Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-25-2021_ZA_MinutesPage 1 of 4 NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR MINUTES 100 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, NEWPORT BEACH ZOOM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021 REGULAR MEETING – 10:00 A.M. I. CALL TO ORDER – The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. Staff Present (Remote): Jaime Murillo, Zoning Administrator Liz Westmoreland, Associate Planner Patrick Achis, Assistant Planner Joselyn Perez, Assistant Planner Afshin Atapour, Planning Technician II. REQUEST FOR CONTINUANCES None. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ITEM NO. 1 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 11, 2021 Action: Approved as amended IV. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS ITEM NO. 2 304 Goldenrod, LLC Residential Condominiums Coastal Development Permit No. CD2020-149 and Tentative Parcel Map No. NP2020-018 (PA2020-352) Site Location: 304 and 304 ½ Goldenrod Avenue Council District 6 The Zoning Administrator provided a brief project description stating that the request is for a tentative parcel map which will allow each unit of an under-construction duplex to be sold individually. He added that no deviations from Title 19 are requested. The Zoning Administrator did not ask for a presentation from staff. Applicant Nanci Glass of Nicholson Companies, on behalf of the Owner, stated that she had reviewed the draft resolution and agrees with all of the required conditions. The Zoning Administrator opened the public hearing. Seeing that no one from the public wished to comment, the public hearing was closed. Action: Approved ITEM NO. 3 Soliman Residence Coastal Development Permit No. CD2020-131 (PA2020-262) Site Location: 3807 Seashore Drive Council District 1 Liz Westmoreland, Associate Planner, provided a brief project description stating that the application is for a Coastal Development Permit to demolish an existing single-family residence and construct a new single-family residence of approximately 2,774 sf. The proposed project is the first application for a new residence in the VE special flood hazard area. The VE zone triggers many building code requirements to allow the building to withstand a wave attack and the zone applies to 166 properties in Newport Beach. The proposed structure includes a raised foundation supported by caissons to meet the minimum finished floor requirement of the flood zone. Ms. Westmoreland explained the minimum finished floor requirements and general building code requirements of the VE zone. Ms. Westmoreland described the methodology for measuring height pursuant to the Zoning Code and Implementation Plan, which allows the height to be measured from 17.5 feet (NAVD88). Because of the raised floor, the building will appear taller from the street and the beach. Ms. Westmoreland MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR 02/25/2021 Page 2 of 4 indicated that the staff report includes detailed visual analysis and she discussed the access routes in the area and conclusions of the coastal hazards report. The Zoning Administrator asked staff about the proposed planter in front of the residence. Ms. Westmoreland stated that the planter has been engineered to withstand a wave attack since it is below the base flood elevation. There are breakaway walls surrounding it. The Applicant, Jeff Van Voorhis, also clarified that it is a standalone structure and not attached the principal dwelling. The Zoning Administrator also asked staff to confirm that the three balconies comply with the zoning code. He asked the applicant to discuss the thickness of the proposed slab. The applicant indicated that the engineer would not be comfortable making the floor system any smaller. He clarified the term freeboard as the space between the base flood elevation of 15 feet and the floor system. The Zoning Administrator commented on the design features that allowed the project to comply with all zoning code standards and reduce the mass of the structure, such as locating the entry within the buildable area, proposing a garage with breakaway walls, and pushing the third floor back from the setback lines. He asked if the architect could consider reducing the bulk on the third floor of the structure by pulling back the third-floor roof deck railing to the setback line. The architect stated that he would be concerned other property owners in the area would be able to have the encroachment in the future since it complies with the code. The owner, Sam Soliman, stated the condition would ruin the design. The Zoning Administrator opened the public hearing. One member of the public, Jim Mosher, requested that staff clarify how the proposed structure is being measured. The Zoning Administrator closed the public hearing. Ms. Westmoreland described the typical method for measuring height and clarified that when the top of slab is required to be raised for flood hazard purposes, the code allows the height to be measured from the required top of slab elevation. In this case the elevation is 17.5 feet (NAVD88). Action: Approved ITEM NO. 4 The Goalpost Trust Residence Coastal Development Permit No. CD2020-146 and Zoning Clearance No. ZC2020-022 (PA2020-320) Site Location: 5201 Seashore Drive, Units A and B Council District 1 Patrick Achis, Assistant Planner, provided a brief project description stating that the request is for a coastal development permit and zoning clearance to demolish a nonconforming duplex due to density and construct a new single-family residence and attached accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Project implementation would result in a three (3)-story, 1,411-square-foot, single-family residence with a 589-square-foot ADU on the first floor. Parking would be provided as an attached 454-square-foot two (2)-car garage. The design complies with all applicable development standards and no deviations are requested. The subject property is located at the southwest corner of the Seashore Drive and 52nd Street intersection on the Balboa Peninsula. It retains single-unit General Plan and Zoning designations, with which the project is consistent. The neighborhood is predominantly developed with two-story, single-family residences, though some structures are three stories tall. The proposed design, bulk, and scale of the development is consistent with the existing neighborhood pattern of development and expected future development. The proposed finish floor elevation exceeds the minimum required 9.00 (NAVD88) for new structures. The prepared coastal hazard report concludes that the habitable portions of the project will be reasonably safe from coastal hazards for the next 75 years. The project, as designed, would comply with State law and would conform to the Local Coastal Program (LCP), including parking. The project site is located between the nearest public road and the sea or shoreline, but the development neither provides nor inhibits public coastal access. In fact, under the City’s Protection and Provision of Public Access requirements, the project will close an existing curb cutout on 52nd Street to create one new on-street public parking space, improving public access. The site may be in the viewshed of coastal viewpoints but would not result in a degradation of the coastal zone’s visual quality due to the project’s far MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR 02/25/2021 Page 3 of 4 distance and compliance with all development standards. Reorientation of the garage from 52nd Street to the alley will result in increased articulation of the new structure, as can be seen in the viewshed of the street-end. The existing 15-foot patio encroachment on the beachfront is allowed pursuant to the City’s Oceanfront Encroachment Policy Guidelines and the project is conditioned to maintain an encroachment permit from Public Works. Applicant James Rizzo of Rizzo Associates on behalf of the Owner, stated that he had reviewed the draft resolution and agrees with all of the required conditions. In response to the Zoning Administrator’s question, Staff confirmed the project was deemed complete in 2020, prior to the effective date of the City’s new Residential Design Standards. Mr. Rizzo verified that no off-site landscape improvements were proposed. The Zoning Administrator directed the project be amended to include a condition of approval prohibiting landscaping from growing in a manner that would block or degrade the visual quality of the 52nd Street outlet to the public beach. The Zoning Administrator opened the public hearing. One member of the public, Mr. Jim Mosher, questioned the existing off-site landscaping and sought confirmation that the landscaping is permitted. The Zoning Administrator closed the public hearing. Mr. Achis responded to Mr. Mosher’s question and reiterated that the patio encroachment on the beach front is permitted. Mr. Rizzo clarified that the landscaping outside the encroachment area is natural and existing. Further, the project does not propose any landscaping outside the property or encroachment area. Action: Approved as amended ITEM NO. 5 Gabriel Residence Coastal Development Permit No. CD2020-153 (PA2020-346) Site Location: 941 Via Lido Soud Council District 1 Afshin Atapour, Planning Technician, provided a brief project description stating that the request is for a Coastal Development Permit to allow for the construction of a new 6,479-square-foot, two-story, single-family residence with an attached 925-square-foot, three-car garage. The project includes landscape, hardscape, and subsurface drainage facilities all within the confines of the private property. The design complies with all applicable development standards and no deviations are requested. Applicant Charles Calloway of d’Arcy Architecture, on behalf of the Andrew Gabriel, stated that he had reviewed the draft resolution and agrees with all of the required conditions. The Zoning Administrator opened the public hearing. Seeing that no one from the public wished to comment, the public hearing was closed. Action: Approved MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR 02/25/2021 Page 4 of 4 ITEM NO. 6 Regenerative Institute of Newport Beach Minor Use Permit No. UP2020-188 (PA2020-338) Site Location: 20341 Birch Street, Suite 110 Council District 3 Afshin Atapour, Planning Technician, provided a brief project description stating that the request is for a Minor Use Permit to allow 4,884 square feet of medical office use to relocate on the first floor within an existing three floor, 20,643-square-foot office building. The remaining 15,759 square feet shall remain dedicated to the current office tenants. Parking is shared between three buildings located at 20341 Birch Street, 20322 Acacia Street, and 20342 Acacia Street, consistent with the original site design. In response to the Zoning Administrator’s questions, staff confirmed that there are no other medical office uses in the building complex and that the percentage of allowed medical offices uses in the building complex remains at about half of the total allowed, which is twenty percent of the complex to be allowed for medical office uses. In response to the Zoning Administrator’s question, staff confirmed that a minor use permit was never obtained for the medical office use, as the applicant was told they were allowed to operate in the building as a medical office use. When the applicant submitted plans to relocate to the first floor of the building, staff became aware that a minor use permit was needed to allow for the use to take place. The Zoning Administrator asked for staff to revise the draft resolution to update planning conditions related to fair share fees and make minor edits to the resolution. Staff confirmed that the necessary edits will be made. Applicant Phillip Budovec of Knitter Partners International, on behalf of the Owner, stated that he had reviewed the draft resolution and agrees with all of the required conditions. The Zoning Administrator opened the public hearing. Seeing that no one from the public wished to comment, the public hearing was closed. Action: Approved as amended V. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS None. VI. ADJOURNMENT The hearing was adjourned at 10:43 a.m. The agenda for the Zoning Administrator Hearing was posted on February 18, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. on the digital display board located inside the vestibule of the Council Chambers at 100 Civic Center Drive and on the City’s website on February 18, 2021, at 6:00 p.m.