HomeMy WebLinkAboutMCUP 15-13; Christ Presbyterian Community Garden; Conditional Use Permit (CUP)October 30, 2015
Cheryl Wright
Centella Community Garden
7807 Centella Street
Carlsbad, CA 92009
City of
Carlsbad
SUBJECT: MINOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. MCUP 15-13-CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN
COMMUNITY GARDEN-Request for approval of a Minor Conditional Use Permit (MCUP
15-13) to allow a community garden located on a vacant lot at 7807 Centella Street (APN:
255-062-1700} in the Residential Density -Medium (RD-M) Zone and Local Facilities
Management Zone 6.
Dear Ms. Wright,
The City Planner has mmpleted a review of your application for a Minor Conditional Use Permit MCUP
15-13 to allow a community garden located on a vacant lot at 7807 Centella Street. A notice was sent to
property owners within a 300' radius of the subject property requesting comments regarding the above
request. One comment letter, from James and Judy Hogan, was received within the ten day notice period
(ending on August 21, 2015). The Hogans had some concerns in regard to the layout of the garden, fencing
material and landscape palette. The site plan was revised to the satisfaction of the Hogans, except for
some remaining landscaping concerns, which are minor. Therefore, after careful consideration of the
circumstances surrounding this request, the City Planner has determined that the four findings required
for granting a Minor Conditional Use Permit can be made and therefore, APPROVES this request based
on the following findings and conditions.
Findings:
1. That the requested use is necessary or desirable for the development of the community, and is in
harmony with the various elements and objectives of the general plan, including, if applicable, the
certified local coastal program, specific plan or master plan in that agriculture is an important
resource in the City of Carlsbad and is allowed in all residential zones. Per the city's Agriculture
Policy 2-P.34 of the General Plan Land Use Element, the city supports agricultural uses throughout
the city, including small-scale farms and community gardens. Furthermore, Policy 9-P.17 of the
General Plan Sustainability Element, supports small-scale urban farming.
2. That the requested use is not detrimental to existing uses or to uses specifically permitted in the zone
in which the proposed use is to be located in that the proposed community garden would be located
on a vacant lot on a cul-de-sac and adjacent to a church, parking lot and apartment building, and
would not be detrimental to those existing uses. Furthermore, there is adequate on-street and
adjacent parking to accommodate the proposed use. The users of the community garden would
mostly be members of the Christ Presbyterian church and would not attract additional people to
the neighborhood.
Community & Economic Development
Planning Division 11635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-73141760-602-4600 1760-602-8560 f I www.carlsbadca.gov
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3. That the site for the proposed conditional use is adequate in size and shape to accommodate the
yards, setbacks, walls, fences, parking, loading facilities, buffer areas, landscaping and other
development features prescribed in this code and required by the City Planner in order to integrate
the use with other uses in the neighborhood in that the vacant lot is .83 acres and generally is covered
with weeds. The proposed community garden will include a 36-inch split rail fence in the front yard,
fruit trees in the rear yard, a privacy hedge within the side yard that abuts the apartment building,
and low lying plants within the side yard that abuts the church. The raised bed gardens and
landscaping will integrate with the surrounding neighborhood. No additional parking is required as
there is ample on-street parking and at the adjacent church and the church parking lot across from
the proposed community garden.
4. That the street system serving the proposed use is adequate to properly handle all traffic generated
by the proposed use in that the users of the community garden would mostly be members of the
Christ Presbyterian Church and would not attract additional people to the neighborhood.
Furthermore, there is adequate on-street and adjacent parking to accommodate the proposed use.
5. That the City Planner has determined that the project belongs to a class of projects that the State
Secretary for Resources has found do not have a significant impact on the environment, and it is
therefore categorically exempt from the requirement for the preparation of environmental
documents pursuant to Section 15304(b)-Minor Alterations to Land of the state CEQA Guidelines.
In making this determination, the City Planner has found that the exceptions listed in Section 15300.2
of the state CEQA Guidelines do not apply to this project.
6. The City Planner has reviewed each of the exactions imposed on the Developer contained in this
resolution, and hereby finds, in this case, that the exactions are imposed to mitigate impacts caused
by or reasonably related to the project, and the extent and the degree of the exaction is in rough
proportionality to the impact caused by the project.
Conditions:
1. Approval is granted for MCUP 15-13 as shown on Exhibit 11A" dated October 30, 2015 'on file in the
Planning Division and incorporated herein by reference. Development shall occur substantially as
shown unless otherwise noted in these conditions.
2. All landscaping shall be maintained in a healthy and thriving condition, free from weeds, trash, and
debris. All irrigation systems shall be maintained to provide the optimum amount of water to the
landscape for plant growth without causing soil erosion and runoff.
3. If any of the following conditions fail to occur, or if they are, by their terms, to be implemented and
maintained over time, if any of such conditions fail to be so implemented and maintained according
to their terms, the City shall have the right to revoke or modify all approvals herein granted; deny or
further condition issuance of all future building permits; deny, revoke, or further condition all
certificates of occupancy issued under the authority of approvals herein granted; record a notice of
violation on the property title; institute and prosecute litigation to compel their compliance with said
conditions or seek damages for their violation. No vested rights are gained by Developer or a
successor in interest by the City's approval of this Minor Conditional Use Permit.
MCUP 15-13-CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH COMMUNITY GARDEN
October 30, 2015
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4. Staff is authorized and directed to make, or require the Developer to make, all corrections and
modifications to the MCUP 15-13 documents, as necessary to make them internally consistent and in
conformity with the final action on the project. Development shall occur substantially as shown on
the approved Exhibits. Any proposed development different from this approval shall require an
amendment to this approval.
5. The Developer/Operator shall and does hereby agree to indemnify, protect, defend and hold· harmless
the City of Carlsbad, its Council members, officers, employees, agents, and representatives, from and
against any and all liabilities, losses, damages, demands, claims and costs, including court costs and
attorney's fees incurred by the City arising, directly or indirectly, from (a) City's approval and issuance
of this Minor Conditional Use Permit, (b) City's approval or issuance of any permit or action, whether
discretionary or non-discretionary, in connection with the use contemplated herein, and (c)
Developer/Operator's installation and operation of the facility permitted hereby, including without
limitation, any and all liabilities arising from the emission by the facility of electromagnetic fields or
other energy waves or emissions.
6. The Developer shall comply with all applicable provisions of federal, state, and local ordinances in
effect at the time of building permit issuance.
7. This project shall comply with all conditions and mitigation measures, which are required as part of
the Zone 6 Local Facilities Management Plan and any amendments made to that Plan prior to the
issuance of building permits.
8. MCUP 15-13 shall be reviewed by the City Planner on a yearly basis to determine if all conditions of
this permit have been met and that the use does not have a substantial negative effect on surrounding
properties or the public health, safety and general welfare. If the City Planner determines that: 1)
the minor conditional use permit was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation; or 2) the use for which
such approval is granted is not being exercised; or 3) the conditions of approval have not been met;
or 4) the minor conditional use permit is being or recently has been exercised contrary to any of the
terms or conditions of approval; or 5) the use for which such approval was granted has ceased to exist
or has been suspended for one year or more; or 6) the use is in violation of any statute, ordinance,
law or regulation; or 7) the use permitted by the minor conditional use permit is being or has been so
exercised as to be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare or so as to constitute a nuisance,
the City Planner shall hold an informal public hearing and after providing the permittee the
opportunity to be heard, the City Planner may revoke and terminate the minor conditional use permit
in whole or in part, reaffirm the minor conditional use permit, modify the conditions or impose new
conditions.
9. This Conditional Use Permit is granted without an expiration date. This permit may be revoked at any
time after a public hearing, if it is found that the use has a substantial detrimental effect on
surrounding land uses and the public's health and welfare, or the conditions imposed herein have not
been met.
10. If any condition for construction of any public improvements or facilities, or the payment of any fees
in-lieu thereof, imposed by this approval or imposed by law on this residential housing project are
challenged this approval shall be suspended as provided in Government Code Section 66020. If any
such condition is determined to be invalid this approval shall be invalid unless the City Council
determines that the project without the condition complies with all requirements of law.
MCUP 15-13-CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH COMMUNITY GARDEN
October 30, 2015
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11. Prior to construction, owner/applicant shall submit to the City a Notice of Restriction to be filed in
the office of the County Recorder, subject to the satisfaction of the City Planner, notifying all
interested parties and successors in interest that the City of Carlsbad has issued a Minor Conditional
Use Permit on the real property owned by the owner/applicant. Said Notice of Restriction shall note
the property description, location of the file containing complete project details and all conditions of
approval as well as any conditions or restrictions specified for inclusion in the Notice of Restriction.
The City Planner has the authority to execute and record an amendment to the notice, which modifies
or terminates said notice upon a showing of good cause by the owner/applicant or successor in
interest.·
12. This approval shall become null and void if construction does not start for this project within 24
months from the date of project approval.
13. Developer shall report, in writing, to the City Planner within 30 days, any address change from that
which is shown on the permit application.
Engineering:
14. Developer shall comply with the City's Stormwater Regulations, latest version, and shall implement
best management practices at all times. Best management practices include but are not limited to
pollution treatment practices or devices, erosion control to prevent silt runoff during construction,
general housekeeping practices, pollution prevention and educational practices, maintenance
procedures, and other management practices or devices to prevent or reduce the discharge of
pollutants to stormwater, receiving water or stormwater conveyance system to the maximum extent
practicable. Developer shall notify prospective owners and tenants ofthe above requirements.
15. Prior to construction, Developer shall complete and submit to the city engineer a Project Threat
Assessment Form (PTAF) pursuant to City Engineering Standards (attached). Concurrent with the
PTAF, developer shall also submit the appropriate Tier level Storm Water Compliance form and
appropriate Tier level Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) as determined by the
completed PTAF all to the satisfaction of the city engineer. Developer shall pay all applicable SWPPP
plan review and inspection fees per the city's latest fee schedule.
16. Developer shall incorporate measures with this project to comply with Standard Stormwater
Requirements per the city's Standard Urban Stormwater Management Plan (SUSMP). These
measures include, but are not limited to: 1) reducing the use of new impervious surfaces (e.g.:
paving), 2) designing drainage from impervious surfaces to discharge over pervious areas (e.g.: turf,
landscape areas), 3) and designing trash enclosures to avoid contact with storm runoff, all to the
satisfaction of the city engineer.
Code Reminders:
17. Approval of this request shall not excuse compliance with all applicable sections of the Zoning
Ordinance and all other applicable City ordinances in effect at time of building permit issuance, except
as otherwise specifically provided herein.
MCUP 15-13-CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH COMMUNITY GARDEN
October 30, 2015
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NOTICE
Please take NOTICE that approval of your project includes the 11imposition" of fees, dedications,
reservations, or other exactions hereafter collectively referred to for convenience as 11fees/exactions."
You have 90 days from the date of final approval to protest imposition of these fees/exactions. If you
protest them, you must follow the protest procedure set forth in Government Code Section 66020(a), and
file the protest and any other required information with the City Manager for processing in accordance
with Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 3.32.030. Failure to timely follow that procedure will bar any
subsequent legal action to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul their imposition.
You are hereby FURTHER NOTIFIED that your right to protest the specified fees/exactions DOES NOT
APPLY to water and sewer connection fees and capacity charges, nor planning, zoning, grading or other
similar application processing or service fees in connection with this project; NOR DOES IT APPLY to any
fees/exactions of which you have previously been given a NOTICE similar to this, or as to which the statute
of limitations has previously otherwise expired.
This decision may be appealed by you or any other member of the public to the Planning Commission
within ten days of the date of this letter. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Planning Division
at 1635 Faraday Avenue in Carlsbad, along with a payment of $673.00 plus noticing fees. The filing of
such appeal within such time limit shall stay the effective date of the order of the City Planner until such
time as a final decision on the appeal is reached. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please
feel free to contact Pam Drew, Associate Planner, at (760) 602-4644.
Sincerely,
DAVID DE CORDOVA
Principal Planner
CD:PD:fn
Attachments
c: Linda Therien, Corporate Secretary & Stated Clerk, Presbytery cif San Diego, 3707 Udall Street, San Diego, CA 92107
Don Neu, City Planner
Scott Donnell, Senior Planner
David Rick, Associate Engineer
File Copy
Data Entry
DMS