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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1985/08/27 Item 6 COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 6 Meeting Date 8/27/85 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: Conditional Use Permit PCC-85-21 ; Consideration of request to construct self-serve gas station and car wash at the southeast corner of Bonita Road and Bonita Glen Drive - Shell Oil Company a. Resolution f ,/7 er Approving construction of self-serve gas station and car wash at the southeast corner of Bonita Road and Bonita Glen Drive SUBMITTED BY: Planning Director (a (4 (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X ) REVIEWED BY: City Manager Previous Actions In January 1984, the City Council removed the subject property from the boundaries of the Bonita Glen Specific Plan. The Council directed that any action on development of the property be forwarded as an automatic appeal . On February 22, 1984, the Planning Commission, by a vote of 4 to 1 with two members absent, approved an application for a conditional use permit to establish a self-serve gas station and car wash on the site. The Design Review Committee subsequently approved the precise plan for the project on March 1 , 1984. On April 10, 1984, the City Council , by a vote of 3 to 2, approved the service station use of the property but denied the car wash component of the project. Approval of a revised plan with the service station only was made subject to review by the Design Review Committee. The present application represents a revised site plan which reduced the number of pump islands from 3 to 2; however, the car wash component has been retained. On July 18, 1985, the Design Review Committee, by a vote of 4 to 0 with one absent, approved the precise plan for the project. EIR-77-2 was previously certified in April of 1984. RECOMMENDATION: That Council endorse the Planning Commission' s decision authorizing the property to be used for a service station and car wash with the added condition that a 24 ft. wide easement (refer to access easement language on page ) is to be provided to serve Area "B" until Area "C" develops. This action would preclude the construction of a car wash at this time given the present site plan. y( ^1 / by the City Council of Chula Vista, California Dated I Page 2, Item 6 Meeting Date 8/27/85 BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: DISCUSSION: Adjacent Zoning and Land Use North C-V-P Texaco, Mex-Insur, Love' s & Ramada Inn South Bonita Glen S.P. Vacant East Bonita Glen S.P. Denny's Restaurant West C-N-P Union 76 Service Station Existing Site Characteristics The project site is a 20,000+ sq. ft. vacant parcel located at the southeast corner of Bonita Road and Bonita Glen Drive. The property is nearly rectangular and level with the rear (south) portion of the lot approximately 3 feet higher in elevation. The property lies within the 100-year flood level of the Sweetwater River flood plain. There is a private 20-foot wide easement extending parallel to the easterly property line. Proposed Use The applicant wishes to establish a self-serve gas station and automatic car wash on the subject property. There would be two pump islands covered by a Spanish tile canopy supported by slump block columns. The automatic car wash is proposed along the southerly property line. This structure would also contain the cashiers kiosk and be constructed of slump block with Spanish tile roof. The cars will enter on the east end of the car wash building and exit from the west end adjacent to Bonita Glen Drive. Access to the site will be via two driveways on Bonita Road with one exit-only driveway on Bonita Glen Drive near the southerly property line. Signs include a 7-foot high monument sign at the corner, signs on the canopy as well as price signs along each frontage. Landscaping is proposed along each frontage and along the southerly property line. As proposed, the car wash would function as an accessory use to the self-serve gas station. Patrons would get a free car wash upon a gas fill-up of a certain amount or receive the wash for a fee without purchase of gasoline. It is designed to wash one automobile at a time and is not expected to generate a significant amount of traffic. Architecturally, the car wash provides structural substance to the site which otherwise appears very open. Previous Requests Shell Oil Company has owned the subject property for approximately 16 years. A conditional use permit for a service station was granted in 1968 which was allowed to expire in 1974, after being granted four extensions. The applicant's reasons for not constructing at the time were: 1 ) I-805 had not yet been constructed; and 2) the shortage of gasoline during that time period. Shell applied for another permit (PCC-75-19) in 1975 which was denied by the Planning Commission and by the City Council upon appeal . -2- Page 3, Item 6 Meeting Date 8/27/85 In 1977, the property was made a part of the Bonita Glen Specific Plan which does not allow either service stations or car washes. In early 1983, Shell Oil Company requested an amendment to the specific plan to allow these uses within the specific plan area. The Planning Department recommended against the amendment and the request was denied by the City Council after recommendation for approval by the Planning Commission (4-3 vote). In January 1984, the subject property was deleted from the boundaries of the specific plan and the underlying C-C-P zoning became effective allowing the applicant to reapply for a conditional use permit. The present proposal differs from the one considered by the Council last year in that the number of pump islands has been reduced from three to two, and the architecture has been changed from a trellis type canopy and stucco and tile car wash building to the slump block and tile design now proposed. The driveway on Bonita Glen Road has also been changed from a two-way to an exit-only drive, and the landscape buffer along Bonita Road has been increased from 10 feet to 13 feet. Analysis 1. Bonita Glen Specific Plan One of the major reasons for the adoption of the Bonita Glen Specific Plan governing the development of the 8+ acres at the southwest quadrant of I-805 and Bonita Road was to coordinate development of multi-ownership properties with respect to site planning, architectural design, on-site circulation and access points from the adjoining streets (see attached conceptual plan). The adopted Bonita Glen Specific Plan schematically identified access points on Bonita Road and Bonita Glen Drive (refer to Exhibit #2) . The plan also specified that in order to provide adequate on-site circulation and parking that nonexclusive access agreements were to be provided for the benefit of all property owners in the area. Since the adoption of the specific plan and the exclusion of the Shell Oil property from the boundaries, the property ownership within the plan area has been reduced to two owners (refer to Exhibit #1). 2. Sub Area Proposals Area "B" owned by 805 Properties Inc. has moved ahead with the construction of Denny's Restaurant and La Quinta Motor Hotel (now under construction)(refer to Exhibits #1 and #3) . The plans show one access point on Bonita Road (existing) and one on the unnamed street (extension of Vista Drive) to the south. A raised median is planned in front of the property which will prevent any left turn movement from the site. Without direct access to Bonita Glen Drive near Bonita Road all cars must exit onto the unnamed street, then onto Bonita Glen Drive in order to travel west on Bonita Road. This, of course, is a very circuitous route to negotiate. Preliminary traffic studies indicate that the success of the development on Area "B" is to a great degree dependent on having more direct access to Bonita Glen Drive. -3- Page 4, Item 6 Meeting Date 8/27/85 The owner of Area "C" was previously contacted by the Planning Department to determine the feasibility of allowing access across the property to Bonita Glen Drive in conformance with the adopted plan. The owner of parcel "C" expressed an unwillingness to agree to the access. For this reason and the uncertainty in the timing of the development of Area "C" , the only point of direct access presently available is across the southerly portion of Shell Oil Company' s site in the area of the automatic car wash. If the City Council elects to deny the conditional use permit, the opportunity to require this access as a condition of approval of the permit will no longer be available and other means of securing direct access would have to be explored (such as condemnation) if such access is deemed to be desirable. On the other hand, if the Council upholds the decision of the Planning Commission, it is recommended that Council require the access be provided. It would be intended to have the access as a temporary measure until such time as a more desirable location for a permanent access easement can be obtained across Area "C". Such an access would remain in place until Area "C" developed. The requirement for access would read as follows: "A 24-foot wide access easement for the parcels located to the east of this site shall be provided near the southerly portion of the property subject to the Planning Director's approval . Said easement to remain in effect indefinitely unless an alternate access easement is provided across the property to the south at which time the applicant may request elimination of the easement as well as approval of the car wash as a modification to this permit. NOTE: All parties using the easement shall have equal responsibilities for maintenance thereof and a signed agreement shall be filed with the City prior to occupancy of station." (Refer to Exhibit #3. ) Site Plan Considerations As noted previously, the Design Review Committee has approved the site plan and elevations for the subject project. The revised design eliminates one of the basic concerns of inadequate on-site circulation which was an issue on the prior 3-pump island plan. The landscape buffer along Bonita Road has also been increased in response to earlier concerns regarding the treatment along this designated scenic route. Staff concurs that the site plan and elevations submitted appear to be reasonable design solutions to the on-site problems encountered with the earlier plan. Conclusion The on-site problems associated with the earlier 3-pump-island site plan have been resolved to the satisfaction of staff. Therefore, with the condition that the applicant provide a temporary access easement along the southerly boundary of the property, it is appropriate to recommend approval based on the following findings made by the Planning Commission in their resolution of February 22, 1984 (Resolution No. PCC-84-9) . -4- Page 5, Item 6 Meeting Date 8/27/85 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 gasoline needs of the surrounding area and freeway motorists will be enhanced by the additional choice of stations and the addition of the car wash will add a service to the area which is not now available. 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. Providing two additional curb cuts along Bonita Road will not be detrimental to the safety and general welfare of persons residing or working in the area based on the proposed construction of a median barrier and signal to be constructed at Bonita Road and Bonita Glen Drive. 3. That the proposed use will comply with the regulations and conditions specified in the code for such use. The use can be made to comply with all codes and conditions of approval. 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 proposed use will have no adverse effects on the General Plan. FISCAL IMPACT: Not applicable. WPC 2105P -5-