Community Development Department Planning Division 1600 First Street + P.O. Box 660 Napa, CA (707)

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1 Community Development Department Planning Division 1600 First Street + P.O. Box 660 Napa, CA (707) PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT JANUARY 5, 2017 AGENDA ITEM #9.A. PL CENTURY CENTER PAD 2 PRELIMINARY REVIEW I. GENERAL INFORMATION PROJECT SUMMARY: Preliminary review of the architectural design of the proposed building on Pad 2 of the Century Center LOCATION OF 175 Gasser Drive PROPERTY: APN GENERAL PLAN: ZONING: MU-532, Mixed Use MP-G1:FP:TI: South River Place: Flood Plain: Traffic Impact Overlay District APPLICANT: Gasser Foundation (John Stewart) Phone (707) Soscol Avenue, Suite A120 Napa, CA STAFF PLANNER: Scott Klingbeil, Senior Planner Phone: (707) LOCATION MAP Project Location 1

2 Century Center Pad 2 Preliminary Review # II. PURPOSE The purpose of this study session is to provide a preliminary review of the application for the future commercial building located on Pad 2 of the Napa Century Center. Preliminary review is a process applied to projects which would benefit from early consultation while an application is being prepared for formal review. This process is encouraged by the Planning Commission and City Staff for most new commercial developments. Comments received during this process are intended to serve as guidance only and should not be considered as preliminary support of or opposition to an application. III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Applicant is requesting approval to construct a new two story commercial building to be located on Pad 2 the South Napa Century Center. The new building will be located adjacent to Gasser Drive on a pad location that has been previously approved. The proposed building on Pad 2 will have a covered area of approximately 13,095 square feet in size that will provide a mixed use pavilion with flexible outdoor retail space and second floor office suites. The ground floor use of the building proposes areas for food trucks, flexible retail space, play area and dining area. The second floor of the building will provide mini-suites for small offices and retail tailored to small startups. The new commercial building is part of the multi-phase commercial development project that will implement the South River Place District of the Gasser Master Plan, which was adopted in Figure 1 Site Plan Pad 2 Location 2

3 Century Center Pad 2 Preliminary Review # III. PROJECT CONTEXT & HISTORY The project site is located within the South River Place District of the Gasser Master Plan, a zoning sub-area of the Gasser Master Plan Districts comprising the area north of Imola Avenue, west of Gasser Drive, east of the railroad tracks, and south of the wetlands and detention basins adjacent to Tulocay Creek. Development within the Century Center portion of the South River Place includes the Century Theatre and the recently completed buildings on Pads 7 & 8 where Forge Pizza is located. Future buildings are anticipated on Pads 1 & 4 that will include retail, services and office uses and a plan for Pad 5 has been approved but has not yet been completed. In 2011, the City Council approved the Century Theatre building and the South Napa Century Center site plan/parking lot, which established the general building locations for future buildings within the center. The existing parking lot within the center contains 571 parking spaces with an additional 199 parking spaces available in what is known as the north parking lot located on the north side of Hartle Court west of the transitional housing facility. The parking lots provide a total of 770 parking spaces to serve the theatre and proposed buildings. IV. ANALYSIS The property has a General Plan designation of Mixed Use (MU-532), which provides for a functionally integrated mix of retail commercial, office, possible light manufacturing, and typically attached higher density residential uses. The project site is located within the South River Place District of the Gasser Master Plan, which provides for new retail space subject to Design Review approval. The Applicant has described the proposed building as a modern day agora, the ancient Greek marketplace that served as that civilization s primary public space. The Applicant is proposing a mixed use pavilion with flexible outdoor space for a market, a place to pull in food trucks with dining areas and a splash pad/event space. An enclosed bar of minisuites features retail and boutique offices tailored to local entrepreneurs and startups along with restrooms and building services. The design of the building is essentially a large roofed enclosure with an asymmetric gable. The exterior of the building will be clad in wood, steel, glass and a standing metal seam roof intended to mirror the exterior of the neighboring building on Pad 5. Figure 2 Building Elevations 3

4 Century Center Pad 2 Preliminary Review # Figure 3 Building Elevations The South River Place District development standards and design guidelines will be applied to the review of this project when it is complete and ready for formal review by the Commission. However, Staff has identified the following issues that the Planning Commission should consider in its review of the preliminary site plan and architectural review: Street-facing Façade: The street-facing façade of the building includes vertical wood slates on the ground floor with a horizontal galvanized tube steel screen on the second floor. The elevation does not provide any building access to the public street which is located only 10 feet from the sidewalk. The lack of access and back of house appearance has historically been an issue when reviewing other commercial developments. Building Design: The building design is very open and weather dependent, which historically leads to future tenants requesting some type of enclosure (plastic screens) for the winter months. The Commission may want to discuss the practicality of enclosure materials on the building in anticipation of this practical necessity. Building Signage: Location of exterior signs and total number of signs is unknown at this time, but is important considering the building has the potential for many individual tenants. The impacts of future signage should be evaluated in relation to the building design. Building Use: Although it is never anticipated that the building concept will be unsuccessful, adaptive reuse or of the building could be problematic. The Commission may want to consider if the design of the building easily allows for future adaptations to more traditional uses or inquire whether the building be a demolition? 4

5 Century Center Pad 2 Preliminary Review # Public Art: The proposed development will involve construction costs of $250,000 or greater, and as such, will need to comply with the Public Art Ordinance as provided in NMC Section At this point in the application process, the Applicant has not indicated how the proposed development intends to satisfy the public art requirement. While ultimately an applicant may choose to implement art as part of the project or contribute a fee to be used elsewhere in the commission and installation of public art, this is an issue the Commission may want to seek information from the Applicant at this early stage of development. VI. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This preliminary review is not subject to a formal CEQA determination as the preliminary review does not constitute a project. Formal approval of the project will be subject to environmental review in accordance with CEQA at the earliest feasible time prior to approval consistent with CEQA Guidelines Sections and The larger project will involve the actual construction of the South Napa Century Center building on Pad 2 of the Century Center, and staff plans to bring back a CEQA analysis of that project to the Planning Commission prior to formal review and approval of the required entitlements. VII. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff supports the Applicant s desire to develop the center with higher quality design elements and finishes. At this point, Staff and the Applicant are looking for feedback from the Planning Commission primarily on the building design. The Commission may want to consider issues of building design, access, building materials and quality, and area context. Other issues will be addressed in more detail at the time this application is deemed complete and scheduled for a formal public hearing. VIII. REQUIRED ACTION No formal action is required by the Planning Commission as this study session is for preliminary comments only. Other issues such as environmental impacts, Zoning consistency and Design Review consistency will be addressed in more detail at the time a future application is deemed complete and scheduled for a formal public hearing. IX. NOTICE Mailing of the proposed application by US Postal Service was provided to all property owners within a 500-foot radius of the subject property. Once the application is determined to be complete and scheduled for formal review and a public hearing, notice to property owners with 500 feet will also be provided. X. DOCUMENTS ATTACHED 1. Applicant s Written Project Description 2. Plan Drawings and Elevations 5

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