HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC-1036-21 (ARCH-0256-2020 -- 3806 Ranch House Rd.)RESOLUTION NO. PC-1036-21
A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO PLANNING COMMISSION
APPROVING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MIXED -USE PROJECT
WITHIN THE JONES SUBDIVISION TRACT NO.3066, CONSISTING OF
NINE (9) MODERATE -INCOME AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL UNITS,
APPROXIMATELY 10,400 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE,
WITH A 40 PERCENT PARKING REDUCTION FOR THE
COMMERCIAL USES, AND A FINDING OF CONSISTENCY WITH
PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION ER-
137-119 CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO 10620 (2015 SERIES), AS
REPRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT AND ATTACHMENTS DATED
MARCH 10, 2021 (3806 RANCH HOUSE ROAD, ARCH-0256-2020)
WHEREAS, the Architectural Review Commission of the City of San Luis Obispo
meeting was conducted via teleconference, on February 1, 2021, recommending the Planning
Commission find the project consistent with the Community Design Guidelines and Orcutt Area
Specific Plan (OASP), pursuant to a proceeding instituted under ARCH-0256-2020, Travis
Fuentez, Ambient, LLC, applicant; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of San Luis Obispo meeting was
conducted via teleconference, on March 10, 2021, pursuant to a proceeding instituted under
ARCH-0256-2020, Travis Fuentez, Ambient, LLC , applicant; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of San Luis Obispo has duly considered
all evidence, including the testimony of the applicant, interested parties, and evaluation and
recommendations by staff, presented at said hearing; and
WHEREAS, notices of said public hearings were made at the time and in the manner
required by law; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning Commission of the City of
San Luis Obispo as follows:
SECTION 1. Findings. The Planning Commission hereby grants final development plan
approval to the project (ARCH-0256-2020), based on the following findings:
1. The project will not be detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of those working or
residing in the vicinity since the proposed project is consistent with the intention of the site's
Community Commercial with a Mixed -use overlay zoning designation and will be subject to
conformance with all applicable building, fire, and safety codes.
2. The project is consistent with the General Plan because it promotes policies related to
compatible development (LUE 2.3.9), residential project objectives (LUE 2.3.11), and
housing production (HE 6.10).
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3. The project is consistent with Conservation and Open Space Element Policy 4.4.3 because
the project promotes higher -density, compact housing to achieve more efficient use of public
facilities and services and to improve the City's jobs/housing balance.
4. The project supports Housing Element policies related to inclusion and expansion of missing
middle and affordable housing units within the City (HE Policies 2.4, 4.1, 4.2, & 5.3). The
project is consistent with Housing Element Policies 6.1 and 7.4 because the project supports
the development of more housing in accordance with the assigned Regional Housing Needs
Allocation and establishes a new neighborhood, with pedestrian and bicycle linkages that
provide direct, convenient and safe access to adjacent neighborhoods consistent with the
OASP.
5. The project is consistent with the goals and policies of the OASP Section 3.2.2 for the
Community Commercial zone which encourages the development of ground floor
commercial/office uses with small public seating areas intended to serve those living or
working within the Orcutt Area. The proposed project meets the intent of the Specific Plan
and fully implements the goals for development of the Orcutt Area.
6. The proposed Farmhouse architectural style of the residential and commercial structures are
consistent with the architectural styles described in the OASP because the designs include
architectural features such as gable end roof forms, rafter tails, fenestration, and porch styles
of the bungalow style. The proposed architectural style of the project is consistent with the
Design Guidelines described in the Orcutt Area Specific Plan because the project provides
architecture that is internally compatible with adjacent developments and enhances San Luis
Obispo's unique sense of place by providing consistent use of colors, materials, and detailing
throughout all elevations of the buildings which is compatible and consistent in scale and
design of neighboring developments.
7. The project is consistent with the Zoning Regulations for Mixed -Use Projects (Section
17.70.130), since the proposed building design complies with design and performance
standards for mixed -use development and is consistent with all property development
standards including height, coverage, access, and setbacks for the Community Commercial
(C-C) zone.
Architectural Review Findings
8. As conditioned, the project design is consistent with the Community Design standards of the
GASP, and consistent with the Community Design Guidelines for mixed -use development
because the architectural styles are complementary to the surrounding neighborhood
including site design, roofing style, front porches, balconies, siding materials, finish, and
scale. The project design incorporates articulation, massing, and a mix of color/finish
materials that are compatible with the neighborhood and complementary to other
development within the immediate vicinity.
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9. The proposed height, mass and scale of the project will not negatively alter the overall
character of the neighborhood or the streets appearance because the development is designed
in a manner that does not deprive reasonable solar access to adjacent properties by positioning
the majority of the building mass along the street frontage that incorporates vertical and
horizontal wall plan offsets providing a high -quality and aesthetically pleasing architectural
design.
Parking Reduction Findings
10. The project qualifies for a 40 percent parking reduction in accordance with OASP Program
3.2.19c where the off-street parking requirements for the primary commercial area may be
reduced to 60% of that ordinarily required by the City Zoning Regulations for the individually
designated uses.
11. As conditioned, the Trip Reduction Plan required as Condition No. 8 will ensure that parking
demand for the proposed uses during peak hours of use will not overlap or coincide to the
degree that peak demand for parking spaces from all uses or projects will be greater than the
total supply of spaces.
SECTION 2. Environmental Review. On March 2, 2010 the City Council certified the
OASP Final EIR and approved the OASP. This action by the City Council included approval of
both text and map amendments to the City's General Plan and rezoning the subject site to C-C-
MU-SP (Community Commercial). On November 16, 2011 the OASP area was annexed into the
City of San Luis Obispo. On February 1, 2015, the City Council adopted the supplemental Initial
Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Vesting Tentative Map 3066 of the
subject property through Resolution No. 10620 (2015 Series) to document its consistency with the
OASP and to identify the required mitigation measures from the EIR that applied to this
development site. The project is consistent with the adopted MND, all mitigation measures adopted
as part of the OASP EIR and supplemental MND that are applicable to the proposed project are
carried forward and applied to the proposed project to effectively mitigate the impacts that were
previously identified. No Supplemental Environmental Impact Report is required pursuant to
Public Resources Code §21166 and State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 because: 1) the project
does not include or require any revisions to the certified OASP FEIR and adopted supplemental
MND; 2) no substantial changes would occur with respect to the circumstances under which the
project is being undertaken, and no revisions to the OASP FEIR and adopted supplemental MND
are required; and 3) no new information of substantial importance is available that was not already
known at the time the OASP FEIR was certified and the supplemental MND was adopted.
SECTION 3. Action. The project conditions of approval do not include mandatory code
requirements. Code compliance will be verified during the plan check process, which may include
additional requirements applicable to the project. The Planning Commission hereby grants final
approval to the project with incorporation of the following conditions:
Planning Division
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1. Final project design and construction drawings submitted for a building permit shall be in
substantial compliance with the project plans approved by the Planning Commission (ARCH-
0256-2020). A separate, full-size sheet shall be included in working drawings submitted for
a building permit that lists all mitigation measures, conditions, and code requirements of
project approval listed as sheet number 2. Reference shall be made in the margin of listed
items as to where in plans requirements are addressed. Any change to approved design, colors,
materials, landscaping, or other conditions of approval must be approved by the Director or
Planning Commission, as deemed appropriate.
2. The project shall comply with all mitigation measures and conditions applicable to the project
site, as established under City Council Resolution No. 10620 (2015 Series).
3. Plans submitted for a building permit shall call out the colors and materials of all proposed
building surfaces and other improvements. Colors and materials shall be consistent with the
color and material board submitted with Architectural Review application. The project shall
avoid repetition of design color schemes, such that adjacent buildings of a similar layout use
different color schemes. The applicant shall also note that all stucco surfaces have a smooth
hand -troweled or sand finish appearance on the building plans, to the satisfaction of the
Community Development Director.
4. Plans submitted for a building permit shall include recessed window details or equivalent
shadow variation, and all other details including but not limited to awnings and railings. Plans
shall indicate the type of materials for the window frames and mullions, their dimensions, and
colors. Plans shall include the materials and dimensions of all lintels, sills, surrounds, recesses
and other related window features. Plans shall demonstrate the use of high -quality materials
for all design features that reflect the architectural style of the project and are compatible with
the neighborhood character, to the approval of the Community Development Director.
5. Plans submitted for a building permit shall include balcony railing details indicating the type
of materials, dimensions and colors. Plans shall demonstrate the use of high -quality materials
for the railings that provide adequate privacy for the residential units and reflect the
architectural style of the project and are compatible with the neighborhood character, to the
approval of the Community Development Director.
6. The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the current parking
calculation for the commercial component of the project upon the submittal of Planning and
Building permits for tenant changes or improvements, and/or each business license, to ensure
the site does not become under -parked. The project would be considered under -parked if the
total parking requirement of all four commercial suites exceeds a parking requirement of 48
spaces (prior to applying the 40% reduction for individual uses, in accordance with OASP
Program 3.2.19c).
7. Plans submitted for a building permit shall provide adequate signage to navigate visitors to
the parking areas away from Ranch House Road. Surface parking spaces may be assigned to
any individual commercial use during hours of operation. Required residential parking may
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be reserved, but commercial parking must be made available for guests or overflow from
residences after hours of operation for commercial uses.
8. Prior to the issuance of a building permit, the applicant shall provide a Trip Reduction Plan
to reduce vehicle trips to and from the property, the plan shall clearly identify the
responsibility for monitoring and reporting the progress of the Trip Reduction Program to the
satisfaction of the Community Development Director and the Transportation Division. The
Trip Reduction Plan shall be clear on the performance measures, how they will be monitored/
measured. To support the neighborhood compatibility and city-wide VMT reduction goals,
applicant shall develop and implement a Car Free program to actively discourage car
ownership, with special focus on tenants who choose not to lease on -site parking. The program
will be integrated with the Trip Reduction Plan and will promote and support non -car
transportation through education and possible incentives.
9. Plans submitted for a building permit shall clearly depict the location of all required short and
long-term bicycle parking for all intended uses, plans submitted for construction permits shall
include bicycle lockers or interior space within each residential unit or parking area for the
storage of at least two bicycle per residential unit. Short-term bicycle racks such as "Peak
Racks" shall be installed in close proximity to, and visible from, the main entry into the
buildings (inverted "U" rack designs shall not be permitted). Long term bicycle parking spaces
shall provide charging capability for ebikes and shall provide a variety of floor and wall -
mounted racks to accommodate bicycles that vary in size, shape and weight. Sufficient detail
shall be provided about the placement and design of bike racks and lockers to demonstrate
compliance with relevant Engineering Standards and Community Design Guidelines, to the
satisfaction of the Public Works and Community Development Directors.
10. Plans submitted for building permit shall include a photometric plan, demonstrating
compliance with maximum light intensity standards not to exceed a maintained value of 10
foot-candles. The locations of all lighting, including bollard style landscaping or path lighting,
shall be included in plans submitted for a building permit. All wall -mounted lighting fixtures
shall be clearly called out on building elevations included as part of working drawings. All
wall -mounted lighting shall complement building architecture. The lighting schedule for the
building shall include a graphic representation of the proposed lighting fixtures and cut -sheets
on the submitted building plans. The selected fixture(s) shall be shielded to ensure that light
is directed downward consistent with the requirements of the City's Night Sky Preservation
standards contained in Chapter § 17.70.100 of the Zoning Regulations.
11. Mechanical and electrical equipment should be located internally to the buildings. With
submittal of working drawings, the applicant shall include sectional views of the buildings,
which clearly show the sizes of any proposed condensers and other mechanical equipment. If
any condensers, transformers, or other mechanical equipment are to be ground mounted or
placed on the roof, plans submitted for a building permit shall confirm that these features will
be adequately screened. A line -of -sight diagram may be required to confirm that proposed
screening will be adequate. This condition applies to initial construction and later
improvements.
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12. The subject property shall be maintained in a clean and orderly manner at all times, free of
excessive leaves, branches, and other landscape material. The applicant shall be responsible
for the clean-up of any landscape material in the public right-of-way.
13. A final landscaping plan, including irrigation details and plans, shall be submitted to the
Community Development Department along with working drawings. The legend for the
landscaping plan shall include the sizes and species of all groundcovers, shrubs, and trees
with corresponding symbols for each plant material showing their specific locations on plans.
Landscaping plans shall include the following information, at a minimum:
a. The species, diameter at breast height, location, and condition of all existing trees;
b. Identification of trees that will be retained, removed, or relocated;
c. Location and size of plant and tree species proposed to be planted;
d. The location of proposed utilities, driveways, street tree locations, and the size and
species of proposed street trees; and
e. A reclaimed water irrigation plan.
14. Plans submitted for construction permits shall include elevation and detail drawings of all
walls and fences. Fences, walls, and hedges will comply with the development standards
described in the Zoning Regulations (§ 17.70.070 —Fences, Walls, and Hedges). Walls and
fences should remain as low as possible, long expanses of fence or wall surfaces shall be
offset and architecturally designed to prevent monotony.
15. The location of any required backflow preventer and double-check assembly shall be shown
on all site plans submitted for a building permit, including the landscaping plan. Construction
plans shall also include a scaled diagram of the equipment proposed. Where possible, as
determined by the Utilities Director, equipment shall be located inside the building within 20
feet of the front property line. Where this is not possible, as determined by the Utilities
Director, the back -flow preventer and double-check assembly shall be located in the street
yard and screened using a combination of paint color, landscaping and, if deemed appropriate
by the Community Development Director, a low wall. The size and configuration of such
equipment shall be subject to review and approval by the Utilities and Community
Development Directors.
16. Prior to occupancy, an overflight notification shall be recorded and appear with the property
deed. The applicant shall also record a covenant with the City to ensure that disclosure is
provided to all buyers and lessees at the subject property. Notice form and content shall be to
the satisfaction of the Community Development Director and include the following language:
NOTICE OF AIRPORT IN VICINITY: This property is presently located in the vicinity of an
airport, within what is known as the airport influence area. For that reason, the property may
be subject to some of the annoyances or inconveniences associated with proximity to airport
operations (for example: noise, vibration, or odors). Individual sensitivities to those
annoyances can vary from person to person. You may wish to consider what airport
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annoyances, if any, are associated with the property before you complete your purchase and
determine whether they are acceptable to you.
17. Prior to building occupancy, the owner of the property shall provide a Residential Noise
Notice in writing for residential occupants stating that the property is located within a
commercial zone in an urban -type environment and that noise levels may be higher than a
strictly residential area.
18. Any new proposed signage requires a permit and shall be reviewed by the Planning Division
to ensure appropriateness for the site and compliance with the Sign Regulations. Signage shall
coordinate with building architecture and the type of land use. The Director may refer signage
to the Architectural Review Commission if it seems excessive or out of character with the
project.
Engineering Division — Public Works/Community Development
19. The building plan submittal shall show and note conformance with the tentative and final map
for Tract 3066. The plans shall show and note compliance with the approved subdivision plans
and/or approved modifications. The development of this project requires amendments to the
planned or constructed physical subdivision improvements previously approved. The
subdivision improvement plans and/or record drawings shall be modified to address the
proposed and constructed improvements as revised.
20. The building plan submittal shall include any reference plan sheets or layers from the
improvement plans for reference for the public and private subdivision improvements, site
development, horizontal and vertical controls, utility connections, drainage improvements,
and landscaping, etc.
21. The building plan submittal shall show and note compliance with the site development,
grading, drainage, and utility service requirements in accordance with the approved Vesting
Tentative Tract 3066.
22. The building plan submittal shall include the finished grading and drainage plan. The plan
shall include pad elevation, finish floor/finish surface elevation, yard drainage, high point
elevations, spot elevations, and any drainage structures.
23. The building plan submittal shall show and note compliance with the Drainage Design
Manual, OASP drainage requirements, and Post Construction Stormwater Regulations in
effect at the time of plan submittal. The project drainage report may include references to and
excerpts from the master drainage report for Tract 3066 and Righetti Ranch if applicable.
24. The building plan submittal shall include a line -of -site analysis at the two driveway
approaches and intersections. The analysis shall include site lines to both the sidewalk
(pedestrian traffic) and adjoining roadway/bike lanes. The final plans may need to adjust
plantings, retaining walls, fencing, and signage. The analysis and plan shall be approved to
the satisfaction of the Transportation and Engineering divisions.
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25. The final landscape plan shall clarify the trees/street trees included and shown on the Tract
3066 plans or landscape plans by others and those to be provided in conjunction with this
development. The tree species shall be in accordance with the Specific Plan unless an
alternate planting palate is specifically approved by the Planning Division and City Arborist.
Some tree substitutions have previously been vetted and approved.
26. The building plan submittal shall show the limits and extent of any stairs or ramps leading
from the public right-of-way or public sidewalk areas. Any required access improvements
including handrails shall not project into the public right-of-way unless specifically approved
by the Public Works Department and authorized with a recorded encroachment agreement.
27. The building plan submittal shall identify any changes or modifications to the existing parking
lot area, any changes to the approved parking lot layout, signing, or striping shall comply with
the Parking and Driveway Standards and California Building Code.
28. The building plan submittal shall identify any changes or modifications to the approved trash
enclosure and solid waste management facilities, any changes shall be approved to the
satisfaction of the Planning Division, Utilities Department, and San Luis Garbage Company.
29. The proposed mailbox unit (MBU) or mail kiosk, equipment, lighting, location, and access
shall be approved by the Community Development Department and US Postal Service.
Utilities Department
30. The project's commercial and residential uses shall have separate water meters. All residential
units are to be individually metered. Privately owned sub -meters may be provided for
residential apartments upon approval of the Utilities Director. The Conditions Covenants &
Restrictions (CC&Rs) for the property/homeowner association (P/HOA) shall require that the
sub -meters be read by the association (or P/HOA contracted service) and each apartment
billed according to water use.
31. Recycled water or other non -potable water shall be used for major construction activities,
such as grading and dust control as required under Prohibited Water Uses; Chapter
13.07.070.0 of the City's Municipal Code. Recycled water is available through the City's
Construction Water Permit program.
32. If commercial uses in the project include food preparation, provisions for grease interceptors
and FOG (fats, oils, and grease) storage within solid waste enclosure(s) shall be provided with
the design. These types of facilities shall also provide an area to wash floor mats, equipment,
and trash cans. The wash area shall be drained to the sanitary sewer, and an environmental
compliance permit shall be filed prior to issuance of occupancy permit.
Indemnification
33. The applicant shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City and/or its agents, officers
and employees from any claim, action or proceeding against the City and/or its agents, officers
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or employees to attack, set aside, void or annul, the approval by the City of this project, and
all actions relating thereto, including but not limited to environmental review ("Indemnified
Claims"). The City shall promptly notify the applicant of any Indemnified Claim upon being
presented with the Indemnified Claim and the City shall fully cooperate in the defense against
an Indemnified Claim.
On motion by Commissioner Kahn, seconded by Commissioner Vice -Chair Jorgensen, and
on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Commissioners Kahn, Quincey, Shoresman, Wulkan, Vice -Chair Jorgensen and
Chair Dandekar
NOES:
None
REFRAIN:
Commissioner Hopkins
ABSENT:
None
The foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this 1 oth day of March, 2021.
Tyler Corey, SQ0.etary
Planning Commission