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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAUGUST 10, 2004 (2) (i) . MINUTES . Arcadia City Planning Commission Tuesday, August 10,2004 7:00 p.m. in tbeArcadia City Cooneil Chambers PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION 6:00 P.M, ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Commissioners Hsu, Olson, Wen, Baderian ABSENT: Commissioner Lucas MOTION: It was moved by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Hsu to excuse Commissioner Lucas from tonight's meeting, The motion passed by voice vote with none dissenting, Commissioner Lucas arrived toward the end of the deliberation, TIME RESERVED FOR mOSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON NON-PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS - 5 minute time limit per person I. STUDY SESSION Discussion regarding ArchitectUI'li1 Design Review for' Single-family residential projects Ms, Butler explained that this was brought to the Planning Commission at City Council's request who has looked at architectural design review on several occasions, They asked staff to put together design guidelines for discussion purposes, Staff is requesting input from the Planning' Commission on the architectural design review guidelines, The City Council is concerned with the impact of the newer homes on the older residential neighborhoods - the transition from the old to the new. She showed several pictures and illustrated that point and what has taken place over the years. The pictures included items such as the entry height and its mass and the affect of the'14' height 'limitation on entries as well as the angles from the front property line, She noted that there have been several changes in the code that have addressed building mass and scale, Mr. Nicholson said that the new angle requirement has pushed the second floor back from the property line, which makes for a subtle transition, Ms, Butler said that they are looking for homes that do not have a straight fucades and instead have building articulation, The guidelines have been modeled after what other cities have done. These guidelines are intended to apply to new dwellings, any exterior alterations and will be used to better communicate with homeowners, builders and developers and show them what the City is looking for in terms of standards, The guidelines will address material as well as mass and scale of buildings, In essence, this will just be another tool for staff. They find that many new homes do not have . . , arc.hitectural integrity, They are not of one particular style, These guidelines will address the architectural integrity of the building, The design reviews process has been extremely helpful with the multiple-family projects, In the guidelines they attempted to address design, mass and scale and the architecture of the building and how it relates to the existing neighborhood, These guidelines unlike zoning regulations are less quantitative and provide for more flexibility when reviewing the plans. This will be a starting point and will give homeowners, architects and developers parameters. The proposal will be similar to the City's other design review process and be done administratively by staff and staff's decisions may be appealed to the Planning Commission and then to City Council. It is anticipated that there will be approximately 300 applications a year, excluding applications within the existing Homeowners Associations, If City Council decides to proceed, staff will prepare a text amendment requiring public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. It is anticipated these , guidelines will also be very helpful for the Homeowners Associations, Mr. Penman said that these guidelines will not be in conflict with the existing Homeowners Association resolution but will supplement them Chairman Baderian asked what would be the downside of architectural design review, Ms, Butler replied that there would be a need for a.additional staff person. It would take longer for plans to be approved and there would be a fee involved, The negative side' of architectural design review is the, time and money involved. There is some element of subjectivity that goes into reviewing designs, as far as what is appropriate and what is not. Ms. Butler indicated that the various cities'surveyed do things differently, Some review everything, including window change outs while others do not review minor changes, She remarked that the Planning Commission's comments will be forwarded to City Council. Mr, Penman added that some cities have design committees that review the'projects, He did not think that every aspect should be subject to design review such as window change outs, Mr. Nicholson, said that an example of incompatibility is when someone wants to use marble on the entire fa~e of a home, and right now staff can only express concern. With these guidelines in place, staff could require and right now staff can only express concern, In the Homeowners Association areas, the Homeowners Association can look at the impact on the neighborhood but that cannot be done in south Arcadia, Ms, Butler indicated that the design guidelines will discuss texture and forms, Currently, they can make suggestions but cannot enforce it. She felt one important.issue is the compatibility of the materials used with the neighborhood. Mr. Penman said that while they would like to provide options and alternatives, they would like to be flexible, Commissioner Olson colIl1lJented that he did not like architectural design review because it is very subjective, When the Homeowners Associations were originally established, all the homes were constructed about the same time, however, there are many different homes now, some old and some new, He did not like prohibiting items, However, he liked the idea of conveying to the applicants of what looks good and makes sense and will add value to the neighborhood, Currently, there is no Arcadia CityPlamting Commission 2 8/10/4 . . . consideration of how something will affect the neighborhood, He preferred to keep the review at staff leveL The Planning Commission suggested deleting item no, 4 under "Purpose" in the staff report, Commissioner Olson did not want anyone to maximize lot coverage. In response to comments by Commissioner Hsu, Ms,. Butler stated thai the most difficult part of architectural design review is that it is subjective. Mr, Nicholson added that it is a matter of considering the variables, And, Mr, Penman remarked that they do not want to penalize the new developer because of what may have existed in the neighborhood for a long time; such as a 50-year old bungalow. He went on to say that they would like to address mass and scale through this process, Ms. Butler remarked that certain materials do not go well with certain styles ofa home, They will be able to emphasize that point if these guidelines are adopted, The final report will incorporate photos and provide examples, She went on to say that she has seen a significant change and improvement since the reduction of the entry height. Mr, Penman indicated that sometimes a developer will add a feature above the entry which makes it seem, more massive aild with these guidelines in place they will be able to ask for an explanation, With regard to integrity of architectural details, Mr, Penman indicated that sometimes economics plays a part, ,He remarked that they will not prohibit the use of composition roofing in these areas. With regard to fences and walls, Commissioner Olson remarked that this is a bigger issue. Commissioner Wen inquired about utilizing bushes and hedges as fencing and Ms. Butler replied that the visibility standards come into play when the hedges obstruct view, Ms. Butler asked what the Planning Commission's position. was on the architectural design review and should everything be reviewed or minor issues such as window change outs did not need review, Mr, Penman suggested approving minor items at the counter. Commissioner Olson liked what was being proposed, He suggested that their comments be incorporated into a final report and be brought back for the Planning Commission to review at their September 14lh meeting so that they can make a final recommendation to City Council, Chairman Baderian suggested that staff make a 'threshold' recommendation at that meeting, Motion It was moved by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Lucas to review the. final architectural design review report at their September 14th meeting at which time a recommendation will be made to City CounciL Arcadia City P1anuing Commission 3 8/10/4 . . PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 7:00P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Planning Commission of the City of Arcadia met in,regular session on Tuesday, August 10,2004 at 7:00 p,m, in the Arcadia Council Chambers of the City of Arcadia, at 240 W. Huntington Dr, with Chairman Baderian presiding, OTHERS ATTENDING Community Development Administrator Donna Butler Planning Services Manager Corkran Nicholson Senior, Planner Lisa Flores Associate Planner Joseph Lambert Senior Administrative Assistant Silva Vergel MOTION It was moved by Commissioner Wen, seconded by Commissioner Hsu to read alhesolutions by title only and waive reading the full body of the resolution. The motion passed by voice vote with no one dissenting, SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM STAFF REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS Ms. Butler indicated that several letters were distributed regarding item 5 on the agenda, in favor of the request, There were also several letters of opposition distributed regarding item no, 4 on the agenda, TIME RESERVED FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON NON-PUBLICHEARINGMATI'ERS (5 MINUTE LIMIT PER iERSON) None 2. PUBllC)IEAIUNGMP2004-010 1050 W. FoothillBlvd, Lauren Mosler Consideration of modifications for a 1,259 sq, ft,.guesthouse illegally converted from a hobby room, The staff report was presented requesting continuance of the public haring, The public hearing was opened. No one spoke regarding this item. Arcadia City PlamJ..ing Commission 4 8/10/4 . . MOTION: It was moved by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Lucas to continue the public hearing to the Planning Commission's September 28th meeting, ROLL CALL: AYES: NOES: Commissioners Hsu, Lucas, Olson, Wen, Baderian None 3. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING MC 2004-038 939 Hampton Jeff Lee Consideration of an appeal of the Modification Committee's denial to legalize a combination wtoughtiron fence, gate and block piiasters, The staffrepon was,presented and thepubiic hearing was opened, Jeff Lee, 650 W, Huntington Dr" said that he modified the fence and now it is only 6" above code requirement. He asked the Planning Commission to approve it. No one else spoke in favor of or in opposition to this item, MOTION' It was moved by Commissioner Lucas, seconded by Commissioner Hsu to close the public hearing, The motion,passed by voice vote with no one dissenting, MOTION' It was moved by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Wen to approve MC 2004- 038 subject to the conditions in the staff report. ROLL CALL: AYES: NOES: Commissioners Hsu, Lucas, Olson, Wen, Baderian None Chairman Baderian noted that there is a five working day appeal period, Appeals are to be filed by August 17, 4. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING CUP 2004-010 2125 S. Baldwin Ave, Mike Ho Consideration of a conditional use permit arid architectural design review to construct an Arcadia City P1anning Commission' s 8/10/4 . . approximate 11,800 sq, ft, preschool building at the subject location. The applicant is also proposing an after school tutoring program within the proposed building, The staff report was presented. Staff recommended approval of the pre-school and denial of the after- school tutoring program. The public hearing was opened, Charles Chivetta, 106 E, Longden, spoke on behalf of the applicant, noting that the subject property is 300' south of Longden, This use is a permitted use in the R-l zone with an approved conditional use permit. There will be a playground, walkways and offstreet parking for 30 vehicles, The driveway has been designed such that the vehicles will come in and drop off or pick up and exit toward the south, Exiting cars will only be able to turn right, due to the median located on Baldwin, They feel they have ample parking; 14 for staff and the remainder for parents dropping off and picking up their children. The applicant would like to modify the original hours of operation to be open from 7:00 a.m, to 9:00 p.m" Monday-Friday, They are in agreement with the conditions listed in the staff report with the exception of the hours of operation, especially in light of the fact that the negative declaration states that there will be no sIgnificant negative impact, In answer to a question by Commissioner Lucas, Mr. Chivetta saidtbal the tutoring a~peci will be for children ages 7-14. It will be an after school type of program and they will be watched over until their parents pick them up, The 45 students for the tutoring would be in addition to the 156 preschool children. They would require 10 instructors for the tutoring, He explained that at 3:00 when there is a shift change, there woulifbeplenty of parking available so there would be no problem with parking, Mark Grinstead, 715 Pepperglen, distributed a hand out showing the traffic volume on Baldwin, To have a preschool so close to the comer of Pepperglen and Baldwin would be hazardous, It is very difficult for the residents of Pepperglen to turn on their street because the street is so close to Longden, They are fearful that they will get rear-ended, Baldwin Ave, is a major thoroughfare very close to the 10 FWY, with a speed limit of 40 MPH. It is always a challenge for them to enter and exit off of Pepperglen, This will pose even a greater risk, The entrance to the school will hold up and back up traffic on Baldwin while parents are dropping oft and picking up their children. There will be a line of cars and they will not be able to get to their homes, Apreschool of this nature should not be located on a heavily traveled street like this one, Nelly Rey, 2130 S, Baldwin, realized that a preschool is a permitted use in the R-l zone but she never imagined that her home would face a commercial establishment, Arcadia isa very desirable community but they will now be looking at a parking lot. She was also concerned about the safety of the children who would be attending a preschool on an extremely busy street. Their safety will constantly be compromised. Children can easily jump out ofa parked car and run out into the traffic if their parents' attention is not on them, This is an accident waiting to happen. She asked that the Planning Commission consider the consequence of this type of an accident on a child, not to mention the liability that the City would have, George Rey, 2130 S, Baldwin, concurred with his wife, This preschool will be in the middle of a residential neighborhood. He was concerned with the loss of property values, He envisioned a large parking lot right next to their carefully manicured lawn, He was concerned with potential law suits associated with auto accidents, graffiti, major negative environmental impact resulting from traffic and noise and the loss of their privacy; and with the traffic jams and accidents caused from egress and ingress from this narrow driveway coupled With people making u-turns to get to the school and the Arcadia city Planning Commission 6 8/10/4 . . pe{iestrian traffic crossing the street. There is a potential of death of children by distracted parents. These vehicles would also block. emergency vehicles from getting through. He thought that the only alternative is to abandon this idea and maintain the residential use, Wendell Nichols, 2025 S, Baldwin., said that he is not as close to the project as the previous speakers but he is concerned about traffic, Baldwin is used by large trucks and he can hear the accidents and usually there is no screeching of breaks, He thought that based on the vehicle code, the speed limit would be reduced to 25 MPH because of the school and that would mean he would be unable to get out of his driveway, This reduction in speed would have a significant impact on the area. Marilyn Hess, 2121 S, Baldwin., said that her property is directly to the north of this lot. Although, they have a Baldwin address, they enter their driveway through PeppergJen. There are several.homes that are off of Pepperglen, and the entire length of four of those backyards will be facing this use, Their days of peace and tranquility will be gone forever, This was never anticipated. They never thought that they would be facing a playground or a school. They will hear car doors opening and closing all day long, The hourS of operation are u:ilrealistic, A 'preschool should serve the community that it serves but the parents using this facility will more than likely be working in Los Angeles and this is a significant impact to have childrcndroppcdoff carly enough so these parents can get to work. This would,not be a safe environment for the children. The traffic on Baldwin is extremely fast and the homes on Pepperglen must access Baldwin to turn. She thought parents would park in front of her house to drop off their children, which would make it even harder for them to exit Pepperglen, Accidents will be inevitable; Oweta Traca1e, 6234 Rowland Ave" said that the school will be her view from her kitchen and she does not want to look at this, The proposal will reduce her property values, She wondered if the owner would comply.with State laws because of the applicant's poorreputation with complying with City laWs, This is a monstrosity not a preschool. Jin Ling, 2137 S. Baldwin., said she is the neighbor to the south and never received a public hearing notice. If her neighbors had not informed her of tonight's meeting, she would not have known, She has had problems with this owner who has caused damage to her property and failed to fix the damage and she wondered how she would be if this preschool was approved. The proposal will have a negative impact. In the beginning she thought that this might be a better use than having renters but she soon realized that they would be surrounded with high walls and no longer be able to hear the birds but will hear kiCls all day long, There will be traffic jams, This will bave a negative impact on their property values, The use will be a nuisance and deprive all the homeowners from the enjoyment of their properties. Prescbool and after school tutoring are two entirely different,businesses, She,remarkedthat she has never seen them operated together, There are ample tutoring centers in the area and none of tbem are filled to capacity, so wbyhave another one? She asked the Planning Commission to carefully consider this request and consider them in their decision making, Once this is approved, it will be much more difficult to overturn. Their approval of this use could have serious ramifications, Steve Day, 6214 Rowland Ave" was concerned about the traffic, They just renovated their borne because they want to stay in the area. A preschool would seriously infiinge on their home, He wondered if the Police Department had reviewed this proposal, He was also concerned with the facility being rented out after.hours and on weekends for dances, Arcadia City Planning Commission 7 811014 . . SUJ1IIl1er' Chung, 2201 S. Baldwin, commented that if this is approved, it will change the quality of their lives, This will no longer be a residential area, She thought they should focus on traffic and safety, Traffic will be dramatically increased, especially during peak hours of dropping off and picking up children, There is not enough parking at the site, 14 of which will be used by staff, Penple are in a rush in themomings and trying to get their kids off to school so they can get to work. They will park anywhere and this will be a cause for an accident; they will block driveways, park on the street, etc, This is not for the best interest of the preschoolers or residents, If approved, traffic will be non-stop and the residents will have to wait just so they can get out of their driveway. Every moming will be a hassle for them and the same issues will apply again in the evenings, She was concerned with how quickly safety vehicles could get to them in case of an emergency, She did not think that the economic interest of one property owner should negatively impact so many homeowners, Janice Parker, 9895 Wendon Ave" said that this will not be a small preschoOl. The property owner does not maintain the property, She.is illegally renting out the units. She was concerned about the health and the safety of the children, Teresa Gonzales, 708 Pepperglen, had concerns for traffic and urged the Planning Commission to visit Lhe area especially around 5:00 p,m, when everyone is going home. Their entire backyard will be looking into the back of this, This will affect the tranquility and safety of the neighborhood, This will not benefit the neighborhood or the community, Debbie Rodgers, 9896 Wendon, said she is in the child care field and has been for IS years, She is certified by the State and knows what the requirements are for a pre-school. Before this is approved, they need to look and see the requirements, This is not a preschool as defined by the State; it is a day care center. She thought that they are underestimating the staff needed for a preschool. For 156 students they would need to have one staff member for every 12 children, a director on site at all times, an administrator as well as a nutritionist/cook for the facility, all of whom must be certified and experienced. The parking will not be adequate for that many staff members, They will undoubtedly have food delivery, a gardener, other teachers and where will they park? Per State requirements, every parent must physically walk in with their child and sign them in and out and as explained above that would affect their parking, Min Zihu, 2209 S, Baldwin, noted that this is a predominantly residential neighborhood. This business will be there at the expe~ of all the residents and will negatively impact their quality of life, The major issue is the traffic, She also has heard the accidents and felt this would create an even more hazardous condition. This use will. unnecessarily congest Baldwin more. The safety of both the children and residents is an important issue. There are many seniors that live in theareac The'speed limit will have to be reduced. This site is too small for this type of a use, Gladys Oberholtz, 9891 E, Wendon, said that they live in a very quiet neighborhood and this is so important to them. The Planning Commission needs to realize that this will be a huge project for the area, The combination use is much more intense that everyone realizes, Their quality oflife and single- family setting should remain, Tri Luu, 726 W. Longden, said that they use Pepperglen to access their driveway, They are opposed to this, It is much too large and it will affect the peace and tranquility that they currently enjoy, He has children and they could probably go there but he would not want to affect all his neighbors just for his benefit. They do not need another school. He could envision all the balls that would land in their Arcadia City Plamliog Commission 8 8/10/4 . . b~kyards from kids at the school. The hours of operation are completely unreasonable and he was concerned that they would rent outtheir facility, Binh Luu, 726 W. Longden, stated having this project on a busy street will endanger the kids and she did not want a child to be hurt or even worse die and then the City consider closing the place down, They all want to live in a safe neighborhood, Traffic is bad on Baldwin and many times she has been honked at while trying to, turn on Pepperglen, even though she has her blinker on, The economic benefit of one should not harm or endanger a child, Meng-His Chou, 9887 Wendon, said that the preschool is unwelcome, dangerous, noisy and hoped that the Planning Commission will deny the request. Glen Fernandez, 2111 S, Baldwin, said that preschoolers do not need tutoring, They probably will bus in kids from other areas for that aspect of the business, He could visualize what the parking would be like on trash days. This will have a significant negative impact on their lives and inconvenience them. If approved, they will seriously consider moving to another City, Frank Ball, 726 Pepperglen, was in support of all the issues that have been raised, This is a peaceful neighborhood, The school will increase noise and compromise their safety as well as the children's and reduce property values. Robert Rafe, 643 W, Longden, concurred with all the points raised by his neighbors, This school will basically be in their backyard. This is a very busy intersection and will exacerbate an already bad situation, He was concerned about who would be burdened with the services that they would need and feared that they would be penalized when services go down. In rebuttal, Mr. Chivetta stated that the traffic along Baldwin would not be adversely impacted and based on his calculation it would increase by less than 5%. He could not see how this would affect property values, The buildings on the site are deteriorated. The safety of the children is very important to them and, they will see to their safety, The driveway will hold up to 6 cars, They will construct 6' high block walls aroUnd the perimeter of the property as well as install rubber matting to reduce noise from the playground. The mature trees would also help.buffer the noise. They are considering busing the children for the tutoring, He cited the accurate page numbers from the State code book relevant to them, No one else spoke regarding this item, MOTION: It was moved by Commissioner Hsu, seconded by Commissioner Lucas to close the public hearing. The motion passed by voice vote with no one dissenting, In answerto a question by Commissioner Lucas, Mr, Lambert said thatthe project was submitted before the new parking regulations went into effect. Commissioner Lucas was concerned about the tutorial aspect of the business, He was not satisfied with the assurances made relative to the design of the parking. Safety was of concern to him along Baldwin, Most schools have long driveways but this one does not have that feature. He believed the intent of the An:odia city Planning Commission 9 8/10/4 . . Code for nursery schools was for these types of businesses in single-family structures. But, this esSentially is a school campus in a residential zone, What would happen if the school would close? This is a great project but not at this location, Commissioner Wen thought the hours of operation were too long and the age span of the children is too large. In response to a question, Ms, Butler indicated that a traffic study has not been done, Commissioner Olson agreed with comments made by Commissioner Lucas, This is a nice project' but not at this site, There are many other alternatives for this property but this use is not right at this location. MOTION: It was moved by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Lucas to deny CUP 2004- 010, Chairman Baderian thanked the public for their attendance and said that the Planning Commission appreciates them taking their time to come to the meeting and express their concerns. The Planning Commission looks at each project seriously and takes into consideration the comments that are made, Hea1so thanked staff for the thorough staff report, ROLL CALL: AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: Commissioners Lucas, Olson, Wen, Baderian None Commissioner Hsu Chairman Baderian noted that there is a five working day appeal period after the adoption of the resolution. The resolution will be adopted on September i4, Appeals are to be filed by September 22, 5. PUBLIC HEARING CUP2004-011 1313 S, Baldwin Christine Yap Consideration of a Conditional Use Permit with a parkiilg modification to operate a children leaniing center that consists of play, music, art, ballet, and tap dancing classes for children that are. 6 months to 6 years of age within the existing 4,800 square foot. There will be a total of6 classes a day with a maximum of 12 .students in each class, business hours will be from 9:00 a,m. to 6:00 p,m" everyday. RESOLUTONNO, 1711 A resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Arcadia, California, granting CUP 2004-01Iwith a parking modification to allow a children-learning center within the existing 4,800 square foot unit at 1313 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia City Planning Commission 10 8/10/4 . . The staff report was presented In answer to a question by Commissioner Lucas, Ms, Flores said thatthe parking along Baldwin, Naomi and Duarte is part of a single development. The public hearing was opened, Christine Yap, 2120 EI Monte Ave" said she is in agreement with all of the conditions inthe staff report, There is no such facility in the area, Unlike the previous request, the parents will stay there until the children are done, This is similar to a "Mommy N Me" program and it is intended for children from 6 months to 6 years, No one else spoke in favor of or in opposition to this item. MOTION: It was moved by Commissioner Lucas, seconded by Commissioner Olson to close the public hearing. The motion passed by voice vote with no one dissenting, MOTION: It was moved by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Wen to approve CUP 2004- 011 subject to the conditions in the staff report and adopt Resolution No, 1711. ROLL CALL: AYES: NOES: Commissioners Hsu, Lucas, Olson, Wen, Baderian None CONSENT ITEM 6. MINUTES OF 7/27/4 MOTION: , It was-moved by Commissioner Olson, seconded by Commissioner Wen to approve the Consent item, ROLL CALL: AYES: NOES: Commissioners Hsu, Lucas, Olson, Wen, Baderian None MATTERS FROM CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION None Arcadia City Planning Commission 11 8110/4 . . . . Moi>IFICATION COMMITTEE MEETING ACTIONS Commissioner Olson summarized the Modification Committee actions, MATTERS FROMSTAEF I. CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS 2, PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEMS Ms, Butler said that a meeting has been schedUled on August 2f1l' at 6:30 p,m, for the general plan consistency study, Mr. Nicholson distributed copies of the DEIR for the Hillside project, ADJOURN TO AUGUST 31, 2004 9:05 p,m, IslDonna Butler Secretary, Arcadia Planning Commission , .'\rcadia City Planning Commission 12 8/10/4