HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-11-17; Planning Commission; ; PDP 1G|CDP 04-19 - BUILDING PROGRAMle City of Carlsbad Planning Departmen~
A REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION
P.C. AGENDA OF: November 17, 2004
ItemNo.@
Application complete date: July 28, 2004
Project Planner: Elaine Blackburn
Project Engineer: Clyde Wickham
SUBJECT: PDP l(G)ICDP 04-19 -BUILDING PROGRAM -Request for a
recommendation to adopt a Negative Declaration and a recommendation of
approval of a Precise Development Plan Amendment and approval of a Coastal
Development Permit to allow constrnction of two new operations and
maintenance buildings totaling approximately 43,000 square feet on a developed
site containing the existing Encina Wastewater Pollution Control Facility on a site
located on the east side of Avenida Encinas between Poinsettia Lane and Palomar
Airport Road and within Local Facilities Management Zone 3.
I. RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Commission ADOPT Planning Commission Resolution No. 5792
RECOMMENDING ADOPTION of a Negative Declaration and ADOPT Planning
Commission Resolutions No. 5793 and 5794 RECOMMENDING APPROVAL of Precise
Development Plan PDP l(G) and APPROVING Coastal Development Permit CDP 04-19 based
upon the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein.
II. INTRODUCTION
The proposed project is a request for approval of a Precise Development Plan (PDP) Amendment
and a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to allow constrnction of two new buildings (an
operations building and a maintenance _building) on the site of the Encina Water Pollution
Control Facility (EWPCF) on the east side of Avenida Encinas. The proposed buildings would
house current operations and maintenance staff and would also provide a new driveway entrance
and parking area for visitors to the facility. There are no outstanding planning issues related to
the proposed project. Staff believes that all required findings can be made and is recommending
approval of the project.
III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND
Project Description
The proposed project consists of the construction of two new buildings and the demolition of one
older building. The two new buildings would be constructed along the western side of the water
treatment facility campus (adjacent to Avenida Encinas) and near the northern property line. The
two new buildings and a related central parking area would be constructed over the site of the
existing operations building.
The first new building, and the larger of the two, is a new operations building. The new
operations building would be two stories (40' high) and would contain 30,460 square feet of area
it'. .,. . ..,
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to house the operations staff (42 employees). The new operations building would be located in
the northwestern comer of the project site. The design of that building incorporates numerous
elements including: masonry walls, glass planks, aluminum siding panels and sunshades, a
curved metal roof, and operable windows. Portions of the building would include an exterior
railing and metal perimeter security fencing (up to 6' high). Bollard lights and landscape planters.
will also be provided. The new maintenance building would be located just south of the new
operations building. The maintenance building would also be two stories (30'-8" high) and
would contain 12,506 square feet of area to house the current maintenance staff (22 employees).
The maintenance building design incorporates masonry walls and a seat wall, aluminum
sunshades, and a curved metal roof. Portions of this building would also include metal perimeter
security fencing (up to 6' high). Again, bollard lights would be provided.
A new driveway and a new parking area would be added between the two new buildings
providing an opportunity for more convenient visitor parking. Earthwork volumes for the
proposed project would consist of 2,842 cubic yards (CY) of cut, 507 CY of fill, and 2,335 CY
of export.
Site Description
The existing EWPCF campus occupies a site consisting of three parcels totaling approximately
25 acres and located between Avenida Encinas on the west and I-5 on the east and between
Poinsettia Lane on the south and Palomar Airport Road on the north. The site is fully developed
with uses associated with the water treatment facility. The site contains landscaped setbacks on
the western and northern perimeters of the property. The site is generally flat and contains no
ornamental vegetation other than the landscaped setbacks and no native vegetation. The site is
bisected east to west by a flood control channel. The southern portion of the campus contains
aeration basins and a storage building ( eastern edge), chemical storage and odor control facilities
(center), and secondary clarifiers (western edge). The northern portion contains digesters, a
power building, and shop areas on the east, and primary clarifiers and other processing facilities
in the central area. The northwestern portion of the site contains some small facilities (pump
station, etc.), the existing operations building (9,697 sq. ft.) and three modulars to house
operations/maintenance staff not accommodated by the operations building, and parking
associated with those uses. The proposed project would demolish the existing operations
building and construct two new operations and maintenance buildings and new centralized
parking for those structures. One of the three existing modulars would be removed when the
new buildings are completed.
The project site carries a Public Utilities (U) General Plan designation and Public Utility (P-U)
zoning. The surrounding area contains a variety of industrial uses. The area north of the project
site has a Planned Industrial (PI) General Plan designation and Industrial (M) zoning. That area
is developed with a variety of office and quasi-industrial uses. The project site is bounded on the
east by I-5 and on the west by Avenida Encinas, which both have a Transportation Corridor (TC)
General Plan designation and T-C zoning. The area immediately south of the project site has a
General Plan designation of Plaimed Industrial/Office (Pl/O) and Planned Industrial/Office
(PM/O) zoning. That area (approximately 45 acres) contains the recently completed water
recycling facility and several acres of undeveloped land.
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Background/Prior Actions
There have been a number of prior permit actions on the subject site. (See Table 1 "Permit
History" below.) The EWPCF was built in the 1960's to provide primary wastewater treatment
prior to deep ocean disposal. Planning for secondary treatment began during the early 1970s.
The treatment plant was commissioned in 1983 for primary and secondary treatment. Other than
the addition of the three modulars, the existing operations and maintenance areas have remained
in their original size and configuration since the mid-1980s. Consequently, some staff work
areas remain cramped.
Table 1 -PERMIT HISTORY
PROJECT APPROVALS DESCRIPTION
NUMBER
PDP 1 Planning Commission Expansion of EWPCF and
May 25, 1979; PC Reso No. 1514; upgrade of plant to secondary
City Council treatment (to comply with
June 19, 1979; CC Reso No. 5812 Federal and State wastewater
treatment guidelines)
PDP l(A) Planning Commission Phase III -An expansion
May 26, 1982; PC Reso No. 1962 ( construction of sedimentation
City Council tank)
July 6, 1982; CC Reso No.6926
PDP l(B) Planning Commission Delay for the remodel of
April 27, 1983; PC Reso No. 2113 existing storage building
PDP l(C) Planning Commission Phase IV expansion; superseded
March 15, 1989; PC Reso No. 2830 PC Reso No. 2113 and CC Reso
City Council No. 6926
June, 1989;AB9981
PDP l(D) Planning Commission Modular office units; conditions
October 2, 1996; PC Reso No. 3992; of approval per PDP l(C) (PC
City Council Reso No. 2830)
December 3, 1996; CC Reso No. 96-415
PDP l(E) Planning Commission Replacement of pump station
April 21, 1999; PC Resos No. 4544, 4545 and addition of electrical
City Council equipment building
June 15, 1999; CC Reso No. 99-216
PDP l(F) Withdrawn Tenant improvement of existing
facility and building add in for
office use.
IV. ANALYSIS
The project requires approval of the following legislative actions:
A. Precise Development Plan Amendment
The project is subject to the following regulations and requirements:
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B. Carlsbad General Plan Public Utilities (U) designation regulations;
C. Public Utility (P-U) Zone regulations (Chapter 21.36 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code);
D. Coastal Development regulations for the Coastal Resource Protection Overlay Zone LCP
Segment (Chapters 21.201 and 21.203 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code); and
E. Growth Management regulations (Chapter 21.90 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code).
The recommendation for approval for this project was developed by analyzing the project's
consistency with the applicable City regulations and policies. The project's compliance with
each of the above regulations is discussed in detail in the sections below.
A. Legislative Actions
Pursuant to the Public Utility (P-U) Zone regulations, the proposed project requires the approval
of a Precise Development Plan (PDP) Amendment, a legislative action. Unlike some other
legisla,tive actions ( e.g., a Specific Plan), processing of a PDP or PDP Amendment is not
governed by specific State Codes. Instead, the P-U Zone regulations provide that a PDP
Amendment be processed in the same manner as a zone change and be approved by City
Council. Section IV.C of this report (Public Utility Zoning) contains a detailed discussion of the
proposed PDP Amendment and its compliance with P-U zone requirements.
Regulatory Compliance
B. General Plan
The proposed project site has a General Plan designation of Public Utilities (U) and contains the
existing EWPCF wastewater treatment facility. The proposed project is an expansion of the
existing operations and maintenance areas, essentially office uses needed to serve the current
staff of the facility. As demonstrated in Table 2, below, the proposed project is consistent with
the U General Plan designation.
Table 2 -GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
ELEMENT USE, GOAL, PROPOSED USES OR CONSISTENT?
OBJECTIVE, OR IMPROVEMENTS
PROGRAM
Land Use, Overall Arrange land uses so Expansion of operations and Yes
Land Use Pattern, that they preserve maintenance areas for
Policy C.1 community identity current EWPCF staff.
and are orderly,
functionally efficient,
healthful, convenient
to the public and
aesthetically pleasing.
Land Use, Growth A City which ensures Expansion of operations and Yes
Management & Public the timely provision maintenance areas for
Facilities, Goal A.1 of adequate public current EWPCF staff.
facilities and services
to preserve the quality
of life of residents.
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C. Public Utility (P-U) Zoning
The purposes of the P-U Zone are: 1) to ensure compatibility of the development with the
General Plan and surrounding developments; 2) to ensure that due regard is given to
environmental factors; and, 3) to provide for public improvements and other conditions of
approval necessitated by the development. Uses proposed for the P-U Zone are allowed subject
to the approval of a PDP processed in the same manner as a zone change. (See Section IV.A,
"Legislative Actions," above.) The P-U Zone recognizes the unique nature of most public utility
uses and, thus, contains only two specific development standards (7,500 sq. ft. minimum lot area
and 50% maximum lot coverage). The zone provides that all other development restrictions (i.e.,
conditions) shall be as determined necessary and consistent with the P-U chapter, the General
Plan, and any other applicable specific plan. These potential conditions include, but would not
be limited to: setbacks; bulldheight restrictions; fences and walls; signage; landscaping; special
grading restrictions; requiring street dedications/improvements; requiring public improvements
on or off the project site that are needed to serve the proposed development; timing/phasing of
the proposed project; regulation of points of ingress/egress; and parking.
Staff has reviewed the proposed project design for compliance with specific code requirements,
compatibility with surrounding uses, and reasonableness. The proposed project satisfies the lot
size requirement and the maximum lot coverage limit for the P-U zone. The heights of the
proposed buildings (40' and 30'-8") are within the height limits allowed by City regulations in
similar industrially-zoned areas and are below the height of other structures on the EWPCF
project site. (Heights of existing major buildings on the project site range from 27'-6" to 44'.)
Therefore, staff believes the proposed heights are reasonable and compatible with the
surrounding area. The existing operations building is set back 49'-5" from Avenida Encinas.
Construction of the two new buildings would result in a setback of 24'-3" at the closest point (the
north end of the proposed operations building). That represents a reduction from the current
setback; however, staff believes a minimum 24' setback is reasonable and consistent with the
surrounding area. Also, the setback will be fully landscaped between the building and A venida
Encinas and between the proposed parking area and A venida Encinas. The interior side setbacks
(north and south sides) and rear setback (adjacent to I-5 on the east side) would remain
unchanged by the current development proposal. The EWPCF facility in its current size and
configuration provides a total of 90 parking spaces. The proposed project would provide a total
of 127 parking spaces (4 more than required under the new design). The proposed project would
provide new parking spaces located between the two new buildings for optimal convenience.
Because of the unique nature of the EWPCF use, the parking requirement for this use was
determined by an analysis of the number of employees on the site and the anticipated number of
visitors rather than by a floor area calculation. If this project is ultimately approved by City
Council, the development standards incorporated into the amended site plan would become the
adopted minimum development standards for the project. Based upon this analysis, staff
believes the proposed development standards are reasonable and are compatible with the
surrounding development.
Table 3 -P-U ZONE & PARKING COMPLIANCE
STANDARD REQUIRED/ALLOWED PROVIDED
Use Public Utility Wastewater treatment facility
Min. Lot Area 7,500 sq. ft. 25.23 ac (1,103,200 sq. ft.)
Max. Lot Coverage 50% 46.5% (total site, including
proposed project)
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Table 3 -P-U ZONE & PARKING COMPLIANCE CONTINUED
STANDARD REQUIRED/ALLOWED PROVIDED
Max. Building Height Council approval 40' (Operations Bldg)
30'-8" (Maintenance Bldg)
Min. Front Yard Council approval 24'-3" (Operations Bldg)
Min. Interior Side Yards Council approval 130' (north side)
unchanged (south side)
Min. Rear yard Council approval Unchanged
Parking Council approval 127 (for entire EWPCF site)
D. Coastal Development Regulations
The proposed project is within the Mello II segment of the Coastal Zone. The policies of the
Mello II segment of the Coastal Zone emphasize preservation of prime agriculture and scenic
resources, protection of environmentally sensitive lands, provision of shoreline access, and
prevention of geologic instability and erosion. The site of the proposed project does not and has
not in recent history supported agricultural uses and has not been designated as protected
agricultural land. The site also contains no scenic resources, no slopes, and no environmentally
sensitive lands. Therefore, there is nothing on the site to be preserved or protected. The site is
fully developed with the wastewater treatment facility. The site does not and could not provide
any shoreline access. (It is located on the east side of Avenida Encinas.) Finally, a geotechnical
study was prepared for the proposed project and concluded that the site is appropriate for the
proposed project. Therefore, the proposed project is consistent with the land use policies and
requirements of the Mello II segment.
E. Growth Management
The proposed project is located within Local Facilities Management Zone 3 in the southwest
quadrant of the City. The impacts on public facilities created by the project, and its compliance
with the adopted performance standards, are summarized in Table 4 below.
Table 4: GROWTH MANAGEMENT COMPLIANCE
STANDARD IMPACTS COMPLIANCE
City Administration NIA NIA
Library NIA NIA
Waste Water Treatment NIA NIA
Parks NIA NIA
Drainage 15 cfs; Basin C Yes
Circulation 218 ADT Yes
Fire Station No. 4 Yes
Open Space NIA NIA
Schools NIA Yes
Elementary School Students NIA NIA
Middle School Students NIA NIA
High School Students NIA NIA
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Table 4: GROWTH MANAGEMENT COMPLIANCE CONTINUED
STANDARD IMPACTS COMPLIANCE
Sewer Collection System 25EDU Yes
Water 5,500 GPD Yes
V. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Initial Study was prepared for the proposed project pursuant to the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA). That study concluded that the project, as designed and conditioned, would
not result in potentially significant environmental impacts. No sensitive habitat or agricultural
operations exist on the project site. Therefore, a Notice oflntent to Issue a Negative Declaration
was issued on October 12, 2004. No public comments were received during the review period.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Planning Commission Resolution No. 5792 (ND)
2. Planning Commission Resolution No. 5793 (PDP Amendment)
3. Planning Commission Resolution No. 5794 (CDP)
4. Location Map
5. Background Data Sheet
6. Local Facilities Impact Assessment Form
7. Disclosure Statement
8. Full Size Exhibits "A" -"V" dated November 17, 2004
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BUILDING PROGRAM
PDP 1 (G)/CDP 04-19
CASE NO:
-BACKGROUNDDATASHEET -
PDP l(G)ICDP 04-19
CASE NAME: BUILDING PROGRAM
APPLICANT: ENCINA WASTEWATER AUTHORITY
REQUEST AND LOCATION: Constrnction of two new operations and maintenance buildings
totaling approximately 43,000 square feet on a developed site containing the Encina Wastewater
Treatment Facility, on the east side of Avenida Encinas between Poinsettia Lane and Palomar
Airport Road.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Assessors Parcel Numbers 214-010-95, 211-030-060, 211-030-080
APN: 214-010-95, 211-030-06, 08 Acres: approx. 3 Proposed No. of Lots/Units: _N~/A~---
GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING
Land Use Designation: "'""PU-=-------------------------
Density Allowed: ~N~/A ______ _ Density Proposed: ~N~/A~----------
Existing Zone: "'""P---'-U:;__ ______ _ Proposed Zone: _N_/A ___________ _
Surrounding Zoning, General Plan and Land Use:
Zoning General Plan Current Land Use
Site P-U u Wastewater treatment facility
North M P-I Industrial & commercial
South P-M/O PI/O Recycled water facility
East TC TC I-5 Freeway
West TC TC A venida Encinas & railroad line
PUBLIC FACILITIES
School District: Carlsbad Unified Water District: Carlsbad Sewer District: Carlsbad ~~-----
Equivalent Dwelling Units (Sewer Capacity): =2-"--5 _______________ _
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
~ Notice of Intention to Adopt Negative Declaration, issued October 12, 2004
D Certified Environmental Impact Report, dated ______________ _
D Other, ___________________________ _
-CITY OF CARLSBAD
GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
LOCAL FACILITIES IMPACTS ASSESSMENT FORM
(To be Submitted with Development Application)
PROJECT IDENTITY AND IMP ACT ASSESSMENT:
FILE NAME AND NO: BUILDING PROGRAM-PDP l(G)ICDP 04-19
LOCAL FACILITY MANAGEMENT ZONE: J GENERAL PLAN: _PU _______ _
ZONING: ~P-~U'--------------------------
DEVELOPER'S NAME: ENCINA WASTEWATER AUTHORITY
ADDRESS: 6200 A VENIDA ENCINAS, CARLSBAD, CA 92009
PHONE NO.: 760-476-9852 ASSESSOR'S PARCEL NO.: 214-010-95, 211-030-06, 08
QUANTITY OF LAND USE/DEVELOPMENT (AC., SQ. FT., DU): ~3-~3-~A~C _____ _
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: NIA ~'--"-------------------
A. City Administrative Facilities: Demand in Square Footage = NIA
B. Library: Demand in Square Footage = NIA
C. Wastewater Treatment Capacity (Calculate with J. Sewer) NIA
D. Parle Demand in Acreage = NIA
E. Drainage: Demand in CFS = 15
Identify Drainage Basin = C
(Identify master plan facilities on site plan)
F. Circulation: Demand in ADT = 218
(Identify Trip Distribution on site plan)
G. Fire: Served by Fire Station No. = 4
H. Open Space: Acreage Provided = NIA
I. Schools: NIA
(Demands to be determined by staff)
J. Sewer: Demands in EDU 25
Identify Sub Basin = 3B
(Identify trnnk line(s) impacted on site plan)
K. Water: Demand in GPD = 5 500