We request that the Santa Clara City Council require the Ace Hardware development on the corner of Rachel Drive and Pioneer Parkway, to meet at least 75% of the guidelines in the city's General Development Plan (p 41-42)

The current plan for Ace Hardware only complies with 1 of the 11 items of the Santa Clara City General Development Plan. (#4 Plaza).

Policy 4.10: In the Pioneer Parkway Retail Core, the City encourages the creation of a quality pedestrian-oriented center with a mix of commercial, business, and
residential uses. Design objectives for the Pioneer Parkway area:

1. Building to abut the sidewalks adjacent to street
2. Continuous and transparent facades
3. Wide sidewalks
4. Plazas
5. Combined curb access
6. On-street parking
7. Interconnected, shared, off-street parking
8. Generous landscaping
9. Curb extensions
10. Building articulation
11. Emphasized pedestrian crossings

Example of an Ace Hardware that meets 75% of the guidelines​

Current design of the proposed Ace Hardware​

Illustration of city development plans for the Pioneer Parkway Core, showing building pads being pushed out to the corners of the property

To clarify what some of the above items mean:

#1 references that the building pad is pushed out to the corners. See the attached image from the Santa Clara General Development Plan

#2 references an exterior that is generous with windows or other reflective architectural materials that are used to create a pleasing exterior design

#10 references a building design that has varying elevations, exterior materials (stone, brick, wood), design elements, both horizontal and vertical, that help create a streetscape of interest.

For additional reference, the section below (pulled directly from the city's general plan), gives further clarification on the reasoning behind the 11 stated objectives:

Santa Cara General Development Plan for the Pioneer Parkway Development Core

The retail area at the Pioneer Parkway/Rachael Drive intersection is probably the City’s last opportunity for a major commercial center (and sales tax generator). The vacant land is large enough to accommodate “big box” types of stores, such as a grocery store and smaller chain stores such as Walgreens, as well as a number of small “pad” sites (banks, fast food). Experience has shown, however, that typical “big box” commercial centers often have a life-cycle of 15 years or less. After that, they succumb to competition from new centers and gradually decline into progressively lower quality stores and businesses. Santa Clara’s goal for this area should be to have an enduring investment that will maintain strong property values indefinitely. Mixed-use commercial areas, if properly designed, have shown themselves to be resilient and able to adjust to changing commercial needs. If tied into local streets and pathways, it will attract a “built-in” customer base from the adjacent residential neighborhoods, for whom convenience overcomes more distant competition. The Pioneer Parkway Retail Core is ideal for a future mixed-use retail development. It is located adjacent to two major streets, near a large park, a school, a firehouse, and part of the City’s proposed trail network. In addition, when Santa Clara North is developed, a significant customer base will live within walking distance. Public input from residents strongly supported creating future retail centers, including with characteristics similar to Santa Clara’s downtown. This includes stores that form a continuous shopping street, connected by wide, shaded sidewalks with benches, decorative paving, plazas or gathering, and with convenient on-street parking. The illustrations on the following page show how the PioneerParkway Retail Core can be designed to accommodate all the “big box” uses and still achieve the pedestrian-friendly character desired by the public.