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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000/07/12 - Minutes - PC-HPC CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES Regular Meeting July 12, 2000 Chairman McNiel called the Regular Meeting of the City of Rancho Cucamonga Planning Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was held in the Council Chamber at Rancho Cucamonga Civic Center, 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California. Chairman McNiel then led in the pledge of allegiance. ROLL CALL COMMISSIONERS: PRESENT: Rich Macias, John Mannerino, Larry McNiel, Pam Stewart, Peter Tolstoy ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Brad Buller, City Planner; Dan Coleman, Principal Planner; Kevin Ennis, Assistant City Attorney; Douglas Fenn, Associate Planner; Dan James, Senior Civil Engineer; Brent Le Count, Associate Planner; Gail Sanchez, Planning Commission Secretary; Alan Warren, Associate Planner; Emily Wimer, Assistant Planner ANNOUNCEMENTS Brad Buller, City Planner, indicated the Commission should adjourn to a special workshop with the City Council on July 19 at 4:00 p.m. regarding the mall. He also indicated he would like to show a video of the field trip to Santa Clarita. Commissioner Tolstoy stated the trip to Santa Clarita was very interesting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion: Moved by Mannerino, seconded by Tolstoy, carried 5-0, to approve the minutes of June 14, 2000. Motion: Moved by Stewart, seconded by Mannerino, carried 5-0, to approve the minutes of June 28, 2000. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. ADDENDUM TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT 00-02 — U.C.P., INC. — A request to recommend approval for a development agreement for approximately 504 acres of the San Bernardino County unincorporated area, generally located north of Highland Avenue between Hanley Avenue and Rochester Avenue—Tentative Tract Map 14493 through 14498, 14522, 14523, 15838, and 15902. An Environmental Impact Report was previously certified on October 26, 1999. An addendum to the EIR is being prepared because the project description did not include a development agreement or the construction of full improvements to the extension of Banyan Street from Day Creek Channel to RochesterAvenue, or full improvements to the segment of Day Creek Boulevard between Banyan Avenue and SR 30. The addendum is being prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Brad Buller, City Planner, asked that the item be continued to July 26,2000, to allow time for issues to be resolved. Chairman McNiel opened the public hearing, but there was no testimony. Motion: Moved by Mannerino, seconded by Stewart, to continue Addendum to Environmental Impact Report and Development Agreement 00-02 to July 26,2000. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: MACIAS, MANNERINO, MCNIEL, STEWART, TOLSTOY NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE - carried B. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 99-53 — CHARLES JOSEPH ASSOCIATES—A request to develop a professional center consisting of a three-story 32,000 square foot office building, a 4,450 square foot automotive fueling service and convenience center, and a 3,500 square foot restaurant on 4 acres of land in the Haven Avenue Overlay District of the Industrial Area Specific Plan, located on the northwest comer of Haven Avenue and 6th Street—APN: 209-262-19 and 20. Related file: Industrial Area Specific Plan Amendment 99-05. Douglas Fenn, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. He indicated that Rosalie Mandala looked at the elevations and indicated she was pleased with the architecture and even the service station. Kevin Ennis, Assistant City Attomey, suggested the addition of two conditions to the resolution to provide that the project be constructed in a single phase and that approval would not become effective until approval of the Industrial Area Specific Plan Amendment to allow fueling service stations. Mr. Buller noted that the City Council would be considering the land use change on July 19, 2000, and the existing zoning does not allow a fueling station. Dan James, Senior Civil Engineer, suggested a modification to Engineering Condition 3 to clarify the method of calculation of the underground in-lieu reimbursement fee. He indicated the change was a result of conversations with the property owner. Chairman McNiel opened the public hearing. Chuck Buquet, Charles Joseph Associates, 10681 Foothill Boulevard, Suite 395, Rancho Cucamonga, stated the project had evolved in a positive direction. He thanked Brad Buller, Douglas Fenn, and Dan Coleman for their guidance. He agreed to the additional conditions. He stated he had spoken with Mr. McLaughlin from Athalon Properties. He said it was his understanding that some of the people who had opposed the project no longer objected. He noted they had reduced the building size by 3,500 square feet as an accommodation to the neighbors. He felt his site would be Planning Commission Minutes -2- July 12, 2000 more impacted by having the reciprocal access to the north, but said he understood the need for it and supported staffs recommendation. Hearing no further testimony, Chairman McNiel closed the public hearing. Commissioner Tolstoy felt it was important that the record show that when the Overlay District was established, it was done because the City did not want typical corporate service stations. He noted that since that time, the design of fueling stations has evolved considerably and he felt this will be one of the nicest in the City. He thought a fueling station is needed on Haven Avenue and believed this would be a good location so that City residents could purchase gas within the City rather than in Ontario. Commissioner Stewart observed that she and Chairman McNiel reviewed the project at the Design Review Committee and said she thought it is a quality project. She felt all issues had been resolved satisfactorily. Motion: Moved by Mannerino, seconded by Macias, to issue a Negative Declaration and adopt the resolution approving Conditional Use Permit 99-53 with modifications requiring the project to be constructed in a single phase, making approval effective upon enactment of the required Industrial Area Specific Amendment, and clarifying the method of calculation of the underground in-lieu fee. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: MACIAS, MANNERINO, MCNIEL, STEWART, TOLSTOY NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE - carried Chairman McNiel stated he was also pleased with the project. He noted the City had been concerned about fueling stations along Haven Avenue but he felt this will be complimentary. NEW BUSINESS C. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW 00-08 — BENDETTI WAREHOUSE—A request to construct an 81,960 square foot industrial warehouse facility on 3.96 acres of land in the General Industrial District (Subarea 14) of the Industrial Area Specific Plan, located on the northwest comer of 4th Street and Santa Anita Avenue—APN: 229-331-07. Douglas Fenn, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Chairman McNiel opened the public hearing. There was no testimony and he closed the hearing. He stated it had been a pleasure to work on the project. He felt the applicant did a fine job and the project raises the bar of development for such facilities. Motion: Moved by Tolstoy, seconded by Mannerino, to issue a Negative Declaration and adopt the resolution approving Development Review 00-08. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: MACIAS, MANNERINO, MCNIEL, STEWART, TOLSTOY NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE - carried Planning Commission Minutes -3- July 12, 2000 4 D. DEVELOPMENT REVIEW 00-30 — KINKO'S — The development of a 6,500 square foot retail/business service supply store on 0.66 acre of land in the Industrial Park District(Subarea 7) of the Industrial Area Specific Plan, located on the south side of Foothill Boulevard between Aspen and Spruce Streets — APN: 208-352-88. A Negative Declaration of environmental impacts was issued for this project with Development Review 99-04 on March 23, 1999. Brent Le Count, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Commissioner Tolstoy noted that the developer had indicated the Haven Wine and Liquor project and the hotel project had been abandoned and he asked if approval of this project would create any problems with the master plan. Mr. Le Count indicated it would not. He said that circulation problems had been addressed. Chairman McNiel opened the public hearing. Kyle Cavanaugh, KZ Holdings, 520 Washington Boulevard, #424, Marina Del Rey, said he had no comments. Hearing no further testimony, Chairman McNiel closed the public hearing. Motion: Moved by Tolstoy, seconded by Stewart, to adopt the resolution approving Development Review 00-30. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: MACIAS, MANNERINO, MCNIEL, STEWART, TOLSTOY NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE - carried DIRECTOR'S REPORTS E. DEVELOPMENT REVIEW 00-01 - KIM JAY AYLOR - A request to modify community trail alignment for two previously approved single-family hillside lots on 2 acres of land in the Very- Low Residential district, located at the southwest corner of Hermosa Avenue and Almond Street - APN 1074-051-18 and 19. Emily Wimer, Assistant Planner, presented the staff report. Chairman McNiel invited public comments. Kim Jay Aylor, The ACI Group, 8401 White Oak Avenue, Suite 108, Rancho Cucamonga, agreed with the staff report. He thanked Ms. Wimer for her assistance. Hearing no further testimony, Chairman McNiel closed the public hearing. Commissioner Stewart commented the Trails Committee had reviewed the project and the developer had been very cooperative. Motion: Moved by Stewart, seconded by Tolstoy, to adopt the resolution approving Development Review 00-01. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: MACIAS, MANNERINO, MCNIEL, STEWART, TOLSTOY NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE - carried Planning Commission Minutes -4- July 12, 2000 I F. PRELIMINARY REVIEW 00-12 - ETIWANDA SCHOOL DISTRICT - A courtesy review of the proposed site acquisition of approximately 10 acres of land for an elementary school site,located in the Low-Medium Residential District (4 to 8 dwelling units per acre) of the Etiwanda Specific Plan (ESP) on the east side of Etiwanda Avenue, adjacent to and south of the Southern Pacific Railroad right of way. —APN: 227-131-15 and 23 through 27. Alan Warren, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Commissioner Tolstoy noted that the staff report recommended the Eucalyptus trees be preserved. He asked the age of the trees. Mr. Warren replied he was not sure of the age, but they are substantial and have large canopies. He indicated they may be on-site or they be on the Southern Pacific Railroad site. Commissioner Tolstoy felt they were pretty old. He cautioned that many times they are rotten in the center. He recommended that they be carefully inspected and removed if they are not sound because he did not want to subject children to danger. Chairman McNiel invited public comment. John Golden, Superintendent, Etiwanda School District, P. O. Box 248, Rancho Cucamonga,stated he was pleased to speak to the Commission regarding the project. He noted the School District has experienced significant growth and said they try to develop good education programs and beautiful ' sites. He indicated they are having difficulty finding sites and getting funds. He stated the School Board has been sensitive to the historic location and incorporating the Fisher House should not present a problem. He said the architects have done a sample plan to have the house near the parking lot. He said they are willing to make changes in their site plan. Chairman McNiel asked how many students are in the School District. Mr. Golden replied they currently have 7,700 students in nine schools and will open a new school in the fall and will have 8,600 students. He said they will open their eleventh school in September2001 but need another site centrally located in the area. Chairman McNiel asked what percentage of students live in Rancho Cucamonga. Mr. Golden replied approximately two thirds. Chairman McNiel asked if there are any proposed sites in Fontana. Mr. Golden replied that sites have been dedicated but developers have not yet purchased. He said their next school will be in Fontana. Commissioner Tolstoy commended the School District for its efforts to save the Fisher House. He thought it would be an asset to the school and noted that other historical structures are located nearby. Chairman McNiel agreed it would be a wonderful opportunity. Commissioner Tolstoy requested some historical information on the house. Planning Commission Minutes -5- July 12, 2000 Jim Frost, 12996 Victoria Street, Rancho Cucamonga, stated the Fisher house was the site of the first telephone company. He said the Community Services Overlay District was initially adopted to allow uses other than residential. He felt that Commissioner Tolstoy was probably right regarding the trees and believed the use of Silk Oaks may need to be readdressed because they are being topped. He thought the School District has a significant opportunity to utilize the historic site. He noted the school is needed. Chairman McNiel asked if Mr. Frost had any comments with respect to architecture. Mr. Frost hoped it would be Larry Wolfe or someone of his ilk. Mr. Golden indicated that a small architectural firm from Redlands had been selected. He said they are a small firm that is sensitive to Board requests and suggestions. He stated they have a prototype plan for but they take community input on layout and aesthetics. He said they look forward to working with the community. Brad Buller, City Planner, commented that the School District has been very cooperative in considering City staffs input since Mr. Golden became Superintendent. The Commission supported staffs recommendations and directed staff to forward comments to the School District. PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no public comments at this time. COMMISSION BUSINESS G. ELECTION OF PLANNING COMMISSION OFFICERS Commissioner Tolstoy suggested that the status quo be maintained. Commissioners Stewart and Mannerino concurred. Motion: Moved by Mannerino, seconded by Stewart, to elect Larry McNiel as Chairman and Rich Macias as Vice Chairman. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: MACIAS, MANNERINO, MCNIEL, STEWART, TOLSTOY NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE - carried H. DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS Commissioner Mannerino questioned when the General Plan Task Force would be meeting again and stated he and Commissioner Macias would be kept busy by those meetings. Brad Buller, City Planner, indicated task force meetings would probably resume in August. He said it is hoped the General Plan will be to City Council in February or March 2001. Planning Commission Minutes -6- July 12, 2000 Commissioner Mannerino stated he was willing to assist on Design Review Committee meetings when necessary. It was the consensus of the Commission that Chairman McNiel and Commissioner Stewart would remain on the Design Review Committee. I. GENERAL PLAN UPDATE PROGRESS Brad Buller, City Planner, stated he had already given the update. Mr. Buller showed a video of the field trip to the Santa Clarita Mall. Commissioner Tolstoy observed that the Temecula Mall is really nice but he was troubled by the huge sea of parking. He noted that Santa Clarita has parking structures and he felt that was better. He said it was nice because you enter from a City street right into the building. He felt the City should encourage parking structures even though they are more costly. He said that everything the City has developed has been high quality. He noted that trees are planted in parking lots but they are cut back. He favored tuck-under parking. Chairman McNiel asked if there are any nearby enclosed malls in competition with the Santa Clarita Mall. Mr. Buller responded that right across the street was something similar to Terra Vista Town Center. I Commissioner Tolstoy noted the Santa Clarita mall was a destination rather than just a mall. He hoped the City will get something to be proud of. Chairman McNiel commented the mall will have to be unique because of the other malls in the area. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Moved by Tolstoy, seconded by Stewart, carried 5-0, to adjourn. The Planning Commission adjourned at 8:20 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on July 19, 2000, for a Joint Workshop with the City Council regarding the mall. Respectfully submitted, i ie. B -.`., Iler � -cretary I Planning Commission Minutes -7- July 12, 2000