HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-13-2011 B5 Codron 2i council mEmoIZAnbum
City of San LUIS OBISpo, aaministization 6epaRtment
DATE: December 13, 2011
TO: City Council
FROM: Michael Codron, Assistant City Manage,
Via: Katie Lichtig, City Manager
SUBJECT: Item 135: General Plan Conformity Report
As discussed in the Council Agenda Report for this item, staff is distributing the General Plan
Conformity Report, which will be heard by the Planning Commission on Wednesday, December
14.
RED FILE
MEETING AGENDA
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT
BY: Pam Ricci, Senior Planner PK- MEETING DATE: December 14, 2011
FROM: Doug Davidson, Deputy Director (Development Review) !:
FILE NUMBER: GPC 30 -09
PROJECT ADDRESSES: 955 Morro Street; 847, 877, 861 & 863 Palm Street
SUBJECT: General Plan conformity determination for the sale and purchase of property related
to the Chinatown Project bordered by Chorro, Palm, Morro, and Monterey Streets in the C -D -H
Zone,
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the attached Planning Commission resolution (Attachment 1), which determines and
reports to the City Council that the proposed property transactions are in conformance with the
General Plan.
DISCUSSION
Situation
The City Council approved the final design of the Chinatown Project on November 17, 2009. With
the downturn in the economy since that time, the submittal of building permits to develop the
project has been postponed. Chinatown LLC, the applicant for the project, now has a strategy for
phasing the project that requires certain land transactions with the City to proceed. The details of
the property transactions and phasing proposal are discussed below.
Planning Commission Role
California law says that before the City acquires or sells real property, it must refer the item to the
Planning Commission for a determination of conformity with the General Plan (Government Code
Section 65402). The Commission is to report its findings to the City Council.
Data Summary
Property Owners: City of San Luis Obispo & SLO Chinatown LLC
Zoning: Downtown Commercial with the Historical Preservation overlay zone (C -D -H)
General Plan Designation: General Retail
Environmental Status: The City Council through Resolution No. 9946 (2007 Series) certified the
Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) with Update for the Chinatown Project on December
18, 2007.
GPC 30 -09 (Chinatown Project)
Page 2
Project Description
The approved mixed -use center contains 226,146 square feet (sf), including retail (49,925 sf),
offices (5,630 sf), restaurants (6,000 sf), 16 residential condominium units (19,161 sf), and a 78-
room hotel (85,430 A), in buildings ranging between one to three stories, and with one level of
underground parking (30,000 sf/ 74 spaces). A pedestrian plaza is located in the center of the
project, which provides entry level access to hotel, retail, and office uses, and is connected by
pedestrian walks to Morro, Palm and Monterey Streets. A U- shaped driveway is located off of
Palm Street in front of the hotel's main entry to allow for guest loading and unloading activities.
The proposed project would consolidate private and public parcels and lead to removal of both
private and public structures and surface parking.
Site Description
The 2.12 -acre project site is
located on the south side of Palm
Street, between Morro and Chorro
Streets, and continues down to
Monterey Street. It lies within
both the Chinatown and
Downtown Historic Districts (see
Figure 1). The majority of the
project site is currently developed
with a mix of public and private
parking, but also includes six one
to three -story buildings.
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Property Transactions & Project Phasing
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Figure 1 - Site Plan *A-t i
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The City of San Luis Obispo and SLO Chinatown LLC have tentatively agreed to a purchase and
sale of property to facilitate the phasing of the previously entitled Chinatown project. The
entitlements and existing option agreements for the sale of City surface level parking lots to the
developer envision the project being developed in a single phase. The economics of the project
now make that assumption infeasible, because financing of the hotel component of the project is
not commercially available at this time.
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Figure 1 - Site Plan *A-t i
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The City of San Luis Obispo and SLO Chinatown LLC have tentatively agreed to a purchase and
sale of property to facilitate the phasing of the previously entitled Chinatown project. The
entitlements and existing option agreements for the sale of City surface level parking lots to the
developer envision the project being developed in a single phase. The economics of the project
now make that assumption infeasible, because financing of the hotel component of the project is
not commercially available at this time.
GPC 30 -09 (Chinatown Project)
Paae 3
SLO Chinatown LLC does have the ability
to move forward in the near term and
develop the portion of the project that fronts
on Monterey Street. In order to facilitate
phasing of the project in this manner,
consistent with existing entitlements, a
purchase and sale agreement will be
presented to the Council on December 13,
2011 that involves the contingent sale of
parcels 002 - 416 -034 (955 Morro), and 002-
416 -029 (847, 877 Palm) by the City to SLO
Chinatown LLC, and purchase of parcel
002 - 416 -031 (861, 863 Palm) by the City
from SLO Chinatown LLC (Figure 2).
Until such time as the required conditions
for development of a hotel can be met, the
City will continue to hold title to and operate
the hotel site as a parking lot, including the
parcel on which the Yung building currently
is located.
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CHINATOWN PARCELS
PALM STREET
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CHINATOWN PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS
PALM STREET
Figure 3 — Future Parcels
MONTEREY STREET
Figure 2
The Agreements envision the
subdivision of the 847 and 877 Palm
properties in order to facilitate the
Monterey Street development
components of the Chinatown project.
Then, once the development
requirements for the Monterey
frontage and the conditions precedent
to the sale of the hotel site have been
5 met, the remaining City owned
E property that is part of the currently
T entitled project will transfer to SLO
Chinatown LLC and the second phase
of the entitled project will be
constructed (Figure 3).
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MONTEREY STREET
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Figure 3 — Future Parcels
MONTEREY STREET
Figure 2
The Agreements envision the
subdivision of the 847 and 877 Palm
properties in order to facilitate the
Monterey Street development
components of the Chinatown project.
Then, once the development
requirements for the Monterey
frontage and the conditions precedent
to the sale of the hotel site have been
5 met, the remaining City owned
E property that is part of the currently
T entitled project will transfer to SLO
Chinatown LLC and the second phase
of the entitled project will be
constructed (Figure 3).
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EVNm parcel tine
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MONTEREY STREET
Figure 3 — Future Parcels
MONTEREY STREET
Figure 2
The Agreements envision the
subdivision of the 847 and 877 Palm
properties in order to facilitate the
Monterey Street development
components of the Chinatown project.
Then, once the development
requirements for the Monterey
frontage and the conditions precedent
to the sale of the hotel site have been
5 met, the remaining City owned
E property that is part of the currently
T entitled project will transfer to SLO
Chinatown LLC and the second phase
of the entitled project will be
constructed (Figure 3).
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GPC 30 -09 (Chinatown Project)
Paee 4
General Plan Policy Consistency
A thorough analysis of the project's consistency with the General Plan was prepared and is
contained within the project's EIR. In addition, specific policies were highlighted as appropriate
when different project features and components were reviewed with the many public hearings on
the EIR, historical reports, and project design.
Given the importance of the downtown as the City's "cultural, social and political center ", the
Land Use Element (LUE) has dedicated an entire section to downtown policies. Part of LUE
Policy 4.1 notes that: "Downtown's visitor appeal should be based on natural, historical, and
cultural features, retail services, and numerous and varied visitor accommodations, " Another
downtown LUE policy that has a direct linkage to the discussion of the project and City
redevelopment goals is Policy 4.15.
4,15 Sense of Place.
To keep the commercial core's sense ofplace and appeal for walking, it should remain
compact and be the City's most intensely developed area.
Redevelopment of the large surface parking lots in the downtown core with more economically
and socially productive uses is consistent with the cited LUE goals and Policy 4.15's reference to
the downtown being the most intensively developed area in the City. The project is also
consistent with Policy 4.1 in that it includes retail services and varied visitor accommodations
including a hotel, restaurant and other ancillary tourist - oriented facilities. It is also consistent
with recent planning movements in the country such as Smart Growth and New Urbanism that
promote projects that include a mix of uses, pedestrian linkages and open spaces that add to
community interaction and socialization.
Attached:
Draft Resolution
G: \CD- PLAN\PRICCI \Chinatown \GPC 30 -09 \GP Confonnity report (Chinatown)
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. XXXX -11
A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO PLANNING
COMMISSION DETERMINING THAT THE SALE AND PURCHASE OF
PROPERTIES BY THE CITY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
CHINATOWN PROJECT ARE CONSISTENT WITH
THE GENERAL PLAN (GPC 30 -09)
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of San Luis Obispo conducted a public
hearing in the Council Chamber of City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, on
December 14, 2011, for the purpose of considering application GPC 30 -09, a General Plan
conformity report on the proposed sale and purchase of properties by the City in conjunction
with the Chinatown Project; and
WHEREAS, California law requires that before the City acquires, or disposes of, real
property, it must refer the item to the Planning Commission for a determination of conformity
with the General Plan (Government Code Section 65402); and
WHEREAS, notices of said public hearing were made at the time and in the manner
required by law; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has duly considered all evidence, including the
testimony of the applicant, interested parties, and the evaluation and recommendations by staff,
presented at said hearing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning Commission of the City of
San Luis Obispo finds that the proposed property transactions are consistent with the General
Plan of the City of San Luis Obispo, and directs staff to report same to the City Council at the
time of consideration of the acquisition by the City Council.
On motion by Commissioner , seconded by Commissioner , and on the
following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
REFRAIN:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this 14t" day of December 2011.
Doug Davidson, Secretary
Planning Commission by:
GACD- PLAN\PRICCI \Chinatown \GPC 30 -09 \GPC 30 -09 PC reso