HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017/11/14 - Agenda Packet
N OVEMBER 14,2017-7:00 P.M.
D ESIGN R EVIEW C OMMITTEE A GENDA
R AINS R OOM
C ITY H ALL
10500C IVIC C ENTER D RIVE
A. C ALL TO O RDER
Roll Call:Ray Wimberly
Rich Macias
Candyce Burnett
Donald Granger
Alternates:Lou Munoz
Rich Fletcher
Francisco Oaxaca
B.P UBLIC C OMMUNICATIONS
This is the time and place for the general public to address theCommitteeon any item listed
on the agenda. State law prohibits theCommitteefrom addressing any issue not previously
included on the Agenda. The Committee may receive testimony and set the matter for a
subsequent meeting.
Comments are to be limited to five minutes perindividual or less, as deemed necessary by
the Staff Coordinator, depending upon the number of individuals embers of the audience. This
is a professional businessmeeting and courtesy and decorum are expected. Please refrain
from any debate between audience and speaker, making loud noises or engaging in any
activity which might be disruptive to the decorum of the meeting.
C.P ROJECT R EVIEW I TEMS
The following items will be presented by the applicant and/or their representatives.Each
presentation and resulting period of Committee comment is limited to 20 minutes. Following
each presentation, the Committee will address major issues and make recommendations with
respect to theproject proposal. The Design Review Committee acts as an advisory Committee
to the Planning Commission. Their recommendations will be forwarded to the Planning
Commission as applicable. The following items do not legally require any public testimony,
although the Committee may open the meeting for public input.
C1.HILLSIDE DESIGN REVIEW DRC2015-00604–AARON SEMLER -A request for site plan and
architectural review of a 3,778 squarefoot, single-family residence on a 23,320 square foot lot
in the Hillside Overlay District of the Low Residential (L) District at 8089 Camino Predera -APN:
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N OVEMBER 14,2017-7:00 P.M.
D ESIGN R EVIEW C OMMITTEE A GENDA
R AINS R OOM
C ITY H ALL
10500C IVIC C ENTER D RIVE
0207-641-04. The project qualifies as a Class 3 exemption under Section 15303, of the
California Environmental Quality Act, which permits the construction of a single-family
residence in a residential zone.
C2.ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND DESIGN REVIEWDRC2017-00084 –DEDEAUX
PROPERTIES,LLC -A proposal to construct a 56,560squarefoot building for office, storage,
freight handling, shipping, trucking services and terminals on an 11.82 acre site located within
the Heavy Industrial (HI) District at the northwest corner of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
railway and Etiwanda Avenue at 8822 and 8768 Etiwanda Avenue -APNs: 0229-131-15, -16
and-26.
D.A DJOURNMENT
The Design Review Committee has adopted Administrative Regulations that set an 11:00 p.m.
adjournment time. If items go beyond that time, they shall be heard only with the consent of the Committee.
I,Jennifer Palacios,Office Specialist II withthe City of Rancho Cucamonga, or my designee,
hereby certify that a true, accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on day,
Thursday,November 2, 2017, seventy two(72) hours prior to the meeting perGovernment
Code 54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
Jennifer Palacios
Office Specialist II
City of Rancho Cucamonga
If you need special assistance or accommodations to participate in this meeting,
please contact the Planning Department at (909) 477-2750. Notification of 48 hours
prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure
accessibility. Listening devices are available for the hearing impaired.
Page 2of 2
DESIGN REVIEW COMMENTS
7:00p.m.Tabe van der ZwaagNovember 14, 2017
HILLSIDE DESIGN REVIEW DRC2015-00604–AARON SEMLER-A request for site plan and
architectural review of a3,778 square foot,single-family residence on a 23,320 square foot lot
in the Hillside Overlay District of the Low Residential (L) District at 8089 Camino Predera -APN:
0207-641-04.The project qualifies as a Class 3 exemption under Section 15303,ofthe
California Environmental Quality Act, which permits the construction of a single-family residence
in a residential zone.
BACKGROUND
Project Setting:The 23,320 square foot vacant project site is located on the south side of
Camino Predera and southof Red Hill Country Club Drive, in the Low (L) Residential District
and within the Hillside Overlay District. The property dimensions are approximately 66 feet
along the north property line, 227 feet along the east property line,243 feet along the west
property lineand 135 feet along the south property line.The downslope lot has anelevation of
1,321 feet as measured at the curb face along the north property line and an elevation of 1,270
at the south property line, for a total grade change of 51 feet from the north to south property
lines. The site is covered in short grasses andis bordered by vacant lots to the east and west
and by the Pacific Electric trail to the south. Thestreet improvements have been installed along
Camino Predera,except street trees and parkway landscaping.
Project Overview:The applicant is requesting to construct a 3,778 square footthree-story,
single-family residence on the project site. The proposed grading includes up to 9feet of cut/fill,
which necessitates that the project bereviewed and approved by the Planning Commission.
The additional cut/fill is necessary due to the steepness of the lot and the fact that there is a
small ridge running down the center of the lot. During the review process, the applicant has
worked to lower the height of the structure,as seen from Camino Predera,in ordertoreduce
view obstruction as seen fromtheresidences to the north.
ANALYSIS
Architecture:The proposed residence has a contemporary design theme,which includes a flat
roof, smooth troweled stucco finish, vertical varnished cedar siding accents,cable railings anda
glass and aluminum garage door. The residence was designed to be compliant with the Hillside
Design Guidelines (Section 17.122.020.D.2), including minimizing view obstructions by utilizing
a flat roof and increased side yard setbacks. The building mass is broken up though multiple
wall plane changes and the incorporation of exterior decksalong the east and west elevations.
The residence will be painted earth tone colors, meeting another Hillside Design Guideline,
accented with the natural cedar wood siding and will be in keeping with the existing residences
along Camino Predera, which include a variety of architectural styles.
Theproposed 3,778 square foot residence consists of a1,235 square foot upper level which
includes the main living area, the 1,595 square foot middle level which includes 3 bedrooms and
an office,and the 948 square foot lower levelwhichincludes a guest bedroom and theater, for a
total living area of 3,378 square feet.The upper 2 levels each include wrap around decks along
the east and south elevations.
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DRC COMMENTS
HILLSIDE DESIGN REVIEW DRC2015-00604
AARON SEMLER
November 14, 2017
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The upper levelalso includes a two-car garage facing Camino Predera, with a second side
entrance two-car garage located on the middle level,which is accessed by acurving driveway
with an up to 20 percent grade. Hillside Development Standard 17.122.020.C.1.d. states that
driveways with grades up to 20 percent are permitted when they are aligned with the natural
contours of the lot and are necessary to achieve site design goals. The driveway to the lower
garage follows the existing grade of the lot and placesthe additional garage space below street
level, thereby reducing the bulk of the residence as seen from Camino Predera and limiting view
obstructions.
The size of the residence is in keeping with homes constructed along Camino Predera since the
year 2000, whichrange in size from 3,628 square feet to 4,896 square feet. The homes on the
north side of Camino Predera constructed prior to the year 2000 average approximately 2,400
square feet in size.
Low Residential DistrictCode Compliance:The project complies with the requirements of the
Low (L) District. The required front yard setback is 37 feet (plus or minus 5 feet), the required
side yard setbacksare 5 and 10 feet and the required rear yard setback is 20 feet. The
proposed front yard setback is 33 feet, the side yard setbacksare 8 feet-9 inchesand 20 feet,
and the rear yard setback is 144 feet.Lot coverage is 11 percent, below the maximum permitted
lot coverage of40 percent. The overall building height is 30feet, which is at the maximum
permitted 30-foot height limit within the Hillside Overlay District. The proposed residence,as
measured abovecurb face onCamino Predera,ranges in height from 4 to just over 8 feet,due
to the falling grade of Camino Predera. The roof plan includes a 4-foot high elevator shaft and a
2-foot highchimney, both of which are exempt for the 30-foot height limit per Development
Code Section 17.34.030.C.
Hillside Development Code Compliance:The project complies with the intent of the Hillside
Overlay District, which seeksto facilitate appropriate development of hillside areas. The project
site is a downslope lot with an elevation change of approximately 51 feet from the north to south
property lines. The applicant has proposed anumber of renditions of potential layoutand
grading designs during the review process.The previous designs included a larger residence
and a grading design with multiple retaining walls.
Retaining Walls:The current design reduces the required retaining wallstoa4-foot retaining
walladjacent to the southern edge of the driveway to the lower two-car garage space and two 4-
foot high retaining wallsnecessaryto construct short stairwayson each size of the residence
from walkways adjacent to the side property lines.Each of the retaining walls will be constructed
of fawn colored split face block. Hillside Development Section17.122.020.J.ii permits up to 4-
foot high retaining walls down slope from the residence.
Perimeter Walls and Fencing:The applicant proposes 6-foot highblock wallswith a smooth
stucco finish to match the residence along the east and west property linesand openwrought
iron fencing along the south property line. The proposed perimeter walls are in keeping with
Hillside Design Guideline Sections 17.122.020.E., which encouragesthe use of open-view
fencing and having walls that integrate the materials and colors used on the residence.
Grading:The proposedgrading design limits earth work to 158 cubic yards of export from the
projectsite, with the majority of the export necessary to lower the height of the residence as
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DRC COMMENTS
HILLSIDE DESIGN REVIEW DRC2015-00604
AARON SEMLER
November 14, 2017
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seen from Camino Predera. Earthwork was alsoreduced inthe rear yard area to that necessary
to construct an18-foot deep patio and a swimming pool. The remainder of the rear yardarea
has mostly been left undisturbed. The foundation of the residence was stepped with the
existing grade,with the upper pad at an elevation of 1,310 feet and the lower padat an
elevation of 1,301,in conformance with Hillside Design Section 17.122.020.D.1.a,,to terrace the
building to follow the slope.Stepping the foundation necessitated the use of an up to 9-foot high
retaining wall as part ofthe foundation of the residence, which is in conformance with Hillside
Design Section17.122.020.G.1.j.iv., which permits retaining walls over 8 feet that are an
integral part of the structure.
Building Envelope Analysis:Hillside Design Section 17.122.020.D.1.C. requires that residences
in the Hillside Overlay Districtbe designed to fit within a 30-foot high building envelope. The
applicant has provided two north-south and two east-west cross-sectionswith building
envelopes demonstrating compliance with the 30-foot height requirement.
View Analysis: The Development Code does not include a view preservation ordinance, though
the applicant has designed the residence to limit view obstructions as seen from Camino
Predera. The residence has a maximumheight of just over8 feet above the adjacent street curb
and is below the existing residences on the north side of Camino Predera.The residence further
reduces view obstructions through the use of a flat roofdesignhaving onlyatwo-car garage at
street level and using cable railings on the decks. Additionally, inconformance with Hillside
DesignSection 17.122.020.D.2.,theresidencehas increased side yard setbacks to avoid the
appearance of overbuilding or crowding and to minimizeview obstructions.
Landscape:Theproposed landscaping is designed to comply with Hillside Development
Section 17.122.020.F. including the use of drought tolerant landscaping to protect slopes from
erosion and planting shrubs to soften the views of the downslope elevations. The project is not
within the High Fire Hazard Zone or within a wildland-urban interrace area. Theproposed
landscaping also complies with the front yard landscape requirements,including reducing
hardscape to less than 50 percent of the front yard area. Landscaping therear half of the lots is
designed to minimize grading and includes the planting ofa citrus grove. The rear yard includes
a cobblestone swale and an infiltrationbasin to comply with Water Quality Management Plan
(WQMP) requirements.
Neighborhood Meeting: The applicant held a neighborhood meeting in the Rains Room at City
Hall on August 17,2017, with approximately 20 peoplein attendance.The applicant’s architect
provided an overview of the project and fielded questions. The questions were mostly directed
towards the technical details of the project including the height of the structure, the height of the
retaining walls, the size of the residence, the earth work quantitiesand the type of landscaping
proposed in the front and side yard areas. The overarchingconcern raised was the potential
view loss created by the height and size of the proposed residence andby the proposed
landscaping. The existing residents stated that their concerns were driven by the newer
residencesalong Camino Prederathat were approved over the last 15 years, which they felt
werenot in keeping with the intent of the Hillside Overlay District and with the older residences
in the area.
DESIGN COMMENTS
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DRC COMMENTS
HILLSIDE DESIGN REVIEW DRC2015-00604
AARON SEMLER
November 14, 2017
Page 4
Staff Comments: Staffis in support of the architectural, site and grading designfor the proposed
3,778 square foot residence.The project conforms with theDevelopment Codeand the Hillside
Design Standards and Guidelines,including providing a grading designthatbalances the
requirement to reduce cut and fill to the greatest extent possible and to reducethe height of the
structureto limit view obstructions as seen from theresidencesto the north. The proposed
design reduces the height of the structureto just over 8 feet above thecurb face on Camino
Prederaand includesside yard setbacksthat exceed the minimum requirement, also enhancing
the views as seen from Camino Predera. The residence is well-designed and carries the design
theme to all elevations,including providing wall plane articulation. The residence is stepped
with the existing grade and includes a garage on the middle level, further reducingthe overall
bulkas seen from Camino Predera.Earthwork is limited to 158 cubic yards of export and
grading is limited to the area necessary to construct the residence, driveway and patio/pool area
to the south of the residence. The rear yard is left mostly undisturbed and is proposed to be
planted with citrus trees. The proposed design does not require Variances or Minor Exceptions
and is in keeping with the more recent residences constructedalong Camino Predera.
Major Issues:None
Secondary Issues:None
Staff Recommendation:Staff recommends that the Committeereview the project andprovide
comments as warranted. If the Committee finds the project acceptable, staff recommends that it
be forwarded to the Planning Commission for review and action.
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DESIGN REVIEW COMMENTS
7:00 p.m.Dominick PerezNovember 14, 2017
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND DESIGN REVIEW DRC2017-00084–DEDEAUX
PROPERTIES,LLC -A proposal to construct a 56,560square foot building for office, storage,
freight handling, shipping, trucking services and terminals on an 11.82 acre site located within the
Heavy Industrial (HI) District at the northwest corner of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway and
Etiwanda Avenue at 8822 and 8768 Etiwanda Avenue -APNs: 0229-131-15, -16 and -26.
Project Site and Surrounding Land Uses: Theproject site is arectangular-shaped property
consisting of fiveparcels with a combined area of 11.82 acres with dimensions of about 1,265 feet
(east to west) and about 435 feet (north to south). Itis partially developed with a materials recovery
facility that occupiesthe western 6.12 acres of the property. The remaining 5.17 acres on the
eastern portion of the site are currently vacant.The site has an irregular boundary along Etiwanda
Avenue due to a separate parcel (APN: 0229-131-07) that is not a part of the proposed project.
Within this parcel isa hydraulic service and parts manufacturer (Bernell Hydraulics).The site has
an interrupted street frontage along Etiwanda Avenue due to this parcel. This results in a street
frontage that is separated into two parts with a combined length of 285 feet.
The project site is boundby the Georgia Pacific warehousefacilityto the northwhile to the south, on
the opposite side of the railroad, is the Etiwanda Power Generating Station. On the opposite side of
Etiwanda Avenue are legal, non-conforming single-family residences, a truck storage business, and
a bail bonds office. Gerdau, a steel rebar manufacturingfacility is to the west. The subject property
andthe properties to the north, south and west are located within the Heavy Industrial (HI) District.
The propertiesto the eastare ineither the Heavy Industrial (HI) or General Industrial (GI) Districts.
Architecture and Site Planning:The applicant proposes to construct a commercial trucking
facility.The project includes the construction of a 56,560 square foot truck terminal/office building, a
parking lot with ninety(90) vehicle parking spaces, one hundred forty-four(144) trailer parking
spaces and onsite landscaping.
The proposedbuilding, which is centrally located on the subject site, is divided into two areas. The
easterly 10,000 square feet of the building contains a two-story officearea. The remaining 46,560
square feet of the buildingwill be used as a trucking terminal.The building will have a maximum
height of37feet and 6inches and will be setback over 300feet from Etiwanda Avenue. Thebuilding
willbe constructed of concrete tilt up walls that will incorporate smooth and sandblasted corrugated
formliner exterior finishes,a large glass storefront entrancealong the building’s front (west)
elevation, glass windows with metal awningsalong the office area elevations, decorative reveal
lines, and one hundred one (101) dock doorsalong the north and south elevations of the trucking
terminal portion of the building.
Access to the site will be via Etiwanda Avenue. The site plan indicates a total of twovehicular
access pointsat Etiwanda Avenue; one adjacent to the employee and visitor parking area within the
northeastern corner of the site and the second adjacent to the employee parking area within the
southeastern corner of the site. The siteplan also indicates both driveway entrances will have
decorative stamped concrete. The employee and visitor parking areas will have a total of ninety (90)
vehicle parking spaces. The trucking terminal area will have a total of one hundred forty-four (144)
trailer parking spaces. Based on the proposed office, storage and distribution uses, their square
footages, the number of dock doorsand the parking standards specified in Section 17.64 of the
Development Code, a total of seventy-two(72) vehicle parking spaces and one hundred one (101)
trailer parking spaces are required. Therefore, the project complies with the City’s parking
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DRC2017-00084–DEDEAUX PROPERTIESLLC
November 14, 2017
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requirements.The loading and trailer parking area will be screened from public view by an
architecturally compatible 8-foot tallconcretewall and rolling gate. For security purposes, an 8-foot
tall chain link fence will be installed around the north, south and west perimeter of the trailer parking
area.
The proposed site plan and conceptual landscape plan indicate approximately 89,000 square feet
(eleven percent) of the project site will incorporate landscaping. A total of one hundred thirty-one
(131) trees are proposed throughout the project; one hundred one (101) along the north, south and
west perimeter of the property and thirty-one (31) throughout the employee and visitor parking areas
and along the Etiwanda Avenue street frontage. Per Section 17.36.040 of the Development Code,
industrial projects within the Heavy Industrial (HI) District shall incorporate a minimum of ten percent
landscaping.Therefore, the project complies with the City’s landscape requirements.
The conceptual grading and drainage plan showsthe location ofan existing railroad spuronsite,
which enters the property at the site’s southeast corner from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
railway.Since the commercial trucking facility will not require rail access, the project was not
designed to incorporate the spur. Therefore, the spuris proposed to be abandoned. However,
because the Development Code requires rail service access to be provided forrail adjacent
properties,the applicant has provided a conceptual rail spur design. The conceptual rail spur design
will allow future occupants of the site the option of adding a rail spur, should their business plan
require rail access.
Lastly, the project includes street improvements for the remaining unimproved portion of Etiwanda
Avenue that abuts the project site. This includes the street, curb, gutter, sidewalkand street lighting.
Staff Comments:Staff supports the proposed site layout and overall design of the proposed project.
The building itself consists of visually-interesting façades which meet the City’s 360-degree design
standards. The project provides adequate employee and visitor parking as well as truck trailer
parking for the project site. The project is in compliance with all other Development Code
requirements, including building setbacks, building height, landscape coverage andscreening.
Major Issues: The following broad design issues will be the focus of Committee discussion
regarding this project:
1.None.
Secondary Issues: Once all of the major issues have been addressed, and time permitting, the
Committee will discuss the following secondary design issues:
1.None.
Policy Issues: The following items are a matter of Planning Commission policy and should be
incorporated into the project design without discussion:
1.All Double Detector Checks (DDC) and Fire Department Connections (FDC) required and/or
proposed shall be installed at locations that are not within direct view or line-of-sight of the
main entrance. The specific locations of each DDC and FDC shall require the review and
approval of the Planning Department and Fire Construction Services/Fire Department. All
DDC and FDC shall be screened behind a 4-foot high block wall and appropriate
landscaping. These walls shall be constructed of similar material used on-site to match the
building.
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DRC2017-00084–DEDEAUX PROPERTIESLLC
November 14, 2017
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2.All ground-mounted equipment, including utility boxes, transformers, and back-flow devices,
shall be surrounded by a minimum of two rows of shrubs spaced a minimumof 18 inches
on-center. All ground-mounted equipment shall be painted dark green except as directed
otherwise by the Fire Department.
3.The employee break area shall have an overhead trellis with cross members spaced no
more than 18 inches on center with minimum dimensions of 4 inches by 12 inches. Each
support column shall have a decorative base that incorporates the architectural design and
finishes/trim used on the building. The trellis shall be painted to match the building, and
tables, chairs/benches,and waste receptacles shall be provided.
4.All wrought iron fences and sliding gates shall be painted black or similarly dark color.
Where tubular steel wrought iron sliding gates are used, they shall be backed by solid or
perforated metal sheeting painted to match the fence or gate.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends that the project be forwarded to the Planning
Commission for final review and action.
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