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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/06/2014 - Planning Commission CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES Council Chambers-- 100 Civic Center Drive Thursday, November 6, 2014 REGULAR MEETING 6:30 p.m. I. CALL TO ORDER-The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m, II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE—Chair Tucker III. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Brown, Hillgren, Koetting, Kramer, Lawler and Tucker ABSENT (Excused): Myers Staff Present: Brenda Wisneski, Deputy Community Development Director; Leonie Mulvihill, Assistant City Attorney; Tony Brine, City Traffic Engineer; Benjamin Zdeba, Assistant Planner; Brittany Ramirez, Administrative Technician; Jennifer Biddle, Administrative Support Specialist IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Tucker invited those interested in addressing the Planning Commission on items not on the agenda, to do so at this time. Jim Mosher commented on the recently-failed land-use amendment that was on the ballot on November 4, 2014, noting that when the matter was considered by the Planning Commission, Chair Tucker indicated that the Planning Commission's role was technical review. Mr. Mosher sees the Commission's role as being more expansive such as making discretionary decisions and recommendations to City Council. He added that it also involves ensuring that the decisions made by staff are in tune with the community's wants. He stated there has been a "disconnect" and that the Commission did not see relevant information presented to Council regarding the matter. He commented on traffic and trips generated by the plan and hoped that the Commission will consider other "futuristic" ideas for redesigning Newport Center that might not add so many trips or will reduce the number of trips generated. Seeing no others wishing to address the Planning Commission, Chair Tucker closed Public Comments. V. REQUEST FOR CONTINUANCES- None Vi. CONSENT ITEMS ITEM NO. 1 MINUTES OF OCTOBER 23, 2014 Recommended Action: Approve and file Chair Tucker noted that Commissioner Hillgren submitted changes to the minutes of October 23, 2014. Chair Tucker opened public comments. Seeing no one wishing to provide comment, Chair Tucker closed public comments. Motion made by Chair Tucker and seconded by Commissioner Lawler and carried (4 — 2) to approve the Planning Commission meeting minutes of October 23, 2014, as corrected. AYES: Brown, Hillgren, Lawler and Tucker NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: Koetting and Kramer ABSENT: Myers Page 1 of 6 NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 11/06/14 VII. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS ITEM NO. 2 Enterprise Rent-A-Car Conditional Use Permit(PA2014-108) Site Location: 4500 Campus Drive and 4361 Birch Street Assistant Planner Ben Zdeba provided details of the staff report describing the proposed project, location, surrounding land uses, access to John Wayne Airport, zoning, applicable General Plan provisions, existing conditions, demolition of office space, enhancements to security, grading and landscaping, construction of a new office building, storage, and a store front area, modification of the existing vehicle service area to create a new carwash bay and the addition of two (2) new fuel dispensers by expanding the existing canopy. He also indicated at least two (2) areas on the project site would be designated for transport truck parking to offload rental vehicles which currently takes place illegally within the public right-of-way. He then presented the existing travel routes for rental vehicles for the airport branch at the existing facility and proposed travel routes that would be much more concise and effective. Lastly, he expressed staff's belief that the proposed project is consistent with the policies of the General Plan Land Use Element for the Airport Office and Supporting Uses land use designation and further stated that the findings to recommend approval can be made. In reply to Commissioner Koetting's inquiry regarding clarification of ingress/egress for cars and vehicle transport trucks, Mr. Zdeba reported that arrows show the location of ingress/egress of the site from a conceptual level. He added there is a condition of approval within the draft resolution to require review of the final design by the Public Works/Traffic Department to ensure proper circulation. Transport truck parking has been provided on both sites, adjacent to driveway areas; however, he stated most offloading will occur off Campus Drive. He clarified the use of fire lanes, on-site customer parking, and vehicle pick up and return. In response to Vice Chair Kramer's question regarding property ownership, Mr. Zdeba clarified there are two (2) separate properties owned by business entities with a common member. He further stated that the property owner's representative was present and available for questions. Chair Tucker opened the public hearing. Bill Bettison, Long Beach, Operations Manager for Enterprise Holdings, thanked the Planning Commission and staff and provided information relative to the entities owned and operated by Enterprise Holdings. He reported that it retains three (3) primary sites within the John Wayne Airport area and addressed the car rental process and operations at same. He stated that the intent is to increase the efficiency of their "quick turnaround" (QTA) facility which is to service, prepare and store vehicles for increased safety and reduce unnecessary trips in and around the area. He referenced a presentation included in the staff report as an attachment and offered to respond to questions from the Planning Commission. Commissioner Koetting commented on the sites that will be closed and Mr. Bettison clarified the plans for their various existing sites, He added that no automobile sales will be conducted on the sites. Tim Stoaks, resident, commented on the issue of vehicle transport trucks offloading within the public right-of-way and noted the unsafe conditions. He expressed doubt regarding the adequacy of the proposed design with relation to accommodating vehicle transport truck offloading on-site. He opined that this project constitutes an expansion of John Wayne Airport and referenced the recently approved Settlement Agreement. He stated that the area was zoned for office uses and opined that trip generation for the project was askew. He expressed concerns with car rental agencies during big conventions with large numbers of cars being delivered and noted existing businesses that are presently impacted. He added that he has been documenting the issue and related unsafe conditions for the last several years and that the Police Department and City staff have the documentation and evidence. In response to Vice Chair Kramer's question regarding the expectation that the proposed project will generate less average daily trips, Mr. Stoaks noted that office trip generation occurs in the morning and in the evening but that the proposed project is a continual operation requiring multiple trips throughout the day and night. City Traffic Engineer Tony Brine reported that staff considered average daily trips for existing uses compared to the proposed project and noted a decrease in average daily traffic, overall. Peak hours were not considered, specifically. Page 2 of 6 NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 11/06/14 Chair Tucker noted that the proposed plan will eliminate trucks from unloading in the street and will be loading and unloading on site. Mr. Brine noted that it is a big improvement over the existing operation. In response to Vice Chair Kramer's inquiry regarding a traffic study, City Traffic Engineer Tony Brine reported there was no specific traffic study conducted but calculations were prepared with the existing and proposed land uses. He added there are less trips generated with the proposed plan than with the existing uses. He noted that staff did a calculation to determine whether a complete traffic study was necessary. The result indicated it was not. Vice Chair Kramer noted the need for backup data in support of the findings. He stated that without quantitative information, he could not agree'with the information presented to support the findings. Mr. Stoaks noted that a City initiative involves controlling the growth of the airport and opined that the Planning Commission needed to consider that the proposed plan involves expansion of the airport. In response to Chair Tucker's inquiry of Mr. Stoaks'stance on the project being heard, Mr. Stoaks stated that the plan is not developed well enough to make the operation work. Chair Tucker noted that the proposed plan is an improvement of the existing operation. Mr. Stoaks commented on other vehicle rental facilities in the area and wondered about the appropriateness of expanding one, knowing that others are not in compliance. Commissioner Koetting agreed that there may not be enough room for vehicle transport trucks to turn around and indicated that the driveway may need to be widened to facilitate turning. Mr. Stoaks reiterated his concerns regarding vehicle transport trucks as well as trips generated by the operation. Assistant City Attorney Leonie Mulvihill reported that when applications come in they are reviewed by the applicable departments to determine if certain thresholds, such as the City's Traffic Phasing Ordinance, are exceeded. She reported that the thresholds were not reached upon review of this specific application and the "drill-down" operational analysis was not required for this project. There was an analysis done by staff and it was determined that the average daily trips information was accurate and appropriate. She added that if the Commission did not feel it could make the stated findings, it should not agree with those findings. Vice Chair Kramer stated that the issue is unique, noting that there will be many trips going back and forth from the airport and the satellite facility. Chair Tucker commented on the importance of intersection analysis with respect to the City's Traffic Phasing Ordinance (TPO) and reported that it is not the fact that a project generates a lot of trips, but rather whether or not those trips end up degrading the performance at intersections. Rob! Ann Sales, architect for the project, explained the process for transport loading and unloading and noted that turning for transport trucks and fire trucks has been accommodated in the site plan. In response to an inquiry from Commissioner Brown, Ms. Sales explained that the conceptual information was generated for the daily operation of the business, not for operations related to increased inventory for special events. Mr. Bettison indicated that the fire lane is wide enough to accommodate a fire truck. He added that Enterprise Holdings has these types of facilities all over the country, on much smaller pieces of property. He commented on the volume of trucks, noting that it does get heavy at times, but that has been considered in the plan's design. Mr. Bettison addressed trip generation and reported that overall generation will decrease and current driver expense will effectively be cut by 25 percent,conservatively. Page 3 of 6 NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 11/06/14 Discussion followed regarding the vehicle transport trucks, the possibility of adding a condition that four (4) vehicle transport trucks be accommodated on-site at any given time, and the maximum number of trucks expected. Mr. Bettison stated that the need to accommodate four (4) trucks at any one time is not anticipated. He commented on the cost of transporting cars for a convention, noting that it would be difficult to recuperate and that it is not good business and is not something they do as they cannot afford to bring in too many cars all at once. City Traffic Engineer Brine reported that with the removal of the existing on-site office development, thirty-four (34) trips would be eliminated in the morning and the new use would add nineteen (19). In the afternoon, thirty- three(33)trips would be eliminated and the new use would add twenty-six(26); therefore, the proposed new use would reduce the number of trips in the morning and in the afternoon. In response to Chair Tucker's question, Mr. Brine reported that no intersection levels of service will be impacted. Commissioner Lawler suggested amending Condition of Approval No. 53 to include peak or convention operations that address traffic control and vehicle transport truck route plans. Deputy Community Development Director Brenda Wisneski stated that staff considered the same approach to Condition of Approval No. 48, related to on-site operations. She noted that Condition of Approval No. 53 is related to the construction process. She added that in Condition of Approval No. 48, the final circulation plan will be required to be submitted to the City's Transportation and Development Services Division and suggested adding that"the demonstration shall be conducted showing that delivery trucks can circulate adequately on-site." She stated that the Commission can specify that it accommodates four(4)trucks. In response to Chair Tucker's question regarding prohibiting the loading or unloading of transport trucks on the street, Mr.Zdeba stated that it is addressed in Condition of Approval No. 6. Thomas Zurba asked that the Planning Commission take into consideration the dozens of small businesses that will be displaced if the project is approved. He added that many businesses have been tenants of the property for almost twenty (20) years and stated that many are worried about their livelihoods. He expressed concerns regarding driving onto Campus Drive and getting across three (3) lanes to turn left onto Airport Way. He noted that it poses a danger that may be exacerbated with the proposed plan. In response to an inquiry from Commissioner Hillgren, Mr. Zurba reported that his business is United Auto Rentals which has been a tenant of the property for sixteen (16)years. He added that his business is in danger of being displaced and expressed concern about its future. Jim Mosher noted that one (1) of Mr. Stoaks' concerns is addressed by Condition of Approval No. 6 and wondered if there is a stipulation that would make it more enforceable or clarify what the penalty will be if the operation does not comply. He added that it would be helpful to know how many other rental companies are operating in Newport Beach and how many have the problem of transports on the streets that may require similar mitigation. Bob McDonald commented on the Birch/Campus tract and constraints including airport noise and flaws in ownership. He stated that car rental companies have been champions in consolidating small lots and bifurcated ownerships, allowing for better land-planning. He added that zoning and the General Plan are in alignment and spoke in support of the proposed plan. In response to Vice Chair Kramer's question, Mr. McDonald stated he is a commercial real estate broker, representing Mr. Saunders (property owner) and listed other rental car company deals in which he has been involved. Discussion followed regarding the recent Land Use Plan update and elimination of additional office use by City Council. Chair Tucker closed the public hearing. Page 4 of 6 NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 11/06/14 Mr. Brine addressed Mr. Zurba's concern regarding turning into Airport Way from Campus Drive, noting that challenges are dependent on the time of day and the traffic on Campus Drive. The majority of the time, traffic volumes on Campus Drive are low enough that safety is not an issue. Discussion followed regarding the hours of operation for the facility and the retail portion of the property. Ms. Wisneski reported that there is a condition that limits deliveries to be outside the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Chair Tucker reported that the issue of displacement of tenants is beyond the Planning Commission's purview and addressed loading and unloading on streets adding that it is not an allowed activity and that the applicant will work with staff accordingly. He added that the intent is to avoid loading and unloading in the streets and the applicant confirmed so. Chair Tucker reported his submission of a change to Condition of Approval No. 11 regarding screening the security walls and fencing with landscaping. Commissioner Koetting commented on the architecture on the Birch Street building and recommended enhancing the architecture. He recommended including a condition to make the building compatible with the new building and submit same to staff. Motion made by Chair Tucker and seconded by Vice Chair Kramer and carried (6--0) to adopt Resolution No. 1960 approving Conditional Use Permit No. UP2014-025, with the changes to Conditions of Approval No. 11 and 48 and that the buildings on the Birch Street side be modified so that they are compatible with the design of the new buildings and that the transport truck loading and unloading area be sized to accommodate at least four trucks at one time. AYES: Brown, Hillgren, Koetting, Kramer, Lawler and Tucker NOES: None ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT: Myers VIII. STAFF AND COMMISSIONER ITEMS ITEM NO. 3 MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION -None ITEM NO.4 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR'S REPORT 1. Update on the General Plan/Local Coastal Program Implementation Committee Deputy Community Development Director Wisneski reported that staff continues to work on the Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan components and it is anticipated that a draft document will be presented to the Committee within the next couple of weeks. The next meeting will be on December 3, 2014, pending confirmation of the availability of members, The document should be before the Planning Commission in mid- spring. Commissioner Hillgren stated that scheduling one (1) or two (2) study sessions for the Planning Commission to consider the document would be appropriate. He commented on the process and added he looks forward to a comprehensive review of the entire program. Vice Chair Kramer agreed adding that the sooner,the better. Ms.Wisneski reported that the City has been recommended to receive a grant from the Coastal Commission for $67,000 to assist in the development process of the Implementation Plan, focusing on sea-level rise and the implications it has on coastal communities. Page 6 of 6 NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES 11/06/14 2. Update on City Council Items Ms. Wisneski provided an update on City Council items including approval of Balboa Village improvements and reported there is current funding to include a gateway sign. The parking program and creation of a Parking Benefit District will be considered by Council on November 25th. She referenced a meeting schedule distributed to the Commission and reported that Council will consider the initiation for a Zoning Code amendment for Balboa Island, as currently the code does not recognize the prohibition of condominiums in Balboa Island. Additionally, she reported that the Uptown Newport map will be considered by Council at its second meeting in November. Brief discussion followed regarding next steps including the site development review. Ms. Wisneski introduced Jennifer Biddle, Administrative Support Specialist, for the Community Development Department. Discussion followed regarding scheduling of Planning Commission meetings and preferences for considering items on the agenda. Vice Chair Kramer stated he would prefer being as efficient as possible by considering multiple agenda items rather than one (1) or two (2). Additionally, he commented on the possibility of cancelling meetings that are close to holidays. Commissioner Hillgren concurred with Vice Chair Kramer's comments adding the need to be responsive to applicants. ITEM NO. 5 ANNOUNCEMENTS ON MATTERS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS WOULD LIKE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION, OR REPORT-None ITEM NO. 6 REQUESTS FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES Commissioner Lawler requested an excused absence for the Planning Commission's meetings of November 20, 2014 and December 4, 2014. Vice Chair Kramer requested an excused absence for the Planning Commission meeting of December 18, 2014. IX. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Planning Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m. The agenda for the Planning Commission meeting was posted on Thursday, October 30, 2014, at 4:05 p.m. in the Chambers binder, 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 Thursday, October 30, 2014, at 3:45 p.m. Larry Tucker, Chair Jay ye ecr t 7 Page 6 of 6