HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/04/1989, 3 - PD 1434: PLANNED DEVELOPMENT REZONING FROM C-S-SP TO C-S-SP-PD, TO ALLOW LARGE OFFICES IN HIGUERA C p � t2 MEE4B
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1��� 11ll�l$� 1 city 0f San LUIS O$ISp� REM NUMBER:
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
FROM: Michael Multari, Community Development Director By: Judith Lautner �
v
SUBJECT:
PD 1434: Planned development rezoning from C-S-SP to C-S-SP-PD, to allow large
offices in Higuera Commerce Park, on the southeast corner of South Higuera Street and
Granada Drive.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Pass to print an ordinance changing the zoning of the site from C-S-SP to C-S-SP-PD, and
approving the project's preliminary development plan.
BACKGROUND
Discussion
The City Council approved amendments to the zoning regulations in March 1987, that
allowed some large offices in the C-S and M zones, with approval of a planned development
rezoning. This application is the second to be considered by the city since the
amendments became effective. In December 1987 the council approved a planned development
rezoning at 265 South Street.
If the preliminary planned development plan is approved by the council, the precise plan
will be reviewed by the community Development Director for conformance with that approval
and its conditions.
The applicants want to build a 17,000-square-foot two-story office building in Higuera
Commerce Park, to house office tenants with space needs of at least 2,500 square feet
each. One tenant (a computer systems designer) has been identified and will use 7,000
square feet; the remaining space has not been allocated at this time. Primary issues
identified by staff include consistency with general plan policies and zoning standards,
office supply and demand, and the convertibility of the building to other uses. Staff
and the Planning Commission found the use consistent with city plans and policies, and
the site appropriate for the use. The Architectural Review Commission granted final
approval to the design and site planning of the project, contingent upon council approval
of the use.
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS
With mitigation, no significant environmental impacts are likely to result from
construction of the project.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT TAKING THE RECOMMENDED ACTION
If the council denies the request, the site will remain available for all service
commercial uses allowed or conditionally allowed in Higuera Commerce Park.
R
����� ►�NIII�Ipa ►�I��I crty of San lugs OBISpo
j COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Page 2
Data summary
Address: 3701 S. Higuera Street
Applicant: The Granada Group
Representative: RRM Design Group (Vic Montgomery)
Property owners: John Rossetti, Joe Priske, M Anderson
Zoning: C-S-SP
General plan: Service commercial/light industrial
Environmental status: Negative declaration of environmental impact with mitigation
granted by the director on February 22, 1989
Site description
The site is flat and contains no significant vegetation. It is on the southerly corner
of South Higuera Street and Granada Drive, across "Meissner Lane", a private street, from
the Hind Performance building. The site is across Higuera from the Eagles' Lodge, and
about 350' from Silver City Mobile Home Park.
Higuera Commerce Park is over fifty percent built-out, with service commercial and light
manufacttiring uses. The adjacent lot contains a carpet store.
Proiect description
The project is the construction of a 17,000-square-foot two-story office building and
related parking on a 1.03-acre site in Higuera Commerce Park. The building is to house
office tenants with space needs of 2,500 square feet or more.
EVALUATION
Staff suggests the council consider the following in its review of this request:
1. Land use element policies. Based on results of an office supply and demand study
commissioned by the city (discussed further below), the council changed the general
plan land use element to allow larger offices in the service commercial/light
industrial areas. The element says:
Large professional office buildings which can include multiple tenants but
with no single tenant space less than 2500 square feet may be established in
service commercial/light industrial areas subject to the approval of a planned
development (PD) zoning application and compliance with criteria set forth in
the zoning regulations. This last provision notwithstanding, the dispersion of
banks, real estate offices, financial institutions, medical clinics, doctors
offices and lawyers offices throughout the city is prohibited.
The request is for an office building with tenant spaces not less than 2,500 square
feet. One tenant, HC Systems Group, is expected to occupy 7,000 square feet. This
tenant is a provider of computer services, further explained in the attached
statement from the applicant. Other tenants have not yet been determined.
Conditions can be placed on the approval of a planned development rezoning, to limit
office uses to those consistent with the general plan policies.
.A
,1111111paill city of Saniuis OBlspo
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Page 3
2. Zoning regulations standards, The zoning regulations say that to approve a planned
development for large offices, the commission or council must find that it meets all
of the following criteria:
1. The project will be compatible with existing and allowed land uses in the area.
The project is not expected to cause any compatibility conflicts within
Higuera Commerce Park. The office use is likely to generate greater levels of
traffic than are common within the park, but its location on the edge of the
park should limit the amount of that traffic that affects other businesses.
Noise conflicts are unlikely. The wall on the adjacent property should buffer
sounds from any manufacturing uses within (the current use is carpet sales).
Other businesses are across Granada Drive, facing the Higuera Street frontage
road, and across Meissner Lane. Traffic noise will be minimized by acoustical
treatment within the building, required by the building code.
As the park is limited to light industrial and small service commercial
businesses, employees of the office building should not be exposed to noise,
pollution, or other objectionable conditions. The project is intended to
contain only office uses, but compatible C-S uses should not be prohibited.
Compatibility of uses within the project may be controlled with PD conditions.
2. The project's location or access arrangements do not significantly direct
traffic to use local or collector streets in residential areas.
The project is within an established commercial park. No access through
residential areas is possible.
3. The project will provide adequate mitigation to address potential impacts
related to noise, light and glare, and loss of privacy, among others, imposed by
commercial activities on nearby residential areas, by using methods such as
setbacks, landscaping, berming, and fencing.
The project is separated by South Higuera Street from the nearest residential
uses. No mitigation is proposed or considered necessary.
4. The project does not preclude industrial or service commercial uses in areas
especially suited for such uses when compared with offices.
Higuera Commerce Park is "especially suited" for industrial and service
commercial uses. A large amount of vacant land is still available for
additional service commercial uses, in addition to the portion that is
built-out. This one-acre project is small in comparison with the amount of
C-S-zoned land available nearby.
S. The project does not create a shortage of C-S and M zoned land available for
service commercial or industrial development.
The city has an ample supply of C-S- and M-zoned land available for development
at this time. The city's recent surveys of current land uses indicates that C-S
zoned land is in more abundant supply than any other type in the city. `
111111111Pi�11�1 city.of San WIS OBISpo
MaGa COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
PD 1434
Page 4
The regulations further prohibit banks, real estate offices, financial institutions,
medical clinics and doctors offices, and lawyers offices. These uses should be
specifically prohibited in the conditions of approval as well, should this zoning
change be approved.
3. The suonly and demand auestion. The city commissioned an office supply and demand
study in 1985, to determine if the current supply of offices and office-zoned land is
sufficient to meet the city's needs. The study concluded that existing office zones
could accomodate offices in the less than 2,500 square foot category, but that
available land for larger offices is limited in existing office and downtown areas.
The general plan land use element and zoning regulations were amended to make some
C-S- and M-zoned land available for this purpose.
Demand for offices over 2,500 square feet in area, according to the consultants,
would likely be between 17,200 and 24,400 per year between 1986 and 1990, and from
11,400 to 16,200 between the years 1991 and 1995. The project, which would supply
about 17,000 square feet, would provide from one to one-and-one-half year's supply
for this category. Changes in the community and county growth rates could
significantly affect these projections.
4. Convertibility of the building If the demand for large offices is not as great as
the consultants projected, it may remain vacant. The building should be designed to
accomodate some service commercial uses in case this happens. A number of C-S uses,
including advertising, broadcast studios, computer services, contractors' offices,
credit reporting, and delivery or postal services, could be accomodated with few or
no changes to the building. Others, such as laboratories and printing and publishing
businesses, would require more extensive modifications. In staff's view, the
building design can accomodate a large range of uses.
5. Child care was originally or000sed The council may note that the applicant's
statement says that a portion of the building is to be used for child care. During
review of this request, staff discovered that the site is directly in the line of the
"extended runway" for the airport. Accidents are more common in these areas. The
applicant has therefore deleted this request for this particular project.
OTHER DEPARTMENT COMMENTS
No other departments had significant concerns with this request.
PREVIOUS REVIEW
The project has not been reviewed previously by the council.
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the request on March 8, 1989 (3-2 vote).
At that meeting, some of the commissioners expressed concern over the lack of solar water
heating proposed for this project and the lack of solar requirements for commercial
developments in general. The applicant responded that in this case the hot water use
will be low, and that solar heating components would not pay for themselves. The —
majority of the commission felt that solar water heating for the project was not
warranted. Other iisues discussed by the commission included (1) the provision of day
care facilities in areas affected by airport operations; and (2) the compatibility of
the proposed offices with service commercial uses in the area. Qe
city of san-Luis oeispo
=011A COUNCIL AGENDA REPOFM
PD 1434
Page 5
The Architectural Review Commission reviewed the project on March 13, 1989, and granted
final approval contingent on council approval of the rezoning. That commission found the
building attractive, and although clearly a different style than the typical commerce
park development, compatible with its surroundings. That commission did not express
concern over the lack of solar water heating.
RECOMMENDATION
Pass to print an ordinance approving the zoning change from C-S-SP to C-S-SP-PD, based on
findings and subject to conditions, as recommended by the Planning Commission.
Attached:
Draft ordinance
Vicinity map
Environmental initial study
Applicant's statement
Draft minutes: March 8th Planning Commission hearing (to follow not available at
March 13th Architectural Review Commission hearing agenda close)
I
I
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I \}
ORDINANCE NO. (1989 Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
APPROVING THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT PRELIMINARY
PLAN FOR PD 1434 (3701 SOUTH HIGUERA STREET), AMENDING
THE OFFICIAL ZONE MAP FROM C-S-SP TO C-S-SP-PD
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission and the City Council have held public hearings to
consider amending the zoning regulations in accordance with Section 65800 et. seq. of the
Government Code, and Chapter 17.62 of the Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the proposed zoning is consistent with general
plan; and
WHEREAS, the proposed zoning promotes the public health, safety, and general
welfare; and
WHEREAS, the proposed zoning will not have a significant effect on the environment.
NOW, THEREFORE. BE IT ORDAINED by the.Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as
follows.
SECTION 1. That the area shown on the map attached hereto marked Exhibit "A" and
included herein by reference be reclassified from C-S-SP (Service commercial, with
specific plan required) to C-S-SP-PD (Service commercial with a planned development and
specific plan required).
SECTION 2. That the preliminary development plan (PD 1434) is hereby approved
subject to the findings and conditions:
Findings
1. The project will be compatible with existing and allowed land uses in the area.
2. The project's location or access arrangements do not significantly direct traffic to
use local or collector streets in residential areas.
3. The project will provide adequate mitigation to address potential impacts related to
noise, light and glare, and loss of privacy, among others, imposed by commercial
activities on nearby residential areas, by using methods such as setbacks,
landscaping, berming, and fencing.
i�
Ordinance No. (1989 Series)
Page 2
4. The project does not preclude industrial or service commercial uses in areas
especially suited for such. uses when compared with offices.
5. The project does not create a shortage of C-S and M zoned land available for service
commercial or industrial development.
Conditions
1. Except as otherwise noted in these conditions of approval, all zoning regulations
for the C-S zone shall apply.
2. More than one office tenant may occupy office space on the site, but no single
tenant may occupy less than 2500 square feet of adjacent, interconnected floor area.
3. The following types of office-related uses are prohibited: banks, real estate
offices, financial institutions, medical clinics, doctors offices, and lawyers
offices.
4. The following uses which are otherwise permitted in the C-S zone are prohibited in
this PD:
Ambulance services
Auto repair and related services
Bars, taverns, etc.
Carwashes l
Bus stations -
Cabinet and carpentry shops
Contractors' yards
Equipment rental
Retail sales or rental of autos, trucks, motorcycles, RV's, boats, aircraft,
mobile homes
Service stations
Tire recapping
Trailer rental
Trucking/taxi service
Utility companies
Corporation yards
5. The following uses which are otherwise permitted in the C-S zone are only allowed in
this PD subject to approval of an administrative use permit:
Building and landscape maintenance service_s
Exterminators and fumigators
Feed stores and farm supply sales
Laundry/dry cleaners
Photofinishing - retail or wholesale
Printing and publishing
Repair services - appliances, locksmiths, saw sharpening, shoe, repair
Retail sales - building and landscape materials
Retail sales - auto parts and accessories
Warehousing, ministorage, moving company
Wholesale and mail order houses
�� T
Ordinance No. (1989 Series)
PD 1434
Page 3
INTRODUCED by the Council of the City of San. Luis Obispo, at its meeting held on
the day of 1989, on motion of
. seconded by - and on
the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
APPROVED:
D
dministrative Officer
City Attorne
Community velopment Director
C
RESOLUTION NO. (1989 Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
DENYING APPROVAL OI: PLANNED DEVELOPMENT REZONING
PD 1434 FOR PROPERTY AT 3701 S. HIGUERA STREET
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as follows:
SECTION 1. Findinits That this council, after consideration of the rezoning request
PD 1434, and the Planning Commission's recommendations, staff recommendations and reports
thereon, makes the following findings:
1. The project will not be compatible with existing and allowed land uses in the area.
2. The project is inconsistent with the general plan.
SECTION 2. The request for approval of the rezoning request PD 1434 is hereby
denied.
On motion of seconded by
and on the following roll call vote:
J
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this day of
1989.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
�- 9
1
`I
Resolution No. (1989 Series)
PD 1434
Page 2
APPROVED:
City A ministrative Officer
City Attorne
Comniunitevelopment Director
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city of San IDIS OBISpo
INITIAL STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
SITE LOCATION 7. P0,06�� S7 APPLICATION NO.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION � i^� DEVELG/;'f�E7LT f'La!'7/?r✓G� ��UF�yr>rYl Pelf
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APPLICANT IIC �'ya v16rr'G L�G'0y/�
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
NEGATIVE DECLARATION -MITIGATION INCLUDED
EXPANDED INITIAL STUDY REQUIRED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
/REQUIRED
c�
PREPARED BY LJL l/✓'l' � ��f lDATE r"/� d /
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR'S ACTION: DATE 2/22/89
Negative Declaration with Mitigation Included
SUMMARY OF INITIAL STUDY FINDINGS
I.DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
II.POTENTIAL IMPACT REVIEW POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS
A. COMMUNITY PLANS AND GOALS ........... .... ............ . ... . ... ....... ......... 1LTf��
B. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND GROWTH................. .. .. .... . ....... .... ... .. Gti
C. LAND USE ............................ ... ......... .. . ..... ....:. . ................ Ar(•t;
D. TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATIONA 4A-
................ ..... . ....... . ................
SIC/-
E. PUBLIC SERVICES ........................................ . .......................
F. UTILITIES..................................................... . .................. /Lr7N
G. NOISE LEVELS ........................ ............... .... ........................
H. GEOLOGIC d SEISMIC HAZARDS&TOPOGRAPHIC MODIFICATIONS ..... ... ............ N GNL
I. AIR QUALITY AND WIND CONDITIONS.... ........................... . ............... itJC7 N E
J. SURFACE WATER FLOW AND OUXLITY ... .. ........ .. . .. ................ ..... ....... ti E
K. PLANT LIFE....................... . ..... ....... ... ........ ..... ............... . ..
L. ANIMAL LIFE...................... .... .. ...... . ....... ............ ...... . . . ... . . ,r
M. ARCHAEOLOGICALIHISTORICAL .... . ... ... ............. ......... .. . .......... .....
N. AESTHETIC ...................................................................... ,IJCN�
O. ENERGY/RESOURCEUSE .......................................................... O�l�
P. OTHER ............................................ . . . ..... . ......... . ...........
C Ill.STAFF RECOMMENDATION
X1 APUE 7)eCLMt�IeA) /i� -!r�I«t�7��
'SEE ATTACHED REPORT saes
t
ER 4-89
Page !-
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
The project is the construction of a 17,000-square-Coot two-story office building and
related parking on a 1.03-acre site in Higuera Commerce Park. The building is to house
office tenants with space needs of 2500 square feet or more.
The site is flat and contains no significant vegetation. -it is on the southerly corner
of South Higuera Street and Granada Drive, across "Meissner Lane", a private street, from
the Hind Performance building. The site is across Higuera from the Eagles' Lodge, and
about 350' from Silver City Mobile Home Park.
The applicants are asking for a "planned development" rezoning to allow large office in
the Higuera Commerce Park. The plans and project description in the project files arc
incorporated in this description by reference.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
COMNIUNITY PLANS AND GOALS
LAND USE ELEMENT, HIGUERA COMMERCE PARK SPECIFIC PLAN.
AND ZONING REGULATIONS
The zoning regulations say that any uses consistent with the general plan may be included
in a planned development rezoning. The general plan limits office development in the 1
Service Commercial/Light Industrial areas to those that meet specific zoning regulations
criteria:
1. The project will be compatible with existing and allowed land uses in the arca.
2. The project's location or access arrangements do not significantly direct traffic to
use local or collector streets in residential areas.
3. The project will provide adequate mitigation to address potential impacts related to
-noise, light and glare, and loss of privacy, among others, imposed by commercial
activities on nearby residential areas, by using methods such as setbacks,
landscaping, berming, and fencing.
4. The project does not preclude industrial or service commercial uses in areas
especially suited for such uses when compared with offices.
5. The project does not create a shortage of C-S and M zoned land available for service
commercial or industrial development.
The project appears to meet these criteria.
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND GROWTH
The office use is more labor-intensive than most industrial uses. The Higucra Commerce
Park specific plan environmental impact report projected a range from 5 to 100 cmplovccs
per acre, with an average of 14 - 18 per acre. The Institute of Traffic Engineers' Trio
Generation statistics indicate that an office building of this size will typically
contain 127 employees or about 123 per acre.
t
ER 4-39
Cl Page 2•
in the "worst case" scenario, all 127 employees would move to the city and establish
households. This number of households would just about equal the number of persons
expected to move into the city in one year. The direct employment created by this
project would create indirect employment primarily in the form of service jobs. This
figure is expected to be a fraction of the direct figure. A more realistic estimate is
that some of the employees already live here, and that about half commute from nearby
areas, a typical pattern that emerges from the city's employment statistics.
While the number of employees per acre expected to be generated by the project is higher
than the number anticipated by the specific plan EIR, the difference in actual numbers is
insignificant. Further, the city's growth management regulations arc intended to
restrict growth in the 1990's to one percent per year. Migration to thecity to fill
these jobs or others in the city will be limited by the housing available, which is
limited by the growth management regulations.
Mitigation measures: None required. The city's growth management rc_gulations should
maintain the city's growth at an acceptable level.
TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION
Traffic will increase as a result of this project. The project is expected to generate
547 trip ends per day, according to the Institute of Traffic Engineers' Trin Generation.
Higucra Commerce Park is over 50% built-out presently and traffic levels are low. The.
city's transportation engineer finds the projected increase and its effect on nearbv
Q intersections insignificant.
Mitigation measures: None needed.
PUBLIC SERVICES
FIRE PROTECTION
The existing public fire hydrant density is inadequate for the use and frontage.
Mitigation measure: An additional hydrant shall be installed at the corner of Granada
Drive and South Higucra Street to the approval of the Fire Department. Building plan
check procedure will ensure this requirement is met.
UTILITIES
WATER
The city has adopted regulations to control increases in water use due to development,
and to help correct the current imbalance between water use and supply. The regulations
limit issuance of building permits and arc expected to mitigate water-usc impacts.
The city encourages all businesses and residents to conserve water wherever possible..
The best opportunity for initiating water-conserving techniques is when a project is
being developed.
Office uses do not generally consume a great amount of water. The landscaping has the
greatest potential to consume water and the proposal calls for several plants that can
ER 4-89
Page 3
wvcathcr drought conditions, over fifty trees, which once established use virtually no
water, and tall fescue for the small part of the lot containing turf. The landscaping
proposal, therefore, has been designed with limited water use in mind.
Mitigation measures: None required.
NOISE
The office use is not expected to generate noise that could disturb any neighboring
businesses. A more significant question is, would the surrounding businesses or the
airport create noise disturbing to the tenants?
The office use, being entirely indoors, should be protected by required insulation from
distracting noises. The concrete block wall on the neighboring property should be
adequate to muffle loud noises that may come from future manufacturing uses there (the
current use is quiet: a carpet store). Traffic noises are likely to be the most
offensive in this area. Staff does not anticipate that the surrounding noises will
create any difficulty for the proposed use and therefore does not recommend any
additional sound-insulating measures be required.
AIR QUALITY AND WIND CONDITIONS
The number of vehicles entering and leaving the site per day will be about 550, as noted
above (under "traffic and circulation"). This level of traffic will not in itself create
air pollution levels that are considered significant by the Air Pollution Control
District. However, cumulatively, projects in the park and nearby may generate traffic
levels on Higuera Street that lead to further degradation of the air quality.
The county of San Luis Obispo has been designated a "non-attainment area" for ozone and
for suspended particulates. The Higucra Commerce Park Specific Plan EIR projected that
other contaminants will not reach dangerous levels as a result of traffic resulting from
the complete buildout of the park or from the accumulation of park traffic and buildout
of the surrounding area_ That document suggested no mitigation measures for the
incremental increases in ozone and particulates; based on finding no significant increase
due to the park and no reasonable method to mitigate the increase.
The current project may generate greater levels of pollutants than typical commerce park
projects, because of the increased traffic, but the total numbers for the park will be
insignificant.
Mitigation measures: None required. The levels of pollutants contributed by vehicles
entering and leaving the project are expected to be insignificant.
PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE
No rare or endangered species have been identified in the area. The site contains little
vegetation, only grasses and weeds. The project will likely upset colonies of burrowing.
animals and reduce the number of insects. The impacts are expected: to be insignificant.
Mitigation measures: None required. ;�
ER 4-89.
Page 4
OTHER IMPACTS
The project is expected to have no significant impacts on other aspects of the
environment.
RECOMMENDATION
Grant a negative declaration of environmental impact with the following:
Mitigation measure:
An additional fire hydrant shall be installed at the corner of Granada Drive and South
Higuera Street, to the approval of the Fire Department. Building plan check procedure
will ensure this requirement is met.
jl4/cr4-89
i
STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES
GRANADA AND SOUTH HIGUERA
January 10, 1989
The objective of the proposed project is to develop a building
containing approximately 17,000 gross square feet of floor area on a
site larger than one acre located at the entry to the Higuera
Commerce Park and adjacent to the newly constructed Hinds Sportswear
building. The site is generally flat. All city utilities are
available at or near the frontages of the site and access is proposed
to be from Granada Drive.
The project is proposed under the city's guidelines permitting large
scale office uses within the CS zone.. The basic criteria for per-
mitting these office uses in the CS zone is that the site must be in
excess of one acre, the project must be processed as a planned
development, and individual uses within the building must occupy at
least 2,500 square feet. The project as proposed meets with these
criteria.
The proposed building is a .2-story configuration, the upper floor
having approximately 7,000 square feet, and the lower floor having
approximately 10,000 square feet divisible into four separate
suites. The list of users which the developer requests be permitted
in this building would include uses normally allowable as office uses
in the "0" zone with the exception of those uses' specifically
prohibited under the large scale office users provisions of the
zoning ordinance.
The structure is designed to accommodate at least one pre-identified
tenant who would occupy the entire upper floor (7,000 square feet) of
the structure. That tenant is HC Systems Group who is a provider of
computer services. This office is devoted to corporate staff func-
tions for HC Systems Group, computer services and development of
software which is then sold and/or licensed to other services
providers. Other potential tenants proposed for this building would
be limited to those users who would occupy sufficient space to meet
the criteria of-the zoning ordinance consistent-with the large scale
office users provisions of the zoning ordinance.
The project has been designed as a "signature building" at the
primary entrance to the Higuera Commerce Park and to compliment the
scale and setting of existing and future buildings located on the
east side of Higuera between Prado Road and Tank Farm Road. The
building has been placed on the site at an angle in order to create
larger landscaped areas along the Higuera Street frontage which would
continue the theme established at the Hinds building (and anticipated
along the east Higuera Street frontage between Granada and Tank Farm)
by providing generous landscape areas which create a campus feeling.
The building has a common entry to all the proposed office suites.
We have provided a generous landscaping area adjacent to the existing
2-story concrete block wall constructed as a part- of the project on
the adjacent property. Proposed landscaping adjacent to this wall
would be relatively fast growing tree species intended to create a
visual shadow or screen in front of the blank wall .
The proposed materials for construction of this building are
complimentary to and can be found in other projects constructed in
the Higuera Commerce Park and the Hinds building including; plaster -
exterior, metal roof, and wainscot of a more highly textured material
such as tile. Signage for the proposed project would be limited to a
monument sign near the intersection of Higuera and Granada Avenue
which would identify the site. A directory sign will be placed in
the landscape area on the approach to the building and individual
tenant identification signs will be placed within the public lobby
area of the building. All mechanical equipment for the buildi.ng will
be completely screened.
Recognizing that the Higuera Commerce. Park and the adjacent San Luis
Technology Park are now (and will become even more so in the future)
significant employers within the city of San Luis Obispo, we request
that a day care center be permitted to occupy a portion (at least
(2,500 square feet) of the ground floor. Within a short radius of
this site there are numerous employers but no facility for daytime
childcare. We would propose to have this use allowable in this
building.
In summary, the proposed project is consistent with the city's
general plan, zoning ordinance, the city's policies with regard' to
large scale office users. The project has been designed to recognize
the constraint of access to Higuera Street and in a manner which
would allow the established landscape format to continue along
Higuera Street up to the intersection with Granada.
We believe that the project wil 1 1 be a benefit to the city of San Luis
Obispo as a whole as well as to the statement of quality for the
continuing development of the Higuera Commerce. Park and the San Luis
Technology Park.
We urge your sL*port of this planned development -request.
En
ly,
ssetti
Mark Anderson
Joe Priske
�- V15/VM-Hig-G
DRAFT ARC Minutes
March 13, 1989
7. ARC 89-03: 3701 South Higuera Street; new office building; C-S-SP-PD zoning pending;
schematic approval.
Judith Lautner, Associate Planner presented the staff report.
Chris Ward, architect, responded to the staff report and agreed that the monument sign
needed to be moved out of the corner. He was happy to add more shrubs to screen the
parking lot but wanted to retain most of the lawn area. He indicated that the aluminum
windows would be 4-inches wide and he would recess them in the wall about 3 inches.
Vic Montgomery, representative, noted he had attended the Planning Commission hearing on
this project and pointed out that the minimal use of solar water heaters would not allow
amortization. He noted other comments that the Planning Commission had made on the
project.
Chris Ward explained that bullnosed tile detailing would be used.
John Mack, representative, explained how orientation of the building was designed for
views away from the blank wall on the adjacent property.
r
Commr. Starr liked the project. He felt it had good siting, had a nice entry, and was
elegant.
Commr. Jones thought it was a great project. He felt people driving down S. Higuera
Street would unfortunately not be able to benefit from seeing the nice entry.
Commr. Bradford noted that lots of plants were proposed on the palette and asked about
the stepping stones shown on the plans. She noted that part of the Hind project had been
hydroseeded with wildflowers with has a pretty.effcct.
Commr. Morris supported the project and liked the proposed colors. He also thought the
proposed landscaping was good: He liked the fescue used underneath the cypress. He
suggested pulling in the landscape screening on South Higuera Street and replacing the
myoporum with hypericum on Granada.
Commr. Gates also liked the project. She felt that light fixtures would be an important
feature..
Commr. Cooper felt that the building did not blend in but still liked it anyway. He
wanted more cypresses and fescue added to the site along the South Higuera Street
frontage.
Commr. Starr moved to grant final approval conditioned on City Council approval of a
planned development rezoning of the site.
Commr. Jones seconded the motion.
AYES: Starr, Jones, Bradford, Gates, Morris, Cooper
NOES: None
ABSENT: None