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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2 - DR19-0003 Staff Report C H U L A VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA STATEMENT Item: 2 Meeting Date: 8/28/19 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: DR19-0003; Design Review consideration of a single-story building totaling 43,500 square-feet, consisting of commercial/industrial lease space with associated parking on approximately 2.79-acres located at 1167 th Street(north portion of parcel), Lot 6 of the Otay River Business Park Specific Plan(ORBPSP) Applicant: Otay River Business Park Development, LLC. Resolution of the City of Chula Vista Planning Commission approving a Design Review Permit, DR19-0003 to construct a 43,500 square-foot one- story commercial/industrial building on a 2.79-acre site identified as Lot 6 within the Otay River Business Park. SUBMITTED BY: Jeff Steichen, Associate Planner REVIEWED BY: Kelly Broughton,Director of Development Services INTRODUCTION On February 12, 2019, the Applicant submitted a Design Review application for approval of the above-referenced project. The site is currently vacant(see Locator Map, Attachment 1). 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 the previous Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program IS15-0005/MPA15-0022, adopted by the Chula Vista City Council on March 6, 2018, and therefore, no further environmental review is required. RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution DR19-0003 approving the project, based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. Planning Commission August 28,2019 Page No. 2 DISCUSSION: Project Site Characteristics: The 2.79-acre project site is located in the western portion of Chula Vista. Currently, the site is vacant. The site is surrounded by vacant parcels to the north, south, east and west, within the Otay River Business Park Specific Plan (Attachment 1, Locator Map). Summary of Surrounding Land Uses General Plan Zoning Current Land Use Site: Limited Industrial PA-2 Vacant South: Limited Industrial PA-3 Vacant North: Limited Industrial PA-1 Vacant East: Limited Industrial PA-2 Vacant West: Limited Industrial PA-3 Vacant Project Description The proposal includes a single-story building totaling 43,500 square-feet in floor area, and includes commercial/industrial suites with bays and roll-up doors located in the rear of the building. Compliance with Development Standards The following Project Data Table shows the development regulations along with the Applicant's proposal to meet said requirements: Assessor's Parcel Number: 629-030-05 Current Zoning: PA-2 Transitional Area General Plan Designation: IL Lot Area: 2.79-acres PARKING REQUIRED: PARKING PROPOSED: Parking spaces, broken down as follows: Aggregate Parking: 1 per 300 square-feet for office x 20,000 square feet Regular Spaces = 90 spaces Accessible Spaces = 6 (including 1 van space) 1 per 800 square-feet for manufacturing x 15, 000 square feet 1 space per 1,000 square feet for warehouse x 8,500 square feet Total Required= 94 spaces Total Provided= 96 parking spaces Planning Commission August 28,2019 Page No. 3 SETBACKS/HEIGHT REQUIRED: SETBACKS/HEIGHT PROPOSED: 7th Avenue: 10 feet building/parking 80 feet building/10 feet parking Faivre Street: 10 feet building/parking 65 feet building/10 feet parking Interior Side: 5 feet building 35 feet minimum Rear: 5 feet building/parking 85 feet building/40 feet parking Height: 45 feet maximum 36 feet ANALYSIS: Compliance with Chula Vista Municipal Code and Otay River Business Park Specific Plan Design Guidelines The City Council adopted the Otay River Business Park Specific Plan ("ORBPSP" or "Specific Plan") to implement the General Plan's vision for the development of a high quality industrial business park that will enhance the opportunities for quality, contemporary business uses and ancillary support commercial services, complementary to its surroundings. The Specific Plan establishes the land use, intensity, development regulations, design standards, and primary infrastructure components that will support the future development of the project. The proposed project was reviewed and evaluated based on the General Plan objectives and policies and the ORBPSP's regulations, development standards, and design guidelines contained in the PA-2 Transitional Area Zone. Following is an analysis of the project based on the applicable policies and standards of the ORBPSP. Site Planning and Building Placement/Orientation Architectural Character The Otay River Business Park Specific Plan Design Guidelines do not have a defined architectural style. Therefore, the focus of the architectural character within the ORBPSP should be on creating a high-quality development, in which design styles within the Specific Plan are coordinated to create a unifying and harmonious overall development. The coordinating elements could include building form, color, material,rooflines, and landscaping. The requested Design Review Approval for development of future Lot 6 represents the first such approval within the overall 56 acre specific plan area. The Applicant is proposing a modern design within the ORBPSP. The building will be neutral in color but provide a high contrast in the finishes selected for aesthetics. The Otay River Business Park Specific Plan & Chula Vista Design Guidelines (in italic font below)provide that: Buil&igMassing and Scale "Heights and wall planes should be staggered to create shadows that break up large expanses of the fa(ade. " "Use varied roof forms, mass, shape, or materials to create variations in building facades." Planning Commission August 28,2019 Page No. 4 "Provide a sense of pedestrian scale at the ground level of buildings of Planning Area I and PlanningArea 2 alongMain Street and Fourth Avenue through the use of building materials, and architectural details" Variations in roof heights and forms will provide interest in character and various shadows. Wall planes have been staggered to help draw attention to entries and architectural features. Each building entry was designed to be an inviting space with low overhangs and colorful features for visual cues. As a component of the modern design colorful `pop outs' with concrete reveals help emphasize entry areas as well. The building's design and landscape have been carefully coordinated to provide a cohesive design and provide a sense of pedestrian scale at the ground level of the buildings. Exterior Materials and Finishes "Use building materials that are high quality, durable, require low maintenance and complement the building design." All materials used will be high quality, durable and require low maintenance. The building will be painted concrete, tilt-up. The building finish will withstand all weather conditions and be low maintenance. Metal awnings are also durable and low maintenance. Exterior Lightit! Z "Exterior lighting shall be provided to illuminate outdoor areas including parking areas, loading areas,pedestrian pathways and building entrances. " "All fixture illumination shall be directed downwards to minimize the spread of the beam, and all lighting standards should be hooded and designed to prevent light spillage." Exterior lighting will be provided around the building and throughout the site to illuminate the parking areas, loading area and pedestrian areas. These will all be directed downward and be consistent with the lighting policies of the City. Parking Lot Screening "All parking shall be provided onsite within the lots of the Specific Plan with no street parking on existing or new public streets. " "Parking areas shall be screened with a landscape berm, wall, or a solid plant material such as a hedge. " Parking areas will be screened by heavy landscaping consisting of a combination of hedges and trees. In order to screen much of the loading/truck dock areas from the south end, screen walls Planning Commission August 28,2019 Page No. 5 with lush landscape have been added. All parking will be provided on-site with no street parking on public streets. Numerous shrubs and trees are strategically located to soften the screen walls and continue the look of the nearby trails. Circulation and Site Access "Site design for buildings/uses requiring large semi-truck access shall provide adequate circulation for truck turning and maneuvering throughout the lot, such that any large truck may enter and exit from the public street, and circulate around any structure needing truck access on any parcel without backing up. Shared joint access routes between parcels and buildings may be used to provide for such circulation, and any such joint access shall be maintained in perpetuity through an agreement between parcel owners." The site design provides adequate circulation for large semi-truck access for truck turning and maneuvering throughout the lots. Any large truck may enter and exit from the public streets and circulate around any structure without requiring backing up. Joint access routes between the rear of both Lots 6 (project site) and Lot 7 (adjacent site) are used to provide for such circulation. A joint access agreement will be maintained in perpetuity through an agreement between parcel owners. "Landscaping should create a focus on entrances to parking lots and entrances to buildings to improve wayfinding for visitors, but be designed to eliminate spaces hidden from public view that could create criminal activity." Landscape creates a focus on site entrances and to the parking lots and entrances of the buildings. Trees and shrubs species minimize spaces hidden from public view that could otherwise be spaces for potential criminal activity. In order to screen much of the loading/truck dock areas from the south end, screen walls with lush landscape have been added.Numerous shrubs and trees are provided to soften the screen walls and continue the natural appearance of the nearby trails. All roof mounted equipment will be screened by a parapet or a decorative screen to match the rest of the building. No roof mounted equipment will be visible from the site, street or nearby properties. As indicated in the Development Standards table on Page 3 above, the project complies with all development standards and regulations of the Specific Plan. The building has a maximum height of 36 feet,which is less than the 45 feet maximum permitted by the ORBPSP. The building design orients patios and balconies towards the street to provide for an urban environment. Landscaping has been placed along the perimeter of the site and also around the parking lot area. According to the Otay River Business Park Specific Plan Design Guidelines, enhanced elevations should include varying building elements, roof pitches, and setbacks to avoid monotony. The project's elevations are enhanced. Planning Commission August 28,2019 Page No. 6 Parking The ORBPSP requires the commercial/industrial project to provide: 1 space for every 200 square- feet of office; 1 space for every 800 square-feet of manufacturing use and 1 space for every 1,000 square-feet of warehouse use. Because this is a shell building, the applicant has provided parking based upon an anticipated breakdown of uses consisting of 45% office use; 35% manufacturing use and 20%being warehouse use. Based upon this breakdown, a total of 94 parking spaces would be required. A total of 96 spaces will be provided on-site. CONCLUSION The proposed commercial/industrial project with a single-story building totaling 43,500 square- feet consists of a combination of office, manufacturing and warehouse use,which are all permitted land uses in the PA-2 Zone. The proposal complies with the policies, guidelines and design standards for the ORBPSP and Chula Vista Municipal Code (CVMC) Title 19. Therefore, staff recommends the Planning Commission approve Design Review Permit, DR19-0003 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 1,000 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 conflict of interest under California Code of Regulations Title 2, section 18705.2(a)(11), for purposes of the Political Reform Act(Cal. Gov't Code §87100, et seq.). Staff is not independently aware, and has not been informed by any Planning Commission member, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision maker conflict of interest in this matter. FISCAL IMPACT The 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 DR 3. Disclosure Statement 4. Project Plans (on flash drive) J:\Planning\StanD\JeffProjects\DR\PC report for proposed development of Lot 6 within the Otay River Business Park(1).docx