HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-26-2015 PC Item 1 - 2223 Monterey Street (USE-1035-2015)PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA REPORT
SUBJECT: Conceptual Review of a proposal to redevelop the Motel Inn property with new
motel units, a restaurant and 25 recreational vehicle (RV) parking spaces.
PROJECT ADDRESS: 2223 and 2229 Monterey Street BY: Phil Dunsmore, Senior Planner
FILE NUMBER: USE 1035-2015 FROM: Doug Davidson, Deputy
Director
Phone Number: 781-7177
E-mail: ddavidson@slocity.org
RECOMMENDATION: Continue the project to a date uncertain with specific direction to staff
and the applicant regarding the project’s consistency with Ordinance 1130.
SITE DATA
Applicant Motel Inn, L.P.
Representative Studio Design Group Architects
Zoning C‐T‐S (Tourist‐Commercial with
Special Considerations “S”
overlay)
General Plan Tourist Commercial
Site Area Approximately 4 acres
Environmental
Status
Subject to preparation of an
Initial Study due to creek
adjacency, historic property
status and highway 101 location.
SUMMARY
The applicant has submitted plans (Attachment 2, reduced scale plans) for the review of a project
that will redevelop the historic Motel Inn property with 52 motel guest rooms in various
buildings and parking for up to 25 RVs at the rear of the site adjacent to Highway 101 and the
creek. Ordinance 1130 requires that expansion of existing uses and new uses be reviewed by the
Planning Commission to ensure compliance with specific design criteria.
After complying with Planning Commission direction on consistency with Ordinance 1130,
the project applicant will finalize plans to move forward to the Cultural Heritage Committee and
Architectural Review Commission prior to returning to the Planning Commission for final
action.
Meeting Date: August 26, 2015
Item Number: 1
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1.0 COMMISSION’S PURVIEW
The project is expansion of a formerly existing motel use and includes a new RV parking use.
Both aspects are subject to a Planning Commission Use Permit. The purpose of the use permit is
to review the project for consistency with specific design criteria that are intended to protect the
creek and the San Luis Drive residential neighborhood. This conceptual review process is
intended to receive feedback and early direction regarding the consistency of the project with
Ordinance 1130 prior to completing the environmental document and proceeding with detailed
design plans.
2.0 PROJECT INFORMATION
2.1 Site Information/Setting
Site Size Approximately 4.19 acres
Present Use & Development Parking lot , accessory structures, and ruins of the Historic Motel
Inn
Topography Generally level
Access North end of Monterey Street
Surrounding Use/Zoning North: Highway 101
East: San Luis Creek
West: C‐T‐S, Apple Farm Inn
South: R‐1‐S San Luis Drive residential neighborhood
The project site is roughly four acres on the very northeast end of Monterey Street, adjacent to
Highway 101 on its north side. San Luis creek borders the south side of the property. On the
south side of the creek, there are several single family residential properties that are adjacent to
the motel portion of the property.
The former Motel Inn on this site was the first known motel in the country. Originally known as
the Milestone Motel Inn, the site was originally developed around 1925 when Monterey Street
was the highway. This was the last stop for travelers passing north and south over the grade.
Many of the motel units and accessory buildings were demolished due to extensive deterioration;
however the original Motel lobby remains along with a portion of the wall of the original
restaurant. Portions of the site are paved with asphalt and contain foundations of the original
motel structures and pool. The site is included in the City’s Master List of Historic resources.
2.2 Project Description
The project intends to resurrect a motel in the theme of the original Motel Inn, along with a
restaurant, pool and garden areas with detached buildings in a courtyard setting. The remaining
portions of the original structures would be retained and integrated into the project. Thirty-two
(32) hotel rooms would be arranged in small one and two story detached buildings with some of
the rooms attached to the main lobby building. The restaurant would be in a separate building at
the front of the site and would integrate the original remaining portions of the Motel Inn.
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The easterly half of the site, sandwiched between the creek and Highway 101 is proposed to
accommodate RV spaces in the form of a short term park. A total of 25 RV spaces are
proposed, 10 of which are proposed to be Airstream trailers that would remain on site available
for overnight guests.
The applicants are requesting a 10% shared parking reduction which would reduce the parking
requirement of 130 spaces down to 117 spaces; 119 spaces are proposed on the site plan. The
restaurant and motel would share the parking areas. Action on the parking reduction would
occur with final review of the use permit.
2.3 Project Statistics
Statistics
Item Proposed 1 Ordinance Standard2
Street Yard 75 feet 10 feet
Max. Height of Structure(s) 30 feet 45 feet1
Building Coverage (footprint) 13% 75%
Parking Spaces 119 1302
Bicycle Parking 29 16
Figure 1: Rendering of the proposed Motel Inn restaurant and lobby area adjacent to
HWY 101
3.0 PROJECT ANALYSIS
The C-T zone is designed to accommodate visitor serving uses such as a motel. However, new or
expanded uses require Planning Commission review due to Ordinance 1130 and the RV park use
triggers the review of PC Use Permit regardless of Ordinance 1130. The Use Permit is contingent
on findings for consistency with Ordinance 1130 and for compatibility with this unique location
adjacent to the creek, the highway and a residential neighborhood. The CHC’s future review
1 Ordinance 1130 restricts building height to 25 feet within 50 feet of the C/OS-5 boundary. The C/OS 5 boundary is
contiguous with the southerly property line adjacent to the creek. Several of the proposed new motel units are within
the 50 setback area and are therefore restricted to a 25 foot maximum height limit.
2 The applicants are requesting a 10% shared parking reduction to reduce parking requirement by 13 spaces. The
restaurant and hotel use may be considered shared parking as they are different and complementing uses.
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will rely on the project’s consistency with the Historic Preservation Program guidelines while the
ARC’s future review will rely on the Citywide Community Design Guidelines.
A very similar project, absent the RV park, was reviewed and approved by the Planning
Commission for this site in 2003. The previous project was larger in scale. Construction permits
were not pursued for the previous project and the entitlements have since expired.
3.1 General Plan Policy
The General Plan encourages visitor- serving uses and notes that such uses are especially
appropriate where such uses are already concentrated. The upper MontereyStreet region is
concentrated with visitor-serving uses such as hotels and restaurants.
Land Use Element policy 3.6.2 is specific to the location of Tourist Commercial uses:
“The City shall encourage integration of visitor-serving uses with other types of uses,
including overnight accommodations Downtown, near the airport, and near the train
station; small-scale facilities (such as hostels or bed-and-breakfast places) may be
located in Medium-High Density Residential and High-Density Residential Districts,
where compatible. Visitor-serving uses are especially appropriate where such uses
have already concentrated: along upper Monterey Street; at the Madonna Road area;
at certain freeway interchanges; and in the Downtown.”
Other important policies of the General Plan emphasize the protection of residential
neighborhoods as the first priority.
Land Use Element Policy 2.3.3:
“In designing development at the boundary between residential and non-residential
uses, the City shall make protection of a residential atmosphere the first priority.”
The other factor on this development site is the location of San Luis Creek, which follows the
project boundary and separates the project area from the R-1 zone on San Luis Drive. There are
multiple policies in the Conservation/Open Space Element that speak to the interface between
the natural environment and development. Ordinance 1130 was designed to implement these
policies and serves to enhance the relationship between the creek and the visitor-serving uses.
Ordinance 1130 (Special Considerations Overlay)
In 1989 the properties on the southeast side of Monterey Street adjacent to San Luis Creek were
rezoned with an “S overlay” (Special Considerations) zone to address land use compatibility
concerns applicable to the surrounding area and particularly between commercial and residential
land uses adjacent to San Luis Creek. The Ordinance includes design criteria designed to protect
the creek habitat and nearby residential uses (Attachment 3).
Many of the components of the Motel Inn project respect the criteria within Ordinance 1130
since the project complies with creek setbacks, proposes low-scale development (units are
detached and less than 25 feet in height), and makes use of common access and driveways.
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However, staff’s primary concern is that the RV park may conflict with the spirit of the
ordinance since it may be viewed as an outdoor recreation use. Ordinance 1130 states that
outdoor recreation uses or parking areas be on the interior of the site or should be shielded from
the creek by buildings. The following analysis evaluates the project in comparison with the key
design criteria of Ordinance 1130. The design criteria have been abbreviated for clarity.
1. Creek setbacks
Project complies with creek setbacks and illustrates that all new structures and parking
areas are at least 20 feet from C/OS 5 boundary line (Attachment 2, site plan).
2. Building openings
Openings facing creek are minimized as the project is designed with a courtyard setting
surrounding pools and garden areas. The bungalow hotel units adjacent to the creek are
detached two-story buildings that do not exceed 25 feet in height. Each of the buildings
contains four hotel units, two upstairs and two downstairs. At least three of the buildings
appear to have units with patios that face the creek. However, the majority of the patios
and decks face inward towards the center of the site.
3. Screening between buildings and creek
This portion of San Luis Creek is heavily vegetated with trees and shrubs. Unlike other
sites along Monterey Street, this site is not sloped and is at a similar grade to San Luis
Drive. The natural vegetation serves to adequately screen the proposed development from
the creek and the San Luis Drive neighborhood.
4. Lighting between buildings and creek
At this time, detailed plans have not been submitted with sufficient clarity to identify
lighting adjacent to the creek. Other than the RV parking area, the project is designed
with pedestrian paths and low scale development adjacent to the creek. Project conditions
can be designed to restrict lighting to appropriate levels adjacent to the creek.
5. Common driveways
The project shares one driveway access from Monterey Street. Parking is designed to be
perpendicular to the creek and is not directly aligned with the rear of the site but is
instead alongside the proposed development.
6. Land Use compatibility
The low scale motel use is an ideal complementary use adjacent to the creek and the San
Luis Drive neighborhood. However, the RV park may be contrary to the objective of
Ordinance 1130 by positioning RV spaces facing the creek along with potential noise,
additional light and glare. Although the RV park is conceptually a good use for this
freeway oriented, narrow site, its accompanying potential impacts may not be compatible
with riparian or residential land uses as expressed in the ordinance.
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7. Noise generating uses such as parking and active recreation uses
This is the criteria that appears to specifically conflict with the RV parking use.
Ordinance 1130 specifically notes that parking and “active recreation” uses should be on
the interior of the site using buildings as a buffer from the creek and residential uses. The
project proposal identifies seven RV parking spaces located at the creek setback, along
with spaces for several of the applicant installed airstream trailers. The RV parking
spaces would act as camp sites, and although outdoor fire pits are not allowed in the City,
this may be considered an outdoor active use. Fortunately, the creek provides heavy tree
screening at this location and much of the land opposite the creek is not lined with
sensitive residential uses. Although this is a creative use for the site, it appears to be
inconsistent with Ordinance 1130 unless it can be clearly buffered from the creek.
Figure 2: Site plan identifying proposed RV park location
8. Site drainage
Ordinance 1130 provides for specific criteria to protect the creek from erosive site runoff
or site contaminants. Since the ordinance adoption in 1989, far more restrictive criteria
have been adopted by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the City which will
guide the project design.
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9. Building height restricted to 25 feet within 50 feet of C/OS-5 boundary.
The project complies with specific height criteria by proposing low scale, bungalow court
development for the hotel portion of the project within the 50-foot buffer zone.
3.5 Other Site Improvements not specifically addressed by Ordinance 1130:
a. Landscaping: A landscaping plan providing for parking lot shade trees, common
area landscape and landscape at the street yard will be required prior to final review
by the ARC. At this time, only conceptual plans have been supplied. If the applicants
receive direction to move forward, additional details regarding site landscaping and
lighting will be required.
b. Trash and Storage Areas: Preliminary plans show a trash/recycling enclosure in the
western edge of the site at the parking area, which would be shielded from views on
Monterey Street while allowing logical access. Details of enclosures will need to be
included with the final project design.
c. Parking: The parking plan provides for 119 vehicle parking spaces. Bicycle and
motorcycle spaces have not been identified at this time and will be required upon a
more detailed project review. The project would normally require 130 vehicle parking
spaces, however the applicant is requesting shared parking reduction of 10%. The
parking reduction would reduce the requirement to 117 spaces, however 119 spaces
are proposed at this time. The restaurant and hotel use would qualify as a shared use
for the parking reduction since the hotel guests would likely use the restaurant as
guests as the hotel.
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
As proposed the project is not exempt from CEQA due to the location of the creek, HWY 101,
and for the evaluation of modifications to a significant historic resource. Staff will complete the
initial study for the Planning Commission’s review at a future hearing.
5.0 RECOMMENDATION
Continue the project to a date uncertain with specific direction to staff and the applicant on the
project’s consistency with Ordinance 1130. The design of the motel project appears consistent
with the C-T zone and with the spirit of Ordinance 1130. However, the unique RV parking
proposal may conflict with the ordinance provisions and may need additional creek buffering in
order for the Commission to make positive use permit findings. The following discussion items
have been identified to formulate discussion:
1. RV Park creek buffering. A landscaped screening wall with a natural stone appearance
designed with varying heights and setbacks may allow the RV sites to be consistent with
Ordinance provisions while helping to block light and potential noise. However, this wall
would alter the quality of the RV park from the users perspective.
2. Motel bungalow units. Decks or patios facing the creek area should be screened with
walls or removed from the proposed building design.
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Conditions from Utilities, Transportation, Engineering, Building, and Fire will be provided in
the future architectural review and Planning Commission report. These comments will include
public improvement requirements, utility connections, and other site features.
6.0 ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity (Land Use) map
2. Reduced-scale project plans
3. Ordinance 1130
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VICINITY MAP File No. 1035-20152223 Monterey ¯
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