ATTACHMENT 8: DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Building Floor Area

The proposed buildings would be constructed in two phases, as follows:

Table 1- Building Floor Area

Building Floor Area Phase
Academic Center 33,204 sq. ft. 1
Multi-purpose Building 6,770 sq. ft. 1
Gymnasium 9,050 sq. ft. 1
Storage Building 851 sq. ft. 1
Enclosed Pool 8,500 sq. ft. 2
Total Floor Area 58,375 sq. ft.

Architecture / Colors & Materials

The proposed buildings would generally be modern in design. Exterior finishes would include fire-
resistant cedar wood siding, stained a medium caramel-madrone color (Academic Center and
portions of Gymnasium and Multi-purpose Building and Storage Building), or site-cast concrete
tilt-up panels, planted with flowering vines (Multi-purpose Building and Gymnasium).

Building roofs would be a white colored membrane (as required by California energy code), and
window frames would be dark anodized metal. Mechanical equipment would be located in the
ceiling space of the buildings, on grade in the service yard, or on the tops of the building roofs
(with screening). There would be no mechanical equipment on the roof of the storage building.
Low reflectivity surface photovoltaic panels are proposed to lay flat on the roofs of the buildings;
the storage building would not have solar panels.

Signage

Additional signage details would be submitted as part of a subsequent Sign Program Submittal.
The following are the sign standards identified for the proposed Planned Development zone.

Freestanding sign

The 105 sq. ft., 3’8”- high, freestanding monument sign, signifying campus identity, is proposed
near the main vehicular entry, within the circular drop-off area. The integrally colored, board
formed concrete sign would have custom 7” tall fixed stainless steel letters epoxy set into the wall.
Lighting would be provided by two level flood fixtures mounted approximately 6 feet from the
illuminated surface.
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 2

Temporary Signage - Wall signage (banners)

Temporary banners will be used occasionally for school events; these signs would not exceed 60
sq. ft. maximum and would be installed on building walls for no more than 30 days at a time.

Building Identification Signage

Each building may be named for a donor who has helped fund the project. The sign will be
integrated onto the building face.

Outdoor Construction

Outdoor construction in Phase 1 of the project would consist of a soccer field and sports court. The
soccer field would be approximately 60,000 square feet in area. The sports courts would be located
to the south east of the soccer field, and would accommodate basketball and wall ball. The paving
for the sports court would be colored concrete.

A competition swimming pool and supporting lockers is proposed to be constructed in Phase 2.

The pool, surrounding area and lockers would be approximately 8,500 square feet in area. The
pool building and lockers are proposed to maintain the same architectural style and materials as
the Phase 1 Gymnasium and Multipurpose Building.

Other proposed outdoor improvements include a science court, vegetable gardens, an entry plaza,
terraces, and landscaping.

School Operation

The project would include relocation of the existing Crystal Springs Uplands School (CSUS)
middle school (grades 6-8) from its current location in Hillsborough to 6-8 and 10 Davis Drive in
Belmont. The middle school would include up to 240 students and 43 faculty and staff members.
The regular school year would generally begin in late August and end in early June. The school’s
operational hours are included in the following table.

Table 2 - School Operation

Time Activity
7:15-7:45 a.m. Drop Off
8:00 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. Class Instruction & Miscellaneous Activities 1
3:20 p.m. ~ 10:00 p.m. After School Activities & Student Pick-Up 2
1
Teachers and staff would be expected to work independently outside the school day and have unlimited
individual access to school facilities; 2 Student pick-up would be spaced throughout the afternoon to
accommodate after-school activities. The latest outdoor event would end at approximately 7:30 p.m., and the
latest indoor event (inclusive of special events) would end at approximately 10:00 p.m.
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 3

Athletics

The proposed middle school would include after school sporting events, to include but not limited
to: flag football, softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, cross-country, and track and field
(Phase 1). Phase 2 of the project would also include swimming. Some games/meets would be held
at dedicated facilities elsewhere (i.e. cross-country venues, baseball fields, tracks, etc.). For on-
site athletic activities, the applicant estimates the time, frequency, attendance and mode of travel
of the events to be as shown in the following table.

Table 3- Athletics
Event Time Frequency Attendance Travel Mode
Practices 3:20 – 6:00 p.m.1 Daily N/A N/A
Upper School
Basketball &
5:00 – 9:00 p.m. 10/year 30-40 Bus, Van and Carpool 3
Volley ball
games
Games 3:20 – 7:30 p.m.2 3/week 10-25 Bus, Van and Carpool
Daily in
Upper School
3:20 – 6:00 p.m.4 swim N/A Bus or Van
Swim Practice
season
Upper School
3:00 – 6:30 p.m. 5 3-4/year 125 Bus, Van and Car 6
Swim Meets
Table 3- Athletics (Continued)

1
Middle school sports practices would start shortly after the formal school day ends and would usually finish by
5:00 p.m., with occasional practices extending to 6:00 p.m.; 2 Home games would start shortly after the formal
school day ends and usually end by 6:00 p.m. The latest time a middle school game would end is 7:30 p.m.; 3
Opposing teams would generally travel in vans, buses or via parent carpools; 4 Upper school swim practice would
occur during swim season; 5 Swimmers and coaches would start arriving at 3:00 p.m., with spectators arriving by
4:00 p.m. for weekday meets. The events would be over by 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. Weekend meets would be held during
the day on Saturdays; 6 Estimated maximum attendance for the largest meet would be 100 swimmers and coaches,
and 25 spectators. The teams would arrive via buses and vans and the spectators would likely drive individually.

Joint Use Agreement

A Joint Use Agreement with the Belmont Parks & Recreation Department is proposed to allow
city use of the all-weather soccer field (Phase 1) and the pool (Phase 2). The requirement for the
Joint Use Agreement for field/pool use would be memorialized in a Development Agreement for
the project, and the terms of the agreement could change from time to time with mutual agreement
of the city and the applicant. The basic terms of the draft agreement are provided in the following
table.
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 4

Table 4- Joint Use Agreement

Type of Occurrence Hours Number of Attend Total
Facility/Event Events
Fields/Games Saturday 9 & 11 a.m. to 1, 4-5 50-70 500/day
(Year round) 3, & 5 p.m. (5 Games/Day
p.m. is Daylight
permitting)

Fields/Camps Summer/July 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 15 days 30-50 30-50/day

8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Pool1 Summer/July Weekday—Off 20 Days 100 100/day
Commute
Weekends—8
a.m.-6 p.m.
1
City use of the pool for 20 mutually agreeable days during the CSUS summer break, with hours of use to be at
off-commute times.

Special Events

Numerous special events typically occur with the operation of a school. Special events proposed
as part of the project are provided in the tables below.

Table 5 - Special Events

Events/ Estimated
Activity/Program Time
Year Attendees
June-
Summer Programs 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Weekdays) Aug 240
Faculty Professional
Development 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 5 25
Parent Orientation Breakfast 9-11 a.m. 1 100
Parent Welcome Reception 6-9 p.m. 1 100

Parent Luncheons 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 3 60

Curriculum Night 5:30-9 p.m. 1 300
8th Grade Fundraiser 2:30-4 p.m. 1 30
Parent Association General
Meeting 8-10 a.m. 1 40
Fundraising Dinner 6-9 p.m. 1 100
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 5

Table 5 - Special Events (continued)

Club Activity/Competition 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (Weekend) 3 50
9 a.m.-12 p.m., 9 a.m.-1 p.m.,
Admission Open House 12-4 p.m. (Weekend) 3 250
Conference Day 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 2 50
Parent/Child Social 6-10 p.m. (Weekend) 2 200
Middle School Play 7-10 p.m. 1 150
Dance 7-10 p.m. 3 200
ISEE Testing 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (Weekend) 3 75
Diversity Potluck 6-9 p.m. 1 30
Holiday Program 7-9 p.m. 1 200
Friends and Family Day 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 1 200
Applicants of Color Event 6:30-8:30 p.m. 1 40
Middle School Social 7-9 p.m. (Weekend) 1 200
Student Projects 6-8 p.m. 2 150
Admission Welcome Event 6-9 p.m. 1 150
Spring Concert 7-9 p.m. 1 250
Admission Tour 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 2 30
Travel Information Meeting 6-8 p.m. 3 75
Musical 7-9 p.m. 1 250
Fundraising Dinner 6:30-9 p.m. 1 25
Board Meeting 4-6 p.m. 3 30
8th Grade Projects 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 1 20
8th Grade
Awards/Graduation 7-9 p.m. 1 250

Access & Site Circulation

Vehicular and pedestrian access to the site would be provided from Davis Drive. The drop-off and
pick-up area is 909 feet in length and is contained within the project site. Both drop-off and pick-
up would be self-contained on the campus. Students would be dropped off and picked up in
accordance with the following plans:
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 6

 Drop off plan:

o 6th, 7th, and 8th graders would be dropped off at the main front door by bus, shuttle,
or car. A drop-off line would form within the parking lot of the campus to prevent
potential back-up along Davis Drive. After dropping off, cars would exit back onto
Davis Drive and rejoin regular traffic.
 Pick-up plan:
o For cars arriving prior to school dismissal, a waiting line would form as follows:
 6th graders would be picked up at the main door. Cars would queue
within the internal campus road while waiting for students.
 7th and 8th graders would wait along the edge of the gymnasium (also on
the internal campus road but in the parking lot).
Pedestrian circulation would be organized into two primary routes; an informal path along the
canyon edge that links all buildings, and a more formal path that links the multiple building entries
with the entry court and drop-off.

Parking
The project would provide a total of 53 parking spaces, including two disable access parking
spaces, which would more than accommodate the maximum proposed number of staff (43 people).
Parking for larger athletic events and special school events is proposed on the athletic field and/or
on neighboring properties via an off-site parking agreement.

Traffic

The Project will generate new trips with up to 240 students and 43 faculty/staff. Peak traffic times
for school uses include the traditional AM and PM Peaks (consistent with work commute traffic)
and a Midday Peak that occurs when schools let out. The Applicant proposes a school start time
of 7:45 AM to avoid contributing to traffic congestion associated with the adjacent Ralston Middle
School, which has a start time of 8:20 AM. The two schools would also have staggered dismissal
times at the end of the school day, with CSUS ending at 3:20 PM and Ralston Middle School
ending at 3:03 PM. After school activities would occur.

For faculty and staff, it is anticipated that approximately 27 of the faculty/staff members would
arrive prior to the start of school (i.e., before 7:20 AM) and the AM peak period. Thirteen
faculty/staff members would arrive during the AM Peak period and three faculty would arrive
throughout the rest of the day. It is assumed that all faculty members would leave during the PM
Peak period.

In order to mitigate its traffic impacts, Crystal Springs Upland School (CSUS) is required to stay
under a fixed limit of vehicle trips to the CSUS Belmont campus each day, which equate to
approximately 70 students arriving with one student per vehicle, and the remaining 170 students
arriving by alternative modes of transportation (i.e., buses, shuttles, carpools). Established and
agreed-upon trip limits are: AM Drop-Off peak hour: 243 trips (inbound plus outbound trips); Mid-
Day Pick-Up peak hour: 149 trips (inbound plus outbound trips).
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 7

To meet these trip limits, the school is proposing to build on the participation in its existing
voluntary traffic reduction efforts and to develop and implement a comprehensive and mandatory
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program (see Attachment 6). This program would
include a CSUS TDM Coordinator for implementation. Alternative modes of transportation would
include trains, buses, shuttles and carpools. Vehicle trips would be counted regularly by an
independent monitor and compliance would be enforced by the City of Belmont.

The school is anticipated to have isolated special activities and programs throughout the course of
the school year, which may generate trips higher than those indicated during the typical daily
school AM, Midday, or PM Peak hours. The largest events (curriculum night, admission open
house, art’s performances, upper school athletic events, and graduation) would generate trips on
weekends or trips that would be spread out on weekdays during the PM Peak.

Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) /Tree Removal/Landscaping

VMP

The Project is within the Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI Zone) and Very High Fire Hazard
Severity Zone (VHFHZ). The project is required by law to comply with the WUI Fire Modification
Zone landscaping and irrigation practices. A Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) to reduce
wildland fire hazard is proposed as part of the project.

The Defensible Space Plan was developed to meet the guidelines described in “General Guidelines
for Creating Defensible Space” published by State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and
recommendations provided by the City of Belmont Fire Marshall.

The Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) is an overlay to the Defensible Space Plan and both
plans should be considered as a single, inseparable document. The VMP was developed with the
input from the Deputy Fire Chief of Belmont and the Park and Recreation Director to manage the
fire risk in a more site specific approach. The primary goals of the VMP are to balance fire safety
with scenic quality, preservation of existing trees, reducing erosion and maintaining wildlife
habitat. The Defensible Space Plan has been divided into the following zones along the canyon
edge:

 Zone A, within 20 feet of building, is the most restrictive zone and allows for only fire resistive
plants. Tree canopies shall maintain a 10’ separation. No tree canopy with 10’ of the new
building. All new plantings would be irrigated. No overlap with the Vegetation Management
Plan.
 Zone B, within 50 feet of building-only fire resistive plants. Tree canopies shall maintain a 10’
separation. All new planting would be irrigated. Overlaps with Vegetation Management Plan
– Ornamental Landscape Zone.
 Zone C, within 75 feet of building, new planting to be irrigated and fire resistive. Existing
vegetation shall be maintained per the Vegetation Management Plan. Overlaps with
Ornamental Landscape Zone, Chaparral Landscape Zone and Oak Woodland Landscape Zone.
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 8

 Zone D – Within 100 feet of building, new planting to be irrigated and fire resistive. Existing
vegetation shall be maintained per the Vegetation Management Plan. Overlaps with
Ornamental Landscape Zone, Chaparral Landscape Zone and Oak Woodland Landscape Zone.
Proposed plants for the new landscape improvements within Zones A through D have been given
a Favorable Fire Performance Rating by the Diablo Fire-safe Council.

Tree Removal

The project requires removal of vegetation and protected size trees to: 1) construct the project;
and 2) provide “defensible space” with respect to wildland fire management identified by the
City and implemented by the VMP. The proposed removal of protected size trees and tree
replanting is summarized in the table below.

Table 6 – Tree Removal & Replanting

Trees Removed Trees Replanted
On Site Off site On site Off site
75 2 94 6

Total Removed: 77 Total Replanted: 100

Landscaping

The proposed landscape plan includes the re-planting of 100 trees. A variety of trees, shrubs,
vines and ground cover would be planted throughout the site. Fire resistant plantings would be
included along the edge of the canyon, and vegetation would be trimmed and/or maintained in
accordance with the VMP.

A 6-foot tall, black vinyl coated, chain link perimeter fence would enclose the entire site.
Ornamental wood fencing would be located in the more public areas (i.e., along the front of the
site), while chain link would be utilized elsewhere. Fencing along the canyon side would include
fine mesh at the bottom to prevent wildlife intrusion. Additionally, fencing would divide the site
into two zones—one containing the school and classroom functions and the other containing the
gym, soccer field, and future swimming pool.

Lighting & Glare

Exterior lighting is proposed to use cut-off fixtures to restrict the direction of the light, and/or use
indirect fixtures that focus light onto ceilings, floors, walls and other ground surfaces while hiding
the lamp from direct view (see attached lighting plan and cut sheets).

The Academic Center is organized so that most of the instructional space windows are facing east
or west, and not toward neighboring homes across the canyon. The Great Hall within the Academic
Center and the Café/Multipurpose room are proposed with interior window shades, so that when
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 9

there is an evening event in these rooms, the light can be contained within the spaces. Architectural
overhangs are proposed to protect large glazed areas, and a low-e coating is proposed on all
exterior glazing.

Grading

The project site would be substantially re-graded to allow for construction of the school and
ancillary improvements (all weather soccer field, gym, etc.). Approximately 7,409 cubic yards of
cut and 7,471 cubic yards of fill would be required to construct the whole of the Project. In Phase
1, Approximately 1,462 cubic yards of imported fill would be required for the Project. Maximum
depth of cut would be eight feet. Phase 2 construction would require approximately 1,400 cubic
yards of cut.

Grading for the project is provided in the table below. All measures are in cubic yards.

Table 9 – Grading
Phase 1 Phase 2 Project Totals1
Cut - 6,009 Cut - 1,400 Cut - 7,409
Fill + 7,471 Fill 0 Fill + 7,471
Total +1,462 Total -1,400 Total + 62
1
There would be a total net import of soils for the project of 62 cubic yards. Approximately 1,462 cubic
yards of imported fill would be required for the Project in Phase 1, and approximately 1,400 cubic yards of
exported material would be required for the Project in Phase 2.

Hardscape

The project would increase the pervious area and decrease the impervious area, as compared with
the existing site. Existing and proposed pervious and impervious surfaces are provided in the
following table.

Table 7 - Pervious/Impervious Surfaces

Existing Proposed
Type Acreage Type Acreage
Impervious 3.66 Acre Impervious 2.58 Acre
Pervious 2.80 Acre Pervious 3.88 Acre

Storm Water and Drainage

The project’s storm water would drain into several bio-retention areas located throughout the site.
Storm water flows and project drainage from the project’s impervious surfaces would be conveyed
into an existing 24-inch storm drain pipe to the southeast of the property, running north to south.
CSUS Attachment 8 – Detailed Project Description
Page 10

The project would include bio-retention areas designed to treat run-off prior to discharging to the
existing public 24-inch storm drain line.

Construction

As previously discussed, construction of the proposed project would occur in two phases. All site
improvements would be constructed in phase 1, except the pool. Construction activities would
include demolition, clearing and grading, utility installation, building and site improvements
construction, and landscaping. Project construction is proposed to proceed as follows:

Table 8- Construction Schedule

Construction Activity Duration (months)

Demolition, Grading, & Tree Removal 1

Foundation & building undergrounding work 1
Steel erection and structural deck slab construction 1
Exterior walls, roofing, and remaining exterior building work 4
Undergrounding of utilities and repaving the site 2
Interior finish Work 3
Landscaping & VMP 2

Final Inspections / Occupancy 14

Personnel

The General Contractor expects to have a range of construction personnel on site at different times.
The initial construction phase staffing would include approximately 30 to 40 people coming to the
site. At the peak of construction—when interior finishing is being done—there would be
approximately 100 people on site. Toward the completion of construction, approximately 20
people would be on site. Standard city conditions of approval require the submittal of a
construction management plan, which identifies project staging areas and parking for construction
personnel.

Right-of-way Encroachments

The applicant proposes to use a portion of the public right-of-way adjacent to the project site for
landscaping. The landscape area would also include a fence with gates at the driveways. Gated
areas would be equipped with a “knox box” key to allow for emergency access.