTAIN:
ADAMS ARMSTRONG &�BORBA 00�GIUDICE HAYDON
11 ,�
S
Attest: 1
S an Al L do, Reco
Chairperson, Rohnert Par Planning Commission
Vf
n Secl ary