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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHoag Hospital (PA2002-038)CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Hearing Date: June 6, 2002 �, @g PLANNING DEPARTMENT Agenda Item: 4 Y 3300 NEWPORT BOULEVARD Staff Person: Todd M. Weber NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658 (949) 644 -3209 (949) 644 -3200; FAX (949) 644 -3229 Appeal Period: Automatic REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION PROJECT: Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (PA2002 -038) One Hoag Drive SUMMARY: Request to amend the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Planned Community (PC — 38) Development Criteria and District Regulations pertaining to floor areas that apply towards the established maximum development allocation. The applicant seeks to exempt floor areas that are used to house structural systems, mechanical equipment or are otherwise not regularly occupied. ACTION: Approve Planned Community Development Text Amendment No. 2002- 001 and ADOPT Resolution No. entitled, "A Resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Newport Beach Recommending that the City Council Approve Planned Community Text Amendment No. 2002- 001 for Property Located at One Hoag Drive." APPLICANT: Mr. Peter Foulke, Executive Vice President — Corporate Services Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian LOCATION: The property located at the southwest comer of Hospital Road and Newport Boulevard. LEGAL DESCRIPTION: That portion of Lots 169 & 170 in Block 2 and a portion of Lot 172 in Block lof Irvine Subdivision, as shown on a map recorded in Book 1, Page 88 of Miscellaneous Maps; and that portion of Lot 172 in Block 1 of Irvine Subdivision, as shown on a map recorded in Book 1, Page 88 of Miscellaneous Maps: Records of Orange County, CA Assessor's Parcel Numbers (APN's) 423 - 011 -17 & 28 GENERAL PLAN: Government, Educational & Institutional Facilities ZONING DISTRICT: Hoag Hospital Planned Community (PC — 38) District Planned Community Development Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) Current Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and related facilities including cancer center, Development: daycare facilities, surgery center, and other ancillary facilities and services To the north: Residential use within the Versailles on the Bluff and Villa Balboa and Administrative, Professional, Financial Commercial uses across Hospital Road To the east: A combination of Residential and Retail & Service Commercial uses across Newport Boulevard and Old Newport Boulevard To the south: Residential use within Balboa Cove and Newport Beach Townhouses across West Coast Highway within West Newport To the west: Residential use within the Versailles on the Bluff and Villa Balboa and Open Space — Active for the proposed Sunset Park PC Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) June 6, 2002 Page 2 of 8 Introduction and Background The applicant, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, is beginning Phase II of the hospital expansion and modernization plan proposed for the existing hospital campus. The expansion of Hoag Hospital was authorized in 1992 with the approval of General Plan and Planned Community amendments, a Development Agreement (DA) and the certification of Environmental Impact Report (EIR) No. 142 (Hoag Hospital Master Plan EIR). Due to the evolving nature of the healthcare industry, a certain degree of variation was expected over the 21 -25 year lifespan of the overall project. The preparation of a traffic study is required by the EIR and the DA subsequent to the completion of each phase and prior to the authorization of subsequent phases to ensure that traffic increases were adequately anticipated and mitigated. The Planning Commission approved the Traffic Study for Phase II on November 8, 2001. Phase II included the East Tower on the upper campus and expansions to the cancer center, central plant and childcare facilities on the lower campus. The East Tower will mirror the existing multi -story tower, referred to as the "West Tower," in both bulk and height. The new East Tower will have a `footprint' of approximately 38,000 sq. ft. with finished construction at 8 stories tall above the surrounding grade. While the building's design is driven from a functional perspective based upon the criteria from the Office of the Statewide Health, Planning and Development, the exterior design attempts to provide the upper campus some aesthetic or visual balance between the 2 towers. To accommodate approximately 315,000 sq. ft. of new construction associated with the new East Tower, approximately 40,000 sq. ft. of existing `inpatient' areas will require demolition. Therefore, the net increase in area is 275,000 sq. ft. The lower campus improvements associated with the Phase II approval include additions to the cancer center, the childcare center, and the central plant facilities comprising a total of approximately 68,000 sq. ft. Project Overview The applicant's proposal seeks to amend the Planned Community Development Text by including a new definition that has been reproduced below. Entitlement, Gross Floor Area: the area of a building or portion thereof including the surrounding exterior walls, but excluding 1. Area of a building utilized for stairwells, elevator shafts and duct shafts on levels other than the first level of a building in which they appear; 2. Area of a building which measures less than 8 feet from finished floor to ceiling and is not occupied; 3. Area of a building used specifically for mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, and information/communication systems, and is not occupied; and 4. Area of a building used for base isolation and structural systems and is not occupied. PC Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) June 6, 2002 Page 3 of 8 The proposal seeks to exclude those portions of a building that house either mechanical or structural systems, and are not regularly occupied, from being counted against the established maximum development allocation for the site. Additionally, the request seeks to eliminate such areas as utility duct and shaft areas or similar beyond the first floor level as counting towards the maximum development allocation. A colored set of plans has been prepared for the Commission to better illustrate how the applicant's request would apply to the East Tower (Exhibit No. 2). The request is a result of many factors. In 1995, new seismic upgrade requirements were imposed upon all hospitals in California. The applicant also states that the mechanical and electrical system requirements for hospitals to support general patient services, sophisticated medical equipment, and the building itself — including administrative and security computer systems —is above and beyond what is typically required for any comparable commercial or quasi - industrial development. Including these floor areas by definition (i.e., applying the areas towards the maximum development allocation authorized) will further reduce the ultimate build out of the hospital inconsistent with the purpose and intent of the approved Development Agreement and Planned Community Development Text. Analysis The applicant has suggested that part of the intent of the original Master Plan and Development Agreement was to allow a degree of flexibility for the eventual modernization of the campus as not all of the current development requirements were established or anticipated in 1992. Furthermore, the applicant wants to emphasize that they are not seeking to increase the maximum development allocation agreed upon in conjunction with the original set of entitlements. Rather, they are attempting to meet the current structural and mechanical requirements adopted by the Office of the Statewide Health, Planning and Development. The amount of mechanical, support and utility areas within the building were underestimated in 1992. The Northridge earthquake in 1994 triggered some of the new structural requirements that require the entire building to be seismically isolated. This requirement alone creates an entire subterranean level dedicated to this system that is not routinely occupied but is considered gross floor area by City definition and practice. Finally, the City may review the regulations that apply to a project to ensure that new (or phased) development: 1) is appropriate for the site in question; 2) does not exceed the established maximum development allocation, and 3) does not result in new or additional impacts. The following table represents a summary of the areas affected by the applicant's request for the East Tower (a more detailed summary, identifying each affected floor level, is found on the sheet labeled as T -1 of the plan set provided – Exhibit No. 2): Hoag Hospital Phase H East Tower Percentage of Total Gross square footage 397,711 100% Areas proposed to be excluded: mechanical/utility rooms and shafts 53,829 13.5% Subbasement 35,777 9.0% Exclusion sub -total square footage 89,606 22.5% Revised totalsquare footage 308,105 PC Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) June 6, 2002 Page 4 of 8 These areas are not continuously or regularly occupied and that is why the applicant's suggested language for the new definition states thus. However, it seems that the proposed language addressing occupancy should be reworded for clarity. It's not that people will never occupy these spaces — maintenance, repair and service may be required periodically. Moreover, the definition should more clearly state that the areas are not for continuous or regular /routine occupancy. General Plan The proposal does not seek to change any land use designation for the site nor change the Floor Area Ratios established by the City's General Plan. The applicant is not proposing to increase the maximum development allocation established in the Planned Community Development Text. Therefore, no General Plan Amendment is required in conjunction with the request. Planned Community Development Text and Zoning Code The Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Planned Community (PC — 38) Development Criteria and District Regulations do not contain any definitions pertaining to square footage. When the governing Planned Community Development Text is silent, the matter is regulated by the Zoning Code. The following general definition comes from Chapter 20.03: Definitions, of the Zoning Code: Floor Area, Gross: The total enclosed area of all floors of a building measured to the outside face of the structural members in exterior walls, and including halls, stairways, elevator shafts at each floor level, service and mechanical equipment rooms, and basement or attic areas having a height of more than 7 feet (see Chapter 20.63: Floor Area Ratios and Building Bulk and Chapter 20.66:Off- Street Parking and Loading for variations of this term for purposes determining floor area ratio and parking requirements). This definition is used in general terms and is further modified by Chapter 20.63 when a floor area ratio is applicable. The definition within Chapter 20.63: Floor Area Ratios and Building Bulk, states: Gross Floor Area. For purposes of this chapter, gross floor area shall be defined as the area of a building or portion thereof including the surrounding exterior walls, except that outdoor dining areas utilized in conjunction with an eating and drinking establishment shall also be included. Any finished portion of a building which measures more than 4 feet from finished floor to ceiling and is accessible shall be included in calculations of gross floor area. Areas utilized for stairwells and elevator shafts shall be counted towards gross floor area on only the first level. PC Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) June 6, 2002 Page 5 of 8 A comparative review of the proposed definition versus the existing definitions and a related code provision results in a few noteworthy points. The first is that the two (2) definitions conflict with regard to the applicability of floor areas dedicated to stairwells and elevator shafts in multi- story buildings. One definition counts these areas at each level, while the other only counts the area at the first level. The Planning Department has routinely applied the definition under Chapter 20.63 on Floor Area Ratios and Building Bulk to commercial projects. This means that the stairwells and elevator shafts are only counted towards gross square footage at the first level. The applicant's proposal to exclude floor areas related to stairwells and elevator shafts above the first level from counting towards the total floor area permitted is consistent with Planning Department practices in implementing the Zoning Code. Since this project is more institutional than commercial, the City Attorney and the Traffic Engineer reviewed the proposal and agreed that it was consistent with City policies and practices. Chapter 20.63 continues with a provision that addresses utility and mechanical equipment: Utilities and Mechanical Equipment. The Planning Director may exclude utility and mechanical equipment rooms, totaling up to 10 percent of the gross floor area, from the calculation of the floor area ratio when it is clearly demonstrated that such areas do not contribute to the traffic generation potential of the property. Upon review of the Utilities and Mechanical Equipment provision shown above, the applicant's request includes areas that are not limited to "utility and mechanical equipment rooms." The applicant's request includes utility shafts as well. Within the East Tower example, the total floor area pertaining to mechanical and utility equipment and uses exceeds the 10 percent exclusion allowed pursuant to Planning Director discretion (please refer to the table on page 4 of the staff report for the East Tower statistics). Utilizing this section of the code does not address the subbasement space dedicated to base - isolator structural requirements mandated by the Office of the Statewide Health, Planning and Development. Therefore, an amendment to the Hoag Hospital Planned Community Development Text would need to be approved by both the Commission and the City Council in order to accommodate the applicant's request in totality. Based upon this same assumption that it can be clearly demonstrated that such areas do not contribute to the traffic generation potential of the property, the Traffic Engineer concluded that the proposal would not require additional traffic analysis. These spaces would not be available to house new employees or patients, or space that would otherwise result in an increase in visitors to the hospital. Therefore, the request should not result in the generation of any additional trips to the site. The traffic analysis conducted for Phase II was based upon areas and uses generating new or additional trips. The proposed exclusion of area is consistent with this analysis. Furthermore, should the request be received favorably by the Commission, there needs to be additional language that prohibits these "excluded spaces" from being converted to useable space, which might be occupied by future uses that generate additional traffic — however unlikely it may appear now. Staff suggests that the excluded spaces be limited to housing mechanical, utility or structural systems in perpetuity. PC Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) June 6, 2002 Page 6 of 8 This could be done as an additional amendment to the Planned Community Development Text under the section on Prohibited Uses, illustrated below (proposed changes in italics): V. DISTRICT REGULATIONS B. Prohibited Uses Lower Campus a) Emergency Room b) Heliport c) Conversion of mechanical, structural or utility spaces to uses that allow general or routine occupancy. 2. Upper Campus a) Conversion of mechanical, structural or utility spaces to uses that allow general or routine occupancy. These amendments, in conjunction with the amendments proposed by the applicant, are included in the draft resolution for approval, should the Commission decide to approve the request. Conclusion The request seeks to exclude areas that are not routinely occupied and, therefore, do not generate new or additional traffic trips. Many of the current requirements for these electrical, mechanical or structural systems were not in place in 1992 when the master Plan and Development Agreement were finalized. Should the Commission disagree with the request, the useable portion of the East Tower would be reduced by the areas identified on the table on page 4 of this report. It should be reiterated that another traffic study is required upon completion of Phase II and prior to commencement of Phase III. The traffic study will use actual vehicle counts internal to the project site as well as those impacting the surrounding street system. The purpose of the study is to provide the City a means to evaluate the phased development of the hospital campus and determine if the trips generated as a result of project implementation are in line with what was anticipated. In the case they are not, then the City can impose additional mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the impact(s). Environmental Review The project has been reviewed and it has been determined that the currently proposed scope of development for Phase II at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian falls within the parameters established in the originally certified EIR (EIR No. 142), which remains the governing environmental document. No significant impacts were identified outside those already defined in the EIR. The approved traffic study for Phase II documented that no new project Conditions of Approval or Mitigation Measures were warranted. This proposal reflects a clarification of defined square footages within the entitlements granted by the aforementioned documents. PC Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) June 6, 2002 Page 7 of 8 Recommendation Staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve Planned Community Development Text Amendment No. 2002 -001, as stated in the attached resolution. The amendment does not effect traffic generation nor the established maximum development allocation, maximum height or required setbacks and would permit Hoag Hospital to the ability to realize the entitlements granted in 1992 pursuant to the PC text and the Development Agreement. Submitted by: PATRICIA L. TEMPLE Planning Director Rh awl Q Exhibits 1. Draft Resolution No. 2. Plans F: \Users\Pln\ Shared\ PA' s\ PA2002- 038\PD2002001- perpt.doe.dot Prepared by: TODD M. WEBER Associate Planter '^I PC Text Amendment No. 2002 -001 (PA 2002 -038) June 6, 2002 Page 8 of 8 RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH RECOMMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE PLANNED COMMUNITY TEXT AMENDMENT NO. 2002 -001 FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT ONE HOAG DRIVE (PA2002 -038). The Planning Commission of the City of Newport Beach does hereby find, resolve and order as follows: Section 1. An application was filed by Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian with respect to property located at One Hoag Drive requesting approval of PD2002 -001 that will clarify which floor areas apply to the established maximum development allocation approved under the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Master Plan. The amendment excludes such areas as utility shafts and ducts, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms, and other similar areas that are not regularly occupied from counting towards the total area approved by Development Agreement No. 5, approved by the City Council on February 14, 1994. Section 2. A public hearing was held on June 6, 2002, at 6:30 P.M. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 3300 Newport Boulevard, Newport Beach, California. A notice of time, place and purpose of the aforesaid meeting was duly given. Evidence, both written and oral, was presented to and considered by the Planning Commission at the aforesaid meeting. Section 3. The Planning Commission finds as follows: a) The maximum development allocation permitted pursuant to the Hoag Hospital Master Plan will not change as a result of the applicant's request. The request proposes an additional definition for inclusion in the Hoag Hospital Planned Community Development Criteria and District Regulations that would clarify which floor areas apply towards the maximum development allocation. The definition would exclude areas such as equipment and mechanical rooms, utility ducts and shafts, etc., that are not for normal or regular occupancy. b) The pre- existing development standards such as building height and density will not change as a result of the applicant's request. The request is a text amendment pertaining to floor areas, which would remain subject to the existing development standards. C) The exclusion of these areas would not create any new or additional environmental impacts. The request does not involve an increase in density, building bulk, trips generated to the site, or some other intensification of use. Development and construction would remain subject to all of the pre- existing development standards of the Hoag Hospital Planned Community Text and Development Agreement. d) The request is in accord with the original intent and purpose of the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Master Development Plan and the Development Agreement. Since the original plan and agreement were adopted in 1992 and 1994 respectively, Exhibit No. 1 there have been additional requirements placed upon hospital facilities related to the electrical, structural and mechanical demands associated with providing medical services. The request clarifies which floor areas apply towards the maximum development allocation. The areas to be excluded do not provide for normal or regular occupancy. e) The project has been reviewed, and a determination has been made that the project is consistent with the approval for the Hoag Hospital Planned Community (PC -38) District, and no new potential environmental effects are anticipated as a result of the project. 0 The project is also in accord with the implementing Guidelines for CEQA as the hospital expansion project is consistent with the Governmental, Educational, and Institutional Facilities designation of the site by the General Plan and the Hoag Hospital Planned Community (PC — 38) District which permits hospital and related medical facility development. Section 4. Based on the aforementioned findings, the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council approve Planned Community Text Amendment No. 2002 -001, as depicted in Attachment "A." Section 5. This recommendation shall be forwarded to the City Council for final adoption of this amendment in accordance with the provisions of the Newport Beach Municipal Code. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 6th DAY OF JUNE, 2002. M MM Larry Tucker, Chairman Earl McDaniel, Secretary AYES: NOES: ABSENT: )6 Attachment "A" To Resolution No. Proposed changes to the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Planned Community Development Text: III. DEFINITIONS Entitlement, Gross Floor Area: the area of a building or portion thereof including the surrounding exterior walls, but excluding 1. Area of a building utilized for stairwells, elevator shafts and duct shafts on levels other than the first level of a building in which they appear; 2. Area of a building which measures less than 8 feet from finished floor to ceiling and is not occupied; 3. Area of a building used specifically for mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, and information /communication systems, and is not occupied; and 4. Area of a building used for base isolation and structural systems and is not occupied. and PART V. DISTRICT REGULATIONS B. Prohibited Uses 1. Lower Campus a) Emergency Room b) Heliport c) Conversion of mechanical, structural or utility spaces to uses that allow general or routine occupancy. 2. Upper Campus a) Conversion of mechanical, structural or utility spaces to uses that allow general or routine occupancy.