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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 3 OFFICE USES MORA 03-7-83DATE: THRU: FROM: March 7, 1983 WILLIAM HUSTON, CITY MANAGER NEW BUSINESS No. 3 3-7-83 Inter-Corn HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: Direct staff to advertise a Public Hearing for the consideration of extending interim urgency Ordinance No. 882. DISCUSSION: On February 28, 1983, the Planning Commission recomm%ended to the City Council (3-0) that the moratorium be extended for an additional 120 days. They also recommended that a joint session of the Commission and City Council be held in March to establish a specific policy towards office development in commercial, etc. districts, a~d to ~iscuss possible code amendments according to.that policy. The .City 'Attorney has recommended that the moratorium be extended for eight months (copy endlosed) in order that the Commission and City Council have ample time to work out all details. The interim urgency ordinance can then be rescinded after 120 days or any time after that for a period up to 8 months. DATE: March 7, 1983 TO: F ROM: Inter-Corn HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL JAMES G. ROURKE, CITY ATTORNEY SUBJECT: EXTENSION OF MORATORIUM ON OFFICE USES IN C-1, ETC. DISTRICTS The Planning Commission has recom~ended extension of the moratorium prescribed by Ordinance 882. Accordingly, enclosed is a proposed ordinance to extend Ordinance 882 which estab- lished a moratorium on development projects designed for office use in the C-1, C-2, CG, M and PC-Commercial Districts for an additional period of eight (8) months. It is necessary pursuant to Government Code 65856 that a public hearing be noticed and held for the consideration of adoption of this ordinance of extension. JGR: se: O: 3/2/83 cc: Mary Wynn W. Huston Enclosure as cited. ORDINANCE NO. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, EXTENDING INTERIM URGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 882 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING A MORATORIUM ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS DESIGNED FOR OFFICE USE IN THE C-1, C-2, CG, M AND PC-COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS FOR AN ADDITIONAL PERIOD OF EIGHT MONTHS. The City Council of the City of Tustin, California, does ordain as follows: 1. Ordinance No. 882 adopted as an interim urgency ordinance prohibiting any development projects designed for office uses in the C-1, C-2, CG, M and PC-Commercial Districts without first obtaining a use permit therefore, and prohibiting the issuance of permits or approvals of any kind for such devel- opment projects without first obtaining a use permit therefore, in order that the City Council may study the need for an ordi- nance regulating or prohibiting such .development and uses, is hereby extended for an additional period of eight (8) months. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 2. The extension of the said prohibition and morato- rium shall continue for said p~riod of eight (8) additional months upon the adoption of .this ordinance, unless duly extended or earlier termination, each as provided' by law. ~' 15' ' 3. ~his ordinance is adopted to protect the public health, safety and welfare and is adopted as an urgency measure by a four-fifths (4/5ths) vote, pursuant to the provisions of Section 65858 of the California Government Code and shall take effect immediately. The urgency is based upon the fact that the City Council hereby finds and determines that any of such tempo- rarily prohibited developments and uses may have an adverse effect on properties and uses within the City of Tustin and that further study on such developments and uses is necessary. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of Council of the City of Tustin, California, held on the day of , 1983. the City 23 24 25 ATTEST: MAYOR 26 27 28 CITY CLERK JGR:se:D:3/2/83 OATE: TO: FROH: SUBJECT: February 28, 1983 NEW BUSINESS NO. 2 Inter - eom Honorable Chairman & Commission Members Community Development Department Moratorium on Office Development in Commercial Zoning Districts BACKGROUND Because of Council concerns about commitments of commercial lands to solely or predominantly office use with a loss of potential retail sales uses, and a concern over height and desigp of office structures (+45 feet in height with two stories over at-grade parking), the moratorium--was adopted November 15, 1982. In' addition it was felt that such office complexes were deficient in parking at the standard of one space per each 300 square feet of gross floor area as provided by Tustin's Development Standards. The four-month .time limit expires March 15, 1983. All such uses are currently subject to Planning Commission action on a use permit. Without the moratorium, some. uses would be subject to no discretionary action and uses conforming to ~ode would be granted building permits.. . DISCUSSION There was a lack of consensus on specifics of 6egulatory changes to be proposed at the Council level and the first project reviewed under the moratorium was granted 100 percent office usage with increased parking, while the second was approved at regular parking standards with a percent (61) conditioned as retail sales only. It would appear from discussion and these actions that set percentanges, parking or other standards, are neither formulated nor resolute. Historically, commercial zoning has included numerous non-retail uses not only in Tustin but in the preponderance of communities; no aberration to this general condition has yet been identified by staff. Throughout our commercial shopping centers and districts, we find not only general offices, but other non-retail sales uses such as banks, cleaners, savings and loans, barber shops, travel agents, real estate, dog grooming, shoe repair, beauty salons, insurance agents, optometrists, employment agencies and the like. Any general restriction of specific commercial zones as retail only would immediately created an abundant supply of non-conforming uses throughout the City. This would appear an undesireable circumstance. It Would appear best that the issue be retained as discretionary for initial consideration of new developments under a use permit procedure. Chairman & Commiss,on Members February 28, 1983 Page 2 The question of building height in commercial districts was presented to the City Council for a determination on changes to be made to the existing requirements (especially C2, M and PC) which permits up to 50 feet and three, or even four, stories. At a study session on December 7, 1981, an extensive graphic presentation on commercial and residential building heights and ordinance provisions was made to the Planning Agency. The Council was unable to determine any changes necessary or felt suggested amendments by staff were not yet appropriate. Council took the matter under advisement with members to relate input to staff regarding such changes. No input has yet been forthcoming. In light of the Council not making code modifications in this regard, the only regulatory method appearing acceptable is again review of all commercial projects via the use permit process. The concern about parking was more clearly defined at one of the hearings under the moratorium and since no code amendment has yet been proposed, that option may still be open for exploration. It was felt by staff, based on statments of proponents for ~he Firemans Fund and Signal Development office complexes, that a requirement of one space per 250 square feet may be appropriate for office use in lieu of the current 1/300 square feet. Comparative information should be solicited and a proposed resolution prepared to amend the development standards. RECOI~END£D ~CTIOM '1. Recommend to the City Council, extension"of Urgency Ordinance No. 882' for an additional 120 days, continuing the use permit'process for new construction. D6velop an amendment to the General Regulation section of the Tustin Zoning Ordinance, making the use permit procedure permanent for such uses and adopting "guidelines" for review. Develop alternative amendments to parking provisions for office complexes. Modify definitions within the Zoning Ordinance to define the difference between retail and service commercial uses. MWB: jh