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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-24-2016 PC MinutesPlanning Commission SAN LUIS OBISPO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, February 24, 2016 "-Ilk A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo Planning Commission was called to order on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 6:02 p.m. in the Council Chamber, located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, by Vice -Chairperson Multari. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Vice -Chair Multari led pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Hemalata Dandekar, Michael Draze, Ronald Malak, William Riggs, and Vice -Chairperson Michael Multari. City Staff Present: Deputy Community Development Director Doug Davidson, Contract Planner John Rickenbach, Assistant City Attorney Jon Ansolabehere and Recording Secretary Brad T. Opstad. ACCEPTANCE THE AG EN D The agenda was accepted as presented. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON_NQN-AGENDA ITEMS Scott Smith, Executive Director, Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO), passed fliers to Commissioners announcing March 21St groundbreaking on 860 On The Wye, 20 -unit apartment complex reserved for Veterans' permanent housing, and wall -raising ceremony on May 31St, both at 860 Humbert Avenue, historic site of Southern Pacific wye at Humbert terminus. 1. 175 Venture Drive & 173 Buckley Road. SPEC/ER-1318-2015: Preliminary review of the Development Plan for the Avila Ranch project; review of Development Plan chapters regarding introduction/project features, land use Plannina Commission Minutes of February 24. 2016 plan/framework, and design framework. t Deputy Community Development Director Doug Davidson mentioned this project's similarity in Commission purview to the same introductory section of San Luis Ranch preliminary review in previous session and introduced Project Planner Rickenbach. Contract Planner Rickenbach introduced the first part of overall Plan to solicit feedback on land -use related issues previously introduced to Architectural Review Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission, with issues related to infrastructure and circulation to be presented at subsequent Planning Commission meeting. Mr. Rickenbach presented orientation of Avila Ranch as southern part of City not requiring annexation, on north side of Buckley Road, east side of Vachel Lane and west of airport in portion of Airport Area Specific Plan (AASP) while also nestling - in south of Suburban Road. Contract Planner Rickenbach presented slide of table pertaining to Land Use Policy 8.1.6 of LUCE update to indicate Applicant's intent to remain consistent with policy language in and parameters of General Plan: 500-700 housing units, 15,000-25,000 square -feet of Commercial, 50% of 150 -acre site remaining as Open Space; guidance relating to housing types, agricultural buffers, airport safety, a Buckley -to -South Higuera extension, bike trails, and fire protection, etc. Mr. Rickenbach stated that the project's design framework is that it is a Development Plan at its heart but complicated by requiring an amendment to AASP to fit; shared that its 720 low-, medium- and higher -density units will count for density bonuses related to provision of affordable housing and site's central feature is restoration and enhancement of Tank Farm Creek. Contract Planner Rickenbach presented concept slides in which some of the open space corresponds to Airport proximity issues in which Plan is striving to remain consistent with Airport Land Use Plan; presented statistics slides indicating a variety of housing types with quite a bit of each within each density; stated that largest lots are only 5000 square -feet constituting 17 total acres; higher -density development ranging from 1000 square -foot lots to 24 -units -per -acre apartments; neighborhood - scale commercial center consisting of 3.5 acres; parkland amounting to roughly 16 acres while roadways at 7 acres; and onsite open space of about 55 acres. Contract Planner Rickenbach introduced the Applicant's Series of Principles that guide development and deal with sustainable energy features, open space and agriculture, a complete link to community formed around both multimodal considerations and a usable self-contained community to extent possible, and a diverse range of housing opportunities. Contract Planner Rickenbach presented a slide, in anticipation of Applicant's Planning Commission Minutes of February 24, 2016 Page 3 presentation, introducing key features contributing to enhancement of open space and the circulation element which also includes connectivity of Buckley to Suburban; discussed level of detail relative to proposed housing products; detailed the project developing in six (6) market -condition driven phases, highlighting each in tandem with their varying architectural styles; presented the seven (7) questions soliciting Commission input as developed collectively by Applicant and Staff. KOJ & I & Is Commissioner Riggs inquired about both the number of projected parking spaces in town center and the specifics of the administration of affordable housing; Planner Rickenbach indicated the information would be forthcoming in Applicant's presentation or researched afterward for future response. In response to Commissioner Malak's inquiry pertaining to the application and provision of sustainable energy features, Planner Rickenbach indicated the language within the Plan referencing City's guideline and Conservation Policy indicates a need for clarification. In response to Commissioner Malak's second inquiry regarding whether only egress for Phase 1 of project would be thru Vachel, Avila Ranch Project Manager, Steven Peck, illustrated that within that Phase, the project would connect an onsite roadway, Earthwood, to the signalized intersection of Suburban and Higuera while Venture would also be extended to a roundabout on its way to Suburban. In response to Commissioner Dandekar's inquiry regarding whether affordable housing is to be clustered or scattered throughout project, Planner Rickenbach indicated that clarification might be forthcoming in Applicant's presentation. In response to Commissioner Dandekar's second inquiry, Project Manager Peck indicated that 45% of water demand will come from recycled water units and treatment plant and that of this, R3 and R4 areas will be using complete recycled water for irrigation needs, common open spaces will be irrigated with greywater, and that onsite, or nexus, recycling will be applied to Phase 5 yards that can support it. Applicant Stephen Peck, Peck Planning & Development, provided zoning history of site, from Business Park to current LUCE re -designation as Residential and ultimately identified as opportunity site for housing; presented slide relating how project fits in with meeting City's jobs/housing balance and indicated that what workforce is seeking primarily is single-family detached housing on smaller lots; discussed aspects of land use distribution, the completed General Plan compatibility analysis, solutions for ALUC concerns per noise contours and safety zones, and working with Caltrans and County to define and acquire a right-of-way per Buckley Road Extension. In response to Commissioner Malak's inquiry, Applicant Peck stated the development's intent is to comply with City's 35-40% minimum of solar panel installation requirements, solar panels to be installed as a standard on R1 and R2 roofs where architecturally feasible, offering them as an option beyond that, as well as the installation on apartment carports. Commissioner Malak urged consideration of solar canopies in the on-site Plannina Commission Minutes of February 24. 2016 Paae 4 commercial business parking area open space. Myron Amerine, San Luis Obispo, addressed multimodal circulation and bicycle conductivity within the project in his capacity as bicycling advocate; requested Commission to review throughway -external conductivity of site, in addition to its LUCE- objective internal circulation issues, citing Class I bicycle trail along Tank Farm Creek, 8 -foot shoulder requirement along Buckley Road, and Class I facility to Octagon Barn as particulars; encouraged Earthwood connection to Suburban as earliest phase of project. Anne Wyatt, San Luis Obispo, voiced renewed pleasure with latest version of Plan and thanked Applicant team for improvements; encouraged Applicant to disperse inclusionary units throughout complex, fitting more lowest -range income residents within them, and proposed including a maximum number of smaller -unit rentals and single - occupant households; requested the allowance of more shared parking or creative bicycle parking while voicing encouragement for Applicant to maintain consistency on the phasing aspect of Plan. Mila Vujovich-La Barre, San Luis Obispo, voiced questions concerning water, traffic circulation, airport safety and emergency response times for the development in requesting Commission to garner answers before approval; stressed need for City-wide building moratorium until projected EI Nino rains materialize and reservoirs are at capacity; advocated for Buckley Road extension into South Higuera prior to houses being inhabited as infrastructure -strengthening to give relief to Los Osos Valley Road & Higuera intersection; advocated for Chevron remediation to take place before Avila Ranch construction starts; opined that if need for new Fire Department sub -station was development -driven, then it should be paid for by developer. Charlene Rosales, San Luis Obispo, shared SLO Chamber of Commerce membership's support of supplying more housing units as not only desired by local community but as an expectation embedded in long-range planning documents guiding City's conscientious, careful growth; stated that it is a plus that Avila Ranch possesses various features which Chamber values within its economic vision and strategy, including opportunity for employees to live near where they work, therefore decreasing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions; shared that project's infrastructure contributions allow for improved opportunity for employee recruitment and retention along with business and job growth; indicated that Chamber supports the project's amenities that address currently unmet needs. Camille Small, San Luis Obispo, voiced opinions concerning the jobs -housing imbalance and her impression that City cannot out -build the jobs market; opined that while City continues to approve commercial projects which require workers, it is impossible for those workers to all be housed in SLO, and that the ongoing discussion about workforce housing is essentially a never-ending loop; opined that the root causes of the housing problem are over -permitting Commercial and possessing a University too Plannina Commission Minutes of February 24. 2016 large for its community. John Evans, San Luis Obispo, shared firsthand insight pertaining to water supply assessment as prepared by his firm for Applicant and as required by State Senate Bill 610 toward reliability of that supply; stated points from conclusion of assessment, noting that historic data dating back to 1941 tracing supply availability in City reservoirs, through drought periods as well, indicates a sufficient water supply is available to serve project; concluded that Applicant's inclusion of water -saving ideas will decrease demand even further from its initially -projected 156 -acre-feet per year. Sarah Flickinger, San Luis Obispo, commented that circulation service issues along Tank Farm Road, South Higuera, Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) and Route 227 are cumulative in nature, compounded significantly over last ten years, and part of problem is the piecemealing of special planning areas tending to exclude particular southern portions of City; opined that poor signal -spacing and multiple T -intersections are known contributors to traffic issues affecting both commuters from across County and City residents; voiced that areas of South Higuera and LOVR through the 101 Interchange, in addition to connectivity to major commercial areas west of 101, need to be addressed in General Plan amendments as well as in the development's agreement with the City while necessary improvement projects should also be advanced through Plan updates, insuring fair share of funding is incorporated in region's developments. Darrell Goo, San Luis Obispo, cited no objection with development and endorsed that, as a phased project, it fits need of City community; suggested that the Buckley Road extension's T -intersection with South Higuera is a step, but not a sufficiently complete step in solving circulation problems. B.K. Richard, San Luis Obispo, described process that his Octagon Barn Committee (OCB) undertook to acquire conditional use permit and how they are now conditioned to garner access to Buckley Road; commended and thanked Applicant for their project working so closely with OCB to gain access point to Barn and potential bike path from both Buckley Road and Edna Valley. Russ Gordon, San Luis Obispo, commented on the one point of access to his development residence being on Las Praderas Drive and the lengthy wait to turn onto South Higuera for commute; advocated for consideration of a supplemental grocery outlet to mitigate both his neighborhood's traffic flow problem and the congestion in Trader Joe's/Food 4 Less parking lot; shared concern for project's absorbing beautiful open space. Melissa James, San Luis Obispo, commented, as representative of Economic Vitality Corporation, on local companies across various industry sectors identifying housing as top -tier priority and one of the reasons for their inability to grow, expand and attract or hire talent to service available jobs; shared the prioritization to expand Highway 227 as being a major outcome from deliberations at most recent County Board of Supervisors hearing; opined that City should now be moving proactively toward the implementation Planning Commission Minutes of February 24, 2016 Page 6 phase of the Land Use and Circulation Elements (LUCE). Lea Brooks, San Luis Obispo, voiced pleasure, as representative of Bike SLO County, at plans for bicycling extension to Higuera in project's Phase 1; reiterated need for bicycle connectivity to work sites and schools that begins with this Phase insofar as traffic will get worse with high-density development unless residents are provided safe & convenient transportation choices. Scott Smith, San Luis Obispo, commented favorably, in his capacity with HASLO, on the set -asides and various zones of the upgraded development plan, citing in particular the percentage of affordable units allotted to R1 and R2; shared his hope for flexibility in developing R3 & R4 to incorporate deeper socioeconomic mixing within those sections. Paul Rys, San Luis Obispo, voiced his displeasure in the project's placing highest - density housing proximal to the noise and dust of industrial use; shared his concern that City's bias leans too far toward annexation to the point that it overlooks negative environmental impacts; opined that quality of established neighborhood life in San Luis Obispo that has been left unprotected is deteriorating; recommended that Buckley Road gets developed with a Class 1 bicycle lane prior to this project commencing. Cheryl McLean, San Luis Obispo, commented that this project is just one more in a never-ending stream of development projects that is leading to degradation in quality of San Luis Obispo life; voiced her concern that City is not taking serious enough consideration of available water supply; shared discontent with overcrowded parking lot and long checkout lines at Trader Joe's; beseeched Commission to preserve special nature of City and not allow it to become another Ventura/Oxnard/San Jose. Vice -Chair Multari reminded that this project is an evolving one over a lengthy period: that this hearing is only a preliminary review, that an Environmental Impact Report is being conducted on it currently, and that questions on infrastructure and financing will be attended to next meeting. Commissioner Malak questioned if City has ever had a water -offset program; commented on the Senior Citizen demographic potentially eliminated as purchasers of three-story townhomes and suggested more units being made available as one-story flats. In response to Commissioner Malak's second inquiry, Contract Planner Rickenbach explained that Emergency Response Time is a theoretical concern based on where project is located relative to City's emergency service structure and that the forthcoming Environmental Impact Report will look at traffic flow as a result of project toward potential solutions and/or suggestions. Commissioner Dandekar regarded the mix of housing types more variegated than initial Plannina Commission Minutes of February 24, 2016 Paae 7 plan had documented, but commented that it remained too compartmentalized; voiced the wish that project began to consider movement toward smaller units which are becoming the norm for younger residents; suggested the community needs more innovative options beyond the traditional subdivision zoning pattern. Commissioner Draze submitted that it's a given that if City is going to have the housing it wants, there are going to be traffic impacts, but the key to minimizing them is to deal with those specifically close to the project; commended the Applicant for choosing to develop the larger R1 parcels toward the end of the project but also suggested that any Phasing plan needs flexibility and overlap ability. Commissioner Malak voiced concerns about the low -medium-high density income levels within the site being too segregated, suggesting further integration. Commissioner Riggs opined that the development is lacking in innovation; addressed specific points to the design team as they related to overly -segregated housing clusters needing to be shuffled and integrated, as well as the inappropriate use of commercial, open space and parking; shared view that project is perfect opportunity for an eco - village type model that might embrace a number of site design -related sustainability features. Vice -Chair Multari agreed with Commission comments regarding the project demonstrating too conventional an approach; voiced strong opinion that development should break down segregation of unit types, lot sizes and affordability levels as well as whether units are designed to be Rental or Occupied for Sale; indicated that the Development Plan had not thoughtfully attended to the residential -commercial interface, particularly toward the industrial uses in the northwest section of the site. Vice -Chair Multari, prior to thanking Public and dismissing them from proceedings, advised Staff and Applicants that they would most likely hear concerned commentary about water and circulation once they do schedule Hearing on this project. Deputy Director Davidson spoke about the March meetings: March 9th will look at circulation and infrastructure of Avila Ranch project; March 23 Id will look at Motel Inn project and the circulation & infrastructure of San Luis Ranch. In response to Commissioner Malak's inquiry, Deputy Director Davidson shared that the City's traffic engineer and other appropriate Staff will be in attendance at both March meetings and explained that a more detailed traffic analysis will arrive with the Environmental Impact Report. Commissioner Draze requested pertinent agenda material from tonight's Hearing remain in Commissioner binders instead of being immediately recycled. Plannina Commission Minutes of February 24, 2016 Paae 8 In response to Commissioner Malak's inquiry, Deputy Director Davidson indicated Staff makes reasonable judgment on what material for specific topic it provides for Commission, but could begin providing a single -copy Reading File with appendices and technical files to each meeting if requested. Commissioner Malak suggested placing the more detailed information of topic online with a link. Deputy Director Davidson referred Commission to the Community Development website wherein more and more information is being uploaded and garnering positive feedback. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 P.M. Respectfully Submitted, Brad T. Opstad Recording Secretary Approved by the PI ng Commission on April 13th, 2016. z - I Lee P�ce Interim City Clerk