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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-11-16; Planning Commission; ; CUP 88-16 - HAWTHORNEDATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: I. NOVEMBER 16, 1988 PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT APPLICATION COMPLETE DATE NOVEMBER 2, 1988 c.J:j., CUP-88-16 HAWTHORNE -Request for approval of a Conditional Use Permit for a 5,423 square foot building and construction equipment rental yard at the southwest corner of Camino Vida Roble and Las Palmas Drive in the P-M Zone in Local Facilities Management Zone 5. RECOfillENDATION That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 2790 APPROVING the Negative Declaration issued by the Planning Director, and Resolution No. 2791 APPROVING CUP 88-16 based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. I I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The applicant is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit to establish a construction equipment rental yard on a vacant lot in the P-M Zone, located as described above. A Conditional Use Permit is required for this use in the P-M Zone. A 5,423 square foot office/maintenance bu i1 ding wi 11 a 1 so be constructed on the site. Some minor maintenance of the vehicles, such as repair of flat tires and washing will occur at this location. Major repairs will take place at the applicant's main facility in Kearny Mesa. The majority of the lot not occupied by the building will be covered by asphalt or concrete. A small portion of the site will be covered with decomposed granite which will be utilized for the storage of tracked vehicles. The weight, combined with the tracks of these vehicles would destroy ordinary paving. See the letter dated September 30, 1988 with attachments for further details. The proposed office/maintenance building will be constructed of a combination of earth colored split block and smooth block concrete. The tile roof shingles will have a brown cedar color similiar to the existing buildings to the west. A portion of the building as well as all outdoor parking will be screened by a combination of mounding and landscaping. The site has been previously graded and is covered with weeds and low lying shrubs at the present time. Landscaping has been planted along the northerly and easterly edges of the property. Construction of the proposed project will require approximately 14,000 cubic yards of grading to create a flat usable area and mounding around the perimeter. Approximately 12,000 cubic yards of the 14,000 yards will be exported from the site. As shown by Exhibit "D", the majority of the existing landscaping around the perimeter of the project will be preserved. - CUP 88-16 HAWTHORNE NOVEMBER 2, 1988 PAGE 2 The southerly half of the site is underneath a 200' wide San Di ego Gas and Electric easement. No buildings can be located in this area, but it can be used for parking. The City of Carlsbad is utilizing a portion of this property within the easement to provide parking for it's Community Development Services office located at 2075 Las Palmas Drive. The applicant has indicated that he is agreeable to allowing the City of Carlsbad to continue to use this area for parking. A condition has been placed on this project requiring the applicant to grant an easement for parking and maintenance purposes on this property. This easement will be in effect for the time that the City of Carlsbad occupies the property at 2075 Las Palmas Drive. III. ANALYSIS Planning Issues 1) Can the four findings required for approval of a Conditional Use Permit, be made? Specifically: a) That the requested use is necessary or desirable for the development of the community; is essentially in harmony with various elements and objectives of the general plan, and is not detrimental to existing uses or to uses specifically permitted in the zone in which the proposed use is to be located; b) That the site for the intended use is adequate in size and shape to accommodate the use; c) That all of the yards, setbacks, walls, fences, landscaping and other features necessary to adjust the requested use to existing or permitted future uses in the neighborhood will be provided and maintained; d) That the street system serving the proposed use is adequate to properly handle all traffic generated by the proposed use. 2) Is the project in conformance with the Local Facilities Management Plan for Zone 5? DISCUSSION The requested use is desireable for the development of the community. Much of the construction equipment that is rented from this business is used for the development of roads and other public facilities as well as residential and industrial projects. The mounding and landscaping will screen all of the outdoor parking that is proposed for this project. All that will be visible from the street will be a portion of the proposed building, surrounded by landscaping. The site is adequate in size and shape to accommodate the proposed use. The proposed building and storage can be provided and screened onsite without any intrusion into the required setbacks. In addition, this site would be more appropriate for this use than would Hawthorne Machinery Company's present CUP 88-16 HAWTHORNE NOVEMBER 2, 1988 PAGE 3 location at the intersection of State Street and Laguna Drive in Carlsbad's Redevelopment area. All of the setbacks and fences necessary to adjust the requested use to other existing and permitted uses in this area will be maintained. All required setbacks have been maintained and a wrought iron fence with concrete pilasters will be constructed along the site's frontage on Camino Vida Roble and Las Palmas Drive. A chain link fence will be placed around the rear of the property. These fences will be for security purposes not screening. Other than a small portion of the wrought iron fence between the building and Camino Vida Roble, all of the proposed fencing will be hidden by heavy landscaping. The proposed heavy landscaping along with the mounding will provide an even better screen than would a solid six foot block wall around the perimeter of the project. Within a year of being planted, the landscaping should totally screen this site with the effect of creating an equipment rental yard in a forest. To ensure that this will occur, a condition has been added which will allow the Planning Director to require additional landscaping to be installed if at the time of occupancy the landscaping that has been installed is inadequate to screen this use. Staff had some concern about the appearance of the building from Camino Veda Roble. However, the alternating rows of smooth and split face block along with the variations in building height and jogs in the building should mitigate its appearance. In addition, staff has added a condition requiring the installation of three windows on the side of the building facing Camino Vida Roble. These windows wi 11 be located near the work bay areas and will provide light and ventilation to these areas as well as improving the appearance of the building. The existing street system is adequate in size to handle the low volume of traffic generated by this site. As explained in the letter dated September 30, 1988, only eight people will be working here and the majority of the time the construction equipment will be at job sites. The access driveway has been located at the far westerly edge of the project on the outside edge of a curve. This will allow for the greatest possible site distance for vehicles entering and leaving the site. GROWTH MANAGEMENT The subject property is located in Local Facilities Management Plan Zone 5. The Local Facilities Management Plan for this area was approved August 4, 1987. The proposed project is consistent with the Plan for Zone 5 as it is being developed according to the General Plan and all predictions for this area. Impacts on roads and public facilities will be mitigated by the fees mandated by the Local Facilities Management Plan for this zone, and the project is conditioned to comply with all such fees. SUMMARY All four findings required for issuance of Conditional Use Permit can be made and all requirements of Growth Management have been complied with. Therefore staff recommends approval of CUP 88-16. CUP 88-16 HAWTHORNE NOVEMBER 2, 1988 PAGE 4 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Planning Director has determined that no significant impacts will result from this project and a Negative Declaration was issued on October 12, 1988. This decision was based on findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment and a field survey by staff which determined that the previously graded site contains no sensitive environmental resources. Fourteen thousand cubic yards of grading will be required to level the site and provide mounding around the perimeter of the site. No comments were received during the public noticing period for the Negative Declaration. ATTACHMENTS 1. Planning Commission Resolution Numbers 2790 and 2791. 2. Location Map 3. Background Data Sheet. 4. Disclosure Form. 5. Growth Management Assessment Form. 6. Letter dated September 30, 1988 with attachments. 7. Reduced Exhibits. 8. Exhibits "A" -"D" dated November 16, 1988. 10/28/88 MH:lh CUP16HAW