The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCD 2021-0013; MARJA ACRES; Admin Decision LetterJune 23, 2021 Jason Han N UW Carlsbad, LLC 2001 Wilshire Boulevard, Ste. 401 Santa Monica, CA 90403 SUBJECT: CD 2021-0013 (DEV16038)-MARJA ACRES Ccityof Carlsbad The City Planner has completed a review of your application for a Consistency Determination, CD 2021- 0013, which is a request to review changes to CT 16-07, Marja Acres. The Marja Acres project, approved by the City Council on November 3, 2020, includes 248 townhomes, 46 affordable senior apartments, and 10,000 square feet of specialty commercial uses on 20.65 acres at 4901 El Camino Real. The subject Consistency Determination entails a request to: 1) eliminate the rooftop decks from the large townhomes (a total of 91); and 2) replace one large townhome 4-plex with a small townhome 4-plex near the secondary eastern entrance to facilitate pedestrian access to the model homes. After careful consideration of the request, the City Planner has determined that the request meets all of the findings below and APPROVES this request. The proposed modifications include the following: • Elimination of 91 roof top decks and stairwell projection from the large town home design. As a result, no roof top decks will be built as part of the Marja Acres project. The removal of the roof top decks from the design includes minor modifications to the floor plan and elevations. The town homes remain in compliance with the Planned Development requirements for private open space. • Replacement of a large townhome 4-plex with a small townhome 4-plex near the secondary eastern entrance to the project site. This change allows for both the large and small townhomes to be located near the entrance and eliminates the need for potential buyers to access the interior of the site, which will still be under construction. The approved site plan currently identifies the large town home units near the secondary eastern entrance as lCL, 2CL, 3CL and 4CL (ADA). The proposed site plan identifies the proposed units as lCS, 2CS, 3CS and 4CS (ADA). To reduce the impacts associated with this change, the 3-plex currently identified as 885, 895 and 905 on the site plan near the southwest corner of the site will be changed to BBL, 89L and 90L. The net result of this change is one less large townhome and one additional small townhome. In order for o Discretionary Permit Consistency Determination to be approved, all of the following findings must be made: Community Development Planning Division I 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 I 760-602-4600 I 760-602-8560 f I www.carlsbadca.gov ·,. " CD 2021-0013 (DEV16038)-MARJA ACRES June 23, 2021 Pa e 2 1) No project condition, feature, facility or amenity is changed or deleted thot hod been considered essential to the project's design, quality, safety or function in that the roof top decks were not considered essential to the project design or quality and the safety and function of the project will be maintained. The swapping of the townhome unit types near the southeastern entrance ,.. · Is· also not considered essential to the design and helps facilitate pedestrian access to the model homes during construction of the project. 2) The request represents on upgrade in overall design features and or materials and improves upon the project's compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood in that the removal of the proposed roof decks from the design reduces the potential for noise complaints from the adjacent residential land uses. Further, as the stairwell projection providing access to the roof decks will be removed, the height impacts will be reduced. Finally, neighborhood concerns regarding aesthetics are reduced since there will not be any roof top deck furniture or shade structures. The addition of one small townhome and reduction in one large townhome will have no impact on the compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. 3) The proposed revision does not change the density or boundary of the subject property in that no additional residential units are proposed, and the boundaries of the project will remain the same. 4) The proposed revision does not involve the addition of a new land use not shown on the original permit in that no new land uses are proposed. 5) . The proposed revision does not rearrange the major land uses within the development in that the major land uses approved in conjunction with the Marja Acres project, specifically the townhomes, senior apartments and the commercial uses, remain as part of the project and the location is not changing. 6) The proposed revision does not create changes of greater than ten percent provided that compliance will be maintained with the applicable development standards of the Carlsbad Municipal Code in that the roof top deck area was not required to satisfy the private open space requirements for the townhomes. The private open space requirement for each unit will continue to be consistent with the Planned Development Ordinance. Specifically, each of the units have a porch, balcony or combination thereof which satisfies the minimum dimensions and size requirements of the Planned Development Ordinance. 7) The proposed change will not result in any significant environmental impact, and/or require additional mitigation In that the changes are minor in nature and are located within the approved development footprint, as analyzed pursuant to EIR 2017-0001. B) The proposed change would not result in any health, safety or welfare impacts. 9) There were not any major issues or controversies associated with the original project which would be exacerbated with the proposed change in that the inclusion of roof top decks in the project design was a controversial project feature for some of the adjacent residentsto the south. Prior to the approval of CT 16-07, several of the roof decks were removed around the southern perimeter af the project site. The subject proposal will remove the remaining roof decks from the project, further reducing the potential for concern from the adjacent residential communities regarding noise and aesthetics. CD 2021-0013 (DEV16038)-MARJA ACRES June 23, 2021 Pa e 3 10) The proposed change would not be readily discernable to the decision makers as being substantially different from the project as originally approved in that the removal of the stairwell providing access to the rooftop decks will eliminate all rooftop projections from the project design. While the removal of the roof top decks from the large townhome product type changes the design, the overall height will be reduced, and the modern farmhouse architectural style of the large townhomes will be retained. The replacement of a large town home 4-plex with a small townhome 4-plex near the secondary eastern entrance to the project site will not be readily discernable to the decision-makers. After careful consideration of the circumstances surrounding this request, the City Planner has determined that the application qualifies for a consistency determination with the approved permit and therefore, approves the changes to the project based on Planning Division Administrative Policy No. 35. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact your project planner, Shannon Harker, at (760) 602-4621 or shannon.harker@carlsbadca.gov. CITY OF CARLSBAD DON NEU, AICP City Planner DN:SH:cf c: Marja Dawn Selna, 6284 Forester Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Stan Weiler, HWL, 2888 Loker Avenue East, Ste. 217, Carlsbad, CA 92010 Jonathan Frankel, Atlantis Group Land Use Consultants, 2488 Historic Decatur Rd., Suite 220, San Diego, CA 92106 Allison Mclaughlin, Proje_ct Engineer, File Copy Data Entry/HPRM