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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-01-26 PC MINS MINUTES OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 26,2005 Council Chambers Public Services Building 275 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista ROLL CALLI MOTIONS TO EXCUSE: Present: Absent: O'Neill, Cortes, Felber, Hom Madrid, Hall Staff Present: Nancy Lytle, Assistant Planning Director Luis Hernandez, Development Planning Manager Michael Walker, Associate Planner Harold Phelps, Associate Planner Ann Pease, Associate Planner Dave Hanson, Deputy City Attorney II MSC (Cortes/Felber) (4-0-2-0) to excuse the Commissioners who are absent. Motion carried. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/SILENT PRAYER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Read into the record by Chair Cortes ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: No public input. 1. PUBLIC HEARING: PCM 04-16; Consideration of an amendmentto the Eastlake Business Center II SPA as follows: 1) to add a section to the PC District Regulations clarifying the allowable land uses for businesses located within a newly proposed 36 acre Design District Overlay located within the Eastlake Business Center; 2) amend the Business Center II Design Guidelines to add a new section for sign guidelines applicable only to projects located within the newly created Design District Overlay. The project area is located at the intersection of Otay Lakes Road and Fenton Avenue. Applicant: The Eastlake Company LLC. Planning Commission Minutes - 2 - January 26, 2005 Staff recommends that the public hearing be opened and continued to February 9, 2005. MSC (Cortes/Horn) that public hearing be opened and continued to February 9, 2005. Motion carried. 2. PUBLIC HEARING: PCC 04-04; Consideration of a Conditional Use Permit for the development of the Mater Dei Parish Church and private high school in the Village of Santa Venetia (Village Six), northeast corner of Magdalena Avenue and Birch Road. Background: Harold Phelps reported that the Catholic Diocese of San Diego is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit for the Mater Dei Parish Church and private high school located on a vacant 51 acre area located in the southeastern portion of Village Six of the Otay Ranch Planned Community. The Village Six SPA Plan designates the site as Community Purpose Facility. The proposed project includes development of a church sanctuary to accommodate 1,800 seats, a church administration office building and pastoral center. The private high school includes school buildings to accommodate total build out of approximately 2,200 students, 150 faculty, and 50 staff personnel. The school buildings consist of classrooms, administrative offices, library, fine arts and theater, student services, chapel and gymnasium. Outside areas include a stadium, sports field, swimming pool, basketball courts, batting cage and tennis courts. Funding for the project is nearly completed, however, there is the possibility that the project may be developed in phases. At minimum, Phase I will occur immediately in order to allow the parish to conduct weekday masses on the site in a temporary commercial coach. The parish currently holds weekend masses at the Otay Ranch High School. Phase II would move the weekend masses on to the site with the construction of the gymnasium, as well as allow Marian Catholic High School students to use the gym for athletic activities on the weekdays. Phase III buildings and athletic facilities would allows for the official opening of the high school to students for education purposes and the gym would continue to be used for weekend masses. Phase IV buildings would constitute full build-out, with the sanctuary and the pastoral center would be completed for the church complex. The library, fine arts and theater Planning Commission Minutes - 3 - January 26, 2005 building, pool complex and tennis courts would complete the private high school. The Village Six SPA Plan states that California Heritage architecture should be reflected throughout the Village. The Design Review Committee requested that the modern architecture design incorporate building materials and colors representative of the California Heritage theme. Staff Recommendation: That the Planning Commission adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve Resolution PCC 04-04 including the required findings for approval and subject to the conditions contained therein. Public Hearing Opened. Joel King, Catholic Diocese of San Diego stated that they devised a phasing schedule based on their forecasted fundraising. Recently, however, they were fortunate to receive a major gift, which comprises approximately 75% of the cost of construction, therefore, the construction phasing will be accelerated and most likely the initial construction will incorporate phases I thru III. Mr. King further stated that their plans are to be open in the Fall of 2007 and the projected enrollment at that time will be approximately 1,000 students, most of whom are coming from Marian High School in Imperial Beach. Cmr. Horn inquired how large the congregation would be. Dan Archer, representing Father Van and the parish stated that presently there are 807 registered families in the parish. Cmr. O'Neill inquired if the administrative building included a rectory orwould the priest live off campus. Mr. Archer responded that a home next to the site has been purchased for the priest. The church administrative building will consist of offices and meeting space. Dr. Estelle Castlebaum stated she was Principal for Marian High School the last nine years and recently became the President of Mater Dei and Marian Catholic High School. Dr. Castlebaum stated that they are very excited and anticipating the move into this state-of-the-art school that will be a champion for excellence in education and sports. Dr. Castlebaum thanked the Commission for their support of the project. Public Hearing Closed. MSC (O'Neill/Felber) (4-0-2-0) that the Planning Commission adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve Resolution PCC 04-04 including the required Planning Commission Minutes - 4 - January 26, 2005 findings for approval and subject to the conditions contained therein. Motion carried. 3. ACTION ITEM: Discussion of Check Cashing Establishments As background, Chair Cortes stated he requested this item be docketed on the agenda for discussion with a possible recommendation to the City Council. Chair Cortes stated he is a member of the San Diego City/County Reinvestment Task Force, which monitors financial institutions as it relates to the Community Reinvestment Act. Chair Cortes stated that he is concerned with an over-proliferation of check cashing/payday lending establishments that are allowed by right through a ministerial process and is proposing that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council consider establishing a moratorium on these businesses. Jim Bliesner, Director of the San Diego City-County Reinvestment Task Force stated that the task force was established as a joint City and County quasi-public entity to monitor banking practices, develop strategies for reinvestment in partnership with public and private lending institutions, and identify strategies to discourage predatory lending. Mr. Bliesner stated that there is a direct correlation between disinvestment, which is the deliberate withholding of mainstream credit, based on demographics, and asset stripping, which is charging excessive prices for alternative products or services created to fill the gap caused by disinvestments. If there is disinvestments on a large scale, what happens in low income neighborhoods, is that that void is filled with businesses that extract excessive profits for the services that they provide to low income communities, i.e. check cashing stores, EBT/Liquor Stores, insurance companies and predatory home loans. Economic Impacts - Payday lenders have been shown to be an economic disincentive to revitalization in low income communities. It depletes personal assets of residents due to excessive fees and restricted access to alternatives. Additionally, the proliferation of check cashing/payday lending outlets reduces opportunity for other job- producing businesses to locate in those areas. There is also some evidence of increased crime, excessive litter and signage at the periphery of lending outlets. Mr. Bliesner concluded by saying that there are two models that the task force has been looking at; one is the National City model, which places a temporary moratorium on the expansion of check cashing outlets in redevelopment areas. The second model is Oakland, California, which requires that all check cashing outlets receive a Conditional Use Permit and the project is conditioned to require among other things: a light plan, graffiti removal within 72 hours, transparent windows with 30% Planning Commission Minutes - 5 - January 26, 2005 signage allowed, litter removed twice a day, one uniformed security guard, and more than 100 feet from banks, schools, or civic association. Cmr. O'Neill stated that he's not a big fan of these establishments, and clearly there is a market-driven demand for them, however, from a philosophical standpoint, he is not in favor of government stepping in to solve society's ills by protecting people from things that we deem they need protection from, to compel personal financial responsibility, or prohibit them from availing themselves of a service that is legal. Cmr. O'Neill further stated that he does support a measure such as Oakland's and would favor requiring a CUP and hold them to as high a standard as possible by conditioning the project. James Marcelino, 511 G Street, Chula Vista 91910 with Chula Vista Community Collaborative stated he works as the Child and Youth Policy Advocate, whose primary scope of work deals with drug and alcohol prevention, but also includes health and safety of the community. Mr. Marcelino further stated that there is a nexus between these establishments and drug and alcohol abuse, therefore, he urged the Commission to consider these proposals and move it forward with a recommendation to the City Council. Joni Helpern, 2717 University Avenue, San Diego, CA , Director of Supportive Parents Information Network representing 2,350 low income families who are trying to move from low income status to self-sufficiency. Ms. Helper stated she is disheartened to hear that the pervasive thought that the reason why people use these establishments is because they have bad habits. She further stated that income volatility studies show that there is a substantial possibility of people remaining in poverty despite their best efforts. Ms. Helpern wished to conclude by stating that they are in support of the Commission's recommendation to the City Council to establish a moratorium, however, they understand that the reason why people are in liquor stores, pawn shops and check cashing/payday lenders, paying an incredibly high interest and fees is because the conventional banking institutions will not serve them. Don Davis,5348 University Avenue, San Diego, CA, Caring Council stated he did not oppose a moratorium, however, the issue is much more serious with not understanding the causes of poverty in our nation and region. He encouraged the Commission to take the time to study the issue. Mr. Davis concluded by restating that people living in poverty is not always a result of bad choices or addictive behaviors; bad things do happen to good people who are living paycheck to paycheck, and through an unfortunate or unforeseeable circumstance find themselves loosing everything and are then caught up in a cycle of displacement from mainstream society and unavailable to conventional banking institutions. Planning Commission Minutes - 6 - January 26, 2005 MSC (Cortes/O'Neill) (4-0-2-0) that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council that they consider instituting an immediate moratorium on check cashing/payday lending businesses and have them study the feasibility of having a Conditional Use Permit for any future applications. Motion carried. COMMISSION BUSINESS: . Cmr. O'Neill stated that John Moot's letter that was sent to the Planning Commission regarding the Espanada project has incorrect statements and he plans to respond to the letter addressing the inaccuracies and restating a chronology of the facts. . Cmr. O'Neill informed the Commission that recently, as a result of a lack of clear and concise directive to staff with recommendations from the Planning Commission to the City Council, another project was adversely impacted and the Commission's intended directive was not addressed and relayed to Council. The projects that were reviewed and recommended for approval were The Crossings commercial center and the car dealership along Otay Valley Road. Both projects had a nexus to the Regional Park as it relates to the location of a trail easement. Cmr. O'Neill restated the importance of clarity when they are stating their motions. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: ADJOURNMENT at 7:15 p.m. '~-e~_,/\.Y6;-t~ Diana Vargas, Secretary to Planning Commission