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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 PC Minutes 4-14-03ITEM #1 7:02 p.m. Given All present Staff present None Taken out of order Approved Resolution No. 3868 Shingleton MINUTES TUSTIN PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING m 7:00 P.M. APRIL 14, 2003 CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Elizabeth Binsack, Community Development Director Christine Shingleton, Assistant City Manager Doug Holland, Assistant City Attorney Doug Anderson, Senior Project Manager- Transportation Jim Draughon, Redevelopment Program Manager Karen Peterson, Senior Planner Minoo Ashabi, Associate Planner Justina Willkom, Associate Planner Eloise Harris, Recording Secretary PUBLIC CONCERNS REGULAR BUSINESS o RECEIPT OF THE PRELIMINARY REPORT AND PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE MCAS- TUSTIN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT LOCATED AT THE FORMER MARINE CORPS AIR STATION TUSTIN (TUSTIN INCORPORATED LIMITS ONLY) IN THE MCAS TUSTIN SPECIFIC PLAN. RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission approve and forward Resolution No. 3868 providing a report and recommendations on the Proposed Redevelopment Plan for the MCAS-Tustin Redevelopment Project to the Tustin City Council. No staff report was required; questions regarding the timeline for development of MCAS-Tustin were answered by the Assistant City Manager. Minutes - Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 1 Approved Adopted Resolution No. 3867 7:09 Willkom Menard Willkom Carl Lind, applicant Menard Willkom Mr. Lind Menard Mr. Lind , APPROVAL OF MINUTES - MARCH 24, 2003, PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. It was moved by Pontious, seconded by Menard, to approve the Consent Calendar. Motion carried 5-0. PUBLIC HEARINGS: . CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 03-005 A REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH A CERAMICS RETAIL STORE WITH ACCESSORY PAINTING CLASSES OR PARTIES FOR UP TO EIGHTEEN (18) PERSONS AT 13011 NEWPORT AVENUE, SUITE 102-B. THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL COMMERCIAL (C-2) ZONING DISTRICT. RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 3867 approving Conditional Use Permit 03-005. The Public Hearing opened. Presented the staff report. Suggested that the floor plan shows only one exit; and, asked where the door in the kiln area leads. Indicated the door will be removed; and, asked the applicant to provide confirmation. Confirmed the door will be removed. Asked if a second exit will be required for this facility since it will be an assembly usage. Stated the applicant is working with the Building Department to create a second exit in the back. Confirmed there is an exit door at the back. Asked if these will be the same type of products the applicant used at his Woodbridge location. Answered in the affirmative. Minutes - Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 2 Nielsen Anderson Nielsen Willkom Amante Willkom Mr. Lind Jennings Mr. Lind Jennings Mr. Lind Jennings Mr. Lind Jennings Asked if the street widening project on Irvine Boulevard and Newport Avenue will affect the parking in this center. Answered in the negative. Asked if the hours of operation are standard for the center. Answered in the affirmative. Questioned how Condition 2.1 would be administered if the ratios need to be changed in the future. Stated that Condition 2.1 allows the Director to approve any changes administratively if a new parking study demonstrates that the ratios should be changed. Stated this facility will involve ceramics painting, similar to Color Me Mine, but is primarily intended as a retail store which sells educational items for children and other art items; and, stated he grew up and has always lived in Tustin and wanted the business closer to home. Commended the applicant's community involvement, especially at the Senior homes and the school carnivals; and, asked how long the classes will be. Stated there will be no scheduled classes, only parties which last approximately two hours. Asked for clarification regarding classes. Indicated that the experience in Woodbridge revealed that classes are not as successful as parties; the staff can teach if necessary, which normally takes place on weekends. Asked if the people coming in during the week will be painting or shopping. Responded there was no retail element at the Woodbridge location, but customers indicated there should be; therefore, the two are being combined at the Tustin location. Stated her concern was that all the parking spaces in front of the store are limited to 30 minutes; the next aisle limits parking to one hour before 6:00 p.m.; and, asked if those restrictions will be adequate for the normal day. Minutes- Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 3 Mr. Lind Jennings Mr. Lind Jennings Menard Amante Mr. Lind Amante 7:20 p.m. Adopted Resolution No. 3866, as amended Stated the clientele is primarily 8- to 12-year-old girls whose parents drop them off; the mother who sets up the party is in charge; there is usually only one adult involved. Noted she was more interested in the 30-minute parking limit during the week and whether or not that would preclude customers from coming in and working on projects. Indicated that timeframe is adequate. Stated that, because that shopping center traffic circulation can get crowded, it might be necessary to give parents directions on how to enter and exit when dropping off their children. Agreed that this shopping center is crowded at times; the rear parking should be emphasized to customers. Asked if the applicant is moving from Irvine or adding this location. Answered that the Irvine site was closed last year. Stated he is very impressed with the activity in the schools and with the Seniors; noted his appreciation of the community involvement; and, welcomed the business to Tustin. The Public Hearing closed. It was moved by Amante, seconded by Nielsen, to adopt Resolution No. 3867. Motion carried 5-0. , DESIGN REVIEW 02-038 AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 02-028 FOR: 1) AUTHORIZATION TO CONSTRUCT A 6,940 SQUARE FOOT ADDITION TO TUSTIN HEIGHTS SHOPPING CENTER; AND, 2) AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH SHARED PARKING FOR 125,458 SQUARE FEET OF EXISTING RETAIL BUILDINGS, A 6,060 SQUARE FOOT FREESTANDING RESTAURANT BUILDING (INCLUDING 162 SEATS), AND A 6,940 SQUARE FOOT ADDITION. THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED AT 1212 IRVINE BOULEVARD IN THE RETAIL COMMERCIAL (C-1) ZONING DISTRICT AND TOWN CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA. RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 3866 approving Design Review 02-038 and Conditional Use Permit 02-028. Minutes - Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 4 7:21 p.m. The Public Hearing opened. Ashabi Amante Ashabi Amante Ashabi Amante Ashabi Amante Ashabi Anderson Nielsen Ashabi Nielsen Ashabi Director Presented the staff report. Asked for verification that Condition 6.1 has been revised to allow for 126 seats as opposed to 50; and, asked if the parking study was unaffected by that increase. Answered in the affirmative; and, indicated the parking study considered the worst case scenario that concluded 42 parking spaces would be available, which would allow for 126 seats. Stated his concern involves the easement which allows for ingress and egress to the development and the potential traffic impact. Asked if Commissioner Amante was referring to the residential areas. Answered in the affirmative. Stated that easement will not be affected by this development and will remain the minimum 36 feet wide. Asked if there will be impacts with the traffic circulation or the parking. Suggested that the City Engineer should respond to that concern. Indicated that no additional impacts are anticipated with this operation. Asked if there is a time limit regarding the demolition and construction of the project. Stated that demolition and improvement permits are issued at the same time. Specified his concern regarding daily time restrictions. Indicated there are standard restrictions governing the City's construction hours. Clarified that no work may commence before 7:00 a.m. Jennings Asked if the parking spaces to the east of the building pad will Minutes - Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 5 Jennings Ashabi Jennings Kelly Salmans, representing Russell Stout & Associates, San Diego Nielsen Salmans Ronald Higgins, 13111 Charloma, Tustin Jennings Anderson Asked if the parking spaces to the east of the building pad will remain. Stated there are now eight parking spaces which will be replaced by 16 parking spaces. Invited the applicant to the lectern. Stated the applicant worked closely with staff to resolve the parking issues; and, indicated he was available for any questions the Commissioners might have. Asked if Mr. Salmans could estimate the time needed for demolition and reconstruction after the approvals are received. Suggested the timeframe might be four to five months. Stated he lives in one of the houses very close to the development site; the retaining wall at the back of his property is along the easement that provides access to the housing at the end of the project; in reviewing the plan, he noticed that approximately 2.6 feet have been removed from the easement area to create additional sidewalk and parking areas; the delivery trucks already have difficulty making the turn to get to the back of Ralphs to unload; in many cases, these are high-cube trucks; in order for these trucks to make the turn, it is necessary to drive right next to the curb at the back of his property; the wall is damaged in several areas; it is cracked and leaning into his property where trucks have had to back up to make the turn and hit the wall; the rebar is the only thing maintaining the wall; taking 2~ feet out of the turning radius will create additional problems for the trucks; neighbors to the north have concerns regarding the parking lot lights which are very bright and shine into the back yards of the properties; there is a single security light on the top of the culvert area that is aimed downward as much as possible but is still very bright in the back bedrooms on his property; extending the wall height, rebuilding the wall, and reducing the height of the parking lot lights are all things that could alleviate some of the problems. Asked the Traffic Engineer to respond to these concerns. Stated that staff saw no evidence of trucks having difficulty making the right-hand turn; suggested that perhaps inexperienced drivers could be the problem; drivers do encroach into the gate area where the easement exists, but no one was observed entering or Minutes - Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 6 Amante Anderson Amante Anderson Amante Anderson Jennings Ashabi Mr. Higgins Jennings Mr. Higgins Menard Mr. Higgins Nielsen Mr. Higgins exiting through that gate; there are no records of any accidents during the past three years that would indicate problems with the trucks and regular vehicular ingress and egress of the residents. Suggested that Condition 2.18 requires that the applicant repair the wall and extend the height to 6 feet 8 inches, which is the City's code requirement. Indicated Commissioner Amante's understanding is accurate. Asked what provisions are included in the event there are problems in the future which create new damage to the wall. Answered that he is unaware of any provisions for maintenance of the wall. Asked if it is the applicant's responsibility to maintain the wall. Answered in the affirmative. Suggested the parking lot lights will not be changed. Stated that is correct. Invited staff to inspect the unprofessional repair work that has been done on his side of the wall. Suggested that perhaps Mr. Higgins should discuss this issue with Mr. Salmans. Indicated that requests made to the property management company in San Diego sometimes take four months for any response. Asked Mr. Higgins if there is an additional access to the area where he lives. Stated he does not live in that community; he lives on Charloma, the next street over, and pointed out his location on the site plan. Asked if there is a timeframe during which the large trucks make deliveries. Answered the trucks arrive between 5:00 a.m. and midnight; there are sometimes 8-10 trucks a day. Minutes - Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 7 Pontious Suggested the new lights will be with newer technology which should improve the situation, directing the light away from the surrounding areas. Director Stated that is correct; referred to Condition 2.2 which includes a provision for those lights; added that Condition 2.18 requires that the wall be maintained on both sides; suggested that the second line of Condition 2.18 be modified to state that the existing masonry block wall that separates the commercial use from the residential use along the easterly property line shall be repaired "in its entirety." 7:40 p.m. The Public Hearing closed. It was moved by Amante, seconded by Nielsen, to adopt Resolution No. 3866, as modified. Motion carried 5-0. STAFF CONCERNS: , REPORT OF ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE APRIL 7, 2003, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. Director reported The City Council adopted various resolutions of necessity of findings for the Edinger Avenue smart street widening project and Irvine Boulevard/Newport Avenue intersection widening. The City Council approved various amendments for the Community Development Block Grant Action Plan; it was necessary to expend funds; these funds were moved to the Old Town streetscape project and various other faster moving projects. The City Council introduced an ordinance regulating mobile vending businesses within the City; the ordinance does not prohibit mobile vending but further regulates these businesses; the ordinance will become effective 30 days after the second reading, scheduled for the April 21, 2003, City Council meeting. COMMISSION CONCERNS Amante Thanked staff for the tour of MCAS-Tustin; it was helpful to see the development area, particularly where the arterials will go and what the different sections of development will be. Director Indicated that staff may arrange a follow-up tour once the development projects have begun. Minutes - Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 8 Pontious Staff Menard Nielsen Jennings Anderson Jennings Requested that the Planning Commission be kept updated on the Katherine Spur item that was continued on the City Council agenda. Asked if dates can be set for future workshops to assist the new Commissioners with planning issues. Answered in the affirmative. Echoed Commissioner Amante's comments regarding the tour of the Base; and, specifically complimented Christine Shingleton. Suggested the landscaping and lights at the new car wash at the corner of First Street and Tustin Avenue contribute to making this a nice-looking car wash; and, commended staff for their work on that project. Added his compliments to those of his fellow Commissioners. Encouraged everyone with young children to attend the Easter Egg Hunt at the Sports Park on Saturday, April 19, at 9:00 a.m. Expressed his appreciation to the men and women in the military who are helping defend our country. Indicated she felt the tour of the Base was helpful and well done. Commented that she enjoyed the PowerPoint presentations this evening. Noted that the light at El Camino Real and Main Street has been changed to improve the traffic flow. Stated that, as part of the Old Town streetscape project, Public Works performed a study at that intersection to determine how to increase the efficiency of progression of traffic, particularly on Main Street; when the streetscape project was completed, changes were implemented, including removal of the protected left turns at Main and El Camino in the Main Street direction and allowing fully permissive left turns. Noted that the left turn red and yellow signals are out on the traffic signal heading east on Irvine Boulevard at Newport Avenue. Minutes- Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 9 Jennings continued Stated she will miss the April 28, 2003, Planning Commission meeting; Chairperson Pro Tem Pontious will preside in her absence. 7:49 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission is scheduled for Monday, April 28, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at 300 Centennial Way. Minutes- Planning Commission April 14, 2003 - Page 10