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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20190614_Project Description( ( 215 Riverside Avenue Project Description and Letter of Justification Project Description ~t.CEIVEO Sj, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT JUN 1 4 2019 CITY OF ,i,~PoRr a'a.~c'<' The project proposes to demolish the existing building, parking facilities, and encroachments located at 215 Riverside Avenue ("Project Site") and construct a new two-story building with approximately 3,000 square feet of commercial office space and ( 4 7) total parking spaces (the "Project"). The parking would be accessed from two separate entry/exit drives, one on Avon Street accessing the first level of parking and the second on Riverside A venue accessing the second level of parking. Twelve (12) of the parking spaces would be required to serve the commercial office uses of the building. The remaining parking spaces (35) are intended to serve off-site uses. The Project Site is a single parcel located at the northwest comer of Riverside A venue and Avon Street. The Project Site is 16,290 square feet with approximately 35 feet of elevation change. The current uses of the 215 Riverside building totals approximately 8,056 square feet, and include ( 1) approximately 2,910 square feet of ground floor restaurant space ( currently unoccupied), (2) approximately 5,146 square feet of second and third floor office space, and (3) 16 parking spaces. The Project proposes to reduce the intensity of commercial development of the Project Site by approximately 5,000 square feet. The Project would also reduce the overall visual impact of development on the Project Site. The Project would be constructed to a maximum height of 32 feet, which is consistent with the Newport Beach Municipal Code's ("NBMC") height maximum. However, only the commercial component of the structure would be constructed to 32 feet, with the parking component constructed to a maximum height of approximately 18 feet above finished grade on Avon Street. The Project is within the coastal zone and is subject to the City's Local Coastal Program. The City's General Plan designates the Project Site as General Commercial. The City's Local Coastal Land Use Plan ("CLUP") designates the Project Site as General Commercial. The coastal zoning district is Commercial General. These designations and zoning are intended to provide for a wide variety of commercial activities oriented primarily to serve citywide or regional needs. The Commercial General zone permits both business offices and professional offices (above the second floor). The Project Site is located approximately 500 feet from Pacific Coast Highway, a major thoroughfare in the City. The Project would provide business office space·near numerous commercial uses, such as restaurants and retail establishments. The Project is locatedat the west end of Mariner's Mile and more specifically within the Mariner's Village Study Area. From both a development and architectural perspective, the project is seen as an extension of the development across the street known as "the Garden". This is consistent with one of the unique characteristics highlighted in the Strategic Vision for this area which states "This is also where the bluff pulls back from the highway, allowing properties of sign,ificant size and depth to exist. This creates unique development opportunities, possibly those of considerable magn,itude to be envisioned. " The document goes on to enumerate additional goals for this area: / \ ( \ 1. Promote a strong pedestrian orientation (streetscape, street furniture and sidewalks). 2. Consider lot swap/consolidation. Encourage the possibility of a cohesively developed retail center. 3. Actively solicit and promote local-serving tenets (upscale market, cafes &specialty retail). 4. Implement a comprehensive parking strategy, including preserving on-street parking, establishing a Mariner's Mile Parking District and encouraging more common parking lots. When viewed in concert with the overall development approach from the Project Site south to Pacific Coast Hwy, the Project supports these goals. The Project provides added value by introducing professional office use with the food and retail uses found in the rest of the development, by allowing for the consolidation of parking which frees up space for additional landscape and pedestrian oriented outdoor gathering spaces and by creating visual coherence continuing the architectural themes from the development across Avon Street. The Mariner's Mile Design Framework goes on to state in Section 5 .0 Architecture that architecturally there already exists a highly eclectic mix of buildings and "Thus the imposition of a rigid architectural theme is considered inappropriate for the study area. The nature and character of Mariner's Mile call for establishing key design principles and promoting thoughtful and tasteful design while allowing creative flexibility. " This section goes on to enumerate some key general overarching objectives of an architectural approach which the Project clearly incorporates meeting the intent of the guidelines including: 1. Design should respect and "fit in" to its surrounding. 2. Roofs and roof elements should respond to views from above. 3. Design free standing buildings as "five-sided". 4. Site planning should accommodate the larger design concepts of the Mariner's Mile Design Framework. 5. Buildings should orient to the street in the Village areas and when surrounded by parking. · 6. Use landscape to compliment and highlight buildings and site. 7. Develop a landscape concept as a fundamental component of the site design. While the Project does not rely on specific nautical details, nor do numerous other projects developed or redeveloped in Mariner's Mile since the Mariner's Mile Design Framework was created including but not limited to the Balboa Bay Club, Mozza Pizzeria and Villa Nova which are well designed but rely on a more timeless approach to their architecture. Architecturally, the Project is conceptually designed as a more timeless masonry structure drawing inspiration from the original masonry buildings along the waterfront in Newport beach. More specifically, the Project will have a similar material palette and scale as "The Garden" reinforcing a visually cohesive overall approach to the development using tumbled weathered brick cladding, decorative steel details and wood trellising. These materials are used the accentuate the offsets and breakdown of the mass of the building into four distinct elements in a "five sided" design that is pedestrian friendly. The overall massing, materials and landscape approach integrate well with the adjacent parkland while ensure consistency with The Garden. As discussed above, the Project would reduce the overall massing and height of construction on the Project Site, improving the aesthetics of the Project Site in relation to the residential uses and open space areas located nearby. The Project complies with all applicable development standards, including floor area ratio ("FAR"), height, and setbacks. As noted above, from a parking perspective, the Project is conceived as an extension of the adjacent development at the Garden. Consistent with the Mariner's Mile Strategic Vision objectives, the Project is consolidating parking to free up outdoor space and support neighborhood friendly pedestrian uses at the adjacent development. To help facilitate this effort, a modification permit for (6) tandem parking spaces, (12) spaces total is requested to be added as an item to the CDP application. The tandem spaces are distributed equally between the upper and lower level parking, directly adjacent to the commercial office space they serve and dedicated to the office use. The spaces will be managed by the office tenets eliminating the need for valet operation. A parking management plan developed by RK Engineering Group is attached to support the request. The use of tandem spaces reduces both the overall mass and footprint of the proposed parking allowing for additional landscaped area and separation from the adjacent residential area. Due to the sloping character of the Project Site. the reduced footprint helps mitigates the need for more excavation and increased height of site retaining walls which would be detrimental to the surrounding community. When viewed in context with the overall development between the Project and the Garden, the proposed modification meets the required findings. 1. The requested modification will be compatible with existing development in the neighborhood; 2. The granting of the modification is necessary due to the unique physical characteristic( s) of the property and/or structure, and/or characteristics of the use; 3. The granting of the modification is necessary due to practical difficulties associated with the property and that the strict application of the Zoning Code results in physical hardships that are inconsistent with the purpose and intent of the Zoning Code; 4. There are no alternatives to the modification permit that could provide similar benefits to the applicant with less potential detriment to surrounding owners and occupants, the neighborhood, or to the general public; and 5. The granting of the modification would not be detrimental to public health, safety, or welfare, to the occupants of the property, nearby properties, the neighborhood, or the City, or result in a change in density or intensity that would be inconsistent with the provisions of this Zoning Code. The parking component of the Project has been designed to minimize the impact to the surrounding neighbors and parkland as well as improve on the existing parking condition. Currently, all (16) existing parking spaces located on two terraces are visible from the residences above. The attached "Parking View-Shed Section Diagram" illustrates existing and proposed site lines from the upslope residences to both the existing and proposed parking. The proposed design locates all of the proposed parking further away from the residences, lowers the elevation of the·,;upper level by 8 feet as compared to the existing structure, and provides a terrace with landscape screening to reduce the number of vehicles visible from the residences and provides a trellis covering (5) of the spaces closest to the roadway reducing the number of unscreened ( ( \ spaces from (16) to (8). The (8) spaces that are not screened by landscaping would be significantly further away from the residences and lower in elevation than the existing condition as shown in the section diagram. The submittal package includes preliminary architectural plans (site plan, floor plans, sections and elevations), a preliminary landscape plan, preliminary grading/drainage/ WQMP plans, area overlays and before/after view shed images from the adjacent parkland and surrounding streets. A noise study and a sewer/water study have been completed. Responses to the comments from the April 23 Notice of incomplete filing and subsequent comments from fire, building and public works are also attached. Required Entitlements 1. Coastal Development Permit ("CDP") to permit the demolition and construction. The Zoning Administrator is the municipal body with authority to review and approve the requested entitlements. ( . \ Letter of Justification Coastal Development Permit (NBMC Section 21.52.015) ( The Project is within the Coastal Zone and, therefore, requires approval of a coastal development permit ("CDP"). Finding 1 The project conforms to all applicable sections of the certified Local Coastal Program. Facts in Support of Finding \ 1. The CLUP designates the Project Site as General Commercial, which provides for a wide variety of commercial activities to serve citywide or regional needs. The Project would provide for office uses and parking, both of which serve needs of the City. 2. The CLUP imposes a FAR range from 0.0-0.75 FAR for the Project Site. The NBMC limits FAR to 0.50 (per the City's Zoning Map). The Project's total floor area is 3,030 square feet, which amounts to a FAR of O .18, which is well below the maximum. 3. The Project structure complies with the setback requirements of the NBMC, which are zero feet on all lot lines, but for the rear and side lines that abut residential uses. A five-foot setback applies to portions of the Project Site abutting residential uses. 4. The Project's proposed uses -office and parking-are permitted by the NBMC, General Plan, and CLUP. 5. The Project Site is not within any of the CLUP's identified districts or corridors, although it is located adjacent to the Mariners' Mile area. Mariners' Mile is characterized by the CLUP as proper for restaurants, residential, office, and other commercial uses. Thus, the Project would be consistent with the intended development of the Mariners' Mile area, as outlined in the CLUP. 6. The Project is protective of coastal resources because it proposes the redevelopment of a parcel with existing development, consistent with CLUP Policies 2.2.1-1, 2.2.1-2, and 2.2.1- 2, all of which promote redevelopment of developed areas with adequate public services. 7. The existing uses (restaurant, office, and parking) are not coastal dependent. The Project will not eliminate coastal dependent uses in favor of non-coastal dependent uses. (CLUP Policy 2.4.1-3.) 8. The Project Site is outside of the Shoreline Height Limit Zone and, therefore, is permitted a maximum height of 32 feet with a flat roof. The Project complies with this maximum height and actually proposes substantially lesser height across the majority of the structure. The Project would lessen development intensity on the Project Site. ( 9. The building is designed with a high level of architectural quality and is compatible with other buildings in the immediate vicinity, including the adjacent The Garden shopping center. 10. The Project Site is not readily visible from West Coast Highway, a coastal view road (per the General Plan). A designated public view point exists northwest of the Project Site at the public park on Cliff Drive. However, the Project Site is also not in the line of sight of Newport Bay from the public park on Cliff Drive. Therefore, no impact to coastal views would result from the Project. 11. The Project will re-develop the site with structures that are generally of a lesser overall height than existing structures, which would benefit adjacent residences. Therefore, the Project is consistent with the General Plan and the CLUP's polices related to protection of coastal views from West Coast Highway. (e.g., CLUP Policy 4.4.1-6.) 12. The building's parking areas, access points, and on-site circulation are designed to provide adequate drive aisles and minimum vehicle turning areas to provide safe access for guests, emergency vehicles, and refuse collection vehicles. 13. The Project will establish office uses, which will contribute to the revitalization of the area by bringing in workers that will patronize area restaurants. Finding 2 The project conforms with the public access and public recreation policies of Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act if the project is located between the nearest public road and the sea or shoreline of any body of water located within the coastal zone. Facts in Support of Finding 1. The Project Site is not located between the nearest public road and the sea or shoreline. 2. The Project would not conflict with the Coastal Act's public access and public recreation policies because (1) it would redevelop a property with existing non-coastal dependent uses or uses that facilitate access to the waterfront, (2) would not obstruct access to Newport Bay or the waterfront, and (3) is served by adequate parking.