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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-12-08Approved January 5, 1982 MINUTES HUNTINGTON BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION Room B-8 - Civic Center 2000 Main Street Huntington Beach, California TUESDAY, DECEMBERr8, 1981 - 7:00 PM ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PLANNING -COMMISSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF HOLDING A SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Winchell, Schumacher, Porter, Bannister COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Paone, Mahaffey, Kenefick CITY STAFF PRESENT: Patin, Bellavia, Webb, Tindall, Parker, Truppelli, Strange, Gilmer TENTATIVE TRACT 10067 (SEACLIFF IV, PRODUCT AREA, B) Applicant: Mansion Properties Inc, Dave Eadie, Jerry Goodman, and Gary Connister were present to represent the applicant. Savoy Bellavia reported that the project under consideration is a revision of a formerly approved tract; Conditional Use Permit No. 81-31 has. also been filed in conjunction with this revised project. The project is a 194 unit development on 41 acres on the north side of Palm Avenue at the southeast extension of 38th Street. Dave Eadie of the Huntington each Company reviewed the history of former City and Coastal Commission approvals and conditions. He noted that the new conditional use permit for Product Area B is a total redesign of the originally approved plan which had a series of cul-de-sacs with inherent design problems of insuffi- cient rear -to -rear separation of units, accessibility and usability of open space, location of guest parking and its resultant effect on the streetscape, and the opening of small residential cull onto an arterial street (Palm Avenue). The new plan has incorporated large open space areas in the middle of the project with corridors of open space entering this central area. The project is still the same number of units, but with a smaller bedroom count (this count will be available for the presentation before the full Commission!. Circulation has been internally oriented, allowing "Bt' Street to be deleted from the plan and replaced with open space buffering between product areas. A traffic analysis has indicated that Minutes, H.B. Planning Commission December 8, 1981 Page 2 the deletion of B Street would not impact the access intersections into the tract; however, the design of the entry had to be modified to,incorporate recommendations for dual lane access for guests and owners. Guest parking is now provided in parking bays, and Mr. Eadie indicated a willingness to provide another bay near the location of the onsite oil well. The deletion of "B" Street also created an em- ergency traffic flow problem on the plan for Product A; this has been solved by slight modification of the cul-de-sacs and relocation of two sets of buildings in the center of the A plan, which would then meet all Fire Department standards. "A" Street has now been delineated as a private street with a guarded main access gate. Other access gates into the project will have button controls installed. "A" Street will have to be built upon the beginning of construction and construction traffic will probably use Palm Avenue but not necessarily come in from Goldenwest Street past the existing residential properties - the builder is looking for alter- native access points to avoid impacting that residential area. Mr. Eadie pointed out that only one special permit is being asked for: the use of individual trash pickup in lieu of large trash bins. Fire and Public Works representatives informed the Committee that the revised plan meets all their standards and requirements. Commissioner Porter inquired what•the present rear -to -rear separation between units will now be, and Mr. Eadie said it is approximately 80 feet. Mr. Porter also asked that some special treatment be given the sidewalk on Palm Avenue other than just running it up against the curb. He suggested meandering walk with possible berming to pro, vide an aesthetic treatment. Dave Eadie informed the Committee that they are working on a meandering situation on 38th Street and he Saw no problem in trying to get something similar worked out for Palm as well. The Committee discussed the use and maintenance of the open space areas between product areas and the biking and jogging trails. This use and responsibility for maintenance will be allocated through the CC&R's for the project, according to Mr. Eadie, Commissioner Winchell questioned the adequacy of the 24 foot drive and was assured by Fire Department representatives that it could be maintained free and clear by the new no parking ordinance and proper enforcement. It was pointed out by Mr. Eadie that the generous amount of parking space provided by the 20-foot aprons for each unit would alleviate the parking problems normally found in such projects, aiding further in preventing people from parking in the 24 foot right- of-way. Jim Palin directed that the following be included for the Planning Commission's review at a public hearing: 1) the tract maps should reflect proper acreage and dimensions; 2) the map should be shown to the centerlines of abutting streets (which may solve the discrepancies -2- 11-8-81 - P.C./Subdivision Minutes, H.B. Planning Commission December 8, 1981 Page 3 between the plan submitted and the description in the text); lots on 38th Street must be shown setting back a sufficient distance to provide the prior conditioned scenic area; the question of how ease- ments for the drainage system will be handled should be worked out with Public Works; and details on treatment of the oil island must be shown. These should include wall treatment and landscaping, a letter of agreement from the oil operator, and indication of how funding for future treatment after abandonment of the oil operation will be handled. Commissioner Bannister arrived at the meeting at this point. TENTATIVE TRACT 11417 (The Ranch) Applicant: Mansion Properties Inc. Dave Walden, Mike Kelly, Dick Harlow, Larry Kaufman, Stuart Woodward, Steve Gunther, Scott Barker, Carl Wilson, and Bill Schulz were pre- sent to represent the applicants. Savoy Bellavia outlined the project for the benefit of the Committee, noting that the original 672 units proposed for the property have been reduced to 492 units and some acreage taken out of the original map. Stuart Woodward, -architect for the project, made a presentation on the modifications which have been made to the plan since the last hearing by the Committee. The plan has tried to develop an environment which minimizes streets and emphasizes pedestrian orientation and greenbelt systems through the project while still satisfying the needs of vehicu- lar traffic. The density has been reduced, a central lake added as a major concept, and one major access or "spine" road provided into the development with the various separate areas of development taking access off this central street. Three basic configurations of units have been provided. In the townhouse portion in the northwest quadrant of the property there will be private road systems running into entry courts to serve the units. Each unit will have two -car garages, attached, with private patios through which an owner can enter his unit. (Some townhouses do not have patios to the rear of the units so that the plan could better respond to the existing grades on the property.) Guest parking will be provided in the front and guests will enter from the front. There will be a meandering walk system on Main Street and Clay Avenue, but entran- ces into the project from this walk have been modified in response to prior staff concern that direct access to these units from the street would encourage street parking on Main and Clay. Pedestrian access points have been reduced to three off Main Street, provided with wrought iron gates or other means of discouraging public access. Mike Kelly said he would like permission to narrow the walk width on Main Street to allow better berming and landscaping treatment. This was discussed, and the con- sensus was that he should work with the Department of Public Works both for the design of such a walk and formulation of possible maintenance agreements for the landscaping. -3- 12-8-,81 - P.C./Subdivision Minutes, H.B. Planning Commission December 8, 1981 Page 4 The hillside portion of the property will consist of two- and three- story flat units with semisubterranean parking. The existing mansion site has been excluded from the project as a "not a part" parcel and its environment protected by substantial setbacks. This portion' of the project emphasizes close proximity to the main recreational areas (the central recreation complex and the lake). There will be a "prom- enade" road along the north side of the lake which will also serve as the fire road for the center section; the south side of the lake will be a "soft" treatment which will continue through the area. The end units on these buildings will be stepped or cascaded down to soften their appearance, and the roofs so constructed as to avoid having a continuous ridge line for further visual variation. Private patios will be provided in different dimensions, setbacks, and wall heights for added aesthetic effect along the lake area. The flat projects will be two- and three-story, with two stories pro- vided at the points in the project which can be seen from the streets or the recreation areas. The buildings will be bermed up two or three feet against the sides of the parking structures to minimize impact, and trellis systems installed to give architectural detail. Mr. Woodward also presented drawings to show the relationship of the townhouse and flat developments to each other and to the open space areas provided in the project. The following items were discussed by the Committee: Exterior Walkway Treatment: Commissioner Porter noted that in terms of contouring, setback, and landscaping the walk seems squared off against the perimeter bike trail. He suggested some kind of treat- ment that would allow the walks and possibly the trail to move about a little within the right-of-way and provide variation while still main- taining some acceptable degree of separation from the adjacent struc- tures. It was agreed that this would be an effective treatment, but again it was a question of future maintenance which would have to be worked out. Mike Kelly said he had a cross section of how the path would look which might be helpful to the Commission. In regard to this subject, George Tindall indicated that the bicycle trail should be carried out all the way down to Lake Street, to which the proponents agreed. He also asked that the exterior side- walk be extended to this point. This was discussed, as it would be constructed on the excluded "not a part" parcel on the hill. Jim Palin noted that since the project was taking access across this "not a part" parcel.the extension of the walk was not an unreasonable re- quirement'to place on the development, and Mike Kelly agreed that the sidewalk would be extended across the not a part parcel on Yorktown Avenue. The applicants were directed to provide a typical cross sec- tion on Yorktown to identify the bicycle trail construction; Commissioner Porter asked that information on the treatment proposed on Huntington Street also be submitted. 1 -4- 12-8-81 - P.C./Subdivision Minutes, H.B. Planning Commission December 8, 1981 Page 5 Grading: Prior concerns with retaining walls and excessive grade differentials were reviewed, and the applicants indicated that these had been minimized as much as possible. Complete informa- tion on the total cut and fill quantities will be submitted to the Commission, as well as a description of how the land looks at present and will look when grading is completed. A contour map will be provided for Commission review, and staff suggested that in addition to the scale shown on the map it also be dimensioned for heights for the benefit of those not experienced in reading grading sections. Mr. Woodward presented drawings showing the grading through vari- ous sections of the property and how the units had been sited in relationship to those grades. Jim Palin asked that a section be shown through the drives on the flat units to show how vehicular and pedestrian access can be handled through the areas between the three-story structures and how drainage which will be blocked by these drives will be re- routed in some other fashion. Grading of the subterranean parking structures was reviewed. Mr. Woodward said that typically these would be half above and half below grade, but some would be built on grade and bermed up to three and one-half feet. He was directed to show this on the plan and show sections for these different situations. Open Space: Mike Kelly informed the Committee that the open space provided is 6.8 acres in excess of code requirements, with the lake itself constituting 6.23 acres of that count. The ratio overall is roughly 39 percent in open space, with some uncountable open space provided which increases the percentage even though it cannot be included in the calculation. The drawings previously shown by Mr. Woodward will be the general treatment of the space between projects and around the lake. The question was asked by Mr. Kelly if the bicycle/pedestrian paths can be counted as part of the open space requirement. Extensive discussion took place on this subject, considering whether or not it was within or outside the boundaries of a project and what the effect might be on some future project where the open space was more critical than it is in this particular project. Mr. Kelly indicated that it is the desire of the applicant that the public bike path will be dedicated to the City and inquired if something could be worked out on the maintenance of certain areas which are going to get public usage. At the conclusion of the discussion, Mr. Kelly said they were taking the bike path out of their open space calculations. Parking: The applicants indicated that the townhouses have 3.2 SPUCSFS—per unit and the nodules of flats approximately 3 spaces -5- 12-8=81 - P.C./Subdivision Minutes, H.B. Planning Commis.si;on December 8, 1981 Page 6- per unit. In connection with the parking, a discussion took place on the guest parking provisions and the lack of the 20-foot drive aprons which are intended to provide additional parking in planned developments. The plan now provides for 5-foot setback of garages from drives instead of the 3 feet originally shown. It is still, however, the contention of the proponents that the 3-foot setback would better serve to discourage anyone from trying to park within the setback and possibly blocking the street. Bruce Gilmer asked how visitor parking will be handled for the mul- tiple underground structures. Mr. Woodward replied that they could be assigned spaces or controlled or gated; it has not been decided yet, but that information will be available at the Planning Commis- sion meeting. George Tindall addressed the potential problem of overload parking around the recreation areas when special events or occasions with extraordinarily large numbers -.of guests take place. This matter will be handled in the CC&R`s for the project, according to Mr. Kelly. Mr. Tindall reminded the applicants of the "no parking" provision for all peripheral streets except where parking is marked on York- town Avenue. Oil Wells: Mr. Woodward reported that some 10 existing oil wells within the site area will be removed. Two in the north taking access off Clay Avenue will remain, and there will be special attention paid to the treatment of -these for visual impact. An oil island will be located near the center lake area, also to receive aesthetic considera- tion. George Truppelli indicated that problems have been occurring in regard to the noise -relating to the operation and servicing of oil wells near residential complexes, and the Fire Department will review the wells carefully and address each one that is going to be within 100 feet of a structure to assure compliance with regulations. The applicants were instructed to present a letter from all oil operators concurring with the plans as they relate to their operation, as well as presenting some method of funding for conversion of the locations after oil operations -are terminated. Lake: Water in the lake will have a recirculating system. The pump facilities for this system will be located underground in open areas, not close to residential units. "Not a Part" Parcels: Jim Palin discussed the "not a part" parcels shown on the plan. Mr. Kelly informed the Committee that the parcel where the oil island is located is not landlocked as it might appear from the map but actually goes out to the street and access will be provided. He was instructed to incorporate the parcel into the tentative tract map or set it aside by the filing of a tentative par- cel map, as it has never been mapped. The other "not a part" parcels exceed five acres and will be residual. The Committee discussed the requested vacation of the paper streets existing on the site, and the applicants were informed that all such areas inside the blue border can be vacated by the re -subdivision, but anything outside the blue border will require separate action and should be done concur- 1 -6- 12-8-81 - P.C./Subdivision Minutes, H.B. Planning Commission December 8, 1981 Page 7 rently. George Tindall again reminded the applicants of the three- or four -foot "no man's land" between their map and the existing parcel on Huntington Avenue occupied by an apartment project and requested that some treatment for it be shown. Trees: Bill Schulz reported that the redesign has allowed 7 of the 19 trees originally slated to be removed to be saved, includ- ing all of the big pines on the site. The tree study will be re- produced in the EIR. Fire Department: George Truppelli reported that .they have worked with the developers on the plan and are satisfied with the results. All structures are now well within the 150 foot travel distance except for a few minor areas which will have to be modified. Por- tions of buildings will require automatic fire protection based upon the building bulk, height, etc., and automatic fire alarm systems will be required throughout the flat projects. Vehicular circulation is adequate, and roofs and fire walls will be con- structed according to Fire Codes. Public Works: George Tindall discussed drainage, water, and sew- erage. He also commented that in his opinion the streets within the project were too narrow and might present access and turning problems for emergency equipment. Mr. Tindall asked that a draft of the proposed CC&R's be sub- mitted for review. Mr. Woodward said these were not yet prepared but a copy of sample CC&R's from similar developments could be provided. He also reminded the applicants that various scale errors on the maps should be corrected. Trash Collection: Commissioner Schumacher asked if the required sprinklering had solved the problems of storage of trash in the basements and was assured by Fire Department representatives that it had. Location of trash pickup points and the arrangements worked out with Rainbow for trash collection were discussed, and the respon- sibility for seeing that the trash would be put out for collection without impeding traffic flow was reviewed. The applicants indi- cated that it is hoped to have all of this type of thing included in the contract with the landscape maintenance people who will care for the site. Mr. Kaufman said that exact locations for trash pickup have not yet been established, but they will be off to the side of a road and not in the traffic lanes. Precise locations will be shown on the map when it is presented to the Commission for review. Commissioner Schumacher indicated that in her opinion this filing is premature and should not be considered until the matter of the railroad corridor is settled. She pointed out that it is shown on the General Plan and without some resolution taking place -7- 12-8-81 - P.C./Subdivision Minutes, H.B. Planning Commission December 8', 1981 Page 8 . any approval of the proposed project would not be in conformance with that Plan. Dick Harlow discussed the history of City and County deliberations on this matter. The project will be scheduled for the January 19, 1982 Planning Commission meeting. Jim Palin indicated that it might involve a future meeting between staff and the developers; Planning Commissioners were invited to attend such a meeting if they should so desire. The meeting was adjourned. Savoy 1l--a- Secretary :df "4� J`} - rv�U4%r-� -_ Grace H. Winchell, Chairman C D -8- 12-8-81 - P.C./Subdivision