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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-10-2004 PC Minutes CALL TO ORDER A regular meeting of the City of Dublin Planning Commission was held on Tuesday, August 10,2004, in the Council Chambers located at 100 Civic Plaza. Chair Fasulkey called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioners Fasulkey, Nassar, Jennings, and King; Jeri Ram, Planning Manager; Andy Byde, Senior Planner; and Maria Carrasco, Recording Secretary. Absent: Cm. Machtmes ADDITIONS OR REVISIONS TO THE AGENDA - None MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS - June 22, 2004 were approved as submitted. ORAL COMMUNICATION - None WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS - None PUBLIC HEARINGS 8.1 P A 04-028 Goodwill Donation Redemption Center - Conditional Use Permit - this is a request to utilize an existing tenant space within Almond Plaza located at 7202 Regional Street as a Goodwill Donation Redemption Center for the purpose of receiving donated goods. No exterior changes are being proposed as part of the application. Cm. Fasulkey opened the public hearing and asked for the staff report. Andy Byde, Senior Planner presented the staff report and explained that the Applicant, Goodwill Industries, has submitted an application for a Conditional Use Permit for a donation center to be located at 7202 Regional Street within the retail center known as Almond Plaza. The total size of the tenant space the donation center is proposing to occupy is approximately 1,120 square feet, with approximately 240 square feet of customer serving area and 840 square feet to be used for storage and sorting area. The Applicant anticipates approximately 800-900 donors per week. All donations would enter through the front door of the tenant space. The donations would be collected and placed in bins. When the donation center becomes full, trucks would be located in the rear of the building, and the bins would be placed in the trucks and taken off site to a sorting facility. The applicant is proposing the hours of operation - seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The subject property is in C-1 Retail Commercial zoning district, requiring Goodwill a conditional use permit, approved by the Planning Commission. Currently Goodwill's donation portion of the operation is located in the Shamrock Village Shopping Center. The applicant has informed Staff that the trailer will be removed on August 15th. As discussed in the staff report the Shamrock Village location has been an ongoing related code enforcement issue due to dumping of donations during off hours. The problem items are some of the larger items such as furniture and mattresses. Mr. Byde displayed a site plan for the Commissioners review and discussed the layout. 143 '>:ji;', " Staff does have concerns based on the experience with the Shamrock Village location, with the adjacency of the plaza walkway area and the potential for continual illegal dumping. Mr. Byde explained that there are two resolutions before the Planning Commission - one for approval and one for denial. If the Planning Commission decides to approve the project, there are specific conditions of approval that need to be met which will attempt to lessen the issues regarding the dumping; motion lighting will be required; placing signage on the rear of the building; and a standard condition that requires the applicant to control the site of any illegal dumping that occurs and that it will be cleaned up prior to 9:00 a.m. All the findings of the Resolution need to be made to approve the project. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a resolution approving a Conditional Use Permit for the Goodwill Donation Redemption Center, subject to the conditions of approval; or adopt a resolution denying a Conditional Use Permit for the Goodwill Donation Redemption Center. Cm. King asked if Almond Plaza has any plans for renovation. Mr. Byde stated the center recently changed ownership, but the owner has not indicated to Staff that any renovations are forthcoming. Cm. Jennings asked if any of the adjacent tenants responded to the proposal. Mr. Byde stated that all of the tenants were notified but no issues or concerns have been made to the City about the proposed Goodwill Redemption Center. Although some of the tenants immediately adjacent to the new Goodwill Retail Store have voiced their concerns about dumping. Cm. Nassar asked if Staff is comfortable with the Applicant meeting the conditions implemented for the project. Mr. Byde stated the Applicant can speak on their ability to meet those conditions. The Code Enforcement Officer will also make sure the conditions are met. Cm. Nassar stated it is an ongoing enforcement issue and how will the new location change that issue. Mr. Byde stated it is an ongoing issue but Goodwill has been cooperative to address it and clean things up as soon as their Staff arrives in the morning. Cm. Fasulkey asked if historically, the complaints have gone upward or downward. Mr. Byde stated Goodwill has been an ongoing Code Enforcement issue. Cm. Fasulkey asked if Goodwill is one of the top ten Code Enforcement issues in the City. Mr. Byde stated according to the Code Enforcement Officer they generate more activity than any other tenant in the City. Cm. Fasulkey asked if they are the number one enforcement issue in the City. Ms. Ram stated that in their current location, Goodwill has the highest incidents of complaints in the City. 144 Cm. Pasulkey asked Staff the width of their front door. Mr. Byde responded a standard 3-foot door. Cm. Pasulkey asked if Attachment 4 (acceptable donations) and 5 (written statement) provided by Goodwill are binding documents. Mr. Byde stated yes, they are legally binding. Attachment 5 is their written statement and states how they are going to operate their business. Cm. Pasulkey stated Attachment 4 does not state they accept furniture or the size of the furniture that is acceptable and attachment 5 states they do accept furniture. Mr. Byde stated furniture is acceptable and is listed in their written statement, Attachment 5. Craig Wilson, Manager of Donation Services stated he would like to address the concerns raised by the Planning Commission. He explained that Goodwill is part of the community and they want to keep it an upstanding community. Goodwill cannot control the individual that is going to do illegal dumping. There are procedures set into place to advert illegal dumping such as adequate signage and the assistance from the community and the police department. They have been in Dublin for 15 years but have always had issues with illegal dumping. There is a truck that comes by every night to clean up the area but they still find items there the next morning. They did some research to do business in a different manner and contacted other Goodwill Stores throughout the nation. He provided pictures for the Commission to review. He stated that some of the stores in So. California has little to no dumping because it is in a different type of environment, which is why they have proposed this type of idea. They want to have a successful operation for the community and for the people who make donations. They estimate 900 donations per week. Jeff Giuntini, Vice President of Retail Operations stated they did a national search and found that the redemption center is a growing trend. He explained that they agree to the conditions set forth. There will be motion detector lights set in place that can act as a deterrent. They have the ability to put cameras in place if needed. They work with many municipalities that require cameras. They are planning to extend their hours of operation from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. They have 85 years of experience in collecting donations. He explained that between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. is when a lot of donations arrive. With the inline donation center it allows them to extend their hours to make it more convenient to the community. He explained that there is a truck that comes by nightly to clean up any dumping activity. Goodwill can request the truck to come by at anytime during the night to clean up any dumping that occurs before the center opens. They see Dublin as a model program and are committed to making this inline donation center work. Mr. Wilson stated they have a similar center in Pleasant Hill and have provided signage that has helped with illegal dumping at that location. He showed the Commissioners the proposed signage. Cm. Jennings asked if the signage had been placed in their previous location. Mr. Wilson stated at one time it was there on a trial basis. Cm. Nassar asked if there has been drop in the number of people helping themselves to items left at the donation center with this type of donation center. 145 Mr. Giuntini stated there is not a way to control that issue, but with the new location, there are no houses around it. Cm. Jennings asked if the retail store is smaller than the previous site. Mr. Wilson stated yes it is smaller than the previous site but the new store does not receive donations. Mr. Giuntini stated that the old store was larger but it also received donations. Ms. Ram stated that the new retail store is behind the unit they are looking to do the donation center. They would not take any donations at the store only at the redemption center. Cm. King asked the necessity of the move. Mr. Wilson stated the amount of unwanted donations is too much and with the redemption center is a better way to receive donations. Also Shamrock Village is going to go through reconstruction and they did not want to sign a new lease if it is going to be torn down. Cm. King asked if the donation trailer at the previous site would be moved to the new location. Mr. Wilson responded no. Cm. King asked why there were two large trucks at the current donation center. Mr. Wilson stated they pick up donations and transport them to the sorting facility in Oakland. Cm. King asked if the trucks would be driving through the alley way behind the proposed site to pick up donations. Mr. Wilson stated yes. Cm. King asked many how donations are taken during open hours. Mr. Wilson stated they receive approximately 900 donations per week but a majority of the donations are on the weekends. Cm. King asked what Goodwill does with the stuff that is unacceptable that is left there when the center is closed. Mr. Giuntini stated it would be taken to their main facility in Oakland. Cm. Jennings asked if the donation center receives donations just for the Dublin store. Mr. Wilson stated that items left at this donation center will go to a processing center in Oakland. They have 25 retail stores that items are distributed to. Mr. Giuntini stated that any breakable items may be walked over to the Dublin store to capture the revenue. Cm. King asked what their plans are for signage. 146 '';-'f ;-t l t,; 2L-Y).4- Mr. Giuntini stated they are going to conform to the Shopping Center and City requirements. Cm. Pasulkey closed the public hearing and asked for a motion. On motion by Cm. Jennings, seconded by Cm. Nassar, by a 3-1-1 vote with Cm. Pasulkey opposed and Cm. Machtmes absent the Planning Commission approved RESOLUTION NO. 04-53 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVING PA 04-028 GOODWILL DONATION REDEMPTION CENTER CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO LOCATED WITIHIN A TENANT SPACE WITHIN THE ALMONED PLAZA LOCATED AT 7202 REGIONAL STREET Cm. King stated for the record he does not feel it is compatible with the center but none of the existing tenants have shown up to oppose the project. He is concerned with west Dublin as a whole, and whether the shopping centers in west Dublin will continue to deteriorate or whether there will be a turn around. If the redemption center is going to draw 900 donors a week that may be a benefit to the surrounding tenants. NEW OR UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None OTHER BUSINESS (Commission/Staff Informational Only Reports) Ms. Ram and Cm. Pasulkey discussed the Camp Parks Planning and Design Workshop that took place August 6th and 7th. ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm. Respectfully submitted, Planning Commission chairperson ATTEST: Planning Manager