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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/22/2013 Planning Commission Minutesan-oF CHULAMSrA Planning Commission REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION ?S�linu%s May 22, 2013 Council Chambers 6:00 p.m. Public Services Bldg 100 276 Fourth Avenue CALL TO ORDER At 6:02 p.m. ROLL CALL: Commissioners Anaya, Calvo, Livag, Spethman, Vinson and Chair Moctezuma Members Present: Anaya, Calvo, Livag, Spethman, Vinson and Chair Moctezuma Members Absent: N/A MOTIONS TO EXCUSE: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENT OF SILENCE OPENING STATEMENT: 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES PUBLIC COMMENTS: There were none April 24, 2013 MSC (Spethman /Vinson) 5 -0 -0 -0 2. Presentation by Assistant City Manager Gary Halbert Strategic Plan Mr. Halbert presented a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Strategic Plan Structure and how it will be implemented. The City is still in the early stages of Strategic Plan development. Goals, strategies and initiatives have been drafted. Definitions included: Goals — a broad statement of what we hope to achieve and is qualitative in nature. A goal identifies the gaps in service between the current situation and the ideal situation. Strategies — are statements of major approach or method of attaining goals and resolving specific issues. Strategies begin to answer the question "How will we go about Planning Commission Agenda May 22, 2013 Page -2- accomplishing our goals ?" Strategies describe a general approach or method; they do not describe specific activities or projects. Initiatives — are the programs, projects, plans or activities, prioritized annually, which must be accomplished in order to achieve a stated goal. Individuals or groups are the sponsors of initiatives and responsible for their advancement. The Goals that have been set include: Operational Excellence, Strong & Secure Neighborhoods, Economic Vitality, Connected Communities and Healthy Communities. When these goals have been met, there will have been an direct impact on the mission of improving the quality of life for all of Chula Vista. The Strategic Plan is an operational tool for the City manager to use to help direct operations. The goals and strategies that are created would encompass visions that the public and City Council have already expressed. It will be a "living document" that will change every year. The public and City Council will provide feedback on any potential changes when the City reports on past performance. PUBLIC HEARINGS 3. Design Review (DRC- 12 -16) to approve a 170 -unit multi - family apartment project with one (1) car garages, open parking, recreation building, pool, and associated open space on approximately 7.1 acres (17 -unit existing townhomes previously built on site) located in the Otay Ranch Village Two, Neighborhood R -29, Planned Community District RM2 multi - family zone. Applicant: Monarch at Tavera, LP The 7.1 -acre project site is located in the eastern portion of Village Two within the Village Core, on a mostly vacant parcel between Santa Diana Road and Santa Victoria Road. A portion of the site was previously developed with a 17 -unit townhome apartment project. Summary of Surrounding Land Uses General Plan Zoning Site: Mixed -Use Residential Planned Community, RM2 South: Residential Low Medium Planned Community, CPF North: Park East: Mixed -Use Residential Planned Community P3 Planned Community MU2 West: Residential Low Medium Planned Community RM1 Current Land Use Multi - Family Residential Future Com. Purpose Facility Future Park Future MF /Commercial Future MF Residential Planning Commission Agenda May 22, 2013 Page -3- The proposal includes three (3) building plan types ranging from 5 -unit to 10- unit /plex buildings. All of the building would be three -story (40 feet). Onsite amenities include several open space areas throughout the project site consisting of a toddler play structure, open courtyard and open space area between buildings with benches, seating area, a fireplace, and a BBQ. There are several vehicle and pedestrian access points on and off the site. Vehicles can access the site through two driveways, one along Santa Victoria Road and one along Santa Diana Road. The main entrance off Santa Victoria Road will also be a shared access for the future MU -2 site. A future vehicle connection (Driveway J) and pedestrian link is provided across the middle of the site to the R -11 neighborhood to the west. There is also a pedestrian connection to the future MU -2 site with secondary landmark features. Another pedestrian link is also provided off Santa Victoria Road adjacent to the recreation building leading to the open space areas within the site. The project also provides a 4,042 square -foot one story recreation building consisting of a lounge, outdoor room, exercise, game room, in addition to the sales office. A pool and spa are located adjacent to the recreation building, in addition to a 288 square -foot pool house consisting of restrooms, a shower, pool equipment, and storage area. Compliance with Development Standards Assessor's Parcel Number: 644 - 310 -01 -00 Current Zoning: Planned Community, RM2 General Plan Designation: Mixed -Use Residential Lot Area: 7.1 acres PARKING REQUIRED: PARKING PROPOSED: Parking spaces, broken down as follows: 1.5 spaces for one bedroom units One bedroom units =108 (72 Units) 2 spaces for two bedroom units Two bedroom units =184 (92 Units) 2.5 spaces for three bedroom units Three bedroom units =13.5 (6 Units) Note: Guest parking is included Total: 306 parking spaces* Total: 314 parking spaces * Does not include parking for the existing 17 townhomes. SETBACKS /HEIGHT REQUIRED: SETBACKS /HEIGHT PROPOSED: Front: DR 3.7 feet (Santa Victoria Road) Side: DR 31 and 80 feet Rear: DR 8 feet Height: 60 feet 40 feet Planning Commission Agenda May 22, 2013 Page -4- Architectural Theme The Village Two SPA Design Plan, Multi- Family Residential Guidelines Section and Village Core MMP identify Santa Barbara, California as the design inspiration for the Village of Montecito (Village Two). Neighborhood R -29 is within the Village of Montecito's Secondary Core District and its architecture is consistent with the policies of the Village Design Plan and the Village Core MPP. Throughout Otay Ranch, enhanced elevations are required where developments are visible from public rights -of -way as well as pedestrian areas. This regulation is stipulated in the Village Two PC District regulations and the Village Core MPP. Enhanced elevations should include varying building elements, roof pitches, and setbacks to avoid monotony. In addition, distinctive building elements shall be oriented toward the corners of prominent village core and entry street intersection. Street facing facades are required to incorporate a range of scale- defining elements that relate larger building masses to the scale of the pedestrian. Discussion Livag: Had a question regarding parking and how it was figured — didn't think it was correct by the number of spaces per unit times the number of units. Even though the number of units (x) the required spaces would be 15. It was decided that the total number of proposed parking spaces would still allow for the additional spaces required. RESOLUTION NO. DRC -12 -16 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVING A DESIGN REVIEW PERMIT, DRC -12 -16 TO CONSTRUCT A 170 -UNIT MULTI - FAMILY APARTMENT PROJECT WITH ONE (1) CAR GARAGES, OPEN PARKING, RECREATION BUILDING, POOL, AND ASSOCIATED OPEN SPACE ON 7.1 ACRES WITHIN THE OTAY RANCH VILLAGE TWO, NEIGHBORHOOD R -29. APPLICANT: MONARCH AT TAVERA, LP. MSC (Livag /Spethman) 5 -0 -0 -1 (Calvo abstaining) Planning Commission Agenda May 22, 2013 Page -5- 4. PUBLIC HEARING (PCM- 13 -09) Consideration of Amendments to the City of Chula Vista Municipal Code to consolidate the duties of the Planning Commission and Design Review Board (City Initiated) As a result of the process improvements that the City Council adopted in April 2010, Council directed staff to review the functions and duties of the Design Review Board and Planning Commission and to determine if the responsibilities of the two groups should be merged. After seeking input from the Planning Commission, along with members of the Design Review Board, staff is now returning with an ordinance that would transfer the design review responsibilities currently under the purview of the Design Review Board to the Planning Commission. The proposed ordinance also removes references to the Design Review Board from various sections of the Municipal Code. As a clean -up to the City Council dissolution of the Chula Vista Redevelopment Corporation (CVRC), the ordinance removes all references to the CVRC from the Municipal Code. In accordance with Chapter 2.42, the Planning Commission (PC) serves as the planning agency for the City. The Design Review Board's (DRB) purpose is to ensure that development within the City of Chula Vista is orderly and of a high quality. Through the years of significant development in the City beginning around 1998, the DRB and PC met twice a month and regularly with full agendas. With the decline in development since 2006, the level of projects being reviewed by both bodies has dropped. In addition, the implementation of the 2010 Process Improvement Amendments resulted in the Zoning Administrator (ZA) now handling more of the projects that were previously considered by the PC or DRB. The Process Improvements Amendments also introduced the "Consolidated Hearing" process, which allows projects that previously would have been heard by multiple bodies to be consolidated into one hearing by the highest decision making body. As a result, the frequency of the meetings and the number of items on the agendas for the DRB has declined. Proposed PC Membership Qualifications to Address Design Expertise No changes are proposed to the number of Planning Commissioners which currently is seven. Although Commissioners are not currently required to have specific expertise, staff recommends that at least three PC members should be persons sensitive to design consideration and interested in townscape matters such as architects, landscape architects, land planners, urban planners, civil engineers and other design professionals with suitable experience. This will ensure that the PC has the necessary expertise to assume the role currently held by the DRB. Accordingly, amendments to Chapter 2.42 are proposed. Planning Commission Agenda May 22, 2013 Page -6- Other Minor Clean -Up Changes to the Municipal Code In 2011 the City Council directed staff to move forward with the dissolution of the Chula Vista Redevelopment Corporation (CVRC). In accordance with that direction, on December 12, 2011 staff brought forward a Dissolution Resolution to the CVRC. Although the CVRC was dissolved, references to the CVRC were not removed from the Municipal Code. Various amendments have been included in the proposed Ordinance to remove the references to the CVRC. Discussion Q. When the boards become combined, would the two Design Review Board (DRB) members be first in line as appointees to the Planning Commission? A. Since there is one vacant seat (Felber) and Commissioner Spethman is terming out on June 30th, staff recommendation would be to Council that the two DRB members be appointed. Q. Regarding the qualifications as "having an interest in design ", doesn't the Ordinance require that 3 people have a design background? A. It strongly suggests that the person should have a background, but it does not specify a position (architect, landscaping or construction). It's left vague because the Planning Commission is a Charter Commission and without changing the Charter, it cannot be a full -out requirement. Q. Even though the DRB and the Planning Commission are merging and the DRB specifies that the background be "architects, landscape architects, land planners, etc." we can't require that with the merge? A. The Ordinance says "should be persons sensitive to — not shall be sensitive to. The language in the proposed ordinance is what would be approved. Atty: The reason the language is permissive and says should instead of shall is because it would be inconsistent with the City Charter. Currently the Charter states that the Planning Commission shall consist of seven (7) members but does not specify from what fields and if language is changed, it would be inconsistent with the Charter. Planning Commission Agenda May 22, 2013 Page -7- Commissioner Comments: Spethman: Is fine with the language. In combining the DRB with the Planning Commission, he thinks the responsibilities speak to themselves. Feels that because of the added responsibilities that the boardmembers are taking on — with the Bayfront, revitalization of the west -side — it is a good mix to have people with design expertise — whether it be professional or a verifiable interest. Vinson: Would like to echo the concern of Commission Spethman and support the project. RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY ADOPT AN ORDINANCE REGARDING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION; RESCINDING CHULA VISTA MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 2.47 (DESIGN REVIEW BOARD) AND CHAPTER 2.55 ( CHULA VISTA REDEVELOPMENT CORPORATION) AND REMOVING REFERENCES TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD AND CHULA VISTA REDEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE MSC (Vinson /Spethman) 6 -0 -0 -0 OTHER BUSINESS S. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: Assistant City Manager Halbert advised the Board of the new Development Services Director — Kelly Broughton — from the City of San Diego. 6. COMMISSION COMMENTS: Spethman: With the meeting schedule the way it has been (some cancellations) he is not sure he will be back before his term is up. Has agreed to stay on until his seat can be filled. In case he is not back before the next meeting, he thanked the Board and to say how great it was to work with all of them and the staff at the City. His appointment to the Planning Commission was a great fulfillment of his desire to be part of it. In case it is not known, he also took the opportunity to tell the Commission that he will be running for City Council. His announcement was met with much approval of the board. Livag: Thanked Spethman for his support when he came onto the board. Wished Spethman the best of luck in the campaign. Livag said that his first term Planning Commission Agenda May 22, 2013 Page -8- appointment would be up and he has advised the City that he would be interested in reappointment. Vinson: "I'm just gonna cry" O Spethman has been such a good friend and has been very supportive. Vinson acknowledged the knowledge and background that Spethman has brought to the board and the he will be missed. But, he looks forward to dealing with him on the Council. Calvo: Appreciates Spethman's enthusiasm and although she has not worked with him long, has enjoyed working with him. Chair Moctezuma: Thanked Commissioner Spethman and said what a great pleasure it has been working with him. ADJOURNMENT at 6:52 p.m. to the next Regular Planning Commission Meeting on June 12, 2013, at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers. Subitted by: r * Patricia Laughlin, Board Secretary Minutes Approved: 06/26/2013 Spethman /Vinson