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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes 12-02-03CITY OF ATASCADERO PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES Regular Meeting December 2, 2003 — 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Fonzi called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. and Commissioner Beraud led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioners Bentz, Beraud, Jones, O'Keefe, Porter, Vice Chairperson Kelley and Chairperson Fonzi Absent: None Staff: Community Development Director Warren Frace, Planning Services Manager Steve McHarris and Recording Secretary Grace Pucci. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: By Commissioner Bentz and seconded by Commissioner Beraud to approve the agenda. AYES: Commissioners Bentz, Beraud, Jones, O'Keefe, Porter, Kelley and Chairperson Fonzi NOES: None ABSTAIN: None Motion passed 7.0 by a roll -call vote. PUBLIC COMMENT None CONSENT CALENDAR 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING ON NOVEMBER 18, 2003. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF FINAL MAP 2003-0065: TTM 2003-0040 FOR CORNER OF PUEBLO AND SAN LUIS AVENUES (GEARHART/WILSON) MOTION: By Commissioner Bentz and seconded by Commissioner O'Keefe to approve the Consent Calendar. AYES: Commissioners Bentz, O'Keefe, Beraud, Jones, Kelley (Item 1) and Chairperson Fonzi NOES: None ABSTAIN: Commissioners Porter and Kelley (Item 2) Motion passed 6:0 by a Noll -call vote. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF REPORTS None PUBLIC HEARINGS 3. I TPM 1001-00,16. 91I1;1; I,n Cnnndn 7 -Int (Noknnl WONTINITFlI) Applicant: Nolan Nelson, 9055 La Canada, Atascadero, CA 93422, Phone: 466-7891 Project Title: Tentative Parcel Map 2003-0046 Project 9055 La Canada, Atascadero, CA 93422, San Luis Obispo County Location: APN 050-021-028 Project A proposed subdivision of an existing 7.82 gross acre lot into two individual parcels of Description: 3.91 gross acres each. The site is currently developed with a single-family residence that will be confined to one lot to allow the new lot to be developed with a single-family residence. The parcels are moderately to steeply sloped and contain vegetation and native oak trees. Onsite septic will serve the property and water is available from Atascadero Mutual Water Company. General Plan Designation: Residential Suburban (RS) Zoning District: Rural Estate (RE) Proposed Based on the initial study prepared for the project, a Mitigated Negative Declaration is Environmental proposed. The proposed Negative Declaration is available for public review from Determination: 10/28/03 through 11/16/03 at 6500 Palma Avenue, Community Development Department, Room 104, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 .m., Monday through Friday. Community Development Director Frace announced that Item #3 is to be continued, at the applicant's request, to January 6, 2004. 4. CUP 2003-0119: E1 Camino Real Retirement Hotel Applicant: San Luis Obispo Non -Profit Housing Corporation Contact: George Moylan P.O. Box 13657, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Phone: 805/597-5302 Project Title: Conditional Use Permit 2003-0119 Project 9705 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422, San Luis Obispo County Location: APN 030-472-09 Project A proposed two-story 19 -unit multi -family hotel complex for low-income senior Description: citizens on a 0.92 -acre site. The building will include a 730 square foot community room, elevator, and laundry facilities on each floor. There will be 19 covered parking spaces and 6 guest parking spaces. General Plan Designation: General Commercial (GC) Zoning District: Commercial Retail (CR) Proposed Environmental Categorically Exempt Class 32 (CEQA Section15332): Infill Development. Determination: Planning Services Manager Steve McHarris provided the staff report and answered questions of the Commission. PUBLIC COMMENT George Moylan, representative of San Luis Obispo Non -Profit Housing Corporation, explained the project, it's funding and who would be eligible for residency. Mr. Moylan clarified issues raised by the Commission and answered their questions. Eric Greening, 7365 Valle, urged the Commission to approve this project and expressed concern regarding pedestrian circulation in the area as well as public transportation access to the site. Gail Gresham, Las Lomas, expressed her support for this project and stated her concern with traffic and safety issues at this location. Jeff Dillon, project architect, answered questions raised by the Commission and addressed the issue of the design of the project's tower. Eric Greening indicated that transit operators prefer not to back up when leaving a site. He felt a drive through within the project would be helpful. Jeff Dillon explained that adding another driveway would impact the trees on the site. There was a discussion on possible impacts of public transportation within the site including noise from the backup warning system, and suggestions of alternate pick-up locations including El Camino Real. Eric Greening stated that the Dial -A -Ride service usually stops in a sheltered place where residents can easily make eye contact with the driver, which would preclude using El Camino Real as a pick-up site. Chairperson Fonzi closed the Public Comment period. Commissioner O'Keefe raised the issue of the danger to residents crossing El Camino Real to get to the Post Office. She indicated there was not a pedestrian lane at the traffic signal and asked if a pedestrian lane could be striped at Santa Rosa. City Engineer Steve Kahn stated that he would report on the pedestrian crossing at Santa Rosa and El Camino Real at the next Planning Commission meeting. Mr. Kahn also addressed the issue of stops for Dial -A -Ride and safety issues involved with crossing El Camino Real. Commissioner Beraud advocated for a median to create a safe zone in the middle of El Camino Real. There was Commission discussion regarding the tower design. Commissioner Jones stated the project was well designed, it meets the need for low-income senior housing and he is in support of the project. Chairperson Fonzi asked if the City policy of first offering these units to the residents of Atascadero could be included in the Motion. Planning Services Manager Steve McHarris stated that this policy has been applied to for sale properties, not rental units. Additionally, these units will be for retired persons and this policy was aimed at workforce housing. Community Development Director asked that there be a time period placed on this condition if it is added to the motion. There was Commission discussion on this topic and it was felt that this project was not appropriate for the workforce housing policy. MOTION: By Vice Chairperson Kelley and seconded by Commissioner Jones to adopt Draft Resolution 2003-0119 approving the Conditional Use Permit 2003-0119 with Master Plan of Development, based on findings and subject to Conditions of Approval with the following corrections: 1) PC Resolution to identify the applicant as the Atascadero Senior Housing, a California Limited Partnership and San Luis Obispo Non -Profit Housing Corporation as a general partner, 2) Condition No. 24 to read "driveway to be paved with decorative paver design, final finish selection to complement selected building architecture and colors subject to staff approval," and 3) add to Conditional No. 31 "existing overhead utility lines shall be placed underground subject to City Engineer approval." AYES: Commissioners Jones, O'Keefe, Beraud, Porter, Bentz, Kelley and Chairperson Fonzi NOES: None ABSTAIN: None Motion passed 7.0 by a roll -call vote. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS & REPORTS Commissioner O'Keefe questioned if there were an appearance review manual. Director Frace stated that the City has one and copies will be made available to the Commission. Commissioner O'Keefe referred to the Rochelle property and questioned why the 20 -foot wide trail easement along Graves Creek and the Salinas River as recommended by the Department of Parks and Recreation was dropped from the proposal. Director Frace explained the background of this site and the history of the trail connections. Commissioner Beraud expressed concern regarding the Anza Trail and archeological areas within the project, which were not included on the Commission's maps. Commissioner Jones left the hearing at 8:30 p.m. 5. DOVE CREEK STUDY SESSION COMMENTS Staff will collect any Commissioner's comments related to the Dove Creek Study Session held on November 19, 2003. Commissioner Beraud: "I thought the project looked good but then I started thinking about the fact that we have a limited amount of commercial in our mixed use, we haven't gotten to the discussion of what percentage of the property should be designated as commercial. So that was a part that seemed like a higher percentage of the property should be used for commercial or light industry. My second concern was the fact that the developer is not going to be developing the commercial part and we might just end up with this blank spot, and I'm not sure how we could necessarily condition a project to make sure that the commercial was built. Those are my two biggest concerns." Commissioner Bentz: "I had thought about the commercial myself. I recall that they were planning on about 60,000 square feet of commercial and I think a more appropriate number would be about 150,000 square feet of commercial from my point of view. And the commercial should be on the El Camino side and not on the Santa Barbara side." Commissioner O'Keefe: "I would like to also see more commercial, but one specific thing that would be very helpful, and I don't know if this is possible, is a gas station up there. We're having a lot of development and if you have a market there, people going out onto Highway 101, if they could gas up there, would be trip reduction. I don't know what's feasible; I don't like to make recommendations that can't be carried out. I think across the street there is commercial. With commercial does that include gas stations also? I just think one at that end of town would really be helpful. You have everybody coming off San Antonio there, there's that whole development there too." Warren Frace: "There is commercial designated on the south side of Santa Barbara at El Camino, but they're fairly small, tight pads. It's possible gas stations are either allowed or conditionally allowed uses in those commercial zones, so its possible that those could develop with that type of use in the future." Commissioner O'Keefe: "Other than that I think the project is very interesting and they have certainly been creative in developing the area." Vice Chairperson Kelley: "Yes, I had a few comments and I had emailed most of them to Warren already, but I'll just cover them in a nutshell. Some of my concerns, I think there were the setbacks within the project, I think they should be uniform with the rest of the setbacks in the City, where we don't have some buildings that are right up on the street. I think there was some mention of some units that didn't have driveways in front of them. Traffic was another key issue. I think that really needs to be addressed. I think there is going to be a tremendous increase in traffic coming and going out of that center there. In regards to the commercial, I had a suggestion, I thought maybe if they moved the whole complex more towards the intersection and put it in the center part of the property where you could have access for the people from the project and access for the people off of El Camino and Santa Barbara there, that you might get a little better flow of traffic coming and going out of it. As far of the size of the commercial project, I'm not an expert at sizing it according to neighborhoods and what have you, but I know there have been studies that in order to have certain types of businesses you have to have so many people available to go to that commercial center. I think we should be very, very careful on how big we make that commercial center and that its not made too big where some of the buildings will never get filled up in there like some of the rest of the commercial centers that we have in town, and they become a failure instead of a success. I also have great concern that the commercial center will never be built. I think we could make that a condition of the project that if this project is done in certain phases, like one through three, that at the end of the first phase say and the beginning of the second phase, that commercial project has to start, and put the burden on the developer that he goes out and solicits people to come to the commercial project: that it be a commitment that he's going to have to make too. Otherwise I don't think anything will ever happen to it." Commissioner Porter: "I guess my primary concern too is not the size of the commercial but the timing of when it's being built. I kept thinking, or what kept popping into my mind, is the corner of San Anselmo and El Camino, how that corner right there was never developed and I picture if we don't condition this project to have the developer build the commercial at the same time as the residential, it just won't get done. So that's my primary concern." Chairperson Fonzi: " I also felt that it needed to be built. It could be phased, but I don't think they should be allowed to just plan it and leave it. I don't think it would be built in a timely fashion; it would be an eyesore, which is what we don't need. I had some concerns also about a road that was in the development somewhat near the floodplain and it was just an emergency access. It seemed very odd the way that it was drawn, I'm not an architect or an engineer, but it seemed like it should have a throughway through there not just an emergency access." Commissioner Beraud: "I really liked how they tried to work with the site. I thought that was creative of them. So I think they should get some kudos for the environmental aspects that they took into account." DIRECTOR'S REPORT 6. 3F MEADOWS TREE PROTECTION STATUS REPORT Community Development Director Warren Frace gave the status report and answered questions of the Commission. There was Commission discussion regarding this type of report and whether additional information would be useful. It was resolved that if there were issues of interest they should be brought to the Chairperson who would then forward those on to staff. Community Development Director Frace announced there would be no Planning Commission meeting on December 30th and the City Council would not be meeting on December 23rd. The first Planning Commission meeting in the New Year would be January 6, 2004. ADJOURNMENT Chairperson Fonzi adjourned the meeting at 9:04 p.m. to the next regularly scheduled meeting on December 16, 2003. MEETING RECORDED AND MINUTES PREPARED BY: Grace Pucci, Recording Secretary Adopted 12/16/03 \\Cityhall\CDvlpmnt\— PC Minutes\PC Minutes 03\PC Draft Minutes. 12-02-03.doc