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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Minutes 2003/08/13 MINUTES OF THE CITY CHULA VISTA PLANNING COMMISSION Council Chambers 6:00 p.m. Public Services Building Wednesday, August 13, 2003 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista ROLL CAW MOTIONS TO EXCUSE: Present: Castaneda, Hall, Madrid, Cortes, Horn, Felber Absent: O'Neill Staff Present: Jim Sandoval, Assistant Director of Planning and Building Luis Hernandez, Deputy Planning Director John Schmitz, Principal Planner Jeff Steichen, Associate Planner Dave Hanson, Deputy City Attorney I MSC (Horn/Castaneda) (6-0-1-0) to excuse Commissioner O'Neill. Motion carried. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/SILENT PRAYER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Read into the record by Chair Castaneda ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: No public input. 1. PUBLIC HEARING: PCC 03-80; Conditional Use Permit proposal to allow a dwelling group consisting of three single-family dwelling units in the R-1-5P Zone, at 1198 Alpine Avenue. MSC (Horn/Hall) (6-0-1-0) that the Planning Commission continue this public hearing to September 10, 2003. Motion carried. 2. PUBLIC HEARING: Zoning Ordinance Amendment PCA 03-10, a proposal to amend Chapter 19.60 and various other sections of the Chula Vista Municipal Code regulating signs on private property within the City of Chula Vista. Planning Commission Minutes - 2 - August 13, 2003 Background: John Schmitz, Principal Planner reported that on July 8, 2003, the City Council adopted an urgency ordinance dealing with signs on private property. The purpose for tonight's public hearing is to replace the urgency ordinance with a regular ordinance. In Spring of 2002 staff drafted a work-program for the zoning code update and determined that the sign regulations needed immediate attention from the rest of the zoning code. The City contracted Randal Morrison, a nationally recognized expert in sign law to assist staff's analysis of issues surrounding sign regulations. Upon review of the work-program, it was decided that the update should be done in two phases. The first phase would involve clarification of the language and procedures of the current ordinance. It was also determined that Mr. Morrison would help develop a Council policy to deal with signs on public property. The second phase will evaluate the various sign standards regulating size, height, etc., and will involve conducting a citywide inventory of commercial signs. A series of public forums will be conducted in order to give the public and business community the opportunity to give their input in helping craft the standards that will be used in the future. Staff Recommendation: That the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council the adoption of the ordinance amending Chapter 19.60 and various other sections of the Chula Vista Municipal Code to regulate signs on private property. Commission Discussion: Cmr. Hall inquired how much staff time is dedicated toward sign code enforcement. Mr. Schmitz responded that with the current staffing levels, code enforcement is done on a complaint-basis only. Cmr. Hall further stated that he was overwhelmed with the volume and complexity of issues regulating signs in this City. Mr. Schmitz stated that, unlike other parts of the zoning code, when you get into signage issues, you're dealing with certain constitutional issues, therefore, things have to be laid out in a very precise fashion in order to withstand legal challenge. Cmr. Hall asked if there is anyone in the City that can be contacted by the business community to assist them in interpreting the ordinance. "--.---...,-- --~-_._-------.--- Planning Commission Minutes - 3 - August 13, 2003 Mr. Schmitz responded that currently there is no one person who is the expert on this topic, however, the Community Development Department, as part of their business and economic development program, through consultation with the Planning and Building Department, facilitate information on a wide range of issues to prospective businesses who are looking to establish themselves in Chula Vista. Mr. Sandoval added that the technical staff that assists people over the counter are trained in interpreting the Zoning Code and if further clarification is needed, an Associate Planner may be called upon to offer his assistance as well. Cmr. Felber inquired if there was any provision built into the ordinance that addressed issues surrounding holiday displays. Mr. Morrison responded that great caution needs to be taken when drafting these ordinances to avoid slipping into any kind of favoritism as to one kind of speech or one kind of speaker, therefore, rather than talking about a specific holiday season, it talks about specific dates, i.e. November 15 through January 5, which covers most of the major holiday periods. Cmr. Castaneda inquired if the ordinance addresses issues like a value threshold placed on the cost of construction for renovation projects that would require an existing sign to be brought into compliance with the code. Mr. Schmitz responded that the difference could be between whether it is a ministerial- type of approval vs. a discretionary approval. With a discretionary approval, that may be the opportunity to review all aspects of the property and see ifthings need to be brought up to current code standards. In terms of a ministerial action, he wasn't aware of a value threshold that would trigger a requirement to bring a legal non-conforming sign into compliance. Public Hearing Opened and Closed 6:15. MSC (Hall/Felber) (6-0-1-0) that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council the adoption of the ordinance amending Chapter 19.60 and various other sections of the Chula Vista Municipal Code to regulate signs on private property. Motion carried. --.....,.-..- . -----.-- Planning Commission Minutes - 4 - August 13, 2003 3. PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of applications involving two sites: 1.) a 10-acre site located west of Duncan Ranch Road, north of Proctor Valley Road within Rolling Hills Ranch Neighborhood 7, and 2.) the southern boundary between the parcel designated in the SPA as "Community Park" and the immediately adjacent CPF site within Neighborhood 8. a. GPA 03-03 amendments to the Chula Vista General Plan land Use Diagram in order to: 1.) change the existing du/ac) to low-Medium Density Residential (3-6 du/ac) in Neighborhood 7. b. PCM 03-24; amendments to the Salt Creek Ranch General Development Plan, Salt Creek Ranch Sectional Planning Area Plan and Salt Creek Ranch Planned Community District Regulations and associated documents to change portions of the existing land use designations for parcels within Neighborhood 7 and 8. Applicant: McMillin Development Company. 4. PUBLIC HEARING: PCS 03-13; Consideration of a Tentative Subdivision Map to divide approximately 10 acres into 43 single family lots. Applicant: McMillin Development Company. Background: Jeff Steichen, Associate Planner gave an overview of the proposal as presented in the staff report. The proposal consists of amending the City's General Plan Land Use Diagram and amending the Salt Creek Ranch General Development Plan and Salt Creek Ranch Planned Community District Regulations to change portions of the existing land use designations for parcels within Neighborhood 7and 8. Neighborhood 7 (Project Site 1) consists of 10 acres that were originally set aside by the Chula Vista Elementary School District as an optional future school site. The District has stated that two new elementary schools will be built within the next two years to serve the area of Eastlake, Rolling Hills Ranch and San Miguel Ranch, therefore the school site is no longer needed and the property was made available to the developer. The applicant is proposing to divide this 1Q-acre site into 43 single-family dwellings. Neighborhood 7 (Project Site 2) consists of a CPF site adjacent to the community park. The proposed amendments are for the purpose of reconfiguring the CPF site relative to the park site, which would improve vehicular access. - - ----- - - ----.-----...-----.- Planning Commission Minutes - 5 - August 13, 2003 The requested amendments include: 0 amending the General Plan to change the designation of project site 1 in neighborhood 7 from Low Density Residential to Low Medium Density Residential. This will change the existing density from 0-3 to 3-6 dwelling units per acre. 0 A request to amend the Salt Creek Ranch GDP in order to change the designation of the 1Q-acre parcel from School to Low-Medium Density Residential. 0 A proposal to amend the SPA Site Plan for Project Site 1 to change the designation from existing School to proposed Neighborhood 7C. 0 Request to change the Zoning District Map of the PC District Regulations from existing Institutional Uses to Single-Family Detached. The second part of the proposal consists of a Tentative Subdivision Map to divide a 10- acre lot into 43 single-family lots to allow for an infill project on a former elementary school site. Staff Recommendation: 1. That the Planning Commission adopt resolution recommending review and consideration to the addendum for FEIR 88-03 and FSEIR 91-03 and approve the proposed amendments to the General Plan, Salt Creek Ranch General Development Plan, Salt Creek Ranch Sectional Planning Area (SPA) Plan and Salt Creek Ranch Planned Community District Regulations. 2. That the Planning Commission adopt resolution recommending approval of the proposed Tentative Subdivision Map based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. Commission Discussion: Cmr. Felber asked for clarification on the language which mentions going from 2 to 1 elementary school sites. Susan Fahle, Assistant Superintendent for the CVESD stated that a number of potential school sites are identified, and as the neighborhood develops, a determination is made as to which of those sites will be used. In addition to the Thurgood Marshall School, which has been open for a couple of years, two new schools will be built in this area; one on the San Miguel Ranch site on Proctor Valley Road and the other in the Eastlake Woods / Vistas. The school district determined that these three school sites can adequately serve the area and exercised their option to exclude a fourth site. ___"_"_""_"_'_'~"'____'__'_~'___N__ ......- ..__._....._~._---- . . .---- --'-------.--..-.-----.. . .-.-...----..------ Planning Commission Minutes - 6 - August 13, 2003 Cmr. Felber stated that, in his opinion, CVESD has done a good job in forecasting student enrollment, however, both Otay Ranch High School and Heritage School exceeded the District's projections. He further stated that, since San Miguel Ranch and Eastlake Woods / Vistas are not yet built out, he believes it would be wise to hold on to the land a bit longer before turning it back for development of homes. Ms. Fahle stated that what happened in Otay Ranch Villages 1 & 5 is that an apartment building that had been designated for seniors-only, in the plans, became subsidized military housing, which traditionally would bring in more children than others, and were not in the original plans that the district put together. The District uses a standard description of the type of neighborhood, i.e. size and price range to develop a generation rate of students that would come from those homes. Presently, the formula calculates .35 children for every home (or 1 chi Id per every three homes). Taking into account all of the projected development in this area, approximately 1,500 students are anticipated. Currently, there are 55 open seats in the Marshal school; 200 open seats in Eastlake; 100 open seats in Sunnyside, and each of the new schools will accommodate 800 students, for a total of nearly 2,000 students these schools can serve. If the need arises, additional buildings can be added at both of the new sites. Cmr. Felber asked what the District's policy was relating to adding additional portable buildings vs. busing the students outside of the neighborhood. Ms. Fahle responded that the primary goal is to keep the children in their neighborhood, therefore, adding buildings would be the first consideration, as oppose to busing, which is not cost effective. Cmr. Castaneda asked for clarification as to the events that led to the change in the conversion of senior housing to military housing. Luis Hernandez, Deputy Director of Planning stated that the Otay Ranch site is designated Residential Multi-family. Under this designation, the master developer has the right to build a variety of multi-family products, including senior housing and military housing. The adopted regulatory documents prescribe the density and the land use, but not necessarily the residential product. Public Hearing Opened 7:05. Christine In, 672 Santa Clara Ct., Chula Vista stated that some of the current residents she's has spoken with feel that there was a lack of involvement, disclosure and misinformation during the home purchasing process. The parents didn't understand that this was a "proposed" school site when they were deciding to buy their homes and start ._._.,--_.."._,.,.._..~----------- Planning Commission Minutes - 7 - August 13, 2003 their families. Todd Galarneau, Corky McMillin Company, 2727 Hoover Avenue, National City, CA gave an overview of the project as presented earlier by staff. Cmr. Hall asked what type of outreach is done to keep the homebuyers apprised of the development progress. Dave Gatske, Corky McMillin Company, stated that during the home-buying process the homeowner is provided with volumes of information, that includes public reports that are reviewed by the State Department of Real Estate and those indicate the schools currently serving the project and do acknowledge that school district boundaries are at the discretion of the school district and subject to change. They are encouraged to call the district to provide them with other information. They also provide a community site plan showing the currently adopted plan for the community. Residents who purchased while the school district had an option on the site were shown a potential school site in Neighborhood 7C. As soon as they were notified by the school district that the site was not going to be needed, they immediately began disclosing that the site was designated for future residential. Chair Castaneda informed the public that the public hearing includes comments and information pertaining to Item #4, consideration of the Tentative Subdivision Map. Close Public Hearing 7:25. MSC (Hall/Cortes) (6-0-1-0) that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution GPA 03-03/ PCM 03-24 recommending that the City Council review and consider the addemdum for FEIR 88-03 and FSEIR 91-03 and approve the proposed amendments to the General Plan, Salt Creek Ranch General Development Plan, Salt Creek Ranch Sectional Planning Area (SPA) Plan and Salt Creek Ranch Planned Community District Regulations. Motion to include correction to, page 1.97 Section 2 of Exhibit 30 to "x out" the school designation instead of 7C. Motion carried. MSC (Hall/Madrid) (6-0-1-0) that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution PCS 03-13 recommending that the City Council approve the proposed tentative subdivision map based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained in the Council Resolution. Motion carried. "..".......__n...__~_____ __ __~.. Planning Commission Minutes - 8 - August 13, 2003 BUSINESS: Nomination of the new representative from the Planning Commission to serve on the GMOC for FY 03-04. Mr. Sandoval thanked Cmr. Cortes for his participation as the representative for the past fiscal year. He gave and overview of the expanded scope of work the GMOC will be doing as a resource to the General Plan Update for the review of facilities and infrastructure. MSC (Castaneda/Hall) (6-0-1-0) that this item be tabled to another meeting when a full Commission is present. Motion carried. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Mr. Sandoval reported that the new Code Enforcement Manager has been hired and will begin to put together a work program prioritizing the Code Enforcement Section. COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS: Cmr. Castaneda stated that as Code Enforcement moves toward being fully staffed, once their work program is established, a Planning Commission Workshop on the Code Enforcement Program would be welcomed. Cmr. Felber stated that in past meetings, uniformity vs. variety in neighborhoods has been a topic of discussion and it has been stated that diversity is what makes some of the older neighborhoods in Western Chula Vista have character and appeal. Cmr. Felber suggested that one way toward accomplishing a little more diversity in the newer communities in Eastern Chula Vista would be to allow the residents more flexibility to landscape the parkway in their front yard with their choice of landscape materials and trees instead of having the developer select the plant material and the City responsible for maintaining it. A way to ensure that the resident maintains their part of the parkway would be through the Home Owners Association enforcing the CC&R's. ADJOURNMENT at 8:00 p.m. to the Planning Commission meeting of August 27, 2003. ~~ - Diana Vargas, Secretary t~ommission ---...-- .-.-_. . .__._.._-._-~--_.~~-~---"~