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Home My WebLink About1998-07-14 (12)MINUTES CITY COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Adjourned Regular Meeting 5:05 P.M. — Room B-8 Civic Center, 2000 Main Street Huntington Beach, California Tuesday, July 14, 1998 An audio tape recording of this meeting is on file in the Office of the City Clerk. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Dettloff called the adjourned regular meetings of the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach to order at 5:20 p.m. in Room B-8. CITY COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ROLL CALL Present: Julien, Harman, Green, Dettloff, Bauer, Sullivan, Garofalo Absent: None JOINT STUDY SESSION BETWEEN CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION — CREST VIEW SCHOOL SITE/WAL-MART — SOUTH SIDE OF TALBERT AVENUE, 300 FEET EAST OF BEACH BOULEVARD Roll Call - Planning Commission Present: Inglee, Tillotson, Livengood, Kerins, Biddle, Speaker, (Chapman arrived at 5:06 p.m.) Absent: None CITY CLERK ANNOUNCES LATE COMMUNICATIONS WHICH PERTAIN TO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Pursuant to the Brown (Open Meetings) Act, City Clerk Brockway announced the; following late communications regarding agenda items which had been received following distribution of the agenda: Communication from the Community Development Department titled Crestview School Site Project Summary of Environmental Impacts dated July 14, 1998. 772 Page 2- Council/Agency Minutes — 07/14/98 Communication from the Community Development Department titled Crestview School Site Proposed General Plan Amendment and Rezoning for Commercial Use -Tentative Public Hearing Schedule (not dated) Later in the meeting, the Community Development Director distributed the following communication titled Joint Planning Commission/City Council Study Session Agenda - Requested Entitlements/Project Description, Environmental Impact Report, Staff Recommendations (not dated) During the Council meeting, Councilmember Green referred to the following communication from Senior Planner Herb Fauland to Tom Love, Principal, Arnel Retail Group, dated March 20, 1996 titled Crestview School Site. This communication was provided to the City Clerk by Councilmember Green. Jane Madera, Senior Planner, reviewed the requested entitlements and presented the project description. The following subjects were reviewed: General Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, Conditional Use Permit, Tentative Parcel Map and Environmental Impact Report. JoAnne Hadfield, representing PCR Company, presented a report on the Environmental Impact Report for the Crestview School Site/Wal-Mart. The report covered drainage, transportation/circulation, air quality, noise, aesthetics, recreation, and unavoidable significant adverse impacts which include land use (loss of community open space and land use compatibility), air quality, and aesthetics. Senior Planner Madera presented staff recommendations covering issues including the truck loading and unloading docks, reducing the perimeter wall, incorporation of high quality architecture, building materials, landscaping, pedestrian links, use of the building should Wal- Mart vacate, use of floor area, and public art. Discussion was held between the City Council, Planning Commissioners and Planning staff regarding issues including the project's effect on city economy and economic benefit to the school district and the city. Councilmember Green referred to various concerns set forth in a communication from Senior Planner Fauland to Tom Love, Principal, Arnel Retail Group. This communication had been referred to by Councilmember Green earlier in the meeting and provided to the City Clerk. Councilmember Green's concerns included truck traffic, circulation, access from Beach Boulevard, and shading impact caused by noise wall. Senior Planner Madera responded to Councilmember Green. She reported on the loss of the site for recreational purposes which the school district has continued to allow. Problems involved with the access to Lambert Park were reported on by staff. Planning Commissioner Speaker asked if Wal-Mart was open 24 hours a day elsewhere, and Senior Planner Madera reported that staff had not come across a 24-hour Wal-Mart. Dr. James Tarwater, representing the Ocean View School District, informed Council that the school district had entered into a lease with Arnel Retail Group and Wal-Mart. The City Clerk reported that the following communications which had been distributed during the meeting were available in her office: Communication titled Crestview School Site dated 773 07/14/98 - Council/Agency Minutes — Page 3 March 20, 1998 from Senior City Planner Herb Fauland to Tom Love, Principal, Arnel Retail Group; Communication titled Joint Planning Commission/City Council Study Session Agenda — requested Entitlements/Project Description, Environmental Impact Report, Staff Recommendations (not dated) PUBLIC COMMENTS CONNIE BOARDMAN, representing Crestview United, informed Council of the reasons for the organization's opposition to.the project including elimination of open space, parking constrictions relative to accessing Lambert Park, problem of children riding their bicycles to Lambert Park where traffic reaches 55 mph and where there are no restroom facilities; and impact to the small businesses in the community from the project. She requested that the zoning remain as is so a plan can be developed with which all members of the community can live. MARK NELSON, representing Crestview United, stated reasons why he does not believe it is appropriate to have a Wal-Mart store across from the cemetery as it will cause the cemetery to erect a wall in order to protect privacy. He spoke regarding anticipated flooding problems and the impact to his home relative to the height of the Wal-Mart wall which, will be adjacent to his home. ROBERT CRONK spoke regarding the loss of home values due to the loss of the school; that no one will want to move into property with a high wall around it making their home into a box; that if the wall is too low a crime problem presents itself. He stated that he disagreed with Economic Development Director Biggs that people from the other end of town will shop at this Wal-Mart. MARK WILSON spoke regarding the difficulty of residents having to work with two public agencies (school/city). He stated that the people are referred back and forth between the agencies. Mr. Wilson informed Council that he finds it interesting that if homes are developed a park would be required. DEBORAH ENGLERT, Board President of Springhurst Townhomes, informed Council that the homeowners of the Springhurst complex were never notified to be part of a committee on the project. She stated this project will affect their lives. Ms. Englert asked if this is a done deal or is the City Council the final authority. She referred to the position of Dr. Tarwater, representative of the Ocean View School District. The Mayor commented on the public process. GREG MCCLELLAND, Arnel Retail Group, informed Council that the company's civil engineer, architect, broker/consultant, and Dr. Tarwater, representing Ocean View School District, are present. He spoke regarding past City Council agendas on which use of closed school sites had been considered. He stated that there are no refrigeration trucks planned; an acoustical analysis has been done showing Huntington Beach code requirements for noise can be met. He stated they are not taking away open space in the community. Mr. McClelland answered questions from the City Council and Planning Commission including questions regarding what other types of uses were considered for that property. Councilmember Garofalo stated that he would like to know when the issue was first agendized by the school district, a chronology of events leading up to the Wal-Mart issue, a schedule of the meetings and who attended, and whether the meetings were open or closed to the public. 774 Page 4- Council/Agency Minutes — 07/14/98 ADJOURNMENT — CITY COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY The adjourned regular meetings of the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach adjourned to Monday, July 20, 1998 at 5:00 p.m. in Room B-8, Civic Center, 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, California. City Clerk and ex-officio Clerk of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach and Clerk of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach, California ATTEST: City Clerk/Clerk M or/Chairman 775