HomeMy WebLinkAboutRP 84-01; TWIN INNS RESORT; Redevelopment Permits (RP)APPLICATION^UBMITTAL DATE:
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STAFF REPORT
DATE: February 22, 1984
TO: Design Review Board
FROM: Land Use Planning Office
SUBJECT: RP 84-1 - TWIN INNS - Request for a Redevelopment
Permit to refurbish the Twin Inns restaurant, construct
161 hotel units and 11,025 square feet of retail space
on property surrounded by Carlsbad Boulevard, Elm
Avenue, Grand Avenue and Washington Street in Sub-area
5 of the V-R zone.
I . RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Design Review Board ADOPT Resolution
No. 030 recommending DENIAL of RP 84-1 to the Housing and
Redevelopment Commission based on the findings contained
therein.
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant is requesting a Redevelopment Permit for the Twin
Inns property located as described above. The project will
encompass the entire block bounded by Carlsbad Boulevard,
Washington Street, Grand and Elm Avenues with the exception of
the existing doctor's office and tackle shop on the northwest
corner of the block. This site has an area of 3.66 acres. The
majority of the property is vacant at the present time except for
the portion occupied by the Twin Inn buildings and its parking
lot.
The existing Twin Inns restaurant will be refurbished and a
portion of it will be used as a check-in office for the hotel
portion of the project. One hundred sixty-one hotel units will
be located in a three story building which will be constructed
around the perimeter of the property and down the middle of the
project. These buildings will not exceed a height limit of 35
feet as defined by the City's ordinance. A banquet room and
clubhouse facility for guests staying at the hotel will be
located at the southeast corner of the property. Approximately
11,000 square feet of retail space is being proposed on the first
floor of the portion of the building fronting on Grand Avenue.
As shown by the site plan, the project will be oriented inwards
around two central courtyards. One of the courtyards will have
a swimming pool and spa while the other will have two tennis
courts and a large grassy area. One hundred fifty-two parking
spaces will be located in an underground parking garage. People
will be able to obtain access to and from this garage from
Carlsbad Boulevard or Washington Avenue.
The applicant proposes an additional eighty parking spaces along
both sides of Washington Street. These parking spaces would
eliminate a large portion of Rotary Park and require that the
applicant obtain a lease from the AT&SF Railroad to use this
property for parking. The applicant is also requesting that the
City vacate Washington Street since it will essentially become a
driveway for the project parking. If the City vacates Washington
Street it will become a one way private driveway from Elm Avenue
to Grand Avenue. The project as proposed would necessitate the
relocation of the North County Transit District bus stop from its
present site adjacent to the property on Grand Avenue.
III. ANALYSIS
Planning Issues
1) Does the proposed project conform with the requirements
of the Zoning Ordinance?
2) Does the proposed project conform with the goals of Sub-
area 5 of the Village Redevelopment Area?
Discussion
This staff report is based on a rapid review of a revised site
plan that was submitted on Friday, February 17, 1984. There is
a possibility that other problems may exist, but staff has not
had the time to fully review the revised plan. Staff believes
that this project should be scheduled for a later hearing date,
but the applicant wished to have the project presented at this
hearing.
At this time there are a number of Planning and Engineering
concerns that have not been resolved. Staff can not recommend
approval of this project until these items are resolved.
As mentioned previously, this project is proposing the use of
Washington Street as a private driveway to provide access to
surface and subterranean parking. This would require that the
City vacate Washington Street as a public street. Staff believes
that Washington Street is an integral part of the downtown area
traffic circulation system. East bound traffic on Grand Avenue,
particularly buses, now using Washington Street to gain access to
Elm Avenue would be shifted to State Street.
At the present time. State Street has diagonal parking. The
City's Traffic Engineer has advised that streets with diagonal
parking have an accident rate of two to four times that of
streets with parallel parking. Additional traffic, especially
buses, will intensify this problem. This additional traffic
would also tend to destroy the much devised pedestrian
orientation of State Street.
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This project also proposed a driveway 45 feet to the north of
the intersection of Elm Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard. This
driveway is too close to the intersection and poses a hazard to
vehicles turning right from Elm Avenue onto Carlsbad Boulevard.
As proposed, the parking for this project does not comply with
the City's- parking requirements even with a 15% reduction for
shared parking. According to the plan submitted by the applicant
this project is only 10 spaces short. However, a number of the
parking spaces in the underground parking garage and parking lot
adjacent to the Twin Inns do not comply with City standards and
should be eliminated for safety purposes. The landscape plans
for this project provide for a minimal amount of landscaping in
the parking areas. As normally required staff would recommend
that a few planter inslands be provided to break up the long rows
of parking, these islands would eliminate a number of parking
spaces.
In addition, 80 of the required parking spaces for this project
are located in the AT&SF Railroad right-of-way (Rotary Park
area). All of these parking spaces would be eliminated if the'
railroad should fail to approve or subsequently renew a lease
allowing parking in the railroad right-of-way. Most if not all
of these parking concerns could probably be resolved by an
expansion of the underground parking garage.
In conclusion staff strongly recommends that this project either
be denied or the applicant be directed to work with staff and
return to the Design Review Board when all of the major issues
have been resolved. This site is very important to the City as a
whole and to the redevelopment of downtown Carlsbad. Staff feels
that given additional time these issues can be resolved.
IV. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Land Use Planning Manager has determined that this project
will not have a significant impact on the environment and,
therefore, has issued a Negative Declaration on February 10,
1984.
ATTACHMENTS
1) Design Review Board Resolution No. 030
2) Location Map
3) Background Data Sheet
4) Disclosure Form
5) Reduced Exhibits
6) Exhibits "C" - "F" and "I" - "J", dated January 6, 1984,
Exhibits "A", "G", and "H", dated February 17, 1984
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2/17/84
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BACKGROUND DATA SHEET
CASE NO: RP 84-1
APPLICANT: Twin Inns
REQUEST AND LOCATION: Redevelopment Permit to refurbish the Twin Inns, con-
struct hotel units, banquet facilities and 11,000 square feet of retail
space.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: A portion of Tract 96 of Carlsbad Lands according to Map
No. 1661, filed March 1, 1915. APN; 203-174-6 & 7
Acres 3.66 Proposed No. of Lots/tJnits ••'
GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING
Land Use Designation Central Business District
Density Allowed Density Proposed
Existing Zone V-R Proposed Zone V-R
Surrounding Zoning and Land Use:
Zoning Land Use
Site V-R Restaurant
NortJi V-R Restaurant
Soutdi V-R Conmercial
East V-R Commercial
West V-R Conroercial
PUBLIC FACILITIES
School District Carlsbad Water Carlsbad Sewer Carlsbad EDU's _____
Public Facilities Fee Agreement, dated December 31, 1983
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
X Negative Declaration, issued February 10, 1984
E.I.R. Certified, dated
Other,
LOCATION MAP
TWIN INNS f RP 84-1