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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2 - Staff Report - Escaya Self Storage Item: 2___ Meeting Date:_2/13/19 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: Consideration of Design Review (DR18-0018) for a Self- Storage Facility in the Escaya Business Park within the Village 3 Master Planned Community. Resolution of the City of Chula Vista Planning Commission Approving Design Review Permit DR18-0018 for a 127,000 square-foot Self-Storage Facility on Lot 817 (3.1-Acres) in the Escaya Business Park within the Otay Ranch Village 3 Master Planned Community. Applicant: HomeFed Village III Master, LLC. SUBMITTED BY: Janice Kluth, AICP, Project Manager REVIEWED BY: Kelly Broughton, Director of Development Services INTRODUCTION In accordance with the Village 3 North and a Portion of Village 4 (Village 3) Sectional Planning Area (SPA) Plan, HomeFed Village III Master, LLC (Applicant), has submitted a Design Review application for approval of the Escaya Self-Storage facility in the Escaya Business Park located west of the intersection of Heritage Road and Avenida Escaya (the “Escaya Self Storage Project” or “Project”), that includes the following:  Architectural Plans  Civil Engineering Plans  Landscape Plans  A Site Plan showing the building, parking lot and drive aisle locations, as well as vehicular and pedestrian circulation and access PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Escaya Self-Storage Project includes 125,805 square feet of self-storage space (comprised of 942 individual storage units), 27 RV storage parking spaces and a 1,192 square foot office for leasing and management. The primary entrance is provided at a private driveway from Heritage Road into the site. Full vehicular access is provided via a signalized intersection at Heritage Road and Avenida Escaya. The site is currently being graded under Chula Vista Grading Permit GR16- 0002. Rev. 2/7/19 Planning Commission DR18-0018 February 13, 2019 Page -2- ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Development Services Director has reviewed the proposed project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the proposed project was adequately covered in previously adopted Final Environmental Impact Report, (EIR-13-01); thus, no further environmental review or documentation is required. RECOMMENDATION That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution DR18-0018, approving the Escaya Self-Storage Project, based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. DISCUSSION Project Site Characteristics The Escaya Self-Storage Project is located on Lot 817 of the Escaya Business Park. The 3.1-acre site is located west of the intersection of Heritage Road and Avenida Escaya. The parcel is relatively flat, with slopes to the north, south and west. The parcel is vacant and has been graded by the Master Developer, HomeFed Village III Master, LLC. The following table identifies the General Plan, Land Use Designation and Existing Land Use for the project site and adjacent properties: General Plan, SPA Plan Land Use Designations and Existing land uses PC District Zoning Existing Land General Plan Designation Use Industrial Industrial (I) Vacant Project Public/Quasi Public N/A County Landfill North Residential Medium, Single Family 4 (SF-4), Residential, Multi- Medium High, Mixed Multi-Family 1 South Family Use (RM-1) Industrial Industrial Vacant East Industrial Industrial Vacant West PROJECT ANALYSIS Land Use Compatibility The establishment of a self-storage facility in the Industrial (I) zone is permitted by the Village 3 Planned Community (PC) District Regulations. The self-storage facility is an appropriate land use at the proposed location and is compatible with surrounding development. The Project is located in proximity to residential uses and will provide a service which meets the needs of the community Rev 2/7/19 Planning Commission DR18-0018 February 13, 2019 Page -3- by providing additional capacity for self-storage. The building will be designed with features which complement the architecture of the surrounding development. Industrial Development Standards Required for project Proposed for project Building Height: Determined by Design Review Building Height: 45’ Setbacks Front Yard 10’ Front Yard 160’ Side Yard (Interior) 10’ Side Yard (Int.) 75’ Public Streets 10’ Public Streets 36’ Rear Yard 10’ Rear Yard 42 Maximum Lot Coverage: 70% Max. Lot Coverage: 31% Parking: Storage st 1:1,000 for 1 20,000 20 nd 1:2,000 for 2 20,000 10 1:4,000 for 40,000+ 22 Office Component: 4 Total parking spaces required* 56 Total parking spaces provided = 21 *The parking requirements noted apply to storage facilities in general and present the closest nominal standards in policy regulations to what is being proposed. However, as has been used with other self-storage facilities in the past, a provision contained within the General Provisions of the Parking Regulations (Section VIII.1 (B) of the PC District Regulations) indicates that for those uses not specifically listed in the SPA Plan, the approving authority may determine the parking requirement for the proposed use based on requirements for similar uses, and on any traffic engineering and planning data that is appropriate to establishment of a minimum requirement. (See Attachment 5) Site Plan Elements The Escaya Self-Storage Project is located on Lot 817 in the Escaya Business Park. The Project Site Plan provides detail on parking and loading (along the sides and rear of the building), circulation, landscape, trash and recycling (on the north side of the building), as well as pedestrian access from Heritage Road. Connections to and through the site are also illustrated on the Site Plan: reciprocal ingress and egress and circulation show the path for vehicular movement between adjacent properties. Rev 2/7/19 Planning Commission DR18-0018 February 13, 2019 Page -4- Building Siting The Escaya Self-Storage Project is located on Lot 817 within the Escaya Business Park. It serves a commercial need in Village 3 and in the surrounding community and provides convenient public access and visitor parking. Service areas are located at the sides and rear of the building, these areas are screened with slopes, walls and landscape. Parking, Access and Circulation The Village 3 PC District Regulations do not include specific parking requirements for a self- storage use; therefore, the Applicant has prepared a Parking Analysis demonstrating that the proposed 21 parking spaces are appropriate given parking requirements in other local jurisdictions and the Smart Self-Storage project recently approved by the City of Chula Vista in the Eastlake Business Park. Six loading parking spaces are provided in addition to the 21 parking spaces described above. See attached Parking Analysis, dated December 3, 2018. Site access and internal circulation promote safety, efficiency and convenience. Conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians have been minimized by locating the pedestrian access and building entry close to the public sidewalk. Driveways and access points are shared with other Industrial Park tenants, and the primary driveway is aligned with the signalized intersection at Avenida Escaya. Parking is provided on the east side of the building and is screened from Heritage Road with a landscaped slope. Building Design As indicated above, setbacks for the buildings meet or exceed the requirements in the Village 3 SPA PC District Regulations. Appropriate setbacks and proper screening help protect nearby residential and commercial uses from noise, light intrusion, truck traffic and other objectionable influences incidental to self-storage uses. The maximum lot coverage in accordance with the Village 3 SPA PC District Regulations is capped at 70% but Building Height and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) are determined by the Project’s Design Review. In this case, the building height is 3 stories and the FAR is 0.93. The Site Plan shows a building footprint that provides sufficient open space around the structure to protect it from hazards and to minimize the impact of its operations on nearby residential or commercial uses. The Escaya Self-Storage Project has a modern agrarian architectural style. Colors and materials are consistent with and complement the nearby Escaya Mixed-Use project, as well as Escaya’s residential architectural styles. Finishes include a variety of stucco colors, siding and colored split face block. Architectural accents include decorative metal louvers, canopies and pilasters. Metal exterior roll-up doors are also planned at the individual self-storage units. Glazing and tower elements are also utilized to break up the building massing. All wall surfaces visible to the public are architecturally enhanced and the building has offsets and architectural details, consistent with the Village 3 Business Park Design Guidelines. Rev 2/7/19 Planning Commission DR18-0018 February 13, 2019 Page -5- Landscape The contemporary agrarian landscape theme implemented throughout the Village of Escaya is also implemented in the Escaya Self-Storage Project. The landscape design features drought tolerant shrubs and screening trees that complement the landscaping on the surrounding slopes, Heritage Road and in the residential neighborhoods. The landscape plans comply with the City’s Shade Tree Policy 576-19 and the City’s Landscape Water Conservation Ordinance (CVMC 201.12). Landscape is used to define the entrance to the building and to the parking lot, to blend the Project into its surroundings and soften the built environment, as well as to screen incompatible or unattractive uses. Project Operation Details Access to the self-storage units will be 7 days per week from 6:00am to 10:00pm. Office hours will be Monday to Friday, from 9:30am to 6:00pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 5:30pm. The following Project Data Table shows the development regulations along with the Applicant’s proposal to meet the requirements: Assessor Parcel Number: 644-061-0400 Current Zoning: Industrial General Plan Designation: Industrial Lot Area: 3.1 acres Compatibility The Project is compatible with adjacent land uses and is a permitted use in the Village 3 Industrial Zone, in accordance with the Village 3 PC District Regulations. The site is designed with buffers for the nearby residential uses, including a setback from Heritage Road of 36’, a slope up to the building site, and landscape screening. CONCLUSION The proposed Escaya Self-Storage Project has been prepared pursuant to the Village 3 SPA Plan PC District Regulations and Business Park Design Guidelines. Self-storage is a permitted use in the Village 3 Industrial Zone, and the Project complies with the relevant policies and guidelines for development within the Village 3 Business Park. Therefore, staff recommends the Planning Commission approve Design Review Permit, DR18-0018, subject to the conditions listed in the attached Resolution. DECISION-MAKER CONFLICTS Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the Planning Commission members and has found no property holdings within 500 feet of the boundaries of the property which is the subject of this action. Consequently, this item does not present a disqualifying real property-related financial Rev 2/7/19 Planning Commission DR18-0018 February 13, 2019 Page -6- conflict of interest under California Code of Regulations Title 2, section 18702.2(a)(11), for purposes of the Political Reform Act (Cal. Gov’t Code §87100, et seq.). FISCAL IMPACT All application fees and processing costs are borne by the Applicant, resulting in no net fiscal impact to the General Fund or the Development Services Fund. Attachments 1. Locator Map 2. Planning Commission Resolution DR18-0018 3. Escaya Self-Storage Site Plan 4. Escaya Self-Storage Elevation 5. Parking Analysis 6. Materials Board Enclosure: Vicinity, landscaping map, elevations, materials board (on USB flash drive) Rev 2/7/19