Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015/10/20 - Agenda Packet THE CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA t, DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE L%r+J AGENDA RANCHO CUCAMONGA October 20, 2015 - 7:00 P.M. • Rancho Cucamonga Civic Center Rains Room 10500 Civic Center Drive Rancho Cucamonga, California I. CALL TO ORDER Roll Call Regular Members: Richard Fletcher_ Francisco Oaxaca Candyce Burnett _ Donald Granger Alternates: Ray Wimberly_ Lou Munoz_ Rich Macias II. PROJECT REVIEW ITEMS 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 the project 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. A. MINOR DESIGN REVIEW DRC2014-00893 — PETE VOLBEDA — A request for site plan and architecture review of a 7,302 square foot two- story single-family residence and an attached 1,012 square foot garage on a 25,273 square foot lot located in the Very Low (VL) Zoning District at 9251 loamosa Court; APN: 1061-611-15. VARIANCE DRC2014-00894—PETE VOLBEDA—A request to reduce the rear yard setback related to the construction of a single-family residence on a project site located in the Very Low (VL) Zoning District (.1 to 2 dwelling units per acre) at 9251 loamosa Court; APN: 1061-611-15. 1 of 2 to V DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE AGENDA RANCHO CUCAMONGA October 20, 2015 B. TENTATIVE TRACT MAP SUBTT19945 - FOOTHILL & EAST, LLC - A tentative tract map for a proposed 193 unit multi-family apartment project with a potential future retail component on a 7.95 acre site located at the northwest corner of Foothill Boulevard and East Avenue; APN's: 1100-201-03, 04 and 07. Related Files: Design Review DRC2014-01130, Zoning Map Amendment DRC2014-01131, General Plan Amendment DRC2014-01133, Tree Removal Permit DRC2014-01134, and Uniform Sign Program DRC2015-00318. DESIGN REVIEW DRC2014-01130- FOOTHILL& EAST, LLC—A design review of a proposed 193 unit multi-family apartment project with a potential future retail component on a 7.55 acre site located at the north west corner of Foothill Boulevard and East Avenue; APN's: 1100-201-03, 04 and 07. TREE REMOVAL PERMIT DRC2014-01134-FOOTHILL&EAST, LLC-A request to remove trees in conjunction with a proposed 193 unit multi- family apartment project with a potential future retail component on a 7.55 acre site located at the north west corner of Foothill Boulevard and East . Avenue; APN's: 1100-201-03, 04 and 07. III. PUBLIC COMMENTS This is the time and place for the general public to address the Committee. State law prohibits the Committee from addressing any issue not previously included on the Agenda. The Committee may receive testimony and set the matter for a subsequent meeting. Comments are limited to five minutes per individual. . IV. ADJOURNMENT 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. 1, Jennifer Palacios, Office Specialist II with the Planning Department for the City of Rancho Cucamonga, hereby certify that a true, accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on October 8, 2015, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting per Government Code Section 54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga. 2 of 2 DESIGN REVIEW COMMENTS 7:00 p.m. Tabe van der Zwaag October 20, 2015 MINOR DESIGN REVIEW DRC2014-00893 — PETE VOLBEDA —A request for site plan and architecture review of a 7,302 square foot two-story single-family residence and an attached 1,012 square foot garage on a 25,273 square foot lot located in the Very Low (VL) Zoning District (.1 to 2 dwelling units per acre) at 9251 loamosa Court; APN: 1061- 611-15. VARIANCE DRC2014-00894 — PETE VOLBEDA — A request to reduce the rear yard setback related to the construction of a single-family residence on a project site located in the Very Low (VL) Zoning District (.1 to 2 dwelling units per acre) at 9251 loamosa• Court; APN: 1061-611-15. Project Proposal: The applicant proposes constructing a 7,302 square foot two-story single-family residence with an attached 1,055 square foot garage on a 25,273 square foot lot at the end of the cul-de-sac on loamosa Court. The project includes a Variance to reduce the required 60 foot rear yard setback to 30 feet. Staff supports the Variance request as the approved Tentative Tract Map (SUBTT16461) for all the homes along the loamosa Court including a Variance (DRC2003-00902) which reduced the required 200- foot lot depth. The subject lot is approximately 122 feet deep along the north property line and 188 feet deep along the east property line, making it difficult to design a residence without the requested rear yard setback reduction. There is a 15-foot wide equestrian trail easement along the south and west property lines and the Site Plan shows the required 24 x 24-foot horse corral area. There is a 12- foot wide utility easement along the east property line. The proposed front setback is 44 feet frdm the curb face in excess of the 42-foot minimum front yard setback. The proposed side yard setbacks are 16 feet and 19 feet, in excess of the 10/15-foot minimum side yard setback. The structure is approximately 28 feet tall, below the maximum permitted 35-foot height limit. Lot coverage is 23 percent, below the maximum permitted 25 percent lot coverage - Staff Comments: Staff is pleased with the overall design of the residence. The Mediterranean architectural theme and wall plane articulation is carried to all elevations. The project conforms to all Development Code requirements except for the previously discussed Variance for a reduction in the required rear yard setback. Major Issues: None Secondary Issues: None Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Design Review Committee forward the project to the Planning Commission for final as presented. Design Review Committee Action: Members Present: • Staff Planner: DESIGN REVIEW COMMENTS 7:00 p.m. Tabe van der Zwaag October 20, 2015 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW DRC2014-01130 - FOOTHILL & EAST, LLC - A request for site plan and architectural review of a 193 unit multi-family residential development with the potential for 3,246 square feet of commercial space for a site located on 7.95 acres of land within the Community Commercial (CC) Zoning District at the northwest corner of Foothill Boulevard and East Avenue; APN's: 1100-201-03, 04 and 07.. Related Files: Tentative Tract Map SUBTT19945, Zoning Map Amendment DRC2014-01131, Tree Removal Permit DRC2014-01134 and Uniform Sign Program DRC2015-00318. Project Overview: The applicant is requesting to construct a 193 unit multi-family residential development on 7.95 acres of land at the northwest corner of Foothill Boulevard and East Avenue. The project includes a 3,246 square foot area that can be converted from the proposed residential use (3 one bedroom units) to leasable commercial tenant space in the future. A Tentative Tract Map (SUBTT19945) is included with the project for the creation of a one lot condominium map. The project site currently has a zoning designation of Community Commercial (CC) and a General Plan land use designation of General Commercial (GC). The City is in the process of initiating a General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation to Mixed-Use. The project includes a request to change the zoning designation from Community Commercial to Mixed-Use, in conformance with the proposed General Plan land use designation. The Development Code does not currently include development standards for mixed-use development. The City Council is scheduled to review proposed Mixed-Use Development Standards at the October 21, 2015 City Council meeting. The project has been designed to conform to the new Mixed-Use Standards except for parking and the required mix of uses, which is discussed further below. • The project is designed with units directly facing Foothill Boulevard and East Avenue, with one gated vehicle entrance provided on each street frontage. The leasing office and major recreation facility are located near the center of the project site, at the terminus of the Foothill Boulevard vehicle entrance. The buildings have a contemporary appearance and include a variety of building types and configurations. The building elevations are accentuated through the use of four-story tower elements, patios/balconies, which provide variation in the wall and roof planes. The project is made up of a single-story retail/residential building along with two, three and four-story residential buildings. The project includes a mix of 72 one-bedroom units, 107 two-bedroom units and 14 three- bedroom units, The units range in size from 774 to 1,352 square feet. Each unit includes a private courtyard or balcony that range in size from 65 square feet to 120 square feet. Parking is provided in enclosed garages, in carports and through the use of open surface parking. The onsite recreational amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center, pool and spa, a tot lot, dog park, and an open play area. Landscaped seating areas are provided adjacent to each of the residential buildings. The recreational amenities are easily accessible to each of the units and centrally located. An additional courtyard is provided at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and East Avenue, adjacent to the commercial tenant space. The outdoor common open spaces, vehicle entrances and pedestrian crossings each include enhanced paving and landscaping. Parking Analysis: The project provides 384 parking spaces, 44 parking spaces less than what is currently required by Development Code for multi-family projects. The Mixed-Use Development Standards set for review by the City Council October 21, 2015, stipulate parking for mixed-use projects is based on the Development Code requirement for the individual uses within the development and verified through a parking study, which reviews the adequacy of the number of proposed parking spaces. The parking study is then required to be reviewed by an independent peer review consultant. If it is determined that a reduced number of parking spaces is adequate for all of the uses within a mixed-use project, the applicant will be required to submit an application for a Minor Exception or Variance to reduce the required number of parking spaces. The applicant has submitted a parking study (LSA; August 18, 2015) which finds that the proposed number of parking spaces is adequate to meet the parking demand of the project. The parking study reviewed the parking demand of similar mixed-use projects in other cities in Southern California and found that the proposed parking ratio of 1.99 parking spaces per dwelling unit (2.2 required by Rancho Cucamonga Development Code) exceeds the parking ratios provided by similar projects reviewed in the study. The parking study outlines project specific design elements provided by the project that reduce the total parking demand. The project includes the potential mix of residential and commercial uses which have different peak parking demand times. The 13 parking spaces dedicated to the retail use, which has peak parking demand in the afternoon and early evenings, can be used by the residential units in the evenings. The project is located adjacent to a transit stop, which has been found to reduce parking demand by 2 percent. The project provides 174 secure bicycle storage spaces, which has been found to reduce parking demand by 1 vehicle parking space for each 3 bicycle storage spaces. The parking study concludes that through the use of the above design elements, through the use of lease agreements and parking passes limiting the number of permitted on-site vehicles and through restrictions on personal storage inside the garage areas, the project provides adequate parking to meet the project parking demand. It should be noted that 58 of the parking spaces are located on Southern California Gas Company and Southern California Edison easements that run along the western boundary of the project. These easement holders have conceptually approved parking within their easement areas. The easement holders, however, will not permit the planting of trees within the easement area and there is always the risk that the parking spaces may be temporarily displaced during maintenance of the underlying utilities. Tree Removal Permit: The project includes a Tree Removal Permit (DRC2014-01134) requesting the removal of 152 eucalyptus trees. The project site was historically used as a wood lot with eucalyptus trees planted in rows. The project currently consists of a combination of mature, young and dying eucalyptus trees. The arborist report (Kinsinger Environmental Consultants; December 17, 2014) recommends the removal of all the on- site eucalyptus trees and the replanting of 152 peppermint gum (E. nicholii) trees along the northern and western property lines of the project site, The Development Code requires the planting of a total of 440 trees on the project site, far surpassing the number of trees being removed. Staff Comments: Staff is pleased with the overall site layout and building design of the proposed mixed-use development. The architecture has a contemporary appearance and includes design elements which provide wall and roof plan articulation. The project includes a variety of recreational amenities and outdoor gathering areas which are centrally located. The project complies with all the Development Code criteria for mixed- use developments which are scheduled for City Council review on October 21, 2015, except for the number of parking spaces provided and the proposed conversion of the commercial tenant spaces to residential units. Staff is concerned, that the number of proposed parking spaces, which is approximately 9 percent below that required by the Development Code, may not be adequate as has been found with other multi-family projects within the city. A potential solution to the parking shortfall is for the applicant to acquire the property to the west which is also encumbered by utility easements and may be willing to sell. Staff also does not accept the concept of delaying the development of the 3,246 square feet of commercial tenant space for use as residential units. The new Mixed-Use Standards require two uses on the project site. The applicant has informed staff that the vacancy rate of commercial lease space on Foothill Boulevard east of the 1-15 Freeway exceeds that of commercial space in the rest of the city. The proposed retail tenant space is approximately 1 percent of the total area of the entire project. The retail space is also used in the parking study to help make the argument that the 13 parking spaces dedicated to the commercial use will be used by the residential use in the evenings, which in turn negatively impacts the parking deficit. Finally, staff believes any mechanism put into place that requires the future conversion of the 3,246 square feet back to a commercial use will be difficult to enforce. • Major Issues: 1. Whether there is adequate on-site parking to meet the project parking demand. 2. Whether it is acceptable to permit the proposed 3,246 square feet of planned commercial tenant space to intermittently be used as residential units. Secondary Issues: None Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Committee review the issues raised by staff and determine whether the project may move forward to the Planning Commission for their review or determine the project requires additional work. Design Review Committee Action: Members Present: Staff Planner: •