Planning Commission Meeting

MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, May 10, 2016 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY 580 PACIFIC STREET, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Commissioners Present: Reed, Fletcher, Davis, Dawson, Garden, Millich, Widmar Commissioners Absent: None Staff Members Present: Chief of Planning Engineering & Environmental Compliance Cole, Senior Planner Hopper, Sustainability Coordinator Terrasas, Recording Secretary Leinen CALL TO ORDER Chair Reed called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. CONSENT ITEMS Commissioner Dawson made a motion to approve the Consent Items. Vice Chair Fletcher seconded the motion. On a motion by Commissioner Dawson, seconded by Commissioner Fletcher, and carried by the following vote, the Planning Commission approved the CONSENT ITEMS: AYES: 7 COMMISSIONERS: Reed, Fletcher, Davis, Dawson, Garden, Millich, Widmar NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None Approval of Minutes 1. April 12, 2016 ACTION: Approved as submitted. ***End of Consent Agenda*** PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC APPEARANCE 2. Recommend Adoption of the Negative Declaration and Approval of the Climate Action Plan to the City Council ACTION: Adopted a Resolution recommending adoption of the Negative Declaration and approval of the Climate Action Plan to City Council.  Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Kimberly Cole introduced Sustainability Coordinator Ted Terrasas. Mr. Terrasas presented the Agenda Report and answered Commissioners’ questions. Public Comments Nancy Runyon, New Monterey resident, said many of her neighbors are putting solar panels on their roofs and she also decided to purchase a solar power system. Ms. Runyon said solar systems are becoming much cheaper and by installing a solar system on her house she will receive a seven and a half percent return on her investment. Commissioner Comments Commissioner Garden said the Climate Action Plan has taken several years and several staff members to complete and is now ready for City Council adoption. He also said the Plan can serve as a model for other local communities. Commissioner Garden said the Plan should be reviewed more frequently than every three years and that staff should work hard to get specifics as to what is being done in the City to encourage residents to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Commissioner Garden made a motion to adopt a Resolution recommending adoption of the Negative Declaration and approval of the Climate Action Plan to City Council. Commissioner Widmar seconded the motion. Commissioner Widmar thanked Mr. Terrasas and all the staff members who have worked on the Climate Action Plan. He said as solar programs and systems improve, he hopes the City will be a good resource for getting information out its residents. Commissioner Widmar said he looks forward to seeing the Climate Action Plan approved by the City Council. On a motion by Commissioner Garden, seconded by Commissioner Widmar, and carried by the following vote, the Planning Commission adopt a Resolution recommending adoption of the Negative Declaration and approval of the Climate Action Plan to City Council. Commissioner Widmar seconded the motion: AYES: 7 COMMISSIONERS: Reed, Fletcher, Davis, Dawson, Garden, Millich, Widmar NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None PUBLIC HEARING 3. Consider 200-204 Lighthouse Avenue; Use Permit 16-023 for Mixed Use, Building Height that Exceeds Two Stories and 25', Lot Coverage (67%), and Parking Adjustment of Two Commercial Parking Spaces; Applicant Allen Robinson of The Sienna Company, Inc.; Property Owners J. Daniel & Anna Boles Clarke; C-2 Zoning District; Exempt from CEQA Requirements per Article 19, Section 15303 ACTION: Adopted a Resolution approving Use Permit 16-023 for mixed-use, building height that exceeds two stories and 25', lot coverage (67%), and parking adjustment of two commercial parking spaces. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 2 Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 Staff Presentation/Commissioner Questions Christy Hopper presented the Agenda Report and answered Commissioners’ questions. Ms. Hopper said there was an error in the published draft Resolution and Special Condition of Approval #1 will be corrected to read “That the applicant shall pay an in-lieu fee for two parking spaces and acquire a minimum of two parking passes either in a commercial or public lot or acquire passes to park on side streets.” Applicant Allen Robinson, project architect, said the project is small and will use the footprint of the existing corner building. He also said residential parking will be on-site and commercial parking will be satisfied by the Lighthouse parking district. Regarding the proposed corner tower, Mr. Robinson said it is representative of a lighthouse and that the building will serve as a gateway building to the Lighthouse area. He also said all areas of the building other than the tower are substantially lower than 35 feet. Mr. Robinson said the proposed sidewalk bulbout is the same as the bulbout on the opposite side of the street and will benefit the City. He asked that the Planning Commission agree with staff and recommend approval of the project. In response to Commissioner Davis’ question, Mr. Robinson confirmed that the windows on the tower are real windows that are open to the second floor of the residential unit. Public Comments Nancy Runyon, New Monterey resident, said the proposed building is very pretty but is too big for the Lighthouse Area where two-story buildings are preferred. She also said the building is a couple feet taller than 35 feet and 17 percent over the lot coverage allowed. Ms. Runyon said the project should not be given a parking exemption due to the current parking conditions in the neighborhood. She also expressed concern regarding the balconies coming up to the property line and no requirement for storypole staking. Ms. Runyon said if the building is approved the New Monterey neighborhood will work towards getting a moratorium on buildings over 30 feet in the City. Carl Outzen said he owns the adjacent building under construction at 230 Lighthouse Avenue and he supports staff’s recommendation. Mr. Outzen acknowledged the traffic on Lighthouse and said he hopes there will be a streetscape program in the future to slow down traffic and draw patrons to the area. Mr. Outzen also said allowing mixed-use buildings in commercial areas is the only way the City can provide additional housing and that three stories is the minimum height needed to build a mixed-use building. Laurie Hambaro expressed concern regarding whether the project will provide affordable housing and questioned why the apartments proposed are two stories. She also expressed concern regarding the cumulative effect of traffic due to development on Lighthouse Avenue, construction of a new hotel in Pacific Grove, and continual events happening in the area. Ms. Hambaro said employees and tourists park in the neighborhood above Lighthouse Avenue and this affects her personally. She also said the building plan is attractive overall, but is unnecessarily large and sets a precedent for three-story buildings on Lighthouse Avenue. Patricia Domingo, New Monterey Neighborhood Association member, said she lives in the neighborhood above Lighthouse Avenue and feels extremely over-burdened as a resident. Ms. Domingo said three story buildings on Lighthouse Avenue block views of the ocean and that Lighthouse Avenue is at capacity with nine three-story buildings within nine blocks. She expressed concern regarding parking and also said she is disappointed in staff’s recommendation because the New Monterey neighborhood prefers one and two story buildings unless the third story is an exceptional design that serves a purpose. Ms. Domingo Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 3 Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 asked the Planning Commission to respect the vision of the Lighthouse Specific Plan. Chair Reed offered the applicant time for a rebuttal. Mr. Robinson thanked those who spoke favorably of the building’s aesthetics. He said staff has confirmed that the building does not exceed 35 feet and he gave the square footage of the two residential units. He also said the building is proposed for three stories because if it were two stories it would only allow for one residential unit as opposed to two. Regarding parking, Mr. Robinson said the bulbout will take away some parking, but an overall improvement program for Lighthouse Avenue will address parking and traffic flow. He also said that the new urban pattern for Lighthouse Avenue is an improvement for the area and that Lighthouse Avenue was designated for improvements such as the proposed project. Regarding the proposed balconies, Mr. Robinson said no garbage or water would come off of the balconies due to their design. Commissioner Comments Commissioner Dawson said he likes the proposed tower because it will make the building a statement building for Lighthouse Avenue. He also said he likes the size of the building. Commissioner Dawson made a motion to adopt a Resolution approving Use Permit 16-023 for mixed-use, building height that exceeds two stories and 25', lot coverage (67%), and parking adjustment of two commercial parking spaces. Commissioner Davis said Lighthouse Avenue is one of the three areas in the City that was designated for this type of mixed-use development. He also said also agrees that it is nice to have this type of building at the beginning of Lighthouse Avenue. Commissioner Davis said he supports the project as proposed. Vice Chair Fletcher seconded Commissioner Dawson’s motion and said he likes the project because it will not cover the entire site and will allow the other three buildings on the site to remain. He said the issue of the corner element is best left to the Architectural Review Committee to discuss, and overall he is in support of the project. Commissioner Millich said the proposed building would be a significant improvement and he is in support of the project. Commissioner Garden said it is not the applicant’s fault the traffic flow will be affected because the City is requiring a bulbout at the corner. He also said while there will be traffic impacts now, the benefits of making these changes to Lighthouse Avenue will be realized in the future. Commissioner Garden said this is the vision of how the City is going to change and he feels it is appropriate. Commissioner Widmar said traffic has been an issue on Lighthouse Avenue for a long time. He said the proposed building will not change the traffic, but it will improve the neighborhood and the entrance to the Lighthouse corridor. He also said bulbing out the sidewalks will make pedestrians feel safer. Commissioner Widmar said this type of project is the future and a step in the right direction. Chair Reed responded to the public comment that the project is 17 percent larger than principally permitted and said the Use Permit process allows for a larger building. He also said that the parking in lieu fees are not special treatment to this property owner and are available to everyone in the Lighthouse District. Chair Reed said the City cannot control affordable housing for apartments and that the Lighthouse Specific Plan is not adopted yet so it is not being taken into consideration. He also said the proposal is a great project. Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 4  Planning Commission Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 On a motion by Commissioner Dawson, seconded by Commissioner Fletcher, and carried by the following vote, the Planning Commission adopted a Resolution approving Use Permit 16- 023 for mixed-use, building height that exceeds two stories and 25', lot coverage (67%), and parking adjustment of two commercial parking spaces: AYES: 7 COMMISSIONERS: Reed, Fletcher, Davis, Dawson, Garden, Millich, Widmar NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None RECUSED: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS Commissioner Dawson said through the California Society of Professional Engineers he was able to take a tour of the Conference Center and watched some of the last of the demolition. He said he could arrange a tour for the Planning Commission if there is interest. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & STAFF COMMENTS 4. Planning Office Update  Update received. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:46 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Kimberly Cole, AICP Chair Chief of Planning, Engineering & Planning Commission Environmental Compliance Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Tuesday, May 10, 2016 5