HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Comm min 1983/01/12 MINUTES OF A REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING
OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF
CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
Wednesday - January 12, 1983 Council Chambers
7:00 p.m. Public Services Building
ROLL CALL
Commissioners present: Chairman R. Johnson, Commissioners Cannon, Green,
G. Johnson, O'Neill, Pressutti, and Shipe
Commissioners absent: None
Staff Present: Director of Planning Gray, Principal Planner Lee,
Environmental Review Coordinator Reid, Director
of Community Development Desrochers, Assistant City
Attorney Harron, Traffic Engineer Glass and Secre-
tary Smith
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, SILENT PRAYER
The pledge of allegiance to the flag was led by Chairman Johnson and followed by
a moment of silent prayer.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES for the meeting of December 8, 1982
MSC (O'Neill/Shipe) to approve the minutes with Chairman Johnson and Commissioner
G. Johnson abstaining because of absence from the meeting.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None at this time. See item under CO~qISSION COMMENTS.
1. PUBLIC HEARING: EIR-79-6(a) - SAMMIS PROPERTY, NORTH OF "E" STREET, WEST OF I-5
Environmental Review Coordinator Reid stated that this EIR is a focused document
supplemental to the Bay Boulevard EIR prepared several years ago by the same
WESTEC Services. It involves a total of 14 acres on the north side of "E" Street
to the west of I-5. The specific properties involved include private ownership
between I-5 and Bay Boulevard, Bay Boulevard right-of-way, San Diego and Arizona
Eastern Railway right-of-way, and SDG&E right-of-way for its transmission lines
passing through the area. Specific improvements include a motel of 100 rooms,
two restaurants, an eight-plex theatre with two levels of office space above the
theatre and a three-story, 100,000 square foot office building. Parking will be
provided on both the private property, within the Bay Boulevard right-of-way and
the SDG&E easement. The traffic consultant is reevaluating the traffic study in
the light of newly received information and a final report will be available for
the meeting of January 26, 1983.
Planning Commission -2- January 12, 1983
The project involves a general plan amendment changing the designation from Park-
and-Open Space to Visitor-Commercial on about 4.3 acres located west of the rail-
road tracks. The intent is to augment the "E" Street Gateway and provide open
space as a pedestrian linkage in the north-south direction.
Coordinator Reid introduced Tom Huffman, Project Manager for WESTEC Services who
made a presentation covering:
1. Biological resources. The project area located adjacent to the Sweetwater
Marsh (a sensitive biological resource) lacks buffering distance and physical
buffering elements such as hedges, walls, or berms to keep human traffic out
of the Marsh. A drainage outlet into the Marsh creates a direct loss of salt
marsh vegetation, poses potential for erosion, sedementation and elimination
of an upland habitat in the SDG&E right-of-way. Mitigation would involve
redesign of parking and roadways within the project, landscaping, construction
of berms and redesign of the drainage structure. The drainage from the oil-
soaked eastern portion of the project (previously used as an auto wrecking
site) would not increase contaminants into the Marsh because of the creation
of an impervious surface as opposed to the present Open Space land use.
Westerly drainage structures within the salt marsh and potential erosion can
be mitigated through sedementation basins, setting back the drainage structure
outsidethelOO-foot buffer zone, and grading and landscaping during the dry
months to ensure rapid revegetation of the disturbed area.
2. Visual qualities. The dominant visual features are the 150-foot transmission
towers belonging to SDG&E. The general plan amendment associated with the
project would result in changing the designation for this part of the site to
allow urban development in the form of parking. The change in land use is
mitigated by the development of a 25-foot wide landscaped strip along the
western edge of the site and a 75-foot wide strip along the frontage.
Any building above 25 feet in height would be in conflict with the redevelop-
ment guidelines and the Gateway to the Bayfront concept but could be mitigated
by reducing the bulk of the building, the density of the project or use of
other design criteria. Pulling the development back along the northern property
line would allow for more landscaping and a better visual impact from I-5.
Mr. Huffman concluded by saying the noise impact from the freeway can be miti-
gated by adopting conventional engineering acoustical techniques as described
in the EIR.
There being no questions on the EIR, the public hearing was continued until Janu-
ary 26, 1983.
In response to Commissioner Pressutti's question on the possible negative impact
of the Sammis Project on the Center City development, Planning Director Gray replied
that as the planning issues will be addressed at the meeting of the 26th, he would
prefer discussing that item in more detail at that time.
Commissioner Green then requested that the Commission be informed of the Council's
wishes for the Bayfront area so it might be guided in ascertaining a good land use
for the area.
Planning Commission -3- January 12, 1983
Planning Director Gray stated that Sedway-Cooke is restudying the Bayfront Plan to
achieve compliance with the Coastal Act and is meeting with the City on the 21st.
Information forthcoming from that meeting will be shared with the Commission.
Community Development Director Desrochers outlined the Sedway-Cooke agenda. The
sketch plans will be reviewed on the 21st. Workshops will be scheduled with the
Planning Commission and the Redevelopment Agency. The formal hearing will be ready
in March. Sedway-Cooke has been instructed by the City Council to incorporate the
Sammis Project into their alternative plans for this area.
2. Consideration of resolution amending the Land Use Chart
Principal Planner Lee presented the Commission with the fifth draft of the Land Use
Chart which added 250 new classifications to the previously adopted Chart. Some of
the land uses proposed by the Commissioners necessitate amendments to the Municipal
Code. These will require significant analysis by the staff and were not incorporated
into the Chart presented for adoption. It is planned to return these to the Commis-
sion as one proposal in the near future.
MSUC (Cannon/O'Neill) to adopt the Land Use Chart as presented.
Commissioner Pressutti complimented the staff for the tremendous amount of work
accomplished in updating the Land Use Chart.
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Planning Director Gray commented on the 1983 Planning Commission Institute, pointing
out that last year's budget constraints had caused the removal of this item and
that attendance would have to be at personal expense.
COMMISION CO~qENTS
Commissioner Cannon reported that he had attended a meeting with the Mayor and
representatives of the Design Review Committee and the Design Review Board in which
was discussion regarding the need to better coordinate the functions of the DRC with
the Planning Commission. It was suggested that it would be good to have someone
from the Design Review Committee (who are professional people in the design area)
explain to the Planning Commission the reasons for their decisions on controversial
or complex design issues coming to the Planning Commission. The Mayor expressed a
desire to keep an open line of communciation between various commissions and
committees.
Commissioner Cannon then requested the Chairman to hear from the owner of the
Executive BarberShop (who arrived toolate for Oral Communications) regarding the
trouble with the game center on "E" Street which the Planning Commission approved
a few weeks ago.
Mr. Frank Rodgers, 682 "E" Street (Big Bear Shopping Center), Chula Vista, reported
on the concern of the tenants and himself with the situation at the game center.
Although they have contacted the owners, who promised that corrective action would
be taken, the game center continues to operate with the lights out, the back door
- open with bicycles coming in and out, no security guard, only a young, "16 or 17
year old" girl on duty. He noted that one window had already been broken in his
shop. Principal Planner Lee stated one of the conditions for approval was the
location of a bike rack near the front of the building and having an adult supervise
the center. The Zoning Enforcement Officer has been asked to investigate to deter-
Planning Commission -4- January 12, 1983
mine if there is enough evidence for revocation. The owners of the center have
been contacted, and this matter will undoubtedly be back to the Planning Commis-
sion in the near future for disposition.
Commissioner G. Johnson referred to the Council Minutes of January 4, 1983,
regarding the sewer system on Telegraph Canyon Road and requested information
about the incident from the staff. This information will be forthcoming at the
next Planning Commission Meetihg.
Chairman Johnson reminded the Commissioners that on Monday, January 17, 1983,
they were invited to meet the new City Manager. Also, that the reception for
Helen Mapes would be held on Friday, January 14, 1983.
Director Gray noted that the Wednesday, January 19th meeting will be a study
session from 5:00 to 7:00 followed by dinner. The work program will be discussed
at the study session.
ADJOURNMENT at 7:48 p.m. to the regular business meeting scheduled for
January 26, 1983 at 7:00 p.m.
Ruth M. Smith, Secretary,
Planning Commission