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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-02-26 - Minutes - PC Workshop`r FEBRUARY 26, 2020 PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES RAINS ROOM RANCHO CUCAMONGA CIVIC CENTER 10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA A. CALL TO ORDER 3econvened meeting at 7:37pm Roll Call: Chairman Guglielmo _x_ Vice Chairman Oaxaca _x_ Commissioner Dopp _x_ Commissioner Morales _x Commissioner Williams x Additional Staff Present: Anne McIntosh, Planning Director; Mike Smith, Principal Planner; David Eoff, Sr. Planner,• Elizabeth Thornhill, Executive Assistant. B. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS This is the time and place for the general public to address the Planning Commission on any item listed or not listed on the agenda. State law prohibits the Commission from addressing any issue not previously included on the Agenda. The Commission may receive testimony and set the matter for a subsequent meeting. Comments are to be limited to five minutes per individual or less, as deemed necessary by the Chair, depending upon the number of individual members of the audience. This is a professional business meeting 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. Chairman Gughelmo opened the public communications. Seeing none, closed C. DISCUSSION ITEMS PLANNING COMMISSION C1, PRE -APPLICATION REVIEW DRC2019-00961 — GH PALMER ASSOCIATES — A pre -application review of a proposed mixed use project on a vacant property with an area of 14.57 acres located on the east side of Haven Avenue between 4ch Street and Page 1 of 6 `r FEBRUARY 26, 2020 PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES RAINS ROOM RANCHO CUCAMONGA CIVIC CENTER 10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA Trademark Parkway North in the Industrial Park (IP) District, Haven Avenue Overlay District; APN: 0210-081-41. Mike Smith, Principal Planner, provided an overview of the project site. David Eoff, Sr. Planner, presented a PowerPoint presentation starting with a refresher of the project. Drue Marshall, Vice President, G.H. Palmer and Associates, presented PowerPoint slideshow of developed projects in Los Angeles, Inland Empire areas and upcoming future projects. Reviewed introductions of their vision for Rancho Cucamonga. Plans to develop 603 residential units at this site with commercial space on corner of Haven. Commissioner Williams stated she likes the project but not at this site location. Commissioner Dopp stated he is thinking more of mixed use and asked if they would be open to an office component. Steven Fink, CIO answered they are open to the idea and not opposed to it. Commissioner Morales asked if the project met the parking requirements. Staff explained that it does not meet the code required parking and that the applicant would be submitting a parking study. Vice Chair Oaxaca stated he would like to see more opportunities for internal pedestrian circulation between the two main buildings. Also, doing away with walls along the peripheral will make a difference. Regarding the bridge structure at main central entrance, it takes people off street level. He understands in some scenarios it works, like in downtown areas but he does not believe it will work here. It reduces that action at pedestrian level. In addition, he would like to see more clearly how they plan for some of the potential public transit connection that are not confined yet. His final comment is creating a design," This is Rancho Cucamonga" across Fourth Street, more of a connection into the project. The residential buildings need to provide more reasons for residents to go to the ground level - with as many amenities at street level as possible. Page 2 of 6 FEBRUARY 26, 2020 PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES RAINS ROOM RANCHO CUCAMONGA CIVIC CENTER 10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA Chair Guglielmo asked applicants are they wanting to move forward with this project. Commissioners are here to provide them with feedback. Do they feel they received good feedback up to this point. Do they feel there is a demand for this type of project in the City. Drue Marshall, Vice President answered yes. Commissioners asked about the current zoning for industrial. Is mixed use the direction General plan is heading. Mike Smith answered, yes and that this is in the scope of the next generation update of the General Plan. Chair Guglielmo stated, regarding the parking. He asked if they think parking is adequate. How does the City feel about the parking reduction. Anne McIntosh answered what they will have to do at the next level is have an inter- departmental meeting and talk to Engineering about parking and issues of where the access levels are and curb cuts and interior circulation, those are some of the details they need to work out next. Chair Guglielmo asked about the "bus stop to be relocated" and what it means. Steven Fink, CIO answered on the south edge of the property, there is a little area at the bus stop and it would be their desire to slide it more over to the north of the building so the bus does not stop right in front of the restaurant. Commissioner Williams inquired if they are making accommodations for children. Steven Fink, CIO answered they have a "tot' lot in their plans, although not fully designed yet. Commissioners mentioned the project needs to clearly connect to the surrounding streets - Trademark, Haven and 4th - and the larger neighborhood in an intentional way. "Connect' means pedestrian, vehicular, transit, massing, and visual connections. Notches should be designed into the exterior elevations for small courtyards, parklets, and other green space. Page 3 of 6 FEBRUARY 26, 2020 PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES RAINS ROOM RANCHO CUCAMONGA CIVIC CENTER 10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA Small office spaces should front Haven Avenue and replace currently proposed retail uses wherever possible. The comer of 4th and Haven needs to have a focal architectural feature. This can be accomplished by putting a more urban building right up at the comer, putting a tall architectural element there. Restaurants should have at least one "front' on the street sides - accomplished with outdoor dining areas and other visual cues Restaurants at this site should fill the current void of high -end "white linens" restaurants. Outdoor gathering spaces should be enhanced for both restaurant goers, but also around the bus stop/future BRT stop. Sidewalks and parkways around the perimeter of the project need to be wide and designed to feel safe to traffic, but also inviting to the interior of the project. No walls along the perimeter that act as barriers. Avoid design features that are unwelcoming to visitors. Make it inviting and impressive. Ratio of residential to retail did not seem appropriate, in comparison it appears to be too much residential. Commissioner Oaxaca stated in closing, to reiterate as they look at the project again, if they are open to mixed used, sustainability, small office, it would be something for them to consider. Steven Fink, CIO thanked Commissioners for their time. He stated it was important for them to come in and get their ideas. Although, received mixed perception. He stated if Commissioners do not collectively think this is the type of project that will fit at this location, they want to know now. He hopes Commissioners will see them as a different applicant and not to expect that they will make more than one revised proposal. Chairman Guglielmo stated he hopes they received good guidance and feedback and suggested for them to rely on Staffs expertise. Page 4 of 6 FEBRUARY 26, 2020 PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES RAINS ROOM RANCHO CUCAMONGA CIVIC CENTER 10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA Commissioners made their suggestions and recommendations and look forward to a second workshop for a more detailed overview. D. ADJOURNMENT was adjonrnerl nt 9:25pm I, Elizabeth Thornhill, Executive Assistant of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, or my designee, hereby certify that a true, accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on Thursday, February 20, 2020 seventy-two (72) hours prior to the meeting per Government Code 54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive. 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. INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE PLANNING COMMISSION The Planning Commission encourages free expression of all points of view. To allow all persons to speak, given the length of the agenda, please keep your remarks brief. If others have already expressed your position, you may simply indicate that you agree with a previous speaker. If appropriate, a spokesperson may present the views of your entire group. To encourage all views and promote courtesy to others, the audience should refrain from clapping, booing or shouts of approval or disagreement from the audience. The public may address the Planning Commission on any agenda item. To address the Planning Commission, please come forward to the podium located at the center of the staff table. State your name for the record and speak into the microphone. After speaking, please sign in on the clipboard located next to the speaker's podium. It is important to list your name, address and the agenda item letter your comments refer to. Comments are generally limited to 5 minutes per individual. If you wish to speak concerning an item not on the agenda, you may do so under "Public Comments." There is opportunity to speak under this section prior to the end of the agenda. Any handouts for the Planning Commission should be given to the Planning Commission Secretary for distribution to Page 5 of 6 I CUrCUHr%I Lv9 LVLU PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES RAINS ROOM RANCHO CUCAMONGA CIVIC CENTER 10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA the Commissioners. A copy of any such materials should also be provided to the Secretary to be used for the official public record. All requests for items to be placed on a Planning Commission agenda must be in writing. Requests for scheduling agenda items will be at the discretion of the Commission and the Planning Director. AVAILABILITY OF STAFF REPORTS Copies of the staff reports or other documentation to each agenda item are on file in the offices of the Planning Department, City Hall, located at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730. These documents are available for public inspections during regular business hours, Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except for legal City holidays. APPEALS Any interested party who disagrees with the City Planning Commission decision may appeal the Commission's decision to the City Council within 10 calendar days. Any appeal filed must be directed to the City Clerk's Office and must be accompanied by a fee of $2,793 for all decisions of the Commission. (Fees are established and governed by the City Council). Please turn off all cellular phones and pagers while the meeting is in session. Copies of the Planning Commission agendas, staff reports and minutes can be found at www.CityofRC.us. Page 6 of 6