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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07 CODE COMPLIANCE 04-05-99NO. 7 4-5-99 DATE: APRIL 5, 1999 lnter-Com tO: FROM: SUBJECT: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT CODE COMPLIANCE EVALUATION OF THE RED HILL NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING CENTERS Summary: At the City Council's direction staff performed an evaluation of three neighborhood commercial centers on Red Hill Avenue. Staff evaluated the basic components of each center to detennine if there are property maintenance issues and to determine if there are any major changes from the originally approved projects which may have resulted in deficiencies in parking, landscaping or signage. The number of code enforcement cases at the three centers totals 137 cases over the last 7years. These-cases have been related to business license issues, unpermitted temporary signage, graffiti, etc., rather than any seriOus property maintenance or substandard conditions. All three centers, though relatively old, have been maintained, although minimally, at acceptable standards and do not have any major code enforcement violations. RECOMMENDATION Receive and file. FISCAL IMPACT The fiscal impact to the City consists of code enforcement staff time to perform periodic inspections to monitor the centers for code compliance. BACKGROUND At the August 3, 1998 City Council meeting, staff was directed to prepare an analysis of the larger neighborhood centers located on Red Hill Avenue. These include the Ralph's, the Stater Brother's, and the Drug Emporium centers. Staff attempted to collect the earliest documents possible in an effort to compare the centers in their existing condition with their originally approved design. Each property owner/manager was contacted and asked to provide plans or documents that would provide important details. Some information, such as the landscaping and building square footages, were estimated where the information was not documented City Council Report Red Hill Shopping Centers April 5, 1999 Page 2 elsewhere. Staff then conducted an on-site survey of the centers to evaluate their current conditions in regards to parking; landscaping, signs, building exterior and general maintenance of the property, staff researched the history of code enforcement actions at each center to determine if there has been a history of property maintenance violations or other code enforcement action. Finally, a letter was sent to each property ownedmanager to inform them of existing violations. The letter also encourages them to consider remodeling their centers to bring them more into conformity with the current development standards, including enhanced signage, additional landscaping and new architectural detailing of the buildings. Each center is evaluated in the identified attachments. Included in the analysis is an examination of the general condition of each center. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS There is a perception that the three centers have considerable property maintenance issues. However, a closer examination reveals that most of the perception is due to the fact that the centers are over 20 years old (the Red Hill Plaza is considerably older but the actual date of construction is not known). The centers appear antiquated due to outdated design features, minimal landscaping, unadorned signs and very prominent, antiquated center identification signs. Elizabeth A. Binsack Community Development Director Cod Enforcement Officer Attachment A: Red Hill Plaza Attachment B: Stater Brothers Center Attachment C: Ralphs Center ATTACHMENT A RED HILL PLAZA (Drug Emporium) Property Address: 14511 - 14591 Red Hill Avenue Owner: Tustin Aimco 13822 Red Hill Avenue Tustin, CA 92780 Drug Emporium C/o 3rd Cheltenham Properties, Inc. Albertsons Inc. P.O. Box 20 Boise, ID 83726-0020 Constructed: Site Area: Floor Area: Parking: Landscaping: Unknown +6.7 acres +38,500 square feet 332 parking spaces +2,000 square feet DESCRIPTION The center is located on the east side of Red Hill Avenue, between San Juan Street to the north and El Camino Real to the south. The property is approximately 6.7 acres and contains about 38,500 square feet of gross floor area. The complex consists of a row of buildings set back approximately .250 feet from Red Hill and has a Red Hill Avenue street frontage of approximately 500 feet, not taking into account the gas station and fast food restaurant on the northwest corner of the site. · Landsca_~inq With the total amount of interior landscaping less than 2,000 square feet, there is less than one percent (1%) of landscaping on this site. Unlike the other two large centers south of the Interstate 5 Freeway, this center does not have a landscaping setback along the Red Hill Avenue frontage, although there is a 13-foot wide landscaped setback for 225 feet along the San Juan street frontage that is barren. The few existing planters located within the parking lot range in size from 58 square feet to 160 square feet and are located at both ends of each of the parking aisles, which run perpendicular to the street. Though landscaping is sparse, the few existing planters have large mature pines with some accent foliage. The twenty-foot wide walkway that runs under the arcade is also accented with several planters. Most of the planters are well maintained with healthy foliage. However, a few of them, mostly in the southern half of the parking lot, have sparse or damaged shrubs that could be replaced. · Signs The Drug Emporium store has individual channel letters, while the other tenant signs consist of internally illuminated metal cabinet signs suspended from the arcade. There are three pylon signs along the Red Hill frontage with consist of metal support structures with metal cabinets. The building signs are in good condition. Three pylon signs are located along Red Hill; two of the signs are in relatively good condition while the Drug Emporium pole sign needs some minor repair. · Parking The Parking spaces are configured perpendicular to the buildings except for one parking aisle behind the gas station and fast food restaurant, which are in a north/south orientation. There are a total of 332 parking spaces. It appears that the parking configuration may have been slightly altered to accommodate some relatively new disabled parking spaces. The parking and circulation area is in relatively good condition. VIOLATIONS Since 1992 the majority of the code enforcement cases at this complex have dealt with graffiti abatement in the rear alley. Thirteen cases have dealt with unpermited temporary signage and there were ten cases dealing with businesses operating without a business license. VIOLATION # Cases Business License 10 Signs 12 Graffiti 39 Trash and debris 5 Illegal Construction 1 Substandard Condition 2 Indecent publications 1 Handicapped Parking 1 Sweeper Noise 1 Existing Violations The existing violations include: · Missing light standard in the parking lot. · Part of the landscaping setback along San Juan Street is lacking vegetation, as are a few of the interior planters. · The Drug Emporium pylon sign requires some minor repair. · The rear of the complex requires paint. · The use of the parking lot as a truck stop, particularly the drive aisle at the rear of the center. SUMMARY This is the oldest center of the three major centers along Red Hill, and is the most in need of rehabilitation. The building exteriors are in relatively good condition for the age of the facility except for the rear elevation, which is in need of paint. There is very little landscaping and new plant material is needed in the existing planters. One light standard in the parking lot needs to be replaced. The circulation area and the pedestrian walkways are in relatively good condition. ~ PROACTIVE STRATEGY · Staff sent a letter encouraging the property owners/managers to consider plans for renovation of the center, including a new facade treatment, enhanced landscaping design and a modernized sign plan. · The letter addressed existing property maintenance violations. ATTACHMENT B STATER BROTHERS CENTER Property Address: 14131-14245 Red Hill Avenue Owner: Huber G. Wilson Stater Brothers Market P.O. Box 150 Colton, CA 92324-0150 Constructed: Site Area: Floor Area: Parking: Landscaping: 1970's + 5.5 acres + 50,675 square feet 270 spaces + 6,300 square feet DESCRIPTION The Stater Brothers Center is located on Red Hill Avenue between Mitchell Avenue and Nisson Road and is approximately 5.5 acres. The center has approximately 50,675 square feet of floor space and 270 parking spaces. The retail tenant mix consists of the Stater Brother's grocery store, a liquor store, hair and nail salons, travel agent, check cashing, florist, laundromat, clothes cleaners, dental office, four (4) food establishments (including three (3) with in-house dining) and a photography studio. In addition, there is a gas station at the north and south corners of the center along Red Hill Avenue and a detached building formerly occupied by Chuck's Steak House. · Landscaping There is a very narrow landscaped setback around the outer perimeter of the parking lot adjacent to Red Hill that includes a hedge and mature trees. Interior landscaping consisting of four (4) planters (one at either end of the two central parking aisles) in front of the Stater Brother's, seven (7) smaller planters along the main pedestrian walkway (about 3,320 square feet), approximately 1,220 square feet of landscaping around the vacant detached restaurant building and another 1,760 square feet at the two gas stations. Although there is a shortage of interior landscaping, the perimeter hedge and mature trees along the Red Hill frontage contributes to the visual appeal from the Red Hill Avenue right-of-way. · Signs The main center identification sign is provided by a pylon sign with two unadorned metal "l-beam" vertical posts and a large panel for Stater Brother's and a metal cabinet with 16 smaller panels for tenant identification. The individual tenant signs at the storefronts consist of can signs with a combination of plex and vinyl letters and graphics. Stater Brother's has individual channel letters with an exposed fluorescent trim. The aged signs at the center contribute to the dated appearance of the center but generally are in good condition. · Parking There are a total of 270 parking spaces for the center including 155 in the large area in front of Stater Brother's, 89 spaces in the north part of the center off Nissan Road, 20 at the south end off Mitchell, and 6 at the Arco gas station. Twenty (20) spaces in the north area are designated for Al's Woodcraft customer parking. The asphalt paving is in good condition and appears to be recently slurried and striped. VIOLATIONS Code violations at the center have consisted primarily of graffiti, unpermited banners and unlicensed businesses. There have been approximately 40 code enforcement cases at the complex since 1992, including the following: VIOLATION # Cases Business License 10 Signs 17 Graffiti 5 Property Maintenance 3 Inoperable Vehicle 1 Illegal Storage 2 Illegal Construction 1 Overgrown 1 Landscaping Of these 40 code violations, only three (3) have dealt with property maintenance issues and these have been at the building formerly occupied by Chuck's Steak House which, until recently, had been vacant for several years and had some deferred maintenance issues. Within the last few months, the new owner has started remodeling the building for a new tenant. Existing Violations The only current code violation on the property is the increasing use of the north part of the parking lot as a truck rest stop. SUMMARY The center is over 25 years old and appears dated due to minimal landscaping and unadorned signage including old sign cans and a very prominent unadorned pylon sign. The buildings appear freshly painted, the landscaped planters, though minimal, are maintained with healthy vegetation, and the parking surface and the pedestrian walkways are in good condition. PROACTIVE STRATEGY Staff sent a letter encouraging the property owners/managers to consider plans for renovation of the center, including a new faCade treatment, enhanced landscaping design and a modernized sign plan. The letter addressed the zoning and property maintenance violation. ATTACHMENT C RALPHS CENTER Property Address: 14511 - 14591 Red Hill Avenue Owner: Constructed: 'Site Area: Floor Area: Parking: Landscaping: Jill Richter Trust C/o Interpacific Asset Management Suite 150 5505 Garden Grove Boulevard Westminster, CA 92683-1892 1969 · · 5.5 acres +57,000 273 +4,100 DESCRIPTION This center is located at the southwest corner of Walnut Avenue and Red Hill Avenue and is approximately 5.5 acres. This complex was constructed in 1969 and consists of about '57,000 square feet of gross floor area with a Ralphs grocery Store and a tenant mix that includes a drug store, liquor store, tire sales, a restaurant, donut shop, cleaners, laundry, two hair salons and a cigarette store. Recently, approvals were obtained to demolish a detached building formerly occupied by Wells Fargo Bank to construct a Burger King fast food restaurant. · Landscaping The interior of the parking lot is relatively barren of landscaping with only two narrow planters with hedges along the main drive aisle that run perpendicular to Red Hill consisting of 1,300 squa.re feet of landscaping. Three smaller planters in front of the Goodyear tire facility total 204 square feet. The balance of the interior landscaping consists of two planters adjacent to the front and rear of the bank building (865 square feet), two sizable planters along the Walnut Avenue sidewalk which total 310 square feet and a 325 square foot planter along the north side of the Goodyear tire building. The starkness of the parking lot is buffered by a narrow interior landscape strip with about 1,200 square feet along the Red Hill street frontage. There are a total of ten large trees in the lot interior consisting of one 60 foot tall palm by the vacant bank building and nine (9) other large specimens evenly dispersed along the two street frontages. There are nine (9) parkway trees along the Red Hill public right of way and six (6) along Walnut Avenue which help soften the appearance of an otherwise stark asphalt parking lot. · Sians -- The signs consist of metal cabinets suspended from the arcade eave. The older sign faces have raised letters with gold trim cap, while the newer ones have deviated to vinyl letters and graphics. The pylon sign was recently modified with the new Ralphs logo. All signs are in relatively good condition. · Parking The majority of the parking is configured into five main aisles placed perpendicular to Red Hill Avenue, with two additional rows along the north and east perimeter along the Red Hill and Walnut frontages. There are. two smaller rows adjacent to the storefronts and a few spaces in the rear parking lot for a total of 273 parking spaces. The spaces appear to have been reconfigured to accommodate some newer disabled parking spaces. Part of the north parking lot needs repair, particularly in the area south of the service station, and an area of about 1400 square feet that. was damaged by the former recycling center. VIOLATIONS There are 25 documented violations at the site since the GTS database was started in 1992. The majority of those were for graffiti, operating a business without a license and unpermited temporary signs. Two property maintenance violations were for trash problems in the rear of the center and there were two complaints regarding the operation of the recycling center. VIOLATION # Cases Business License 7 Signs 5..... Graffiti 7 Property Maintenance 2 Inoperable Vehicle 2 Recycling Center 2 The research, which was performed on this center, failed to reveal formal approvals for three outdoor hoists at the Scher Tire facility. Scher Tire was issued a notice to remove the non-permitted outdoor hoists. Existing Violations The existing violations include: · Outdoor work, including three hoists, at Scher Tire · Minor damage to the asphalt in the easterly parking area SUMMARY The building exteriors are relatively clean and do not exhibit any chipped or peeling paint. The landscaping is trimmed and irrigated; and the parking and circulation areas and the pedestrian walkways are in relatively good condition. Generally, the center is well maintained, though, the lack of interior landscaping and the older can signs contribute to a dated appearance. PROACTIVE STRATEGY · Staff sent a letter encouraging the property owners/managers to consider plans for renovation of the center, including a new faCade treatment, enhanced landscaping design and a modernized sign plan. · The letter addressed any outstanding zoning and property maintenance violations. The development of the Burger King will eliminate a vacant building and will introduce a new building of contemporary design to the center. Discussions with the owner indicate that Burger King will enhance the success of the center and may serve as an impetus to a future remodel of the center. The immediate benefits' to the center will be additional on-site landscaping and parking lot improvements, including restriping the entire lot and the addition of several more Parking spaces.