HomeMy WebLinkAboutPP 24J; Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation; Precise Plan (PP)Tne City of Carlsbad Planning Department
A REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION
Item No.'
P.C. AGENDA OF: June 20, 2001
Application complete date: November 10, 2000
Project Planner: Michael Grim
Project Engineer: Michael Shirey
SUBJECT: PP 24(3) - PLAZA CAMINO REAL BUS TRANSFER FACILITY
RELOCATION - Request for a Precise Plan Amendment to allow the relocation
of the existing NCTD bus transfer facility from the southern portion of the mall
parking area to the western portion of the mall parking area, on property generally
located at the northeast corner of Marron Road and Monroe Street in Local
Facilities Management Zone 1.
I. RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Commission ADOPT Planning Commission Resolution No. 5003,
RECOMMENDING APPROVAL of Precise Plan Amendment PP 24(J), based upon the
findings and subject to the conditions contained therein.
II. INTRODUCTION
The proposal involves the relocation of the existing North County Transit District bus transfer
facility from its current location to the western portion of the mall parking area. The relocated
transfer station would facilitate bus circulation by using the existing signalized intersection of
Monroe Street and Marron Road for access to the mall parking area. A total of 151 parking
spaces would be eliminated to accommodate the relocated bus transfer facility, which leaves the
mall with 1,246 extra parking spaces for future development or use changes. The site of the
existing bus transfer facility would remain as a widened mall access area for trucks and
automobiles. The proposed relocation conforms to all applicable regulations and staff has no
issues with the project.
III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND
North County Transit District is requesting approval of a Precise Plan Amendment to allow the
relocation of their bus transfer facility within the Plaza Camino Real parking area. As shown on
Exhibits "B" and "C", dated June 20, 2001, the proposed facility would be located on the
western edge of the mall parking area, approximately 550 feet north of Marron Road. The
relocated facility would include turnouts for eight buses, planter beds with small bus shelters,
overhead lighting standards, trash containers and drinking fountains. Also included in the
proposed development is an upgrade of the access road (also known as the ring road) as well as
pedestrian circulation improvements from the bus facility to the Plaza Camino Real mall
building. According to the applicant, the reason for the new facility is that the existing bus
transfer facility does not meet their needs from a capacity and circulation standpoint. The
expanded and relocated facility would allow more buses to be stopped at the facility at one time.o
PP 24(J) - PLAZA CAMimREAL BUS TRANSFER FACILITY ^LOCATION
June 20, 2001
Page 2
In addition, as shown on Exhibit "B", dated June 20, 2001, the proposed location would allow
buses to enter the mall parking area via a signalized intersection, rather than the existing
unsignalized driveway access currently in use. The transfer facility is designed such that the
buses would not have to travel through the existing parking aisles, as is currently the case. The
proposed location also increases the convenience of the bus service to the existing North County
Plaza shopping center located to the west of Plaza Camino Real.
The Plaza Camino Real site is designated Regional Commercial (R) in the City's General Plan
and is zoned General Commercial (C-2). The mall property covers 85 acres and is bounded by
El Camino Real to the east, Marron Road to the south, North County Plaza shopping center to
the west, and Buena Vista Creek and Highway 78 to the north. There is a small portion of
property covered by this Precise Plan on the south side of Marron Road just west of El Camino
Real (as shown on Exhibit "A", dated June 20, 2001). The existing buildings, including those
south of Marron Road, total 1,117,534 square feet in area and are served by a total of 6,378
parking spaces. The parking area is actually owned by the City of Carlsbad and leased back to
Plaza Camino Real; the mall owner is responsible for all maintenance of the parking area.
Currently the Plaza Camino Real mall has more than ample parking and circulation to meet City
requirements. There are 6,378 parking spaces, whereas only 4,981 spaces are required based
upon the gross floor area of all uses within the mall property. Therefore there are 1,397
additional parking spaces. Since the relocated facility would eliminate 151 spaces, the mall
would have 1,246 additional spaces after the relocation. In addition, the proposed location of the
bus transfer facility in an underutilized area of the mall parking lot would reduce any potential
vehicular or parking conflicts.
The Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Station project is subject to the following regulations:
A. General Plan;
B. Plaza Camino Real Precise Plan (PP 24 and its amendments and Section 21.53.050 of the
Zoning Ordinance);
C. C-2 - General Commercial Zone (Chapter 21.28 of the Zoning Ordinance);
D. Growth Management Ordinance (Chapter 21.90 of the Zoning Ordinance);
E. Zone 1 Local Facilities Management Plan.
V. ANALYSIS
The recommendation for approval of this project was developed by analyzing the project's
consistency with the applicable policies and regulations listed above. The following analysis
section discussed compliance with each of these regulations/policies utilizing both text and
tables.
PP 24(J) - PLAZA CAM
June 20, 2001
Page 3
REAL BUS TRANSFER FACILITY RELOCATIONrRET
A.General Plan
The Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation proposal is consistent with the
applicable policies and programs of the General Plan. Particularly relevant to the bus transfer
facility relocation request are the Land Use, Circulation, and Public Safety elements. Table 2
below indicates how the project complies with these particular elements of the General Plan.
TABLE 2 - GENERAL PLAN COMPLIANCE
Element Use Classification, Goal,
Objective or Program
Proposed Use and
Improvements Compliance
Land Use The site is designated for Regional
Commercial uses, which draw
customers from outside the City
and generate interregional traffic.
Comprehensively design all
commercial centers to address
common ingress, egress, adequate
off-street parking and loading
facilities. Each center should be
easily accessible by pedestrians,
bicyclists, and automobiles to
nearby residential development.
Provision of improved bus transfer
facility improves bus circulation,
thereby facilitating interregional
transportation.
Area proposed for bus transfer
facility is accessed by a signalized
intersection, which allows safe
ingress off of Matron Road from
both the east and west. A
designated pedestrian access area to
the mall will be provided as part of
the proposed improvements
Yes
Yes
Circulation The provision of safe, adequate
and attractively landscaped
parking facilities.
A City that promotes, encourages,
and accommodates a variety of
transportation modes as
alternatives to the automobile.
The proposed facility would include
landscaping and lighting, would be
located in an underutilized portion
of the parking lot, and would not
interfere with parking lot
circulation.
The proposed expanded bus transfer
facility within the City-owned
parking area would improve bus
service opportunities.
Yes
Yes
Given the above, the Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation proposal is consistent
with the applicable programs and policies of the General Plan.
B. Plaza Camino Real Precise Plan (PP 24)
Initially constructed in 1968 and 1969, the Plaza Camino Real mall has a relatively complex
permit history. As stated previously, the area used for parking is owned by the City and leased to
Plaza Camino Real pursuant to a Lease Agreement, dated August 21, 1969. In 1980, a Precise
Plan Amendment (PP 24(C)) was approved by the City Council which, among other actions,
PP 24(J) - PLAZA CAMINO REAL BUS TRANSFER F ACILITY^LOC ATION
June 20, 2001
included a relocation of the NCTD bus transfer station from the north side of the mall to its
current location on the south side of the property.
The next two amendments to affect the bus transfer station took place in 1991 (PP 24(E)) and
1993 (PP 24(F)); these amendments involved the redesign and expansion of the NCTD bus
transfer station. The first bus transfer station redesign approval (PP 24(E)) expired prior to
NCTD obtaining construction permits for the new bus station therefore a subsequent Precise Plan
Amendment was required. The proposed redesign was never realized. In the late 1990's, Plaza
Camino Real proposed a significant mall expansion to include a multi-screen movie theater,
restaurants, additional mall stores and a relocation of the bus transfer facility to the western
portion of the parking area. After only partial processing, both Precise Plan Amendments (PP
24(G) and PP 24(H)) were withdrawn by the applicant for private business reasons.
On April 17, 2001, a Precise Plan Amendment for temporary promotional sales events in the
southwest corner of the mall parking area (PP 24(1)) that would have allowed the occasional use
of approximately 4.4 acres of the mall parking area for temporary promotional sales events (such
as custom car shows, computer shows and recreational vehicle shows) was denied by the City
Council and, therefore, poses no conflicts with this proposal.
As stated above, the bus transfer facility has been a part of the Plaza Camino Real mall for
decades. The use not only provides a semi-regional service of a bus transfer facility but also
provides direct public transportation to Plaza Camino Real for visitors and employees. The
proposed design of the relocated facility would improve bus circulation in the immediate area by
providing signalized access and a more compact bus circulation route. The proposed facility
would include all of the improvements currently at the existing location and the existing
circulation access at the current facility location would remain unchanged. Given the above, the
Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation is consistent with Precise Plan PP 24 and its
amendments.
C. C-2 - General Commercial Zone (Chapter 21.28 Of the Zoning Ordinance)
The Plaza Camino Real is zoned General Commercial (C-2) and is therefore subject to the
provisions of Chapter 21.28 of the City's Zoning Ordinance. Since the proposed bus transfer
facility relocation involves only curbing, landscaping, lighting, and seating areas, the
development standards of the C-2 zone are not readily applicable. Standards such as building
height, front yard setbacks and the general placement of buildings do not apply to the proposed
bus transfer facility. Therefore, the Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation
proposal is consistent with the General Commercial (C-2) zone.
D. Growth Management Ordinance (Chapter 21.90 of the Zoning Ordinance);
The Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation proposal will not generate any
additional facility impacts not already experienced with the existing bus transfer facility. Since
the proposal is a non-residential use, many of the facilities monitored by the Growth
Management Ordinance do not apply. Table 3 below details the project's compliance with the
applicable Growth Management facility standards.
PP 24(J) - PLAZA CAM
June 20, 2001
PageS
REAL BUS TRANSFER FACILITY RELOCATIONrlffil
TABLE 3 - GROWTH MANAGEMENT COMPLIANCE
Standard
City Administration
Library
Waste Water Treatment
Parks
Drainage
Circulation
Fire
Open Space
Schools
Water
Impacts/Standards
N/A
N/A
OEDU
N/A
PLDAA
OADT
Station #3
N/A
Carlsbad Unified
OGPD
Compliance
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Given the above, the Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation proposal is consistent
with the Growth Management Ordinance.
E. Zone 1 Local Facilities Management Plan.
Plaza Camino Real lies within Zone 1 and is therefore subject to the performance standards and
conditions of the Zone 1 Local Facilities Management Plan (LFMP). There are no special
conditions in the zone plan that would apply to the proposed bus transfer station relocation. Any
building permits required for the relocation would be subject to Public Facilities Fee, which
would be collected at time of building permit issuance. The area proposed for the relocated bus
transfer station is already served by multiple points of access. An extension of the existing water
line within the mall parking lot would be needed to provide irrigation and drinking water to the
relocated station. Therefore all facilities necessary to serve the proposed use are, or will be in
place, prior to occupancy of the relocated station. Given the above, the Plaza Camino Real Bus
Transfer Facility Relocation project is consistent with the Zone 1 Local Facilities Management
Plan.
V.ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed relocation of the bus transfer facility involves only minor physical improvements
to the existing parking lot and does not include the removal of any mature scenic trees. The
proposal therefore qualifies as a minor alteration of land that is exempt from environmental
review pursuant to Section 15304 of the State CEQA Guidelines. A Notice of Exemption will be
filed upon final project determination.
PP 24(J) - PLAZA CAMINO REAL BUS TRANSFER FACILITY RELOCATION
June 20, 2001
Page 6
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Planning Commission Resolution No. 5003 (PP)
2. Location Map
3. Disclosure Statement
4. Local Facilities Impact Assessment Form
5. Background Data Sheet
6. Exhibits "A" - "H", dated June 20, 2001
MG:cs:mh
SITE
PLAZA CAMINO REAL
BUS TRANSFER FACILITY
RELOCATION
PP 24(J)
CITY OF CARLSBAD
GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
LOCAL FACILITIES IMPACTS ASSESSMENT FORM
(To be Submitted with Development Application)
PROJECT IDENTITY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT:
FILE NAME AND NO: Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation
LOCAL FACILITY MANAGEMENT ZONE: I GENERAL PLAN: Regional Commercial
ZONING: C-2 - General Commercial
DEVELOPER'S NAME: North County Transit District
ADDRESS: 810 Mission Avenue. Oceanside. CA 92054
PHONE NO.: 760-967-2828 ASSESSOR'S PARCEL NO.: 156-301-11
QUANTITY OF LAND USE/DEVELOPMENT (AC., SQ. FT., DU): 2.29 acres
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: October, 2001
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
N/A
N/A
N/A
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
City Administrative Facilities: Demand in Square Footage =
Library: Demand in Square Footage = N/A
Wastewater Treatment Capacity (Calculate with J. Sewer) OEDU
Park: Demand in Acreage =
Drainage: Demand in CFS =
Identify Drainage Basin = PLDA A
(Identify master plan facilities on site plan)
Circulation: Demand in ADT = 0 APT
(Identify Trip Distribution on site plan)
Fire: Served by Fire Station No. = Station #3
Open Space: Acreage Provided =
Schools:
(Demands to be determined by staff) (None)
Sewer: Demands in EDU
Water: Demand in GPD = 0 GPP
N/A
Carlsbad Unified
OEDU
BACKGROUND DATA SHEET
CASE NO: PP 24(T)
CASE NAME: Plaza Camino Real Bus Transfer Facility Relocation
APPLICANT: North County Transit District
REQUEST AND LOCATION: Request for a Precise Plan Amendment to allow the relocation
of the existing bus transfer facility from the southern portion of the mall parking area to the
western portion of the parking area, on property generally located at the northeast corner of
Marron Road and Monroe Street.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Lot 27 of Carlsbad Tract No. 76-18, according to Map No. 8956.
filed in the Office of County Recorder in the County of San Diego on August 11, 1978, in the
City of Carlsbad, County of San Diego. State of California.
APN: 156-301-11 Acres: 85 Proposed No. of Lots/Units: N/A
GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING
Land Use Designation: Regional Commercial (R)
Density Allowed: N/A Density Proposed: N/A
Existing Zone: C-2 Proposed Zone: N/A
Surrounding Zoning, General Plan and Land Use:
Site
North
South
East
West
Zoning
C-2
Oceanside
0-S
C-l
C-2-Q
strict: Carlsbad Water
General Plan
R
Oceanside
OS
C
R
PUBLIC FACILITIES
District: Carlsbad Sewer District:
Current Land Use
Shopping center
Highway 78
Hosp Grove
Shopping center
Shopping center
Equivalent Dwelling Units (Sewer Capacity): 0 EDU
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Negative Declaration, issued
Certified Environmental Impact Report, dated
Other, Notice of Exemption pursuant to Section 15304 of the State CEQA Guidelines