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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Comm min 1999/01/137:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 13, 1999 MINUTES OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA Council Chambers Public Services Building 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista ROLL CALU MOTIONS TO EXCUSE: Present: Staff Present: Chair Willett; Commissioners Hail, Ray, Thomas, Tarantino and O'Neill Robert Leiter, Director of Planning and Building Jeff Steichen, Associate Planner Ann Moore, Assistant City Attorney Elizabeth Hull, Deputy City Attorney PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/SILENT PRAYER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Read into the record by Chair Willett ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: ACTION ITEM: Confirmation of election of new Chair and Vice Chair. MSC (O'Neill/Hall) confirming the appointment of John Willett as Chair and Bob Thomas as Vice Chair of the Planning Commission. Motion carried. PUBLIC HEARING: PCM 95-01B; Amending the Otay Ranch SPA One Public Facilities Financing Plan to expedite Olyml~ic Parkway Construction. Bob Leiter, Director of Planning & Building, stated that staff is recommending that the Planning Commission schedule a Special Meeting on February 3, 1999 and that this item be continued to that meeting. MSC (O'Neill/Hall) to continue PCM 95-01B to the February 3, 1999 Special Planning Commission meeting. Motion carried. PUBLIC HEARING: PCA 98-05; Consideration of amendment to Chapter 19.60 to add provisions for a City-wide kiosk sign program. Background: Bob Leiter gave a brief introduction stating that the City Council directed staff to work with the development community to organize a kiosk sign program directing customers to new housing projects in eastern Chula Vista. Over the last several month, staff has worked with a coalition of major developers in the City to develop a framework for the program. Plannin~ Commission Minutes - 2 - Wednesday, January 13, 1999 Jeff Steichen reported that on December 15, 1998, the City Council conceptually approved a proposed kiosk sign program, giving staff direction to proceed with the proposed amendment to the Municipal Code and further steps to initiate the establishment of a kiosk sign program. The purpose of the kiosk sign program is: To eliminate the proliferation of numerous large illegal signs To allow for construction of off-site directional kiosks signs containing specific number of panels in order to provide adequate signage to various residential communities. To provide a uniform design, aesthetically pleasing to the community, and To control the location of off-premise signage. The kiosk structure will have a maximum height of 12 ft., a maximum width of 7 ft., with a maximum of eight individual sign panels measuring approximately 6 ft. horizontally by 6 inches in height to be used to identify either the individual subdivisions or the planned communities within the City. No other type of signage, whether it be advertizing or commercial development, can take place on the kiosk sign. There will be approximately 35 locations that will be considered for placement of the signs subject to review by the Planning and Engineering Departments to ensure there are no hazards to pedestrians, traffic or visual impacts. They will primarily be located within the public right- of-way, but may also be placed within private property or open space, and there is a restriction in the ordinance which states that they must be at least 300 ft. apart. Presently, there are a few provisions in the code which allow for off-site subdivision signage, however, those that do exist are restrictive in height and area allowance, which has resulted in a proliferation of illegal signage primarily along major thoroughfares east of 1-805. No approval will be given for directional signs on any kiosk structure if the applicant has any other illegal off-site signs anywhere within the City. The ordinance includes minimal eligibility restriction on who can display signage on the kiosk structure. Users shall be limited to master planned communities and residential subdivisions exceeding 20 lots. It should be noted that any developer that chooses to utilize the proposed code provisions will not be able to ut]lize the existing provisions of the Code regarding off-site signage. The intent of the program is for the City to contract with a sign company who will then become the administrator of the program subject to overview by City staff when necessary. Staff Recommendation: That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution PCA 98-05 recommending that the City Council adopt an ordinance to amend Section 19.60.480 of the Municipal Code in order to provide the option of establishing an off-site subdivision directional kiosk sign program. Planning Commission Minutes - 3 - Wednesday, January 13, 1999 Commission Discussion: Commissioner Tarantino asked if any consideration had been given to utilizing anti- graffiti material and if graffiti removal costs had been factored into the cost of the signs. Mr. Steichen responded that the proposed sign plan contains provisions that require the structure and panels to have an anti-graffiti material applied. Chair Willett stated that one of the methods used to remove graffiti is to use pressurized water, and expressed concern with the damage that procedure could inflict on wooden signs. Commissioner Thomas asked for clarification on what happens to developers who do not wish to participate in the kiosk sign program. Jeff Steichen responded that after the program has been in place for some time, if a developer chooses not to participate in the program, it will then become an enforcement issue with the existing illegal signs. Bob Leit~r clarified that the existing provision in the code for off-site directional signage, although restrictive, is still available to a small developer, in lieu of the kiosk sign program, however, you cannot do both. Commissioner Ray stated that given that each sign has a maximum of eight panels for development names, how would other developments be accommodated and who would make that determination. Bob Leiter responded that there would probably be alternate signs every half mile with one group of developers first, then the alternate sign with another set of developers. The developer coalition agreed that for the master planned communities, the signs would only be used to identify the master planned communities, not the individual merchant builder projects within those communities. Commissioner O'Neill stated that once this program is in place, then all other illegal signs should go away, however, his concern is that the majority of illegal poster board signs go up on weekends, and having an enforcement officer during the week will not effectively address the problem that arises on weekends. Bob Leiter responded that any existing permanent illegal signs will be required to be removed immediately through our Code Enforcement Manager, and the intent would be to include wording in the sign program that clearly states that there wo~ld be repercussions in their ability to use the kiosk program, but if need be, we could have Code Enforcement Officers out on Saturdays to remove them and use the Code Enforcement Program to enforce it. Plannin~ Commission Minutes - 4 - Wednesday, January 13, 1999 Mr. Leiter further stated that with the hiring of the new Code Enforcement Officer, perhaps this would be a good topic for an update on the Code Enforcement Program for a future workshop, sometime in March or April. PUBLIC HEARING OPENED 7:45. No public input. PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED 7:45 MSC (Ray/O'Neill) (6-0-0-0) that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution PCA 98-05 recommending that the City Council adopt an ordinance to amend Section 19.60 of the Municipal Code in order to provide the option of establishing an off-site subdivision directional kiosk sign program and that developments such as Otay Ranch be designated by Village, and within the Village, by development. Motion carried. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: 1. Bob Leiter introduced Jim Sandoval, newly appointed Assistant Director of Planning. Mr. Leiter reviewed the meeting schedule, noting that the Planning Commission meeting of January 27, 1999 has been cancelled, the joint Council/Planning Commission tour will be on Saturday, January 16, and a Special Planning Commission meeting on February 3, 1999. In addition, the League of California Cities will be having a Planning Commissioners Orientation Workshop for new commissioners, and the Planners Institute is scheduled for March 24-26, 1999 in Monterrey. Current funding in the budget would cover the cost for three commissioners to attend. Due to scheduling conflicts, none of the Commissioners would be able to attend the League workshop on January 22, however, they are interested in the Planners Institute in March. COMMISSION ERS COMMENTS: Commissioner Thomas asked what type of street improvement requirements are placed on new developments. Bob Leiter responded that they are required to make improvement on the street frontage, however, if a traffic study has identified other needs, they may also be required to do off-site improvements to adjacent streets to their development. Commission Hall inquired if there were any plans to install meters on the freeway on-ramps in the Southbay. Planning Commission Minutes - 5 - Wednesday, January 13, 1999 Bob Leiter stated that this question was also posed to the City Engineer at a recent GMOC traffic presentation and he stated that currently Caltrans is not planning ramp meters on any of the freeway on-ramps in Chula Vista. They are currently doing an interchange improvement and Caltrans is not requiring that it be designed for future ramping. Commissioner Ray asked where the GMOC boundary begin and end vs. Caltrans, where stacking occurs on a freeway on-ramp, and at what point does it get counted agains traffic flow within the City. Bob Leiter responded that the standard specifically excludes freeway interchanges and this is an issue that GMOC will need to deal with as part of clarifying the threshold standards of traffic. It has not been a~ issue in the past, but it may become an issue in the near future. ADJOURNMENT at 8:00 p.m. to the Special Planning Commission meeting of February 3, 1999, at 7:00 p.m.