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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRP 05-04; Army & Navy Academy Master Plan; Redevelopment Permits (RP) (5)City of Carlsbad Housing and Redevelopment Department A REPORT TO THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION Application Complete Date: Staff: Austin Silva 11/16/2006 Christer Westman Clyde Wickham Environmental Review: Negative Declaration ITEM NO. 1 DATE: November 5, 2008 SUBJECT: RP 05-04/CUP 94-02X1A "Armv/Naw Academv Master Site Pian": Request of the Design Review Board for a recommendation of adoption of a Negative Declaration and recommendation of approval of a Major Redevelopment Permit; and request of the Planning Commission for the adoption of a Negative Declaration and approval of a Conditional Use Permit amendment and extension to approve an update to the Army/Navy Academy Master Site Plan to be used as a guide for future development on the property described in the attached legal description (Attachment). I. RECOMIVIENDATION Design Review Board That the Design Review Board ADOPT Design Review Board Resolutions No. 334 and 335 recommending APPROVAL of RP 05-04 and the Negative Declaration to the Housing and Redevelopment Commission based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. Pianning Commission That the Planning Commission ADOPT Planning Commission Resolution No. 6493 ADOPTING a Negative Declaration and ADOPT Planning Commission Resolution No. 6495 APPROVING CUP 94-02X1A based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. II. DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL PROCESS The subject property is located both within and outside of the Village Redevelopment Area. Because of the split zoning designations on the property, the project's discretionary review is within the purview of both the Design Review Board and the Planning Commission. The proposed project entails a Major Redevelopment Permit because the Village Redevelopment Master Plan and Design Manual requires the Army/Navy Academy (ANA) to have a long range master plan approved prior to the issuance of any permits for improvements and additions to existing facilities. The Redevelopment Permit is within the purview of the Design Review Board since the Design Review Board maintains authority over all Redevelopment Permits within the Village Redevelopment Zone (V-R). The Design Review Board functions as an advisory board to the Housing and Redevelopment Commission. ARMY/NAVY ACADEMY MASTER SITE FLAN PAGE 2 The project also requires an amendment to and extension of a Conditional Use Permit for property located outside of the Village Redevelopment Area (VRA) in the R-3, OS, and BAO zones. The Planning Commission has authority over the portion of the site that exists outside of the VRA and within the current R-3, OS, and BAOZ zoning, with final approval authority over the Conditional Use Permit. The Design Review Board and Planning Commission are being asked to hold a joint public hearing on the permits requested, consider the public testimony and staff's recommendation on the project, discuss the project and then take action to recommend approval or denial of the project. III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND The site boundaries include Pacific Avenue to the north, the San Diego Northern Railroad to the east, Cypress Avenue (portions of the site are situated south of and adjacent to Cypress Avenue) to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The surrounding land uses include single-family and multi-family to the north and south, commercial to the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The applicant, Army/Navy Academy represented by Hofman Planning and Engineering, has requested permit approval for a conceptual Master Site Plan to be used as a guide for future development. The detailed design of individual buildings will be reviewed when an application for a Redevelopment Permit or Site Development Plan, and a Coastal Development Permit are submitted to ensure they comply with the criteria of the Army/Navy Master Site Plan and all other applicable City ordinances. The Master Site Plan is not a master plan per City of Carlsbad Municipal Code and does not have its own development standards. The development standards are applied through the Village Master Plan and Design Manual, Title 21, and the Local Coastal Program. The entire project property covers approximately 16 acres and is located in District 9 of the Village Redevelopment Area and in the R-3, OS, and BAO zones which are outside of the Village Redevelopment Area. The site area covers six Master Site Plan planning areas. Three of the six planning areas are in the Village Redevelopment Area and encompass 78.7% of the project area. The largest Planning Area "A" (7.18 acres) consists of the majority of the school facilities including classrooms, dormitories, staff housing, a swimming pool, administrative buildings and a facilities management building. Planning Area "D", (.52 acres), is located south of Cypress Avenue and contains the senior lounge, library, the science building and faculty housing. The remaining Planning Area "E" (5.12 acres) is located east of Carlsbad Boulevard and contains an athletic field and an athletic facility building. Properties outside of the Village Redevelopment Area (VRA) are 21.3% of the project area. Planning Area "F" (1.51 acres) located along Mountain View drive contains a parking area, tennis courts, and a hockey rink. Planning Area "B" (1.44 acres) is located west of Ocean Street and contains the president of the Academy's residence, a recreation hall and storage, and the chapel. Planning Area "C" (.53 acres) is located south of Cypress Avenue and contains staff housing. There are currently a total of 29 buildings on campus serving approximately 340 students. The Army/Navy Academy has created a phasing plan that consists of twenty different phases. The order in which the buildings are constructed may change depending on the needs of the ARMY/NAVY ACADEMY MASTER SITE PLAN PAGES academy and the funding sources available. At build out, the academy will have 21 buildings and a maximum enrollment of 440 students. IV. GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY The General Plan includes the following Land Use Goals applicable to the Village: Goal A.1) A City which preserves, enhances and maintains the Village as a place for living, working, shopping, recreation, civic and cultural functions while retaining the Village atmosphere and pedestrian scale; Goal A.2) A City which creates a distinct identity for the Village by encouraging activities that traditionally locate in a pedestrian-oriented downtown area, including offices, restaurants, and specialty shops; Goal A.3) A City which encourages new economic development in the Village and near transportation corridors to retain and increase resident- serving uses; and Goal A.4) A City that encourages a variety of complementary uses to generate pedestrian activity and create a lively, interesting social environment and a profitable business setting. The General Plan objective is to implement the Redevelopment Plan through the comprehensive Village Master Plan and Design Manual. The proposed project is consistent with the goals and objectives for the Village, as outlined within the General Plan, because it provides for a civic and cultural use in an accepted location within the Village as described in Goal A.1. This in turn serves to enhance and maintain the Army and Navy Academy as it is the only military boarding school in California. The project addresses Goal A.2 by reinforcing the pedestrian-orientation desired for the downtown area because of school's proximity to the Village provides the students and its employees an opportunity to walk to shopping, recreation, and mass transit functions. In relation to Goal A.3, with the project being close to existing bus routes and mass transit, it will help to further the goal of providing new economic development near transportation corridors. Furthermore, the project is consistent with Goal A.4 because the Army and Navy Academy assists in encouraging complementary uses in the Village and adding diversity to the Village population that helps create and/or enhance a more lively and interesting social environment. The project also implements the following General Plan policies and objectives: Village Land Use Policy C.4) Strengthen existing establishments through facade and streetscape improvements and upgrade public and private landscaping; and, Housing Objective 2.5) Encourage increased integration of housing with non-residential development. The Army/Navy Academy Master Plan complies with Village Land Use Policy C.4 as the Academy is an existing school that is seeking to remodel buildings, construct new buildings, add new landscaping and make streetscape improvements as required with additional permits applied for in the future. The project will also be integrating housing with non-residential development onsite (private school) and within the surrounding neighborhood as well as described in Housing Objective 2.5. V. CONSISTENCY WITH VILLAGE REDEVELOPMENT AREA VISION. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The proposed project will be able to address a variety of objectives as outlined within the Village Master Plan and Design Manual as follows: ARMY/NAVY ACADEMY MASTER SITE PLAN PAGE 4 Goals 1 and 2 do not apply to the Army and Navy Academy Master Plan as they are directed towards commercial, office, and residential projects. The read as follows: Goal 1: Establish Carlsbad Villaae as a Qualitv ShoDPina, Working, and Uvinq Environment. Goal 2: Improve the Pedestrian and Vehicular Circulation in the Viliaae Area. Goal 3: Stimulate Propertv Improvements and New Development in the Villaae. The Master Plan and Design Manual was developed in an effort to stimulate new development and/or improvements to existing buildings in the Village. The intent is that new development or rehabilitation of existing facilities will then stimulate other property improvements and additional new development. Two of the objectives of this goal are to increase the intensity of development and to encourage mixed-use development projects in the Village. The proposed project will specifically accomplish both of these objectives. In addition, the proposed project will assist in the continued effort to improve the Village Redevelopment Area by providing for an appropriate intensity of residential development and commercial development that is compatible with surrounding area. Goal 4: Improve the Phvsical Appearance of the Villaae Area. The Army and Navy Academy will be using a Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style for its future buildings on campus. While no new buildings are being proposed at this time, the Army and Navy Academy will aid in preserving the village architectural character by having defined entryways, courtyards, and arched arcades. Future construction on the Army and Navy Academy will incorporate appropriate site planning, architectural design and materials that comply with City standards and requirements. VI. CONSISTENCY WITH VILLAGE LAND USE PLAN. LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM. AND R-3 ZONE (C.M.C.) As set forth in the Village Master Plan and Design Manual, private secondary schools are classified as provisional uses within Land Use District 9 of the Village Redevelopment Area. Provisional uses are defined as those uses which are permitted subject to discretionary approval. They are approved based upon the findings that the use is consistent with the Village vision and goals under specific conditions imposed by the permit. Uses in this category require special scrutiny concerning location, size, and anticipated impact on adjacent uses. For the purposes of land use policy within the Village, the term "provisional use" replaces the term "conditional use" which is used within the Carlsbad Municipal Code. However, the Village Master Plan and Design Manual states that institutional uses which currently exist will be allowed to remain in District 9 with approval of a Master Site Plan for the use and related site. The proposed Master Site Plan supports the Village character for the area. The Army/Navy Academy is located in close proximity to mass transit, parks, the beach, retail, and commercial services. The project is consistent with the Village Master Plan and Design Manual and has also been determined to be consistent with the General Plan, as related to the Village Redevelopment Area. A small percentage of the Army/Navy Academy (ANA) campus is located outside of the Village Redevelopment Area and within the R-3 Zone. The project is consistent with the R-3 zone in that schools are allowed in the R-3 zone with the approval of a Conditional Use Permit. The original CUP for the ANA Master Site Plan was approved in 1995. This proposed amendment ARMY/NAVY ACADEMY MASTER SITE PLAN PAGES updates the Master Site Plan through graphics and text to illustrate the current vision of how Academy facilities will be distributed onsite as they are constructed in phases. The plan is beneficial and necessary in that it also includes the projection of what public improvements are necessary to support the growth of the ANA campus. There are no new uses introduced into the Master Site Plan that do not already exist within the existing plan. The updated Master Site Plan also creates a better physical layout and relationship between buildings and uses than the existing plan. VII. CONSISTENCY WITH VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT. R-3. and BEACH AREA OVERLAY ZONE STANDARDS Approval of the Master Site Plan will not grant any specific entitlements to construct any of the proposed facilities, but instead, will provide a master site plan framework for the review of future development. For the actual physical construction and renovation of each new facility and building location shown on the plan, the applicant will need to apply for individual permits. At that time, the Design Review Board or Planning Commission will determine compliance with the Master Site Plan and the requirements ofthe underlying zoning. Parking: The parking standards applicable to the Army/Navy Academy are those found in C.M.C. Chapter 21.44 (Parking). A modification to the parking standard is proposed for the Army/Navy Academy due to the specialized nature of the site. Variations in development standards may be implemented by the Design Review Board within the Village Redevelopment Area through a Redevelopment Permit and the Conditional Use Permit process may be used to modify standards outside of the Village Redevelopment Area. The modified standards are described below and are based on the following components. The Army/Navy Academy is a boarding school and on campus students are not allowed to have a car. The only exception to this rule is a select few seniors during the last two months of school. A number of requirements to this rule for obtaining this two month senior privilege, including grades, have historically limited this number to 2-3 students. Therefore, based on the policy that on-campus students do not drive to school and cannot have a car, a more appropriate standard for the Academy would be similar to an elementary school standard of 1 space per employee. To address the potential demand created by day cadets who do not live on campus, the following parking requirement will be used at 1 space per day cadet of driving age. The development of this requirement is based on the following assumptions: • Historically, approximately 10% of the students at the Academy are day cadets • Of this 10%, approximately one third is of driving age Future faculty housing will need to meet the requirements established in the Parking Ordinance as follows: • 2 spaces per 2-bedroom unit • 1.5 spaces per studio or 1-bedroom unit • 0 .5 guest space per unit for the first 10 units • 0.25 guest space per unit for each unit over the first 10 units The Army/Navy Academy is proposing to adjust the number of their required spaces due to the fact that those spaces are required twice. At build out, the Academy projects that there will be 37 staff members that will also live on campus in 37 faculty/staff apartments. Based on the above requirements, parking spaces are required once for the staff's on-site housing and then a second time for their status as an on-site employee. The unique situation of providing on-site ARMY/NAVY ACADEMY MASTER SITE PLAN PAGE 6 housing creates a double requirement for 37 parking stalls. To eliminate this redundancy, 37 parking spaces will be credited for the parking provided with the on-site staff housing. Therefore, the new standard for the Academy shall be 171 parking spaces. The following table provides a breakdown of the parking requirements. Build out parking req uirements School Parking requirement Count Spaces required Employees 1 space/employee 116 116 Students 1 space/day cadet 15 15 Housing 2 bedroom 2 spaces/unit 18 units 36 spaces 1 bedroom 1.5 spaces/unit 19 units 28.5 spaces Guest parking .5 space up to 10 units 10 units 5 spaces .3 space over 10 units 27 units 6.75 spaces Subtotal 207.25 spaces Adjust for double count -37 spaces Total parking required 171 spaces R-3 Multiple-Family Residential Zone and Beach Area Overlav Zone Three of the project's six planning areas are outside of the Village Redevelopment Area and are subject to the development standards of the R-3 and Beach Area Overlay Zones. The project is consistent with these Municipal Code sections in that the Master Site Plan is a planning document intended to guide the future redevelopment of the Army/Navy Academy but does not contain any development standards. As each development phase of the campus is proposed, an appropriate discretionary permit will be processed and the project will be measured against the development standards of the R-3 and Beach Area Overlay Zones. Furthermore, the project is consistent with the R-3 and Beach Area Overlay Zones in that the designated proposed future and existing uses (private school and staff housing) shown for each of the three planning areas outside of the Village Redevelopment Area are allowed uses in those Zones either by right or through the issuance of a Conditional Use Permit. Inclusionarv Housing Reguirements: All residential projects within the Village Redevelopment Area, R-3 zone and Beach Area Overlay Zone are subject to the City's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, Chapter 21.85 ofthe Carlsbad Municipal Code, and those requirements imposed by Redevelopment Law. In accordance with Redevelopment Law, 15% of the private housing units constructed within a redevelopment area must be affordable to low and moderate income persons, of which not less than 40% (or 6% of the total units) must be affordable to very low income households. At such time that the Army/Navy Academy requests approval to construct their staff housing, they will be subject to all inclusionary housing requirements applicable at that time. ARMY/NAVY ACADEMY MASTER SITE PLAN PAGE? VIII. CONSISTENCY WITH DESIGN GUIDELINES All new projects within the Village Redevelopment Area must make a good faith effort to design a project that is consistent with a village scale and character. In accordance with the design review process set forth in the Carlsbad Village Redevelopment Master Plan and Design Manual, the Design Review Board and the Housing and Redevelopment Commission, as appropriate, must be satisfied that the applicant has made an honest effort to conform to ten (10) basic design principles. These design principles are: 1. Development shall have an overall informal character. 2. Architectural design shall emphasize variety and diversity. 3. Development shall be small in scale. 4. Intensity of development shall be encouraged. 5. All development shall have a strong relationship to the street. 6. A strong emphasis shall be placed on the design of the ground floor facades. 7. Buildings shall be enriched with architectural features and details. 8. Landscaping shall be an important component of the architectural design. 9. Parking shall be visibly subordinated. 10. Signage shall be appropriate to a village character. The detailed design of individual buildings will be reviewed when applications for Redevelopment Permits, Site Development Plans, and Coastal Development Permits are submitted to ensure they comply with the criteria of the Army/Navy Master Site Plan and all other applicable City and State ordinances. IX. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Planning Department has conducted an environmental review of the above described project pursuant to the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act and the Environmental Protection Ordinance of the City of Carlsbad. As a result of said review, the initial study (EIA Part 2) identified no potentially significant environmental impacts and a Notice of Intent to adopt a Negative Declaration was published for the subject project by the Planning Director on August 10, 2008 and made available for public review. No comments were received on the environmental document. Adoption of Design Review Board Resolution No. 335, will recommend approval of the Negative Declaration for this project to the Housing and Redevelopment Commission and adoption of Planning Commission Resolution No. 6493 will approve the Negative Declaration for that portion of the project outside of the Village Redevelopment Area. X. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff is recommending approval of the project. The project will have a positive impact on both the City and the Village Redevelopment Area and will assist in fulfilling the goals and objectives ofthe General Plan and Village Redevelopment Master Plan and Design Manual. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Design Review Board Resolution No.334 (RP 05-04) 2. Design Review Board Resolution No. 335(Negative Declaration) 3. Planning Commission Resolution No. 6495 (CUP 94-02X1A) ARMY/NAVY ACADEMY MASTER SITE PLAN PAGES 4. Planning Commission Resolution No.6493 (Negative Declaration) 5. Location Map 6. Master Plan document w/phasing exhibits