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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/17/194998 MINUTES OF THI 'NNING COMMISSION FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17,.1949, 7:30 p.m. in the COUNCIL CHUMER of the NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL r ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Copelin, Daniell, Johnson, Lon&oor, Rudd, Smith, and Wightman. Commissioners Absent: Ellerbroek & Pleger MINUTES Commissioner Johnson made a motion that the minutes of the meeting of Octo- ber 21,1949 be approved as submitted. Motion seconded by Commissioner Cope- lin and carried. PUBLIC Chairman Longmoor opened the hearing of M. A. Norman for a conditional HEARINGS permit to operate a washerette at 103 Palm, Balboa, and asked for comments for or against the granting of such a permit. There were no comments from the audience and since Mr. Norman was. not present, Commissioner Copelin moved that the hearing be laid over to the next regular meeting of the Planning Commission on December 15, 1949, The motion was seconded by Commissioner Smith and carried. Application of Foster- Kleiser Company to move an outdoor sign in Corona del Mar from one location to another was then opened by the Chairman. Secretary Cope - lin read the letter of application for permission to move the sign. Since there was no discussion against it, Commissioner Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Copelin, that permission be granted and was passed with the fol- lowing roll call vote: AYESs Commissioners'Copelin, Daniell, Johnson, Long - moor, Rudd, Smith, & Wightman. NOES: None ABSENT: Commissioners Ellerbroek and Pleger. Chairman Longmoor declared the first hearing on the new zoning plan and ordi- nance open. He gave a brief explanation of the preparatory work with the, Planning consultants, Hahn & Campbell, which resulted in this ordinance and asked for suggestions from the people. He then asked Mr. Wise, of the firm of Hahn & Campbell, to present the plan to the people gathered. Mr. Wise stated that he would try to go through the ordinance as briefly as possible explain- ing the following districts and zones and gave the building height limits and lot areas to the assembly for each with floor maps to illustrate the zones.. Agricultural - Residential District or 'RA District Single Family Residential District or R-1 District Duplex Residential District or Rr2 District Restricted Multiple Family Residential District or Rr3 District Multiple Residential District, or R -4 District Light Commercial District or C-1 District General Commercial District or C -2 District Manufacturing District or M-1 District Unclassified or U District Combining or B and H Districts Mr. Wise went through the new propoesed ordinance page by page for the body present explaining each item as he went along:- GENERAL PROVISIONS AND EXCEPTIONS Uses Height Limits Building Site Area , Yards Automobile Storage or Parking Space Architectural Control Non - Conforming Uses K9 PERMITS, VARIANCES AND AMENDMENTS Zoning Permits ' Use Permits - (Application, Public Bearings, Actin by Commission, Appeal, and Effect) . Variance and Appeals (Same as above) Revocation of Permits or Variances Amendments Chairman Longmoor asked for comments and suggestions from the audience. First to speak was Roger Watson, 19842 Newport Boulevard, Costa Mesa. "I am Presi- dent of Scottco Inc., and owner of lots 9.and 10 in Tract 1136 which face "New- port Boulevard above the Arches.. The byyers of the residential lots were prom - ised:-and told that they would have a shopping district. As I understand i, my lots will be R-3 in the new ordinance." Mr. Watson then sited examples in this area to convert residential property to business property. "Now we will convert business property to residential. This seems to be a new twist. 'The property would require a 25' retaining wall to hold up the earth in order to use it for building purposes. For this reason also, I don't believe that the property is suitable for residential use. Who wants to have a 251 ' retaining wall in their back yard? However, a merchant would not object to having such a wall in back of his store. Traffic checks show that 18,000 cars a day pass that particular site. I can not see how so much traffic would be good passing in front of residences, whereas, it certainly would be good for business. I have made out a petition which I hurriedly drew up this evening, and I intend to have various people bare tonight sign it and then submit the peition to the Commission. May I ask you wl*, you have decided to make it residential, Mr. Wise ?" Mr. Wise answered that in his opinion the city'already has three times the com- mercial area it should have for a good sound business area and that he didn't believe state, highways were good areas for new businesses as people will not take the risk or time to stop. "It has been proven in the North Bay area and also on the E1 Camino Highway." Mr. Watson asked if there was a retaining wall along the E1 Camino Highway to which Mr. Wise replied that there very definitely was in a good number of places, also, the traffic here was going to be far too much for business very shortly. The Freeway was to come down here eventually and than there will be a good many thousand people from the L. A. area coming here. "Mr. Wise, how would you suggest that the people in that proposed residential area walk to a business district ?" "People don't do much walking any more -- especially in this area," replied Mr. Wise. "Oh, I disagree with you there. A good many families don't have two cars. When I go to work in the morning, I take the car leaving my family without a means of transportation to get down to a shopping district, and I believe that tbere are a good many people in the same situation. This is definitely the most logi- cal business property I have ever seen." ' Chairman Longmoor suggested he write hispprotests and suggestions in a letter and file it with the Commission which he said would be done. Harry Taylor, Costa Mesa, asked if `there was any change made in Block A -34 in Corona del Mar. Mr. Wise said that he had suggested it be changed to R -1 from too R-3 under the new plan. He explained that since China Cove is a state. -park and with the Corona del Mar Beach a park, we might as well go all the way and convert this block to a park also. It would be bad to have an apartment house between the two beaches. A gentlemen from Balboa got up and stated that he would like to protest the 101 , highway property being changed from commercial to single family residential and asked why was it better to have single family residences there instead of commercial property. Answer: If business is allowed there, the gap will close in with commercial establishments until you have business from the Santa Ana River to beyond Corona "del Mar, explained Mr. Wise. He stated that the people who bought the lots thought it would be residential with small shopping dis- tricts near, and he felt that it should be changed back'to commercial. Chair- man Longmoor asked him to write a letter regarding this and submit it to the Planning Commission. B. C. Grow, 1872 Abbey Way, Costa Mesa, got up next and said that he wished to protest Tract 1136 (lots 4, .5, 6) being changed in zoning. He feels that they should be put to the same use for which they were purchased and that his sym- pathies were in accor&`with Mr. Watson who spoke earlier. Chairman Longmoor asked if there were any other suggestions or comments. Mr. Vogel from Balboa asked if there were any changes on Balboa Island to which Mr. Wise said that the little island along the Grand Canal was recommended to be changed from R-2 to R -1 districts. There were various inquiries as to changed of zoning in particular parts of the city then. Mr. Lloyd Loveland, 929 W. Balboa Boulevard, Balboa, said that he kept hearing quite a bit of reference being made to application to the Planning Commission for 'he this, and application to the Planning Commission for that, and as -far as. ' could see, everything requires application to the Planning Commission. He said that he would like to know where the money for the additional clerical services, extra and increased services is to come from. Mr. Wise explained how permit applications to the Planning Commission work and the reason that they are necessary, and said that he could not see where there will be any increased cost to the city. He stated that the Planning Commission makes all its own investigations and does all its own work; whereas, most cities have committees to make reports to their planning commissions for them to act upon. Mr. Terrell of the Irvine Company was introduced by Chairman.Longmoor. He said that it had been very interesting to go through the rezoning of the Newport- Balboa area and that he realized what a difficult job it had been for the Planning Com- mission to clean up 4 bad situation. Miss McGann asked if there will be an increase in R-2 in any way on the island, and Mr. Wise answered that the controls will be much stricter on the island. He explained about increased building height limits in the city and that it wouldntt be possible unless they had adequate streets to handle increased population and also that the fire department at the present time is not sufficiently equipped to fight a fire in a six story high building. There being no further comments, the Chairman asked the Rommission if they wished to set the hearing over to the second hearing. Commissioner Copelin made,the m motion and Commissioner Daniell seconded the motion to set the 'hearing over to the'December 15th meeting. Motion carried. LEI FI LJ 101 CCMMUMI- Secretary Copelin read a letter that had just been forwarded to him by CATIONS Harry W, White representing the Balboa Island Community Methodist Church asking for approval of the Planning Commission to secure the Mayflower Building at the corner of Park & Coral as a suitable place of worship in keeping with the dignity of the Island and that there would be practically no change in the building. Also, there would be no parking problem, be-, cause most all the members of the church live on the island and walk there. Chairman Longmoor asked that he file a plot plan with dimensions, etc., with the Commission and that they would act upon it at their neat meeting of December 15. However, since the property is up for sale, and December 15 might be too late for them to complete the deal now in progress, Com- missioner Copelin moved that permission be granted for them to move into the Mayflower Building providing that they go ahead and draw up the plot plans etc, and file the necessary papers with the Commission which he said would be done. Motions seconded by Commissioner Johnson and passed with the following roll call vote: AYES: Copelin, Daniell, Johnson, Longmoor, Rudd, Smith, & Wightman. NOES: None ABSENT: Ellerbroek and Pleger Mr. Vogel asked that the hearing on the application of M. A. Norman for a washerette be reopened.' Mr. Daniell moved that the hearing be reopened, seconded by Commissioner Copelin and carried. Informal discussion with Mr. Vogel and the members of the Commission on the matter. Commissioner C opelin moved and Commissioner Daniell seconded that the hear- ing be closed. Motion carried. Commissioner Copelin moved that the appli- cation be granted subject to conditions which the Building Department might Incorporate in the permit, Commissioner Rudd seconded the motion and was passed by the following roll call vote: AYES: Copelin, Daniell, Johnson, Longmoor, Rudd, Smith, & Wightman. NOES: -None ABSENT; Ellerborke & Pleger ADJOURN- Chairman Longmoor asked if t here KENT was nott`Commissioner Copelin made Commissioner Daniell and-carried. aPJ was any further business and since there a motion for adjournment, seconded by Respectfully submitted, Copelin Sec etary