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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-13-2002 PC MinutesA regular meeting of the City of Dublin Planning Commission was held on Tuesday, August 13, 2002, in the Dublin Civic Center City Council Chambers. Vice Chair Musser called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioners, Musser, Jennings, Nassar and Fasulkey; Jeri Ram, Planning Manager; Janet Harbin, Senior Planner; Kristi Bascom, Associate Planner; Mike Porto, Project Planner; and Renuka Dhadwal, Recording Secretary. Absent: Cm. Johnson PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG Cm. Musser led the Commission, Staff, and those present in the pledge of allegiance to the flag. ADDITIONS OR REVISIONS TO THE AGENDA - None Minutes of July 23, 2002 meeting were approved as submitted. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS - None PUBLIC HEARING 8.1 PA 02-009 Armstrong Garden Center - San Ramon Road Specific Plan Amendment, Planned Development (PD) Rezoning, Conditional Use Permit, Site Development Review and Sign/Site Development Review - An amendment to the San Ramon Planning Commission Regular Meeting 154 August 13, 2002 Road Specific Plan to allow retail garden centers in conjunction with a Stage 1 and Stage 2 Planned Development (PD) Rezoning, Conditional Use Permit and Site Development Review, and Sign/Site Development Review for an approximately 30,810 square foot retail garden center with an approximately 6,400 square foot building and 24,410 square foot outdoor storage and landscaped area on 1.162 acres. Cm. Musser asked for the staff report. Janet Harbin, Senior Planner presented the staff report and stated that the applicant is seeking an amendment to the San Ramon Road Specific Plan to add a Garden Store as a conditional use as well as an amendment to the circulation system in the plan. Also associated with the project is a request for Conditional Use Permit and Site Development Review. Additionally, the applicant is proposing wall signage for the building through a Sign/Site Development Review. Ms. Harbin gave a presentation describing the proposed site plan for the project, proposed accent area, proposed landscaping, proposed planting plan and the elevation for the project. She also showed the location of the proposed project in relation to the surrounding businesses. The applicant is proposing streetscape improvements as is required by Public Works Conditions of Approval along Amador Valley Ct. In the area along San Ramon Road, the applicant is adding landscaping and would enhance the existing landscape. Additionally, the applicant would also be preserving several existing trees. Ms. Harbin stated that the applicant is providing 33 parking spaces. The site would be short a few parking spaces. They will add 6 spaces in the Kindercare parking lot out of which 3 would be specifically allocated to be used by Armstrong Garden Center. Ms. Harbin stated that there is an oak tree in the parking lot which would take up at least one parking space. Due to the Heritage Tree Ordinance requirement that any tree beyond 24 inches in diameter be preserved, Staff is recommending the preservation of this oak tree, which is 23 inches in diameter and slightly below the size requirement as it is a good specimen. However, Staff is also recommending that an Arborist be on-site during construction to inspect the depth of the roots and to recommend measures to preserve and reduce damage to the oak tree. There may be a possibility that two or three parking spaces would be lost. If two spaces are lost with preservation of the tree, there would still be sufficient parking for the use. If three are lost, the applicant will need to provide an additional space elsewhere. The Arborist in the field will determine the number lost during site development. A condition is included in the Conditions of approval addressing this issue. Ms. Harbin explained the design for the building, color of the building, color of roof, trellises and the proposed fence around the entire property. Ms. Harbin explained that Michael Perkins, business owner for Sleep Shop, would make a presentation expressing his concerns regarding the impact on the visibility and access to his business due to the proposed project. Ms. Harbin explained that the access way into the site currently is just 80 ft from the intersection. The Public Works' standard distance for an access way from the intersection is 150 ft. for safety reasons. Planning Commission P4gular gdeeting 155 ~u~ust 13, 2002 Cm. Fasulkey asked what would the mitigation process be for the parking space taken by the oak tree. Ms. Harbin responded that it would depend on the location of the roots of the tree. However, Staff spoke to an Arborist who suggested a pervious covering or an underground irrigation system. The Arborist in the field needs to determine appropriate measures. Cm. Nassar asked if the 150 ft. clearance for the access way from the intersection was a new zoning requirement. Ms. Harbin responded that it was a standard requirement by Public Works department. The new access way would be approximately 240 ft from the intersection. Cm. Nassar asked about other projects that were less than 150 ft., specifically he wanted to know if the Petco store access way on Dublin Blvd was less than 150 ft. Ms. Ram stated that the City would like to keep the access way clearance at 150 ft. which is optimum, but sometimes due to the configuration of the parcels compromises are made and care is taken to ensure the circulation of the traffic is smooth. She stated that she has no information about the Petco store access way. Cm. Jennings asked about the proximity of the access way for the Armstrong Center to the Kindercare access way. Ms. Harbin responded that it would be fairly close around 48 ft. from curb to curb. She added that the Public Works Department did not think it would create any major problems based on the anticipated volume of traffic from each use. Cm. Fasulkey asked if there was any thought given to pedestrian access for the Center from the San Ramon side of the road. Ms. Harbin responded that due to security reasons that possibility was not considered, but the applicant could best address this. Cm. Musser asked if there was any existing easement between the property owner for the project site and the business owner of Sleep Shop for the existing access way. Ms. Harbin responded that there was no recorded easement but the property owner, Mr. Nichandros, has allowed parking over the years for the potential customers of Sleep Shop. Cm. Musser stated that the staff report indicates the applicant is requesting a reduction in parking from the standard requirement and that a parking study was performed. Since the Commission did not receive a copy of the Study, can Staff explain the basis for that request? Ms. Harbin responded that the applicant is requesting a 25% reduction in parking ratio which is allowed under the San Ramon Road Specific Plan. The Zoning Ordinance for such a use allows 45 parking spaces and with a 25% reduction, it would require 34 parking spaces. The applicant from its past experience has found that only 26 to 29 parking spaces were needed at a given time. They have also provided Staff with parking studies prepared for their stores at other locations, which support that number. The peak usage period was determined to be the weekends when most of the spaces are utilized. If there is a parking problem in the future, then street parking along Amador Valley Ct. may be (~anning Commission 156 .~ugust 13, 2002 ~ttufar 9fleeting allowed. Additionally, a shared parking agreement with Kindercare or the surrounding property owners can be worked out if parking problems result. Cm. Musser expressed some concerns about the oak tree and the success of its preservation. Cm. Musser opened the public hearing and asked for the applicant. Joe Amaral, head of Real Estate and Construction for Armstrong Garden Center, spoke on behalf of Armstrong and said they appreciate the opportunity to be in the City of Dublin. He gave a brief background about Armstrong and its operations. Ted Stelzner, Project Architect, stated that he would try and answer the questions that were raised by the Commissioners. He stated that Armstrong would do whatever the Arborist requires them to do to save the oak tree. He also talked about parking issues and that discussions were held with Kindercare to share their parking space. The outcome is that Armstrong will be constructing 6 additional parking spaces in the Kindercare area, out of which Armstrong would utilize 3 parking spaces. He pointed out that the hours of operation for the Garden Center would be from 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., which would not conflict with the Kindercare operations during their peak periods. He addressed the issue of access from the street into the Center stating that it raises security issues since monitoring two entries may be a problem. He also talked about the proposed landscaping for the project. Cm. Jennings asked if the design was standard for all the stores. Mr. Stelzner responded that the base design is the outcome of a customer focus group and has become a standard feature for all stores. Cm. Jennings asked the schedule for delivery. Mr. Stelzner responded that there are 3 to 5 deliveries a day which is spread out throughout the day. Cm. Musser had a maintenance question for the trellises. Mr. Stelzner explained that the trellises would be stained semi-transparent every 2 to 3 years. Cm. Musser wanted to know what size vehicles were used for delivery. Mr. Stelzner responded that the average size of a delivery vehicle is 35 ft and the largest truck is 55 ft. The average time taken to unload is about 25 minutes. Nina Wixson, resident of 7403 Cronin Circle and the President of the Kildara Homeowners Association expressed her views on the project. She stated that the residents of the Kildara Planning Commission ~gufar Meeting 157 August 13, 2002 Association welcome the project. However, she stated that a Stop sign should be placed at the exit from the parking area for the safety of pedestrians. She also recommended that on-street parking should not be allowed due to safety issues involved. She further stated that from an aesthetic point of view, the color of the building should complement the surrounding businesses. Michael Perkins, owner and operator of Sleep Shop, made a presentation and expressed his concerns regarding the project. He had two specific areas of concern: visibility and accessibility. He explained that these could affect the value of his property tremendously and would impact his business. He was concerned that the 8 ft. fence and 11 ft. trellises would also bury his store. He stated that consideration should be given to address this issue. The second major concern he had was the accessibility issue. He stated that his potential customers would have to come through the Armstrong driveway, and hence, he may lose clientele due to the difficulty in accessing the store. He also stated that the proposed 8 ft. fence should be reduced to 6 feet, which would give his store some visibility. He stated that he had met with Ms. Harbin and later had one meeting with the representatives of Armstrong and at the time had suggested cutting back the trellises for visibility, which was not welcomed by them at that time. He suggested another meeting with Armstrong and the City to work out some mutual solutions to the issues. Mr. Stelzner addressed some of the concerns raised by Mr. Perkins. He also stated that the applicant would try to either reduce the height of the trellis in that corner or remove two of the corner areas to increase the visibility to his store. He also offered on behalf of Armstrong to place a directional sign for the Sleep Shop on the Armstrong property. Cm. Musser expressed concerns regarding the architecture. He pointed out that the architecture for the surrounding businesses and the residential development is Spanish style with tiled roof, and hence, having a barn with green roof may not complement the surrounding architecture. Mr. Stelzner explained that although some of the landscaping proposed and the doors and the window trimmings for the proposed building matches the surrounding architecture, the color of the roof cannot be changed since it is an integral part of the design which links with the lighting, trellis, metal frames and the color of the fence. Cm. Musser asked Staff if the City could place some kind of sign for Mr. Perkins' store. Ms. Ram indicated that the City can place a directional sign which would be exempt from the Sign Ordinance. Mr. Perkins stated that the offer made by the applicant to cut back the trellis was not discussed with him previously and he welcomes the offer. He stated that he would like to meet with Armstrong and discuss the issue further. He appreciates the directional sign being proposed. Planning Commission P4gular Meeting 158 August 13, 2002 Cm. Musser closed the public hearing and asked Commissioners for their comments. Cm. Fasulkey expressed his thoughts on the project. He stated he was in favor of the project based on the modifications that the applicant would be making to accommodate the concerns raised by Mr. Perkins. Cm. Nassar shared similar thoughts on the project. He stated that the project would bring value to the City. He stated he was in favor of the project based on the modifications being proposed by the applicant to accommodate Mr. Perkins' concerns. Cm. Jennings agreed that the project would be an asset to the City. She however, suggested that Staff should ensure that the applicant meets with Mr. Perkins to address some of his concerns regarding signage and visibility so that Dublin does not lose the long-standing businesses while accommodating new business. Cm. Jennings also had some concerns regarding the color of the roof. Since Staff could not segregate the Resolutions for approval, Cm. Jennings stated she would vote against the project. Cm. Musser stated that although he has some architectural concerns, he is in favor of the project. Cm. Musser asked for the motion. On a motion from Cm. Nassar, seconded by Cm. Fasulkey, along with the two modifications setting back the trellises and adding signage for the Sleep Shop, and by a vote of 3-1-0, with Cm. Jermings voting against the project and with Cm. Johnson absent, the Planning Commission adopted: RESOLUTION NO. 02-28 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT PA 02-009 ARMSTRONG GARDEN CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT TO AREA 3 (SAN RAMON PROPERTIES) OF THE SAN RAMON ROAD SPECIFIC PLAN RESOLUTION NO. 02- 29 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN ~P[annintt Commission ~P4gufar ~Meeting 159 ~ugust 13, 2002 RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF PA 02-009 ARMSTRONG GARDEN CENTER FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW AND SIGN/SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT A :~.30,810 SQUARE FOOT RETAIL GARDEN CENTER CONSISTING OF A 6,400 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING AND ADJACENT OUTDOOR STORAGE/DISPLAY AREA, WITH AN EXEMPTION/REDUCTION TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS LOCATED AT 7360 SAN RAMON ROAD RESOLUTION NO. 02-30 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN RECOMMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE ORDINANCE APPROVING THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD) REZONING/DEVELOPMENT PLAN (STAGE 1 & 2) FOR PA 02-009 ARMSTRONG GARDEN CENTER LOCATED AT 7360 SAN RAMON ROAD The Commission took a five-minute recess. 8.2 PA 02-019 Tri Valley Auto Wholesale Conditional Use Permit for Auto Sales and Service - Application for a Conditional Use Permit for an Auto Sales and Service establishment in an existing industrial building. Cm. Musser asked for the staff report. Ms. Kristi Bascom, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. She explained that the application is for a Conditional Use Permit for auto sales and service for Tri Valley Auto Wholesale. She gave a brief background about the business. She stated that the business occupies 3 suites in a commercial/industrial building. The entire building is about 55,000 sq. ft. and is divided into 40 individual suites. She briefly talked about the zoning for the property and the conditions of approval for the project. Cm. Musser opened the public hearing and asked for the applicant. Danny Jones, the owner of the auto center stated that the application is simple and straightforward and would answer any questions Commission may have. Cm. Musser asked what kind of autos the applicant/owner sold. Mr. Jones responded that he sells Honda, Acura and Toyota vehicles. Cm. Musser closed the public hearing and asked for a motion. ~¥anning Commission ~ufar ~eeting 160 .~ugust 13, 2002 On a motion from Jermings, seconded by Nassar, and by a vote of 4-0, with Cm. Johnson absent, the Planning Commission adopted: RESOLUTION NO. 02-31 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN APPROVING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST TO OPERATE AN AUTO SALES AND SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT IN AN EXISTING INDUSTRIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 6398 DOUGHERTY ROAD, SUITES 10, 11, AND 12 PA 02-019 8.3 PA 99-060 Dublin Ranch Area A - Amendment to Site Development Review approval for the Dublin Ranch Golf Course Clubhouse and Cart Barn within Dublin Ranch Area A, initially approved on July 25, 2000. Cm. Musser asked for the staff report. Mike Porto, Project Planner, presented the staff report. He explained that based on the discussions held on July 23ta Planning Commission meeting whereby the Commission had several concerns regarding the modified design of the clubhouse, the applicant has revised the plan by increasing the dining room area to accommodate 174 seats from 140 as previously presented. They also reconfigured the bar area to create a lounge area so that the patrons using the Golf area had an opportunity for food and beverage if the dinning area was being utilized for another event. The applicant also created a detailed drawing for future expansion. Mr. Porto stated that Staff has attached two Resolutions, one approving and one denying the project. If the Commission did not agree with the modifications presented, they could adopt the Resolution denying the project. Marry Inderbitzen, representing Dublin Ranch, commented that with the proposed modifications, the clubhouse would now be able to accommodate a large number of people, as much as the originally proposed banquet facility. With this modification, the clubhouse would now be able to also entertain non-golf related activities and there would be a full time person who would be doing group sales for golf related as well as non-golf related activities. Cm. Jennings commented that she spoke to Mr. Inderbitzen over the phone prior to the meeting and he answered most of her concerns with respect to banquet facility as well as funding. (Pfannin~ Commission 161 .qu~ust 13, 2002 P4gular Meeting Cm. Musser closed the public hearing and asked for a motion. On a motion by Cm. Fasulkey, seconded by Cm. Nassar, and by a 4-0 vote, with Cm. Johnson absent the Planning Commission adopted: RESOLUTION NO. 02-32 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO A PORTION OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW APPROVED WITH PA 00-060 AND FINAL TRACT NO. 7135 SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE AND CART BARN LOCATED WITHIN DUBLIN RANCH AREA A NEW OR UNFINISHED BUSINESS None OTHER BUSINESS Ram discussed upcoming scheduled. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:22 p.m. ATTEST: Plannin'-~ IVl~nager Respectfully submitted, g: \ minutes \ 02 \ 8-13-02 pc minutes q(anning Commission 162 .)Iugust 13, 2002 ~tiu[ar ~eleeting