Who is the developer of this project?
The developer of Kensington Terrace is Terrace Partners, a partnership between Allard Jansen, Hannah Devine and Rick Vann.
I heard that Sunroad was behind it – Is that true?
No, Sunroad Enterprises has nothing to do with Kensington Terrace. Rick Vann is an executive at Sunroad but his investment in Kensington Terrace is personal and has nothing to do with Sunroad.
Won’t the building be too tall for the neighborhood?
The height of Kensington Terrace varies significantly throughout the building but is 38 feet at the tallest point. This is no taller than the adjacent Kensington Park Plaza (Starbucks Building). Furthermore, other three story buildings can be found in the area and around the park. The design of Kensington Terrace is deeply articulated so that the third floor steps back with terraces in front, creating the perception from the street of no more than two stories.
Why did the Planning Group approve a height deviation for this project?
The existing zoning which has been in place for years, would allow a building up to 30 feet high on the eastern half (Edgeware) and up to 50 feet high on the western half (Marlborough)– without any community or City approvals. The original plan consisted of a four-story building on the lot that currently houses the gas station. That plan included affordable housing units but was opposed by the Ken-Tal Planning Group because they considered it to be too tall. With that feedback in hand, Jansen’s next design, which now included both parcels was three stories overall and significantly stepped back at the corner and the top floor. This required an 8-foot deviation on the eastern half, but a 12-foot reduction on the western half. The Ken-Tal Planning Group believed this was an appropriate and preferable compromise, given that the existing zoning allowed a much taller building on the corner, and that no deviation on total square footage was requested.
Even though total square footage is within the zoning law, won’t it just seem too massive – a three-story building covering a whole block – in Kensington?
Keep in mind that the entire block is over 34,000 square feet of property, but the “footprint” of Kensington Terrace includes only 19,000 square feet plus the three row homes on Edgeware. The rest of the property is devoted to corner plazas, open courtyards, and landscaping. The third floor has less than 13,000 square feet, which again indicates how deeply stepped-back the top of the building will be. In addition, all of the storefronts and windows contain a great deal of depth and variety of materials and colors.
Why weren’t more people in Kensington notified before the final approvals?
Jansen started the community process while still in escrow in February and March of 2006 on an informal basis, getting a mailing list of people who had attended Ken-Tal meetings in the past. It was at these first two workshops that he got a general sense of what folks wanted, and what they didn’t want, before he proceeded with design. In November 2006 and again in June 2007, in accordance with the law, formal notices of public hearing were sent to all property owners and tenants within a 300 foot radius of the site. Notices were sent to most of the on Marlborough, Edgeware and Kensington Drive almost to Alder on the north side, and a similar depth on the south side of Adams. The formal notices are required prior to a vote by a public body, but in between those events, Jansen worked with Ken-Tal at regular design subcommittee meetings that were open to the public. There was always an unusually large turnout for the public hearings and meetings, and never any concern expressed that more of the community was not represented. The developers are bemused that several of the organizers who are now rallying opposition in the final hour were in fact included in the original noticing package back in November of 2006.
I heard that Wal-Mart or Trader Joe’s was going in – Is that true?
That is absolutely untrue, and represents exactly why Jansen and Devine wanted to purchase the property in the first place – so that type of “big box” development could not occur. While the workshop participants did express an interest in having a market (and Trader Joe’s is certainly popular), any potential market will have to be local and smaller-scale, like a Harvest Ranch.
What kind of tenants will be moving in?
No leases have been finalized, but many potential tenants have already come forward. Besides a market (more like a gourmet-grocery/take-out), the developers are seeking out small, community-serving shops like bakery, gelato or yogurt, postal services, hardware, pharmacy, and a few more restaurant choices such as Italian or a specialty breakfast diner. Emphasis will be on local ownership and on services that Kensington currently doesn’t have. Upstairs, the office tenants may include property management, landscape design, and Allard Jansen plans to move his small architectural firm there. All tenants will be subject to tasteful signage and storefront guidelines. If you are interested in retail, residential of office space at Kensington Terrace please let us know!
Won’t this cause a lot more traffic in the neighborhood? It’s already super-congested.
True, Kensington has a lot of traffic at peak times, but Jansen believes most of the cars (except for pass-through traffic from Aldine) are in fact Kensington residents going to and from their homes to work, shop and to dine outside of Kensington – because not enough services exist there. Ideally, more Kensington residents will take the course of walking with their families to Kensington Terrace to get ice cream or pizza, or will stop at the market on their way home. If that is the case, the project does not add traffic to the streets, and may lessen it.
Nevertheless, the City required a full traffic study that, according to traditional patterns, showed a cumulative daily increase of 1,400 cars along Adams Avenue, a 6-7% increase over existing conditions. And the traffic study showed an intense increase of 2,400 cars just at the alley entrance on Marlborough – because currently there is little traffic entrance there now. They did not consider that over 900 cars for the gas station would no longer be crossing the four curb cuts along Marlborough and Adams). Yes, that does sound significant. Jansen and Devine realize the traffic study was overly conservative and utilized potential tenants such as an 8,000 square foot supermarket – that will never go in. Without intensive uses, the actual traffic counts will be far lower than the study showed.
Because of the existing conditions, an increase of any amount creates a trigger for the developer to provide, at their own expense, street improvements and signaling that the City says will mitigate the impact of higher traffic.
What street improvements are required?
- The most congestion currently and prospectively occurs on Marlborough between Adams and the alley entrance. The traffic mitigation requires eliminating the parking at that section and widening it by two feet, to allow room for safe passage of traffic in both directions plus a clear left-turn lane so that cars do not accumulate at the corner.
- The alley between Marlborough and Edgeware will serve as the entrance to the Kensington Terrace underground garage, so it will be widened by five feet, nicely landscaped, and utility poles under-grounded. This organized entrance to and from Kensington Terrace means an end to the chaotic coming and going of cars from all sides of the gas station across pedestrian sidewalks.
- Even under current conditions, the City requires a signal light at the corner of Adams and Kensington Drive to allow pedestrians to safely cross the street and to allow vehicles from north and south on Kensington Drive an opportunity to exit onto Adams. It is expected that this relief will stop the funneling of all traffic toward Marlborough.
- Creation of a raised median at Adams Avenue just before the freeway entrance.
- Re-stripe Adams Avenue with a dotted-line center lane to collect left-turn cars without interrupting traffic flow. No widening of the street is necessary here.
Not all residents in Kensington favor these traffic changes, or they don’t believe the measures will be effective. It is hard to say exactly what the outcome will be, but the City analysis shows that these measures will reduce Kensington’s traffic status from an “F” (the worst rating) to a “C” after the project is complete. That sounds like a benefit for everyone.
And, for the record, Kensington Terrace has nothing to do with the proposed removal of bollards on Terrace Drive cul-de-sacs.
I heard that you’re taking out all the parking on Adams Avenue – Is that true?
It’s not true. As mentioned before, five parking spaces will be eliminated from Marlborough between Adams and the alley entrance. But this will be offset by closing the curb cuts along Adams in front of Kensington Terrace, allowing a few new street parking spaces. No other parking on Adams Avenue is affected.
Do people have to pay to park at Kensington Terrace?
There is no expectation that it will be a paid parking garage. For this development, the City requires 90 parking spaces – but Kensington Terrace has room for 112 cars. There should be more than enough parking space for tenants and their customers. Yet, if enforcement does become necessary (because too many non-customers park there), some form of validation may be implemented. The purpose would only be to ensure enough availability for Kensington Terrace customers, so that they do not have to find street parking.
But wouldn’t they rather park on the street anyway? Street parking is already terrible!
Everyone would agree that the parking situation in Kensington is tough, as it is in almost any older neighborhood. Unfortunately, Kensington Terrace cannot take the blame for that – it provides all the parking required and then some. There are plenty of other businesses that open in older buildings without having to provide a single new parking space.
How long will construction take?
As long as the opposition appeal is overturned, excavation of the site would begin in the fall of 2008, which will take about six months to carefully remove all contaminated soil under the supervision of the County department of Environmental Health. There will be large trucks moving the soil, but few other workers on site during that time. Specifically for the construction period, a special Traffic Management Plan will be presented and approved by the City and the Ken-Tal Planning Group. Once the garage is completed, all later construction workers, equipment and materials will be parked underground, not on residential streets. The above-ground construction is expected to take an additional 12 months. Scaffolding and temporary pedestrian canopies will be placed around the majority of the site during this time.
Will I be able to rent one of the residential units?
There will be six one-level flats on the third floor, accessible by elevator, and three multi-level row homes along Edgeware that have two-car garages. All the residential units will be for sale, not for rent. For more information please contact us.
What if I want to move my business to Kensington Terrace? It would be nice to walk to work…
Perfect! Office space preference will be given to local residents who can walk or bike to work. Some space will be for lease, and some will be for sale as office condominiums. For more information please contact us.
I still have more questions about this project – Who should I talk to?
Please sign up for the Kensington Terrace email newsletter and a team member will get in touch with you. The developer Allard Jansen would also be happy to respond to any questions you may still have. Contact him directly by e-mail at allard@teamaja.com or at (858) 793-9091 x202.