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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-2012 ac PH1 johnson 2 ph1•AGENDA 'CORRESPONDENC E Date ~~~{i2 Item#~'~I ~council memoaanbu m DATE : August 6, 201 2 TO : City Counci l VIA : Katie Lichtig, City Manager FROM : Derek Johnson, Community Development Directo r BY : Pam Ricci, Senior Planne r SUBJECT : Public Hearing Item No . 1 ; Appeals of Icon Project at 1340 Taft Stree t (ARC 50-09 ) This memo responds to several questions related to the project raised by members of th e City Council : Trip generation & traffic analysis regarding SR101 . A question was asked whether a traffic study had been done to analyze the proximity o f the project to the Highway 101 on-and off-ramps . A traffic study was prepared in 200 9 and found that the project will not have a significant impact .Since then the project scal e and traffic generation has been reduced yielding the same net conclusion that the project would not significantly impact traffic operations on the local street system . In addition to traffic generation, the project's proximity to the Highway 101 ramps was studied in detai l and lead to several project conditions which address any foreseeable issues associate d with proximity of the Highway 101 Ramps . The following paragraphs detail the findings of the traffic studies : Comparison of trip generation rates for former gas station use and curren t proiect. Table 4 of the traffic study includes trip generation rates and Average Dail y Traffic (ADT) totals for the previous gas station use (1,302 ADT) as well as fo r the more intensive version of the project described above and proposed in 200 9 (378 ADT). The conclusion is that the new project would generate approximately 71% fewer trips than the previous gas station. Applying the same trip generation rates for the current version of the project, th e 7 residential units would generate 47 trips per day (7 x 6,65 =46.55)and the commercial use of 3,900 square feet would generate 173 trips (3 .9 x 44 .32 = 172 .84) for a total of 220 daily trips . This would be a decrease of 83% in overal l 1111111111111111 Council Memo – Icon Proj.1340 Taft Street (PH # 1 ) Page 2 of 3 vehicle trips from the previous use as a gas station . The reduction with th e alternative site design would reduce this further since the commercial spac e would be reduced from 3,900 to 3,149 square feet . Overall the traffic stud y concluded that the total trips generated by this project will not have a significan t impact. Trafficanalysis associated with the SR 101 off and on ramps as it relates to the site and proiect. In addition to the operational level of service assessment, the traffic study also evaluated the project's proximity to the Highway 101 ramps taking into account the potential safet y & access issues associated with the rate of speed which vehicles exit Highway 101 . This study has led to three project conditions which adequately address any foreseeable impac t of this project's proximity to the -Highway 1-01 ramps . These three recommendations ar e included in the Council's Draft Resolution as Conditions #22 (landscaping & sigh t distance), #23 (red curb along Taft Street), and #25 (pedestrian access). It is also important to note that in addition to project conditions the applicant's proposa l substantially improves site safety over the current driveway configuration of the property . The previous gas station use had a total of four driveways with two off Taft and two of f of Kentucky ; however the proposed project proposes no driveway access on Taft Stree t where vehicles are exiting Highway 101 . Programs and conditions to control the occupancy . The proposed units are not specifically slated to be rented or sold to any particular segment of the population . Condition # 12 prohibits the creation of any additiona l bedrooms within residential units . Therefore, each of the seven units would remain two - bedroom units . Any unpermitted modification would be subject to code enforcement . The applicant will be required to sign a covenant agreement which runs with the lan d memorializing this requirement concerning the number of bedrooms . The City does not typically monitor the number of persons sharing residential units : If occupancy exceed s Uniform Housing Code or other requirements, the City can take code enforcement actio n to enforce occupancy restrictions as allowed under the law . Programs & conditions to control potential parking impacts including ensuring tha t vehicles use on-site parking . Condition # 21 notes that project tenants living in the five townhomes shall be notified o f the lift parking that serves those units and their limitations for handling some oversize d vehicles such as large trucks and SUVs on the upper level . The surrounding area is no t within a formal parking district so on-street parking is not specifically controlled o r monitored. The lift parking was one of the development concessions for affordabl e housing requested by the developer . The lifts provide two parking spaces per unit a s provided under the City's municipal code, however, the spaces are smaller than the Cit y standard . The City employs code enforcement officers and neighborhood specialists to Council Memo — Icon P.t at 1340 Taft Street (PH # 1 ) Page 3 of 3 enforce the City's municipal code and project specific conditions . If a complaint is filed , anode enforcement case can be opened and condition compliance is a citable offense . Monitoring of ARC conditions . The conditions of ARC approval would continue to apply once the project is built . Some relate more to construction phases, but others cover project operations after constructio n such as the aforementioned Conditions 12 & 21 regarding no conversion of bedroom s and notification to tenants about lift parking . Conditions 6 & 7 require lighting to mee t provisions of the City's Night Sky preservation standards and Condition 13-15 addres s long-term maintenance requirements . Affordable housing and students . The income certification process is completed by the Housing Authority of San Lui s Obispo . The selection process is open to all income eligible persons . In order for a student to qualify, a student would need to provide information on all sources of incom e and assets to show that they are income eligible to rent or purchase the unit . They woul d also need to demonstrate that they have adequate independent income to pay their ren t and utilities . Students are typically challenged in providing adequate income verificatio n to qualify.