DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM

Transcription

1 DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM AGENDA DATE: MARCH 15, 2017 TO: THRU: FROM: SUBJECT: Chair Fox and Members of the Design Review Committee Anna Pehoushek, Assistant Community Development Director Monique Schwartz, Assistant Planner DESIGN REVIEW No , SIMPLY SELF STORAGE 1600 N. GLASSELL STREET SUMMARY The applicant proposes to demolish all existing buildings in order to construct a 156,654 square foot, three-story, self-storage facility with related site improvements. RECOMMENDED ACTION Staff is requesting that the Design Review Committee (DRC) recommend approval to the Planning Commission, subject to conditions of approval contained in the staff report and any modifications or conditions that the DRC determines appropriate to support the required findings. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Applicant/Owner: Property Location: General Plan Designation: Zoning Classification: Existing Development: KSP Studio/ Amelia Anan 1600 N. Glassell Street Light Industrial (LI) 1.0 FAR, Three story height limit Light Manufacturing (M-1) The north portion of the site is occupied by a trucking business and is developed with two industrial buildings and an attached covered carport. The south portion of the site is located within a Southern California Edison utility easement, is occupied by a commercial nursery business, and is developed with a shed structure. Property Size: 180,338 square feet (4.14 acres) Associated Applications: Major Site Plan No. (MJSP) Previous DRC Review: February 15, 2017 Previous Entitlements: None

2 Page 2 of 7 PUBLIC NOTICE No Public Notice was required for this project. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Categorical Exemption: The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per State CEQA Guidelines (Class 32: In- Fill Development Projects) because the project is consistent with the City s General Plan and zoning regulations, is located on a site that is less than 5 acres, is not located in an area that is environmentally sensitive, will not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality or water quality, and the site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. There is no environmental public review or notice required for a categorical exemption. PROJECT DESCRIP TION The applicant proposes to demolish all existing buildings and construct a privately owned, threestory self-storage facility totaling 156,654 square feet and related site improvements on a 4.14 acre site in the Light Manufacturing (M-1) zone. The proposed three-story building will be situated on the north portion of the property. The south portion of the property lies within an existing utility easement owned and operated by the Southern California Edison (SCE) Company and cannot be developed because of the presence of overhead high voltage power lines. The building is irregular in shape due to the configuration of the lot and measures approximately 240 feet long, 240 feet wide and 41 feet tall. The proposed floor area ratio (FAR) is.87, which meets the intent of the maximum FAR requirements set forth in the General Plan. The three-story building height maintains compatibility of scale with nearby industrial and residential uses. The exterior of the building displays a contemporary design with a flat roof line, decorative cladding and metal canopies. As proposed, the design of the project meets the minimum development requirements for the Light Manufacturing (M-1) zoning district. The project will have one public ingress/egress point located at the northeast corner of the site along Glassell Street, with a gated entry located approximately 105 feet west of the driveway approach. A separate gated access point is located along Glassell Street for storage facility loading and unloading, SCE service vehicles, and emergency and trash vehicles. The site has been configured to accommodate the new storage facility building on the north portion of the site, code required parking, and loading on the north and south sides of the building, landscaping, and adequate on-site circulation. A new concrete masonry, double bin trash enclosure will be located adjacent to the southwest corner of the building. The enclosure measures approximately 19 feet long, nine feet wide and six feet tall. The enclosure exterior and metal doors will match the exterior of the new storage facility building. Landscape planters are proposed along the entire Glassell Street frontage, along the perimeter boundaries, and adjacent to the trash enclosure and required parking spaces. The conceptual

3 Page 3 of 7 landscape plans indicate the minimum number and sizes of trees, shrubs, and ground cover that will be distributed throughout the various planters. EXISTING SITE The 4.14-acre site is located on the west side of Glassell Street, north of Katella Avenue and South of Taft Avenue. The north portion of the property is currently developed with a 4,280 square foot, two-story building, attached covered carport, and a 790 square foot one-story building utilized for a trucking business. The south portion of the property is developed with a shed structure and is utilized as a commercial nursery. The entire site will be demolished as part of the development proposal. EXISTING AREA CONTEXT Surrounding properties to the north and south are developed with industrial uses and are located within the Light Manufacturing (M-1) zone. Properties to the west are developed with the railroad right-of-way and a variety of industrial uses and are located within the Industrial (M-2) zone. Properties to the east are developed with single family homes and a commercial nursery and are located within the Single Family Residential 7,000 square foot (R-1-7) zone. There is no predominant architectural style in the area. Surrounding development consists of an eclectic variety of Post-War and contemporary industrial and residential architecture. EVALUATION CRITERIA Orange Municipal Code (OMC) Section establishes the general criteria the DRC should use when reviewing the project. This section states the following: The project shall have an internally consistent, integrated design theme, which is reflected in the following elements: 1. Architectural Features. a. The architectural features shall reflect a similar design style or period. b. Creative building elements and identifying features should be used to create a high quality project with visual interest and an architectural style. 2. Landscape. a. The type, size and location of landscape materials shall support the project s overall design concept. b. Landscaping shall not obstruct visibility of required addressing, nor shall it obstruct the vision of motorists or pedestrians in proximity to the site. c. Landscape areas shall be provided in and around parking lots to break up the appearance of large expanses of hardscape.

4 Page 4 of 7 3. Signage. All signage shall be compatible with the building(s) design, scale, colors, materials and lighting. 4. Secondary Functional and Accessory Features. Trash receptacles, storage and loading areas, transformers and mechanical equipment shall be screened in a manner, which is architecturally compatible with the principal building(s). ANALYSIS/STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES Issue #1: Response to Design Review Committee Comments On February 15, 2017, the Design Review Committee considered the proposed project. The Committee had concerns regarding the mass and scale of the storage facility building along the Glassell Street frontage, windows that emphasize height and scale on the east elevation, design of the southeast corner of the building, split face/precision block design at the base of the building, and canopy design. The Committee also had several comments concerning the landscaping and provided feedback on planting palette, pattern, scale in relation to building mass, number and placement of trees, and theme. The applicant has subsequently revised their design to incorporate the recommendations from the Committee. The applicant has provided a written response to comments, included as Attachment 2 of this report. Updates to the design of the proposed project include: Storage Building: Redesign of the southeast corner of the building Addition of canopy design details Revised window design on east elevation Added notes indicating raked horizontal joints for split face/precision block detail on building base Landscaping: Revised landscape palette that includes a meandering combination of ground cover, flowering plants, shrubs and trees, offering different heights, accent, texture, and larger massing of plants along the Glassell Street frontage Trees placed in clusters of three on both sides of center faux window façade along the Glassell Street frontage Trees added along the north, east, and west property boundaries, and adjacent to parking spaces on north side of building Landscape planters added on two sides of trash enclosure located adjacent to the southwest corner of the building Staff is in support of the revised design for this project. The contemporary building design and landscaping complement the eclectic character of the industrial and residential development in the area. The changes made to the building exterior simplify the southeast corner, while adding

5 Page 5 of 7 emphasis to the main entrance, and the revised horizontal window design on the east elevation deemphasizes the overall height of the building. The added trees, clustered tree placement, and hierarchy of plant material soften the building mass and scale along the Glassell Street frontage and the added trees along the property boundaries further complement the site design. Overall, the proposed project presents an integrated design that provides a renewed, updated, and improved appearance to the site and to the surrounding community. ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION The SMART Committee (formerly the Staff Review Committee) reviewed this application on August 17, 2016, October 19, 2016, November 30, 2016, and on January 4, 2016 and has recommended approval of this project to the Planning Commission with conditions of approval as stated in Attachment 3 of this report. STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUIRED FINDINGS The courts define a Finding as a conclusion which describes the method of analysis decision makers utilize to make the final decision. A decision making body makes a Finding, or draws a conclusion, through identifying evidence in the record (i.e., testimony, reports, environmental documents, etc.) and should not contain unsupported statements. The statements which support the Findings bridge the gap between the raw data and the ultimate decision, thereby showing the rational decision making process that took place. The Findings are, in essence, the ultimate conclusions which must be reached in order to approve (or recommend approval of) a project. The same holds true if denying a project; the decision making body must detail why it cannot make the Findings. The Findings are applied as appropriate to each project. Based on the following Findings and support of such Findings, Staff recommends the DRC approve the project with recommended conditions. 1. In the Old Towne Historic District, the proposed work conforms to the prescriptive standards and design criteria referenced and/or recommended by the DRC or other reviewing body for the project (OMC G.1). This project site is not within the Old Towne Historic District; therefore this finding does not apply. 2. In any National Register Historic District, the proposed work complies with the Secretary of the Interior s standards and guidelines (OMC G.2). This project site is not within the National Register Historic District; therefore, this finding does not apply.

6 Page 6 of 7 3. The project design upholds community aesthetics through the use of an internally consistent, integrated design theme and is consistent with all adopted specific plans, applicable design standards, and their required findings (OMC G.3). The new self-storage building and associated site and landscape improvements provide an updated, internally consistent and integrated design which upholds community aesthetics. The contemporary project design and scale of the building suit the eclectic character of the industrial and residential development in the area. 4. For infill residential development, as specified in the City of Orange Infill Residential Design Guidelines, the new structure(s) or addition are compatible with the scale, massing, orientation, and articulation of the surrounding development and will preserve or enhance existing neighborhood character (OMC G.4). This project is not an infill residential project; therefore, this finding does not apply. CONDITIONS The approval of this project is subject to the following conditions: General 1. All construction shall conform in substance and be maintained in general conformance with plans and exhibits labeled as Attachment 2 in the staff report (date stamped February 6, 2017), including modifications required by the conditions of approval, and as recommended for approval by the Design Review Committee. Further, exterior building color and materials shall substantially conform to the plans and color and materials board approved by the Design Review Committee on February 15, Any change to the exterior of the building from the approved plans shall be subject to subsequent review and approval by the Design Review Committee. 2. Except as otherwise provided herein, this project is approved as a precise plan. After any application has been approved, if changes are proposed regarding the location or alteration of any use or structure, a changed plan may be submitted to the Community Development Director for approval. If the Community Development Director determines that the proposed change complies with the provisions and the spirit and intent of the approval action, and that the action would have been the same for the changed plan as for the approved plot plan, the Community Development Director may approve the changed plan without requiring a new public hearing. 3. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall obtain approval from the Planning Division for any and all signage associated with the proposed project and/or business.

7 Page 7 of 7 4. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall demonstrate that the trash enclosures shall utilize similar materials, colors, and finishes of the building, including any roofing. 5. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall demonstrate that the trash enclosure shall conform to City Standard Plan Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Community Development Director that all mechanical and air conditioning equipment shall be shielded and screened from view from adjacent streets and properties. The screening shall be integrated architecturally with the building and painted to match the walls of the building. Community Services 7. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall prepare a final landscaping and irrigation plan consistent with the grading plans, site plans, and the conceptual landscaping plan as proposed for the project for the review and approval of the Director of Community Development and Community Services Director. ATTACHMENTS 1. Vicinity Map 2. Final DRC Meeting Minutes dated February 15, Applicant Response to Comments 4. Copy of Color and Material Board (actual board to be provided at the meeting) 5. Revised Plans (date stamped March 6, 2017) cc: KSP Studio Attn: Amelia Anan 23 Orchard Road Lake Forest, CA SS Orange Glassell, LLC Attn: Brandon Dickens 7505 W. Sand Lake Orlando, Florida 32819