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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2.26.20 C H U L A VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION E AGENDA STATEMENT Item: 2 Meeting Date: 2/26/20 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: Consideration of Design Review (DR19- 0013) Approving a 63,702 square-foot Self-Storage Facility on a 0.975- acre lot located at 575 Anita Street. The property is zoned Limited Industrial Precise Plan (ILP) with a General Plan Designation of Limited Industrial (IL). Resolution of the City of Chula Vista Planning Commission Approving Design Review Permit DR19-0013 for a 63,702 square-foot Self-Storage Facility on a 0.975-acre lot located at 575 Anita Street. Applicant: 167 Investments. SUBMITTED BY: Oscar Romero, Associate Planner REVIEWED BY: Kelly Broughton, Director of Development Services INTRODUCTION In accordance with the Chula Vista Municipal Code (CVMC), 167 Investments (Applicant) has submitted a Design Review application for approval of the A-Storage Place Self-Storage facility at 575 Anita Street located west of the intersection of Broadway and Anita Street (the "Chula Vista Self-Storage Project" or"Project")that includes the following: • Architectural Plans • Civil Engineering Plans • Landscape Plans • A Site Plan showing the design of the Project, which includes the orientation of the building, parking lot and drive aisle locations, as well as vehicular and pedestrian circulation and access. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Project, is a three-story self-storage facility consisting of 63,702 square-feet of self-storage space, comprised of (1) three-story building with storage available at the ground floor and the Planning Commission DR19-0013 February 26,2020 Page -2- interior as well. Included within the building is an office space consisting of 804 square-feet of administrative use for leasing and management. The primary entrance is located on the south side of Anita Street. A secondary Fire Department exit/access gate is provided within the interior parking lot between parking stall 4 and 5. The site will provide a combination of fences to include wrought iron and retaining walls with a maximum height of 8-feet for wrought iron along the north of the property and retaining walls along the east side of the parcel. The northern side fronting Anita Street will provide a new wrought iron fence and continue along the east side and continue with the existing chain-link fencing along the southern end of the site. The drive-up storage areas on the first floor of the building fronting on Anita Street will be available for off-street parking access from the parking stalls to their storage unit. All other storage units will be accessed through a secured lobby, using a key code. There will be 14 parking spaces on site in accordance with the Trip Generation Analysis and Parking Demand study. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Development Services Director has reviewed the Project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the Project qualifies for a categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development) of the State CEQA Guidelines. Thus, no further environmental review is required. RECOMMENDATION That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution DR19-0013, approving the Project, based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. DISCUSSION Project Site Characteristics The Project is located at 575 Anita Street. The 0.975-acre site is located west of the intersection of Broadway and Anita Street. The parcel is a vacant lot with no existing buildings on-site. The following table identifies the General Plan, Land Use Designation and Existing Land Use for the project site and adjacent properties: General Plan,Zoning Land Use Designations and Existing Land Uses General Plan Zoning Designation Existing Land Use Proj ect Industrial Limited Industrial Vacant Site Precise Plan IP Residential-High & Commercial Commercial North Commercial Retail Thoroughfare Precise Shopping Center Plan and R-3 and Multi-family Planning Commission DR19-0013 February 26,2020 Page -3- South Limited Industrial Limited Industrial Industrial Precise Plan(IP) Building East Commercial Retail Commercial Commercial Thoroughfare CTP Shopping Center West Limited Industrial Limited Industrial Self-Storage Precise Plan PROJECT ANALYSIS Land Use Compatibility The proposal for a self-storage facility in the Limited Industrial Precise Plan (ILP) zone is permitted by right by the CVMC. The self-storage facility is an appropriate land use at the proposed location and is compatible with the surrounding development. The Project is in proximity to industrial uses and will provide a service that meets the needs of the community by providing additional capacity for self-storage. The buildings will be designed with features that complement the architecture of the surrounding area. Industrial Development Standards Required for project Proposed for project Zone: ILP Storage uses are Permitted uses in an IL zone Lot Size: 0.975 acres or 42,488 square-feet as stated in CVMC 19.44.020. Height(CVMC 19.44.070): 45-feet Building: 40-feet at maximum height(3 stories max) Setbacks (CVMC 19.44.080): Front Yard 20-feet Front Yard 20-feet Side Yard (Interior) 0-feet Side Yard (Int.) 0-feet Side Yard (Exterior) 15-feet Side Yard (Ext.) 15-feet Rear Yard 0-feet Rear Yard 0-feet Maximum Lot Coverage: 50% Lot Coverage: 50% Maximum FAR: N/A FAR: N/A Parking (CVMC 19.62.050): v *Per Parking Analysis dated August 26, 2019 by Storage Jordan Architects, Inc. 63,702 sf total self-storage area 1 space per 1,000 sq. ft. 64 Office Component: 63,700 s.f. x .22 spaces/1000 s.f.= 14 1 space per 300 sq. ft. (804 sf total) 3 63,702 sf per .14 spaces/1000 sf 9 Total parking spaces required 12 Total parking spaces provided= 14 Planning Commission DR19-0013 February 26,2020 Page -4- *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 Chula Vista Municipal Code Off-Street Parking Regulations(CVMC 19.62.050)indicates that for those uses not specifically mentioned in the Municipal Code,the approving authority may apply a ratio based on a similar existing use. Site Plan Elements The Project Site Plan provides details on parking, circulation, landscape, trash and recycling (on the north side of the parcel), as well as pedestrian access from Anita Street. Connections to the site are also illustrated on the Site Plan and show the path for vehicular movement throughout the property. The design elements are further described below. Building Siting The Project serves a need in Chula Vista and in the surrounding community and provides convenient public access and visitor parking. The Project is a positive asset for the community and incorporates a modern and streamlined design consistent with the Chula Vista Design Guidelines for industrial development. The Project enhances the character of the adjoining developments, while at the same time providing consistency with the CVMC development standards. Parking,Access and Circulation • The main elements of sound industrial site design include: controlled site access; service areas located at the sides and rear of buildings; convenient access, visitor parking and on-site circulation; screening of outdoor storage, work areas and equipment; emphasis on the main building entry and landscaping, and; landscaping and open space. • Locate structures and on-site circulation systems to minimize pedestrian/vehicle conflicts. Link structures to the public sidewalk where possible with walkways, textured paving, landscaping, and trellises. • The parking lot and vehicles should not be the dominant visual elements of the site. Large expansive paved areas located between the street and the building are to be avoided in favor of smaller multiple lots separated by landscaping and buildings. Introduce decorative paving and canopy trees to add visual interest. The City of Chula Vista Off-Street Parking Regulations do not include specific parking requirements for a self-storage use; therefore, the Applicant has submitted a Parking Analysis, prepared by Jordan Architects, Inc., demonstrating that the proposed 14 parking spaces are appropriate given parking requirements in other local jurisdictions. As part of CVMC Section 19.62.050, if the use of which is not specifically mentioned herein, or in the opinion of the approving authority is not similar to any use found herein, the approving authority may apply a ratio based on a similar existing use found herein. Additionally, three other Self-Storage projects were recently approved by the City of Chula Vista (one in the Eastlake Business Park and the other in Otay Ranch Village 3 as well as the last self-storage on Industrial Boulevard) and Planning Commission DR19-0013 February 26,2020 Page -5- applied less restrictive parking provisions than the current Project. Based on the parking assessment provided on August 26, 2019, parking spaces are exceeding the requirement expected for the proposed Project and will accommodate the parking demand. Site access and internal circulation promote safety, efficiency and convenience. The primary driveway is located on the south side of Anita Street and west of the intersection of Broadway and Anita Street. Parking is provided on the northern side of the parcel with enhanced landscaping along Anita Street and the exterior side yard of Silvas Street. Building Design • Heights and setbacks within the same building should be varied, and wall planes should be staggered both horizontally and vertically in order to create pockets of light and shadow and provide visual relief from monotonous, uninterrupted expanses of wall. Large, unrelieved expanses of wall can also encourage graffiti (CVMC 9.20.055). • There is no particular architectural "style"proposed for industrial structures. High quality, innovative and imaginative architecture is encouraged. The focus is expected to be on the development of a high-quality industrial environment. The architecture should consider compatibility with surrounding character, including harmonious building style, form, size, color, material and roofline. In developed areas, new projects should meet or exceed the standards of quality which have been set by surrounding development. As indicated above, setbacks for the buildings meet or exceed the requirements in the CVMC Development Standards. Appropriate setbacks and proper screening help protect nearby uses from noise, light intrusion, truck traffic and other objectionable influences incidental to self- storage uses. Parking fronts along Anita Street with a newly designed sidewalk and parkway with trees screening the interior parking. The office portion of the building is accessible to any member from the public, while the storage facilities are gated off and entry is granted with an access code. There is no maximum floor area ratio but there is a 50% maximum lot coverage for which the Project is meeting in accordance with the CVMC Development Standards. The lot coverage is 21,234 square-feet(50%) and the height of the building is 40-feet. There is no particular architectural style required for industrial structures. However, high quality, innovative and imaginative architecture is encouraged. The Project proposes a streamlined, modern industrial design, incorporating a combination of split face Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) block with architectural metal panel elements, such as ribbed metal panels. Colors and materials are earth toned with brown Split Face blocks and green metal panels. Wall planes are staggered to create visual relief, and the roof lines are heightened at various points throughout the building to create visual interest. All wall surfaces visible to the public are architecturally enhanced and the buildings have offsets and architectural details, consistent with the Chula Vista Design Manual. Planning Commission DR19-0013 February 26,2020 Page -6- Landscape • For industrial uses, landscaping should be used to define areas by helping to focus on entrances to buildings, parking lots, loading areas, defining the edges of various land- uses, providing transition between neighboring properties (buffering) and providing screening for parking, outdoor storage, loading, and equipment areas. The landscape design features drought tolerant shrubs and screening trees that complement the landscaping along the edges of the project site. The Landscape Plans comply with the City's Shade Tree Policy 576-19 and the City's Landscape Water Conservation Ordinance (CVMC Ch. 20.12). Landscape is used to define the entrances to the buildings and to the parking lot, and along all the edges of the site 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 hours will be Monday through Sunday from 9:00am to 6:00pm with four total employees and a maximum of 2 at any one time. Compatibility The Project is compatible with adjacent land uses and is a permitted use in the Limited Industrial Precise Plan Zone, in accordance with CVMC 19.44.020, Chula Vista General Plan and Chula Vista Design Manual. CONCLUSION The proposed Project has been prepared pursuant to the CVMC, and Chula Vista Design Guidelines. Self-storage is a permitted use in the Limited Industrial Precise Plan Zone, and the Project complies with the relevant policies and guidelines for development within the CVMC. Therefore, staff recommends the Planning Commission approve Design Review Permit, DR19- 0013, 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 18702.2(a)(7) or (8), 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. Planning Commission DR19-0013 February 26,2020 Page -7- 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 DR19-0013 3. Disclosure Statement Enclosure: Site Plan, Elevations, Landscaping Plan (Included on USB flash drive)