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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-10-01101410M OF THE HUNTINGTON BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION Council Chamber, City Hall Huntington Beach, California Tuesday, October lst, 1957 Chairman Bazil called the meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Huntington Beach to order at 7:35 o'clock P. M. Commissioners present: Bazil, Stang, Bardwell, Presson, Schryer, Liles. Commissioners absent: Davis. Minutes On motion by Stang and seconded by -Liles, the minutes of the Huntington Beach Planning Commission of Tuesday, September 17, 1957, as transcribed and mailed by the Secretary, were accepted as mailed. Petition Yard Chairman Bazil asked the Secretary to present the petition and Variance staff report for a Yard Variance for applicant Ernest E. Nixon to permit Ernest E. Nixon Carport and Utility room to encroach to within 2' of South side property line in variance to Interim Ordinance adopting the Orange County Land Use Ordinance No. 351. The property is located at Lot 6 Tract 2416 (18172 Huntington Beach Blvd.), Huntington Beach, California. The staff report stated: The Huntington Crest home is one with 3 bedrooms with an additional large room obtained by the enclosing of the 2 car garage. The owner claims he has the advice and approval of his next- door neighbors. The report recommended denial for the following reasons: Variance_ Denied 1. The fact that construction was begun prematurely is no criteria. 2. The proposed car space provided is necessarily crowded for vehicle occupancy. 3. There'are no special or unique circumstances or hardship to warrant approval. 4. Other property owners in the tract would be tempted to ask for the same special privilege on the basis of similar property at similar locations. The enclosing of garage spaces should not be encouraged. The approval of this variance would induce more owners to do the same. 5• How can this owner or future owners be stopped from enclosing this pro- posed carport at a future time and utilizing this space also for living purposes. Page #2 Minutes - Huntington Beach Planning Commission ` Tuesday, October lst, 1957 6. The crowding of structures onto spacious lots could easily deteriorate the appearance of the tract and would defeat the original purpose of the space requirements. Crowded conditions which are easily viewed from the highway would serve to discredit and devaluate the,tract as a whole. 7. The carport and utility room would be much more acceptable if placed in the rear yard away from.the immediate view of the highway. Chairman Bazil opened the hearing to the public, there being no response from the audience the public hearing was closed. A discussion was held by the Commissioners whereby it was pointed out the dangers of permitting encroachments within the tract area. Mention was made of the fact that the house was originally one of the tract model homes. Liles brought out the point that there were no objections from any of the large number of the residents who were notified, and that there still was sufficient side yard areas on the neighbor's lot. Fear was expressed by the commission that if this application were granted there would be no grounds for denial for other applications in the same neighborhood. It was also suggested that the slab which is already poured can be used as part of the driveway for a garage and utility room in the rear of the yard. Motion by Bardwell and seconded by Stang to RECOMMEND DENIAL for the Yard Variance application was carried. Use Variance: The Secretary was asked to read the petition and report for an County of Orange • application for a Use Variance for the County of Orange to permit the ex- tension of existing County Disposal Station No. 10 located at the S 2 SE w NW 4 NW 4 of SEC 35, T.5.S., R.11.W. The operation will be a continuation of the sanitary land fill process, disposing of household refuse. No gar- bage or burning. There was no report, because the same conditions which applied for the first parcel apply for this parcel. It was noted that the Council had tabled action on the first parcel request and that in the meantime the County had filed this request. Chairman Bazil opened the hearing to the audience for comment. C. W. Baxter re; C. W. Baxter, 826.Birch, Santa Ana, addressed the Commission Orange County variance to protest the granting of the variance. He stated that he owned a large parcel of farm land in the immediate vicinity for which he had plans of an industrial park. He felt that the County had expansion plans which would Page #3 Minutes'- H. B. Planning Commission Tuesday, October 1st, 1957 not stop at the parcel under consideration, but would extend further into property where Sully -Miller Paving were currently located. R. L. Obarr re: R. L. Obarr (former City Councilman), 310 West 17th Street, Santa Orange County variance Ana, addressed the Commission and explained that he too had a large parcel of property in the vicinity and had planned on an industrial development. He went on record to intimate that there was collusion between officials of the County of Orange and the Sully -Miller Contracting Company whereby the paving company was allowed to excavate for aggregate materials creating a large void which would be leased to the county at a later date for dumping purposes.' He also complained that there was no time limit placed on the operation. The City Administrative Officer pointed out that the Dump, while operated by the County would in essence be serving the people of the City of Huntington Beach. He further stated he couldn't see serious objections to the dumping of inert matter and household rubbish, since there was no garbage or burning. He asked how else pould the depressions be filled if there was no dumping. He also asked what could be done with the property if it was not filled. Baxter stated that if the County desired dump sites they could use the many acres which are available in the Northeastern corner of the County. The City Administrative Officer countered with the premise that the citizens of this city are also members of the county and that they would have to help pay the taxes to haul the rubbish to such an impractical loca- tion. Therefore it would be of extreme advantage from an economical view- point of this city to have a dump site readily accessible. He delcared that it just as much the city's project as the county, because the county is merely acting as an agent to provide this city and others nearby with a required dump. Chairman Bazil, upon closing the public hearing, stated that he believed nearby properties would become more valuable after the cut and fill process had covered up the deep scars in the vicinity. Page No. 4 Minutes - H. B. Planning Commission Tuesday, October 1st, 1957 Hearing Continued Motion by Stang and seconded by Presson that the hearing be continued until October 15, 1957. Motion carried. A member of the audience arrived late and asked if he might, address the Commission regarding the Disposal Dump site. Chairman Bazil informed him that the public hearing was closed, but that he might address the Commission if he were informative. John Sully John Sully, of Sully -Miller Paving Contracting Company addressed addressess Commission the Commission and explained that his company had the property adjoining. to the parcel which was under consideration. He offered his opinion that when the dump site is completely filled it will be an attribute to the area. He went on record as being in favor of the dump site. Sully was asked by the Chairman if he had an official agreement with the County to revert the gravel site for dump site purposes when all the aggregate deposits had expired. He answered no, but that he had talk- ed informally about the subject, and that he was tentatively in agreement with the Road Department. He went on further -to explain the scope of his company's operations and the nedessity of having to work with the Road Department and other agencies in cooperative efforts. Schryer asked Sully if he had reached water levels at the gravel pit. He answered that the pit was at the present time, approximately 4' below the water table and that they are pumping water at the present time. He said that they have water analysis reports indicating that the water is somewhat brackish and with slight salt contamination. Letter from Chairman Bazil introduced the topic of Proposed Channels for H. G. Osborne, Flood Control the Orange County Flood Control District. The Secretary read a letter Engineer submitted by Flood Control Engineer, H. G. Osborne, which he asked for City cooperation to protect the proposed rights -of -way. It was requested that the proposed locations of the flood control channels be taken into consideration in the decision of any matters under this City's jurisdiction. The maps which accompanied the letter were shown to the Commissioners on the wall map. There was a short discussion, at which time Schryer expressed some concern over possible beach erosion due to the outfall. Page #5 Minutes - H. B. Planning Commission Tuesday, October 1st, 1957 Secretary gives Chairman.Bazil asked the Secretary to give a report on the report on street name changes problem of street name changes. It was explained that the Orange County problems Street Name Changing Committee has inaugurated a program to unify the county by elimination of conflicting street names, and by elimination of multi -named streets which in actuality.are contiguous. One mame for one street is the theme of the county committee whereby they are attempting to make the street names uniform. It was therefore suggested by the Secretary that our City work in conjunction with the county plan. That we must have a program of our own in order to remove conflicts and inconvenience of improperly named local street. It was further suggested that the county criteria of having . Streets run North and South, and Avenues run East and West be adopted. The Secretary proposed that the street name change program be prepared with one overall precise plan and all changes made in one legal operation. Schryer suggested that the entire precise plan be drawn up, how- ever he believed that it would be more successful if the legal operation procedure be split up into several districts in order that resentment or conflict over -one street would not kill the entire plan. The other members of the commission concurred. It was recommended that the Secretary prepare a single line street names map as a precise plan study and then allow the interested officials and agencies to make recommendations for changes. Recreational As was outlined on the agenda, the Secretary presented the Commi- Park for Huntington ssion with the problem of a Recreational Park adjacent to the Huntington Crest Tract. Crest Tract. Several of the problems involved were discussed by the Commi- ssioners. Presson pointed out the extreme need for supervision besides the basic maintenance required. He gave an example in his locality where a recreation park had to be eliminated at request of the neighbors, because there was no supervision. Rest room facilities were another expensive item cited by the commissioners. It was also pointed out that a park of this type must necessarily be as cheap as possible, because the property taxes of the North Annexation will not be available to the city for a period of.a year and a half, with some exceptions. Page #6 Minutes - H. B. Planning Commission Tuesday, October lst, 1957 It was pointed out by the Secretary, that on the basis of recommendations of the recreation -department, a 12 acre site would be sufficient. It was suggested that the site could be leased until such time as the tax returns could warrant a sufficient capital outlay. The problem, it was eaiplained, was the necessity of acquiring the use of a vacant lot where the city could underwrite the liability. The surround- ing landowners, with good reasons, are fearful of the liability involved, and therefore have in the past attempted to discourage the neighborhood children from using the vacant premises. Question A discussion was held with no solution found. The City Adminis- referred to Recreation trative Officer recommended that action on this matter be referred to the, Committee Recreation Commission for initiation,of proper study and proposals. He suggested that the Planning Commission should act only on the resolution of the Recreation Commission. A motiin was made and seconded to refer the problem to the Recreation Commission. The motion carried. The meeting was adjourned. Bob Bazil Chairman C-3Vord E. Tripp Secretary 1