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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1986/08/12 Item 17 COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 17 Meeting Date 8/12/86 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: Conditional Use Permit PCC-86-35; request to establish a County Department of Social Services office at the northeast corner of Third Avenue and Quintard Street - Jerome Navarra Resolution i)-6-791' Approving the establishment of a social services office at the northeast corner of Third Avenue and Quintard Street. SUBMITTED BY: Director of Planning 6r REVIEWED BY: City Manage (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X ) This item involves a request to establish a San Diego County Department of Social Services (Welfare) office within a 5.79 acre commercial center located at the northeast corner of Third Avenue and Quintard Street in the C-C zone. A public use of this type is an "Unclassified Use" which may be considered for location in any zone subject to the issuance of a conditional use permit by the City Council following a recommendation by the Planning Commission. An Initial Study, IS-86-52, of possible adverse environmental impacts of the project was conducted by the Environmental Review Coordinator on June 27, 1986. The Environmental Review Coordinator concluded that there would be no significant environmental effects and recommended that the Negative Declaration be adopted. RECOMMENDATION: Concur with the recommendation of the Planning Commission. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: On July 9, 1986, the Planning Commission, by a vote of 5-0 with one abstention and one absent, and in accordance with Resolution PCM-86-35, found that the project would have no significant environmental impacts and adopted the Negative Declaration issued on IS-86-52, which is herewith forwarded for Council review and adoption, and recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to approve the request subject to the following conditions: 1 . A landscape and irrigation plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the City's Landscape Architect. 2. A sign plan and colors and materials palette shall be submitted for review and approval prior to the issuance of a building permit. 3. The facility shall be required to provide six (6) handicap parking spaces and handicap access. Page 2, Item 17 Meeting Date 8/12/86 DISCUSSION: Adjacent zoning and land use North C-C Commercial Center South C-C Furniture & Tire Store East R-3 Apartments West C-36 Commercial Center Existing site characteristics The site in question is an existing 5.79 acre commercial center located at the northeast corner of Third Avenue and Quintard Street. The center consists of three separate buildings: Jerome's Furniture Warehouse located in a 46,440 sq. ft. building on the easterly portion of the site, a 1 ,764 sq. ft. fast food restaurant located at the northwest corner of the property, and a 5,660 sq. ft. tire dealer located on the southwesterly portion of the site. There are currently 250 on-site parking spaces to serve the center. Proposed use The Social Services office would occupy the northerly 12,000 sq. ft. of the existing Jerome' s building and an adjoining 20,000 sq. ft. of new construction, for a total floor area of 32,000 sq. ft. Jerome's would remain in the balance of the principal structure, and the restaurant and tire dealer would remain as well . The parking area would be reconfigured to improve circulation and increase parking to 346 on-site spaces. Prior Request In December, 1985, the Council unanimously denied a prior request to locate the Social Services office within a neighborhood shopping center at the northwest corner of Hilltop Drive and Naples Street. The Council expressed the concern that a regional use was not the typical office use in terms of number of employees and peak hour traffic, and thus was inappropriate for location in a small neighborhood commercial center surrounded by residential areas. It was believed that this type of use would be more appropriate in a commercial or industrial district, and the Council directed staff to work with the County to find an alternate location. ANALYSIS: Operations The Social Services office would be one of seven regional facilities distributed throughout the County. This represents a relocation from the existing South Bay Regional Office in San Ysidro in order to obtain larger accommodations and to be more centrally located with respect to their South Bay service area. Page 3, Item 17 Meeting Date 8/12/86 The office would administer income maintenance programs, including Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, and medical assistance. The hours of operation are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. , Monday through Friday, and the facility would employ initially 175 and ultimately 212 people. The staff would consist entirely of office personnel ; there would be no case workers operating out of the facility. According to a representative from the Department of Social Services, during normal operations the office would serve an average of 100 clients per day, with approximately 30 clients at the facility at any one time. During peak periods, which generally occur during the first five work days of each month and during the summer months, the office would serve from 150-200 clients per day, with perhaps 75 clients at the facility at any one time. The client entrance and parking area front on Third Avenue and are separated from the apartments to the east by the main structure. The office would have at least one and sometimes two security officers on the site during work hours to police the premises. Site Plan and Elevations The basic lines and materials of the new construction would generally carry-out those of the existing Jerome's building, but would add interest to the existing facade by providing a major offset, bevelled corners, and landscaping adjacent to the building. A new color scheme, as well as several freestanding landscape planter boxes, would further soften and unify the existing structure with the new addition. The depth of the landscaping along Third Avenue would be increased from 4 ft. to 10 ft. , and the entire site would be replanted in a uniform scheme. The exterior elevations of the two, smaller restaurant and tire dealer structures would remain unchanged, as would the 65 ft.-high, 300 sq. ft. Jerome' s freestanding pole sign. A small monument sign identifying the Social Services office would be erected adjacent to the central entrance to the site on Third Avenue. Parking and Traffic As noted above, the parking area would be restriped to improve circulation--aligning internal circulation drives with access points--and provide 96 additional on-site parking spaces. Of the 346 total spaces, 87 would be required to serve the three retail uses, leaving 259 to serve the 32,000 sq. ft. social services facility. This works out to a parking ratio of one space for every 123 sq. ft. of floor area, or more than twice the number of spaces required by Code for general offices (one space for every 300 sq. ft. of floor area). More than 35% of the total spaces are proposed as "compacts," but these are primarily confined to the periphery of the site and to the rear of the building and would be designated for employees only. Page 4, Item 17 Meeting Date 8/12/86 In terms of the specific parking situation of such facilities, the Social Services Department representative has stated that the majority of clients arrive by either public transportation or are dropped off by friends or relatives. Staff found no parking problems at the existing San Ysidro office, which serves the same clientele with the same number of employees and 150 parking spaces, and which also shares a shopping center location with retail stores. In terms of traffic, using the peak-day periods noted above, the Social Services office would ultimately generate approximately 824 average daily trips (ADT) (212 employees plus 200 clients multiplied by a factor of 2). In comparison, the ADT for 32,000 sq. ft. of retail floor space would be approximately 2,500 ADT, or more than three times that for the proposed use. Peak "hour" trips, on the other hand, would be greater for the Social Services office with all 175 (212) employees arriving around 8:00 a.m. and departing around 5:00 p.m. Except for these few weekday peaks, however, the average flow of traffic throughout the day would be substantially greater with retail commercial . Conclusion For the reasons outlined above, we recommend approval of the application. The present request involves a thoroughfare commercial district well suited to absorb the high employee ratio and peak hour traffic associated with the use. The site, including the principal building, parking area and landscaping will be upgraded and ample parking is available to serve the facility. Adjacent apartments are located to the rear of the center and are adequately buffered from the main parking and activity areas. FINDINGS: 1 . That the proposed use at the location is necessary or desirable to provide a service or facility which will contribute to the general well being of the neighborhood or the community. The proposed location will provide the Department of Social Services a larger and more centrally located facility from which to serve residents within the South Bay. 2. That such use will not under the circumstances of the particular case, be detrimental to the health, safety or general welfare of persons residing or working in the vicinity or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity. The site is located within a thoroughfare commercial district, and client activity areas are adequately separated from adjacent residential areas. The proposed use will result in the upgrading of the condition and appearance of the property, and will generate less average traffic than a typical retail commercial use. The parking proposed exceeds the standard ordinance requirements. Page 5, Item 17 Meeting Date 8/12/86 3. That the proposed use will comply with the regulations and conditions specified in the code for such use. Compliance with all applicable regulations and conditions will be required before the issuance of development permits for the project. 4. That the granting of this conditional use permit will not adversely affect the general plan of the City or the adopted plan of any government agency. The General Plan contemplates the establishment of public uses at appropriate locations within any zone district in the City. WPC 3011P b, the City Council of Chula Vista, California • Dated ' '