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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCD 2023-0003; MONROE STREET POOL REPLACEMENT PROJECT; Admin Decision LetterCCityof Carlsbad Feb. 7,2023 l3FILE COPY Kyle Lancaster Parks & Recreation Director Parks & Recreation Department City of Carlsbad 799 Pine Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 SUBJECT: CD 2023-0003 (PUB2023-0004) -MONROE STREET POOL REPLACEMENT PROJECT The City Planner has completed a review of your application for a Consistency Determination, CD 2023- 0003, which is a modification to CUP-158, a conditional use permit approved in 1979 for construction of a municipal pool complex at 3401 Monroe Street (APN: 205-140-36). The pool, adjacent to Carlsbad High School and completed in 1982, needs renovation and replacement work to address degraded finishes, building code requirements and sound attenuation. CD 2023-0003 considers those proposed modifications as provided in Capital Improvement Program Project No. 4724, Concept 3. This third design concept includes an expansion of the pool plus other enhancements as listed below. After careful consideration of the request, the City Planner has determined that the request meets all the findings below and APPROVES this request. The proposed modifications include: 1. Expansion of pool for larger swimming area {50% more lanes) and water polo competitions 2. New 8-foot-tall wall with gates along Monroe Street side to reduce sound from the pool 3. Larger pool deck with lockers 4. New exterior deck showers and renovated locker rooms 5. More shade structures and bleachers 6. Larger parking lot through the addition of seven new parking spaces 7. New entrances including an outdoor option that will no longer require passing through the locker rooms 8. Reconfigured lobby, new first aid/administration offices and meeting/event room 9. Replacement of pool tile, plaster, piping, pool deck, drainage, pumps and filters 10. New building with mechanical room and family restrooms 11. Separate mechanical room access for service vehicles to reduce parking lot impacts for users 12. Replacement of existing solar water heating system and installation of rooftop solar panels to generate electricity 13. Enhancement of equipment storage space 14. New service area and trash enclosure Community Development Department Planning Division I 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 I 442-339-2600 www.carlsbadca.gov CD 2023-0003 (PUB2023-0004) -MONROE STREET POOL REPLACEMENT PROJECT Feb. 7,2023 Pa e 2 For comparison, the tabl~ .. below provides the square footages of the approved, existing and proposed components of Monroe Street Pool. While the original CUP and Environmental Impact Report (EIR-380) approved a facility with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and 180 parking spaces on a nearly five-acre site, the site area and improvements ultimately developed were much smaller. EIR-380 was certified by the City Council on July 19, 1977. Monroe Street Pool -Comparison of Approved, Existing, and Proposed Component Sizes Approved (CUP-158) Existing Propose9 Modifications Pool 15,000 sf 6,950 sf 10,200 sf Parking 180 spaces 49 spaces 56 spaces Administration/locker 3,040 sf 3,500 sf room building 8,500 sf Equipment and family 1,150 sf 2,200 sf restroom building Notes: • All numbers are approximate . • "sf"= square feet • The original approval described the two buildings currently existing as a single building. With proposed modifications, combined building size (5,700 sf) is approximately 2,800 square feet fewer than that approved. For a Discretionary Permit Consistency Determination to be approved, all the following findings must be made. Accordingly, a demonstration of compliance with each finding is provided in bold. 1. No project condition, feature, facility or amenity is changed or deleted that had been considered essential to the project's design, quality, safety or function. The project would maintain and improve the key features of the Monroe Street Pool as originally approved in 1979 by enhancing its design, quality, safety and function. Built in 1982 and last renovated in 2009, the project would implement recommendations of a facility needs assessment study conducted in 2017 and would incorporate staff recommendations to attenuate facility noise, respond to recreational programming interests, modernize amenities, improve energy efficiency, and renovate, replace and expand as necessary and appropriate facility buildings and the pool itself. 2. The request represents an upgrade in overall design features and or materials and improves upon the project's compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. The project would include a new 8-foot wall with gates facing Monroe St. to attenuate pool noise. In addition, new service, trash and parking areas are along the north side of the pool facility, adjacent to the Carlsbad High School football stadium, and no closer to residences than the existing pool buildings. The only residences nearby are located east and across Monroe St. from the project. Otherwise, Monroe Street pool is bordered by the high school to the north, south, and east. 3. The proposed revision does not change the density or boundary of the subject property. No change is proposed to the Monroe Street Pool property boundaries. {Note: The current size and shape CD 2023-0003 (PUB2023-0004) -MONROE STREET POOL REPLACEMENT PROJECT Feb. 7,2023 Pa e 3 of the property are different than that considered with the original project approval in 1979. Renovation and expansion of Carlsbad High School in the late 2000s, including an enlarged and reoriented football stadium, required the reconfiguration of the pool property. This was facilitated by a land swap between Carlsbad Unified School District and the city. This land swap is discussed in Planning Commission Resolution 6522, which found the action consistent with the General Plan and which was adopted Jan. 9, 2009.) 4. The proposed revision does not involve the addition of a new land use not shown on the original permit. While the project enhances, relocates, and in some cases expands existing land uses, it would not add any new uses to the site. 5. The proposed revision does not rearrange the major land uses within the development. Project features would enlarge, enhance and relocate/replace some current features; however, the location of primary components of the facility, such as the parking lot, buildings, and pool and deck area, would not substantially change either in purpose or location. 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. As described, project improvements would be under the pool size, parking space number and building sizes originally approved. 7. The proposed change will not result in any significant environmental impact, and/or require additional mitigation in that on July 19, 1977, the City Council certified the Environmental Impact Report {EIR-380} for the Monroe Street Pool, at the time identified as the "community swimming pool." The project is within the scope of the prior environmental document and no further environmental documentation is required per CEQA Guidelines Section 15162. All. applicable mitigation measures contained in the prior environmental document have either been satisfied previously and/or were made conditions of approval of the project's approved conditional use permit {CUP-158). The certified environmental impact report and mitigation measures are on file for review at the Planning Division. 8. The proposed change would not result in any health, safety or welfare impacts. The project would improve upon existing pool features and address degraded finishes, building code requirements and sound attenuation. The project would improve the use and.function of the site through enhancements such as renovated locker rooms, improved facility entrances and updated pool infrastructure. Improvements would result in upgrades to facility accessibility and safety, including emergency egress. 9. There were not any major issues or controversies associated with the original project which would be exacerbated with the proposed change. Review of the project's original conditional use permit and its environmental impact report did not identity major issues or controversies. However, some public comments did express traffic, parking, and noise concerns. CUP-158 does contain conditions to address neighborhood impacts. These conditions limit competition events to daylight hours, restrict pool use between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. to reduce noise, and require a solid masonry wall around the pool facility. These restrictions remain in force, and the project seeks to improve compatibility through a new 8-foot-tall sound attenuating wall with gates along Monroe St. With regards to parking, the project would not exacerbate parking CD 2023-0003 (PUB2023-0004) -MONROE STREET POOL REPLACEMENT PROJECT Feb. 7,2023 . Pa e4 demand. Typically1 multiple spaces are available in the facilitys parking lot during operating hours1 and the parking lot is proposed to expand by seven spaces. As a facility situated adjacent to a high school and residential area1 some pool patrons walk or ride bicycles to the facility. On occasions when competitive or special events are held1 parking demand may exceed parking lot capacity. Like high school football games1 'these events are often held after school when parking in the high school parking lot is available. 10. The proposed change would not be readily discernab/e to the decision makers as being substantially different from the project as originally approved in that the improvements would remain under the square footages1 areas1 and parking space numbers originally approved. Also1 no changes are proposed to the boundaries1 configuration1 or area of the site. The replacement and relocation of the equipment building with a new equipment/family restroom building would be in the same general location as the existing equipment building1 would remain 1 detached from the adjacent administration/locker room building1 and would generally continue that building1s setback and appearance from Monroe St. The approximate 460-square foot expansion of the administration/locker room building would occur on the poolside of the building and would not be visible to the street. Therefore, the City Planner has determined that the application qualifies for a consistency determination with the approved permit and approves the changes to the project based on Planning Division Administrative Policy No. 35. Please submit two (2) blueline copies (24" X 36") of all applicable exhibits for the project file of the amended site plan. The copies must be submitted, stamped "Consistency Determination," and signed by the City Planner prior to issuance of any grading or building permits for the project. The Consistency Determination Title Block stamp, and other Title Block stamps, can be downloaded from the City's website at https://www.carlsbadca.gov/departments/community-development/permits-applications- forms/planning-applications-forms. The Title Block (stamp) is located at the bottom ofthe page. CD 2023-0003 (PUB2023-0004) -MONROE STREET POOL REPLACEMENT PROJECT Feb. 7,2023 Pa e 5 NOTICE Please take NOTICE that approval of your project includes the "imposition" of fees, dedications, reservations, or other exactions hereafter collectively referred to for convenience as "fees/exactions." You have 90 days from the date of final approval to protest imposition of these fees/exactions. If you protest them, you must follow the protest procedure set forth in Government Code Section 66020(a), and file the protest and any other required information with the City Manager for processing in accordance with Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 3.32.030. Failure to timely follow that procedure will bar any subsequent legal action to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul their imposition. You are hereby FURTHER NOTIFIED that your right to protest the specified fees/exactions DOES NOT APPLY to water and sewer connection fees and capacity charges, nor planning, zoning, grading or other similar application processing or service fees in connection with this project; NOR DOES IT APPLY to any fees/exactions of which you have previously been given a NOTICE similar to this, or as to which the statute of limitations has previously otherwise expired. This decision may be appealed by you or any other member of the public to the Planning Commission within ten days of the date of this letter. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Planning Division at 1635 Faraday Avenue in Carlsbad, along with a payment of $847. The filing of such appeal within such time limit shall stay the effective date of the order of the City Planner until such time as a final decision on the appeal is reached. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact your project planner, Scott Donnell at 442-339-2618. CITY OF CARLSBAD · ERIC LARDY, AICP City Planner EL:SD:JC c: Laserfiche/File Copy Data Entry