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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3 - 1-23-18 PC Minutes ARCADIA PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, January 23, 2018 Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Planning Commission regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection in the City’s Planning Services Office located at 240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, California, during normal business hours. CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL PRESENT: Chair Chan, Vice Chair Thompson, and Commissioners Lewis and Fandry ABSENT: Commissioner Lin It was moved by Commissioner Lewis, seconded by Commissioner Fandry to excuse Commissioner Lin from the meeting. Without objection, the motion was approved. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM STAFF REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS The Commission received a revised copy of Resolution No. 2010 (Attachment No. 1) to Agenda Item No. 1. PUBLIC COMMENTS (5 minute time limit per person) There were none. PUBLIC HEARING All interested persons are invited to appear at a public hearing and to provide evidence or testimony concerning any of the proposed items set forth below for consideration. Separate and apart from the applicant (who may speak longer in the discretion of the Commission) speakers shall be limited to five (5) minutes per person. The applicant may additionally submit rebuttal comments, at the discretion of the Commission. You are hereby advised that should you desire to legally challenge in court any action taken by the Planning Commission regarding any Public Hearing item, you may be limited to raising only those issues and objections you or someone else raised at the public hearing or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. 1. Resolution No. 2010 - Approving an amendment to Conditional Use Permit No. CUP 09-15 with a Categorical Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to revise the hours of operation and maximum number of students permitted at any one time at 210 N. First Avenue Applicant: Mr. Brandon Kwae Recommended Action: Adopt Resolution No. 2010 Planning & Community Development Administrator, Ms. Lisa Flores introduced the item and turned it over to Economic Development Analyst, Mr. Tim Schwehr who presented the staff report. Chair Chan opened the public hearing and asked if the applicant would like to speak on this item. Applicant Ms. Laura Powell responded. Chair Chan asked if anyone else would like to speak in favor of the item. 2 1-23-18 Mr. James Asher, neighboring business owner at 223 N. First Avenue responded. He stated that he is in support of the business; however, he has not discussed with the applicant, formally agreeing to allow the Sonata Room patrons to utilize his parking lot because he does not want to accept the liability. He mentioned several other issues in addition to parking that have been occurring at and around his building since the Metro Gold Line Station opened.. Mr. Mark Rodighier, an Arcadia resident and student of the applicant responded. Mr. Rodighier is in favor of the proposal for several reasons, but mainly because the business has grown and it is a viable use for the area. Chair Chan asked if there was anyone who would like to speak in opposition of the item. No one responded. MOTION – PUBLIC HEARING It was moved by Commissioner Lewis, seconded by Commissioner Fandry to close the public hearing. Without objection, the motion was approved. DISCUSSION Commissioner Lewis stated that she was concerned about the parking situation especially due to the traffic caused by the Metro Gold Line Station; however, the business does bring in a lot of people which is good for the surrounding businesses and the downtown area. Her other concerns are relating to Mr. Asher’s comments. She requested that the applicant inform her customers and post a sign stating that they cannot park in the parking lot that belongs to Mr. Asher’s building at 223 N. First Avenue. She is comfortable with approving the proposal because the revised Resolution No. 2010 addresses her concerns. Commissioner Thompson agreed with the comments made by Commissioner Lewis. He stated that this use is located in the Downtown Mixed Use area as well as the Downtown Parking Overlay zone, and is completely appropriate. In addition, the facts and findings identified in the staff report are supportive. His main concerns are relating to the parking issues Mr. Asher mentioned. He stated that Condition No. 2 gives discretionary oversight by the City to review future parking or use problems of this business. He also encouraged that the applicant inform her customers not to park in the parking lot that belongs to Mr. Asher’s building. If the applicant agrees to the aforementioned items, he would be in favor of approving the proposal. Chair Chan stated that there has not been sufficient parking at the Gold Line Station since it opened. He mentioned that he has discussed this issue with staff before along with the other issues that have occurred at and around the Gold Line Station. He stated that the lack of parking at the Gold Line Station is not going to improve. Since the Gold Line Station parking structure was built with the intent to add additional parking levels, he requested that staff reach out to MTA and have them build the other parking levels. Commissioner Lewis stated that she was under the impression that the MTA had a five- year plan which is to add the remaining parking levels to the Gold Line Station parking structure once it has been in operation for five-years. She asked staff if that is true and if there is a time-frame for when this will be done? 3 1-23-18 Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director, Mr. Jason Kruckeberg addressed Commissioner Lewis’ question. He stated that unfortunately there is not a five-year plan to add on to the existing parking structure. He explained that the way the Environmental Impact Report was written for Metro, was that the additional parking will only be built when the Gold Line extension last phase was complete. The City was always aware that there was a problem relating to parking and wanted the parking structure to be built to its full capacity which is 800 spaces, but only 300 spaces were built. He stated that the parking structure is engineered to support the additional parking levels. He then went over all of the issues relating to the future of the parking structure. He mentioned that the City has started exploring the possibility of a public/private partnership where the City would pay a certain amount of money or potentially bond for those additional spaces to be built if the Gold Line is not going to do it any time soon. The City has just begun to explore and discuss that possibility so it will not happen in the near future, but there is enough interest in the development of the downtown area where that might become a reality. MOTION It was moved by Commissioner Thompson, seconded by Commissioner Fandry to adopt Resolution No. 2010 - Approving an amendment to Conditional Use Permit No. CUP 09- 15 with a Categorical Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to revise the hours of operation and maximum number of students permitted at any one time at 210 N. First Avenue ROLL CALL AYES: Commissioners Thompson, Lewis, and Fandry and Chair Chan NOES: None ABSENT: Commissioner Lin CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and can be acted on by one roll call vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless members of the Commission, staff, or the public request that specific items be removed from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion and action. 2. Minutes of the January 9, 2018, Arcadia Planning Commission Regular Meeting Recommended Action: Approve DISCUSSION Consent Calendar Item No. 2 was revised to more accurately reflect the statements made by City Council Liaison Beck. A revised copy of the item was provided to the Commission prior to and at the meeting. MOTION It was moved by Commissioner Thompson, seconded by Commissioner Lewis to approve Consent Calendar Item 2, approving the January 9, 2018, Arcadia Planning Commission Regular Meeting minutes as amended. ROLL CALL AYES: Commissioners Thompson, Lewis, Fandry, and Chair Chan NOES: None ABSENT: Commissioner Lin 4 1-23-18 MATTERS FROM CITY COUNCIL LIAISON City Council Liaison Beck announced that the January 30, 2018 Annual Goal Setting meeting has been cancelled in order to discuss employee labor negotiations. MATTERS FROM PLANNING COMMISSIONERS Chair Chan announced that he might not be able to attend the March 27, 2018 Planning Commission Regular meeting. He also requested that staff look into requiring an Automated External Defibrillators (AED) at all existing and future businesses relating to tutoring, dance studios, and gyms.,. City Attorney Mr. Stephen Deitsch addressed Chair Chan’s request and stated that condition can be imposed on those types of businesses when reviewed by the Planning Commission in the future. Research would have to be conducted before that condition can be imposed. MATTERS FROM CITY ATTORNEY City Attorney Mr. Stephen Deitsch did not have anything to report. MATTERS FROM STAFF INCLUDING UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS Ms. Flores provided an update on an appeal heard by the City Council for the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for 909 S. Santa Anita Avenue. The City Council denied the appeal and upheld the Planning Commission’s decision to approve the CUP. She reported that there are no items pending for the first meeting in February so it will most likely be cancelled. There will be two items for the 2nd meeting in February. ADJOURNMENT The Planning Commission adjourned the meeting at 7:50 p.m. to Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chamber at 240 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia. Chairman, Planning Commission ATTEST: Secretary, Planning Commission