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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEIR 93-02; Green Valley; Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (32)h December 1, 1993 Mr. Bailey Noble, Chairman Carlsbad Planning Commission City of Carlsbad 2075 Las Palmas Drive Carlsbad, CA 92009-1 576 PBD Tbchnologles Planning 401 W "A' Street Engineermg Suite 2500 Transportation San Diego. CA 92101 Environmental FAX 6191234-3022 Economics 619 /232-4466 Landscape Architecture An Employee-Owned Company Re: Dear Commissioners: Green Valley Mini Commercial Site City staff has requested the applicant, Carlsbad Partners, Ltd.,to delete Planning Area 5 land uses from the Master Plan submittal. Planning Area 5 has accommodated a small commercial facility for a numbers of years and is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of La Costa Avenue and El Camino Real. The existing use on this site is commonly referred to as the "Red Barn." Attached is a copy of the Master Plan which deals with this site which staff has deleted from the plan. The applicant disagrees with this modification of the Master Plan document, and believes Planning Area 5 should be retained in the Master Plan. The following is an overview of the issues. c BACKGROUND The three-acre site is an existing commercial use comprised of the "Red Barn", two small parking lots and a graded pad. It has been used for commercial purposes for many years back prior to the annexation of the parcel from the County of San Diego. The existing two access points and parking lots were installed by the City of Carlsbad by agreement as part of the widening of La Costa Avenue in exchange for the owner's dedication of right-of-way for both La Costa and El Camino Real. The applicant and the City staff have a difference of opinion with respect to the future use of this portion of the Green Valley property. This has resulted in a staff recommended plan and an applicant's requested plan alternative. /I The applicant's plan is to continue the commercial land use of the site but when economically viable, replace the existing "Red Barn" structure with a building nearer the corner and possibly a small second structure to the south. This is illustrated on the attached site plan. Existing access would remain the same, and the property would additionally be subjected to a site plan Planning Commission City of Carlsbad r r December 1, 1993 Page 2 and architectural review process at a later date. At this master plan stage the central issue is one of establishing the appropriate land use for this site. The staff recommendation is that this entire area should be designated as open space and the existing structure and parking areas removed. There are three issues which have been put forward in discussions regarding this site; general plan land use policies, specific types of land use, and traffic. 1. General Plan Land Use Policies The issue regarding general plan land use is centered around the interpretation of policies in the Carlsbad Open Space and Conservation Resource Management Plan (COSCRMP). The Green Valley EIR discusses the COSCRMP on pages 4.1-13 and 4.1-14. The applicant feels that the discussion in the EIR of the COSCRMP is an incomplete presentation of the plan's provisions as it relates to Planning Area 5. The EIR focuses on the idea that this is one of a series of strips of land located between the existing riparian corridor and El Camino Real which should be open space. However, in addition to the material presented in the EIR analysis the COSCRMP states that: "Although the ultimate use for the property at this major intersection may be commercial, this would not preclude the establishment of a secondary (trail) staging area." If the open space policies intended to include this existing developed areas as part of the "additional strips of land between El Camino Real and the riparian corridor" to be included as open space, this would not have been discussed as a possible commercial site. In addition, there is no reasoning in the COSCRMP or in any other applicable plan or policy, how an existing building, two paved parking areas and a graded pad would be considered an integral part of a natural open space system. The only reasonable conclusion from an analysis of the COSCRMP is that this area was not to be include as part of these "strips" to be designated as open space. The "strips of land" do exist in several places on the property south along El Camino Real, and they are properly included in the project open space area. There is no policy basis for changing the existing use and access. Planning Commission City of Carlsbad December 1, 1993 Page 3 2. SDecific Land Uses The issue regarding specific land uses has centered around the potential for uses that would be seen as inappropriate in this location. These might include a gas station, liquor store, fast food outlet, etc. In response the applicant has restricted the kinds of uses to the very narrow range listed on Page IV-54 of the attached document. The intent is a relatively low intensity use with small scale structures, a landscaped corner, and drive and parking located behind the building. From a purely locational perspective the intersection of the major arterial roadways is both very desirable and extremely valuable. In fact, this locational circumstance is not present anywhere else on the 28 1 -acre site. The restricted types of land use, the master plan design criteria and the future site plan and architectural review process allows protection such that the development of this site will be an asset to Carlsbad. 3. Traffic and Circulation The proposed site plan for Planning Area 5, which has been subject to further refinements not included in the draft EIR analysis, does respond to all significant issues related to compatibility with circulation at the La Costa/El Camino Real intersection. A copy of the refined site plan is included in the attachment. The proposed site plan has nowhere near the traffic impacts that the existing service station use on the northeast corner of the same intersection as suggested on Page 4.1-1 6 of the EIR. The two access points along El Camino Real already exist to serve the existing commercial use and are much further removed from the intersection than the access points into the existing service station. Right-in and right-out movements are well established methods to solve access to properties near intersections and along major streets. This is particularly true where the amount of traffic requiring access is low. The original master plan proposal, plus the subsequent refinements that have been suggested by the applicant, establish a workable circulation system for this site. SUMMARY The applicant believes that the issues cited by the staff have either been resolved through changes to the land use and design criteria, or are applications of policy inappropriate to the circumstances. The staff alternative to terminate the existing use and remove all improve- r Planning Commission City of Carlsbad r December 1, 1993 Page 4 ments from the site does not seem a reasonable response to the situation. We request your approval of the applicant's alternative for this site. Very truly yours, ,