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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Comm min 1976/02/09 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA February 9, 1976 A regular meeting of the City Planning Commission of Chula Vista, California was held on the above date beginning at 7:00 p.m. with the following members present: Chandler, Rudolph, Floto, Starr, Pressutti, Smith, and Johnson. Also present: Director of Planning Peterson, Current Planning Supervisor Lee, Assistant Director of Public Works Lippitt, Assistant City Attorney Beam, and Secretary Mapes. The pledge of allegiance to the flag was led by Chairman Chandler, followed by a moment of silent prayer. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MSUC (Pressutti-Johnson) The minutes of January 26, 1976 be approved as written. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS The Chairman called for oral communications and none were presented. 1. Consideration of request for one year extension on variance Resolution PCV~75~2 and tentative parcel m~P No~ 4~75 - Frank Vurna. Director of Planning Peterson reported that this variance was granted about a year ago and a parcel map was subsequently approved to allow creation of two lots without street frontage. This has not been accomplished and there has been no change in surrounding conditions. It is therefore recommended that a one year extension for the variance and parcel map be approved. MSUC (Rudolph-Starr) Variance Resolution PCV-75-2 and tentative parcel map NO. 4-75 be extended for one year to expire on March 20, 1977. 2. Consideration of request for extension of time on variance Resolution PCV,75~l~ First Avenue Extension ~ charle§ Ballow Director of Planning Peterson advised that in this case there has been no change in conditions since the variance was approved a year ago and recommended approval of the request for a one year extension of time. MSC (Pressutti-Rudolph) Variance Resolution PCV-75-1 be extended for one year, to expire on January 22, 1977. The motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Commissioners Pressutti, Rudolph, Starr, Floto, Chandler and Johnson NOES: Commissioner Smith ABSENT: None Commissioner Smith indicated he had opposed the variance when it was originally granted. - -2~ - February 9, 19~6 3. Consideration of request for vacation of a portion of To,an Lane - . josephBU$ch- Current Planning Supervisor Lee reported that this request for street vacation is occasioned by development plans for two lots created as a result of a variance approved last year. The street right of way width of 80 feet is a carry-over of the old alignment of E Street. This request is for vacation of the portions of Toyon Lane not needed for public purposes and would leave the standard 51 ft. width for a residential street. The applicant, under terms of an approved tentative parcel map, will be required to construct 26 1/2 feet of pavement, curb, gutter and sidewalk from E Street to the end of his street frontage. Mr. Lee indicated on the plat the additional portions of right of way recommended for vacation to improve the intersection with E Street and round the end of the cul de sac street. Approval of the vacation is recommended subject to the retention of easements as required by the utility companies. On questions from the Commission, Assistant Director of Public Works Lippitt advised that the street improvements required in connection with development of the lots would result in two travel lanes with a parking lane on the north side. Toyon Lane presently has 18 ft. width of pavement. MSUC (Rudolph-Floto) The Commission recommends to the City Council the vacation of portions of Toyon Lane as shown on the exhibit, subject to the retention of easements as required by the utility companies. 4. PUBLIC HF~ARING: Variance PCV-76-2 - Request to increase fence height from 3 1/2 ft, to 6 ft. in front-~etbaCk~ 1422 HilltOP Drive'~ Jlen Inc;~ Joseph La~rs constr~c~ian. ' ~ The Chairman noted that a written request for withdrawal of this application was received from the applicant on January 30th. MSUC (Floto-Starr) Variance application PCV-76-2 is filed without action. 5. PUBLIC HEARING: Cond!tional Use Permit PCC-76-1 - Request to.expand auto repair fac!~t~ at ~0 ]Br~adW~ih C T zone Ma~ce Dalaimo Director of Planning Peterson reported that this is a request to expand an existing auto repair garage into an 850 sq. ft. addition now under construction at the rear of the main building. He indicated this expansion is acceptable but expressed concern over the appearance of the site and called attention to the conditions for approval regarding parking, increased zoning wall, and hours of operation in the building addition. He advised that condition 3 should be corrected to indicate the requirement of a 10' wide landscape strip at the front of the property adjacent to Broadway. This being the time and place as advertised, the public hearing was opened. Maurice Dalaimo, 4091 Bonita View Drive, Bonita, the applicant, questioned the required hei~htof the zoning wall, pointing out that the masonry wall just constructed is 6 feet from ground level on the residential side. Due to fill placed on the garage property, the fence is 3 feet high from that side. -3- ~- February 9, 1976 Mr. Peterson expressed awareness of this condition and affirmed the recommendation that the fence height be increased to 6 ft. above the grade of the subject property. Ralph Davis, resident on Riverlawn directly behind this property, indicated he had no objection to the added construction but urged that the fence height be increased to afford them more privacy and prevent people from going over the wall. Sharon Davis, 851 Riverlawn, expressed concern over the noise from this type of activity and the hope that something could be done to eliminate any extra noise from the addition which would be located closer to their property line. Mr. Dalaimo asked if the added fence height must be cinder block, or if decorative wood fencing would be permitted. Mr. Peterson advised that masonry construction is required for a zoning wall as it provides better noise attenuation and does not require the maintenance as a wood fence. As no one else wished to speak, the public hearing was closed. MSUC (Starr-Smith) The Commission finds that this project would not have any significant impact on the environment and certifies the Negative Declaration. MSUC (Starr-Smith) Based on the findings set forth in the staff report, conditional use permit PCC-76-1 is approved, subject to the conditions contained in the report with the exception that condition 3 is revised to indicate the requirement of a 10 ft. wide landscape strip at the front of the property. 6. PUBLIC HEARING: Conditional Use Permit PCC-76-2 - Request to operate borrow pit on the ~b~th side Of Tele~ra~Oh Can~on Road betweeh 1,805 and Elks Lodge ~ Saratoga De, el6 mentp compan~ Current Planning Supervisor Lee noted the location of a 17 acre parcel on the south side of Telegraph Canyon Road which was rezoned to R-3-G-P and a precise plan approved for 179 apartment units on the site. The applicant is now requesting approval for the excavation of approximately 1/4 million cubic yards of dirt during the next 12 months. The grading plan, as submitted, substantially conforms to the precise plan with two exceptions. At the west end of the site, Cal Trans has requested the construction of a 20 to 25 ft. high berm to attenuate the noise from the freeway. Construction of that berm may result in the loss of 10 units from the development plan. The City Engineering Division has revised the alignment of Telegraph Canyon Road, east of Oleander, 6 to 8 feet south into the applicant's property. While this would not affect the operation of the borrow area, it is recommended that the applicant meet with the Engineering Division to determine the effect on the final development plans. Due to the poor condition of the existing slope it is hoped that excavation will improve the appearance of this area. It is recommended that permanent landscaping and irrigation be installed on all slope banks as the grading is completed, since temporary landscaping has been unsatisfactory at Other sites. -4- ~' February 9, 1976 Mr. Lee noted that environmental impact report EIR-73-9 covered the impact of this grading and the Commission should certify that the information in that report has been considered. He also recommended that the application be approved subject to the five conditions enumerated in the staff report. Commissioner Smith commented on the traffic problems resulting from the north- bound offramp of the freeway and Halecrest Drive. He felt this should be resolved prior to development of the subject property. Assistant Director of Public Works Lippitt advised that their department has discussed with the State the possibility of signalizing the intersection and of realigning the end of the offramp. The State has not completed their study on this problem but have given indications that a signal probably is Justified. If the signal is Justified within 5 years after construction of the freeway, the State will pay for it. Mr. Lippitt also reported that this year's Capital Improvements Program includes the installation of a weaving lane in Telegraph Canyon Road in the vicinity of the freeway to help alleviate the extreme congestion that occurs in that area every morning. This will be installed in the coming fiscal year. This being the time and place as advertised, the public hearing was opened. Bill Morehouse, 8835 Balboa Avenue, representing Saratoga Development Corporation, reported that they have no objection to the conditions proposed for approval of this conditional use permit, nor would they object to the possible realignment of the freeway ramp, although this would require alteration to their grading plans. With regard to the length of time of this borrow operation, Mr. Morehouse advised that they wish approval to extend the operation over one year but that does not mean grading would take place every day in the year; it would be spasmodic for a few weeks at a time. As no one else wished to speak, the public hearing was closed. MSUC (Rudolph-Smith) The Commission certifies that the information contained in EIR-73-9 has been considered and finds that it has been prepared in accord- ance with CEQA, the California Administrative Code, and the Environmental Review Policy of the City of Chula Vista. MSUC (Rudolph-Smith) Based on findings as stated in the staff report, the application for PCC-76-2 to operate a borrow area on 16.7 acres on the south side of Telegraph Canyon Road is approved subject to the conditions set forth in the staff report for this meeting. 7. Referral by Zoning Administrator of request for si~n approval, 99 North FOurth Avenue - South Ba~ Movlin~ C~nter Mr. Lee reported that the Commission has previously approved a conditional use permit for the operation of a U-Haul truck and trailer rental service at 99 North Fourth Avenue. Under that permit proposed signing for the facility was submitted for staff approval. The Zoning Administrator approved a freestanding pole sign - -5- -' February 9, 1976 and a wall sign to be placed at the top of the building, reading "South Bay Moving Center." Approval was not given for a proposed additional sign to be placed at a 45 Degree angle on the sides of the building. Mr. Lee referred to illustrations of two different proposals submitted by the applicant, noting that in both cases the copy was in excess of the Zoning Ordinance sign design criteria which recom- mends a maximum 50% for background area. In staff's opinion this resulted in lettering too small and too close together to be read at a glance by the passing motorist, and it was felt it created clutter and could result in a traffic hazard. He noted that the Municipal Code also charges the Zoning Administrator with the responsibility of insuring that signs will enhance the esthetic appearance of the City, and in this case it is the opinion of the Zoning Administrator that the proposed signing does not fulfill that goal. The applicant has stated that the lettering on the angle wall sign is not meant to be read by motorists but is aimed at pedestrian traffic or customers only. Since the staff and the applicant did not reach agreement, the proposal is sub- mitted to the Commission for their determination in allowing or denying the proposed sign. In response to a question from Commissioner Starr, Mr. Lee explained that the proposed sign is not in excess of the proposed si§n area allowed for this building in this particular zone, but the copy to background ratio is in excess of the 50% maximum set for design standards. Commissioner Pressutti suggested that possibly this was not intended to be an advertising sign but is super-graphics decor with some subliminal communication carry over. He did not know if the applicant intended this to be advertising or graphics. Mr. Lee affirmed that the applicant indicated that it was more of a design feature. Peter Rodi with Designbank advised that the graphics are not intended to be a traffic stopper or a means of identifying the business. Their motive in reducing the letter size to 4" was to make it impossible to be read from Fourth Avenue. The U-Haul pole sign in front of the building is to attract traffic, and only those people interested in the service, turning into the driveway, would be aware there is a sign on the building as well. He maintained it is not intended as either an identifying or directional sign. Commissioner Starr commented on the efforts of the City to adopt and enforce a good sign ordinance. He suggested that in this instance the same effect could be accomplished by painting bands of color. He further expressed the opinion that the front of the building becomes too cluttered, due to the many openings, and that a graphics design is best applied to a plain wall. He recommended upholding the staff's position. Mr. Rodi pointed out that if their copy were reduced to 50% of the background area it would eliminate the stripe they wished to put on the building. He indicated they would abide by the decision of the Commission rather than carry the request further. -6- ~ February 9, 1976 MS (Starr-Rudolph) Based on problems which the proposed sign would create, the - Commission denies the proposed.wall sign and directs the applicant to redesign the copy to conform with the Clty"s sign regulations. Commissioner Pressutti spoke against the motion, expressing the opinion that the design as proposed is attractive and that changing it to 50% copy and 50% background would destroy the impact. He further expressed the opinion that the copy as proposed could not be read from the street, hence would not create a traffic hazard. The motion for denial of the sign failed to carry by the following vote: AYES: Commissioners Starr, Rudolph, and Chandler NOES: Commissioners Pressutti, Smith, Johnson and Floto MS (Pressutti-Smith) The Commission approves the proposed wall sign for the U-Haul at 99 North Fourth Avenue as depicted in the diagram submitted by the applicant. The motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Commissioners Pressutti, Smith, Johnson and Floto NOES: Commissioners Starr, Rudolph and Chandler 8. Report to City Council on.proposed modification of zone chan~e LRes, PCZ 75'F(4)~ at I~5 and E Street" Director of Planning Peterson advised that the subject resolution for applying the "P" Modifying District to the area on both sides of E Street, east of 1-805, was adopted by the Planning Commission and sent to the Council several months ago. At the public hearing before the Council the attorney for one of the land owners continued to object to having the '~P" District to a portion of the property on the north side of E Street, on which they were negotiating a sale to the Black Angus Restaurant. The CouNcil felt that since Black Angus was progressing with development plans they would be willing to leave that parcel out of the "P" District. As that action was not in conformance with the recommend- ation of the Planning Commission they were obligated to send it back to the Commission for report. Mr. Peterson reported that the staff contacted representatives of the Black Angus Restaurant in this regard and they had no objection to having the property included in the "P" District. It is therefore recommended that the Commission reaffirm their previous recommendation that the entire area as designated in the resolution be included in the "P" Modifying District. In response to a question from Commissioner Rudolph,Mr. Peterson affirmed that the Council had not been aware of Mr. Stephenson's (Black Angus representative) lack of concern~ MS (Rudolph-Floto) The Commission reaffirms their previous recommendation as set forth in Resolution PCZ-75-F(4) with regard to applying the "P" Modifying District to property at I-5 and E Street. The motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Commissioners Rudolph, Ploto, Starr, Chandler, Pressutti and Johnson NOES: Commissioner Smith -7- -- February 9, 1976 9. Request to appoint a member of the Plannin~ cgmmission to serve on C~blt~nt S~l~t~bh Cbn~?it~e~ ~6~] the RiCe canyon Area Director of Planning Peterson noted the composition of the proposed committee and advised that all agencies have appointed their representative except the Planning Commission. He indicated that the work of the committee would be to review all submittals received from consultants interested in being selected to conduct the Rice Canyon study, to screen the submittalsp and probably interview two to four of the firms and make a recommendation to the Council which firm should be selected. The Chairman asked for a volunteer to serve on the committee. Commissioner Pressutti expressed a willingness to serve unless another Commissioner wished to do so. Chairman Chandler appointed Commissioner Pressutti to serve on the Consultant Selection Committee. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Mr. Peterson noted that the League of California Cities dinner meeting will be held on February 12th with Chula Vista as the host city. An entertaining speaker is scheduled for the meeting and the Commissioners were urged to attend. He also reminded the Commission of the study session scheduled for ~ebruary 16 which will include a presentation by Cal Trans and additional information on the Transit Plan Refinement. Commissioner Starr reported he would be out of town and unable to attend that meeting. COMMISSION COMMENTS Commissioner Smith commented on an item on the City Council Agenda for February 10 which indicated the City's intent to vacate a portion of First Avenue. The Commission's recommendation was for denial of that request. Assistant City Attorney Beam explained that under the law the public hearing must be advertised as an intent to vacate. Commissioner Smith also questioned whether attempts to alleviate the traffic problem at 1-805 and Telegraph Camyon Road are only at staff level, or if the Commission could ask the City Council to direct a letter to the Division of Highways. Mr. Lippitt suggested that the Commission request a status report from the Department of Public Works on this problem. MSUC (Smith-Rudolph) The Commission requests that the Department of Public Works present a status report on the problem of traffic congestion at 1-805 and Telegraph Canyon Road. -8- --, February 9, 1976 ADJOURNMENT Chairman Chandler adjourned the meeting at 8;25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Helen Mapes ~/~ Secretary