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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/14/2014 - Zoning Administrator NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR MINUTES 08/14/2014 NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR MINUTES 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach Corona del Mar Conference Room (Bay E-1st Floor) Thursday, August 14, 2014 REGULAR HEARING 3:30 p.m. A. CALL TO ORDER—The meeting was called to order at 3:32 p.m. Staff Present: Brenda Wisneski, Zoning Administrator Debbie Drasler, Contract Planner Rosalinh Ung, Associate Planner Jason Van Patten, Planning Technician B. MINUTES of July 24, 2014 Action: Approved C. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS ITEM NO. 1 Newport Mesa Wellness and Murphy Chiropractic, Inc. Minor Use Permit (PA2014-091) 20280 Acacia Street, Suite 200 CD3 Debbie Drasler, Contract Planner, provided a brief project description stating that the application is for a Minor Use Permit to allow a medical office use to operate within the Santa Ana Heights Specific Plan Business Park District which allows medical use subject to the approval of a minor use permit. Mrs. Drasler stated that the property provides one hundred ten (110) parking spaces on-site; which is adequate to accommodate the increased parking demand associated with the proposed use and that the proposal is compatible with existing and allowed uses within the commercial development. Applicant Dr. Murphy of Newport Mesa Wellness stated that he had reviewed the draft resolution and 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.2 2290 Bristol Street Minor Use Permit(PA2014-111) 2290 Bristol Street CD3 Jason Van Patten, Planning Technician, provided a brief project description stating that the applicant was requesting a list of authorized uses in conjunction with an addition and remodel to an existing building in Santa Ana Heights. He provided a brief overview regarding improvements proposed and stated that the authorization would allow retail, office, personal service general, financial institution, take-out service limited eating and drinking establishment, and health/fitness facility uses. Mr. Van Patten explained that the uses are generally less intensive because they have lower parking requirements, lower vehicular trip generation rates, and typically do not have late hours of operation. He added that a surplus of parking would be available onsite for any combination of uses authorized. Applicant Jim Bickel of Bickel Group Architecture, on behalf of the property owner, stated that he had reviewed the draft resolution and the required conditions. Page 1 of 4 NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR MINUTES 08/14/2014 The Zoning Administrator asked about the landscaping proposed and compatibility with the Bristol Street rehabilitation project. Mr. Van Patten indicated that the plantings proposed for the project were generally comparable with the plant palette chosen for the rehabilitation project. He then recommended that trees selected be compatible with the rehabilitation project. In response, Zoning Administrator Wisneski modified Condition No. 9 to include language requiring that the landscape plan be compatible with the Bristol Street rehabilitation project. One member of the public, Jim Mosher, spoke and stated that he did not understand the request. He provided a brief overview of what he believed to be the purpose of a minor use permit and stated that the request was out of character and unclear to him because there was no specific tenant. There were no other public comments. The Zoning Administrator indicated that while use permits typically involve specific businesses, it is not a requirement for a discretionary permit. She noted that findings for approval could be made for the various uses proposed and that conditions of approval in place would need to be complied with. The Zoning Administrator added that if a use is unable to comply with the requirements of the minor use permit, a new or modified use permit would be required. The Zoning Administrator then moved to approve the project with the modification to Condition No. 9. Action: Approved ITEM NO. 3 Pressed Juicery Minor Use Permit (PA2014-114) 1116 Irvine Avenue CD 3 Jason Van Patten, Planning Technician, provided a brief project description stating that the request was to allow a new take-out service limited eating and drinking establishment in the Westcliff Plaza Shopping Center. He added that no alcohol service, no late hours, and no seating were proposed, and that parking was adequately provided in the shared parking lot. Applicant Peter Kolibaba of Pirzadeh and Associates, Inc., on behalf of the property owner and the tenant, stated that he had reviewed the draft resolution and 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. The Zoning Administrator then moved to approve the project. Action: Approved ITEM NO.4 Pacifica Christian High School Minor Use Permit (PA2014-045) 883 W. 15th Street CD2 Rosalinh Ung, Associate Planner, provided a brief project description stating that the application is for a Minor Use Permit to allow the operation of a private high school, 9th through 12th grade, to be located at the West Newport Community Center. Ms. Ung stated that the City will be relocating the existing facility to a new location within the next several years and desires to enter into a ground lease of the subject property with Pacifica Christian High School (Pacifica). Ms. Ung described the proposed school operation and the requirements of a minor use permit. She then recommended approval of the minor use permit with changes to the draft Condition Nos. 13, 16, 19, 20, 35, and 41 regarding special events, student classroom hours, an increase in student enrollment in Year 3 from one hundred (100) to one hundred twenty (120) students, and deletion of Fire Department Condition No. 25 which is no longer applicable. Page 2 of 4 NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR MINUTES 08/14/2014 Applicant Tim Strader Jr. of StarPointe Ventures, on behalf of Pacifica, stated that he had reviewed the draft resolution and the required conditions and requested clarification on the drafted condition pertaining to the school hours of operation. The Zoning Administrator explained the draft school hours of operation condition and asked if the applicant wanted to include any extra curriculum activities outside of classroom hours to the school operation. The Zoning Administrator commented on the lack of visitor and school bus parking provisions for the proposed school. David Bahnsen of Pacifica stated that it is the school's policy that parent/teacher meetings and school visitations be conducted after school hours similar to their sister school in Santa Monica. Board meetings will be conducted off campus; and guest speakers will be brought in on rare occasions. Parking needs for the City's programs during the first three (3) years of school operation, as identified in the parking management plan, assumed that all parking spaces will be occupied at the same time; whereas in reality, smaller groups/classes will be occurring at different hours and therefore, there would not be a high demand for guest/visitor parking. David Keely of the Public Works Department commented that there could be a concern if there are guest speakers during school hours on the second year of school operation where parking demand is at a threshold for the school use and City's programs, compared to the other years of school operation where there would be a few parking spaces available in the parking lot. However, the likelihood that the City would be using all twenty-five (25) parking spaces throughout the day in conjunction with the school operation would be minimal.As a result, there would not be a need for additional visitor parking. With regard to school bus parking, Mr. Bahnsen stated that the school would be providing a private busing charter service in Year 3. The bus would not be school property nor would it be parked at the school. It would be a third-party busing service similar to the service that Mariner's Christian School in Costa Mesa is currently using. The Zoning Administrator opened the public hearing. Mr. Jim Mosher, member of the public, spoke and commented on the school operation, the commencement of school operation, the increase in school enrollment request in relation to the parking demand analysis, the approval of the parking management plan, school compliance with the parking management plan, and the use of the subject property for a religious school which is in conflict with California Constitution Article 16, Section 4. A resident commented on her familiarity with Carden Hall School on Monrovia Avenue with regard to their parking lot; the student drop-off and pick-up arrangements. She then commented on traffic congestion on 15th Street and construction noise and activities on Halyard. She was also concerned about safety of the students when they enter and exit the school. David Keely addressed the traffic issues in the vicinity. The project does not require a traffic study pursuant to the Traffic Phasing Ordinance. A parking management plan prepared by Kunzman Associates, Inc. addressed the drop-off and pick-up arrangements. If the applicant adheres to the stipulations stated in the parking management plan, the traffic engineer does not have a concern with the traffic impacts to 15th Street. Modifications/changes to the school drop-off/pick-up and parking queuing are subject to the review and approval of the traffic engineer. The same resident also commented on the 35-mile speed limit requirement on Monrovia Avenue and her concern with the current speed near the schools. Mr. Keely stated that he would confer with the traffic engineer for a school zone speed limit consideration. Page 3 of 4 NEWPORT BEACH ZONING ADMINISTRATOR MINUTES 08/14/2014 The Zoning Administrator commented that the surrounding roadways are not to the traffic capacity and the additional trips being generated by the project do not trigger a traffic study pursuant to the Traffic Phasing Ordinance. Mr. Keely agreed that the traffic capacity on 15th Street is adequate to accommodate the proposed school. There were no other public comments. The Zoning Administrator commented on the adequacy of proposed changes to the draft conditions as proposed by staff and modified Condition No. 35 to add that the requirements of the parking management plan shall be implemented. The Zoning Administrator then moved to approve the project. Action: Approved D. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS None. E. ADJOURNMENT The hearing was adjourned at 4:22 p.m. The agenda for the Zoning Administrator Hearing was posted on August 08, 2014, at 12:05 p.m. in the Chambers binder and 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 August 08, 2014, at 12:10 p.m.. red Wisneski, AI P, Zoning Administrator Page 4 of 4