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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 6.A 10/20/2014DATE: TO: FROM: �, • — •' • — �. 1. October 20, 2014 Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager Heather Hines, Planning Manager M SUBJECT: Resolutions adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Keller Court Commons Subdivision and approving a Tentative Subdivision Map and Introduction (First Reading) of Ordinances to rezone the property located at 000 West Street from R-2 to PUD and designate the house at 200 West a local historic landmark. I.i DL�I�IyIuTI �I`►117r If[�]�I It is recommended that the City Council: ® Approve a Resolution adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Keller Court Commons Subdivision ® Introduce an Ordinance approving a Zoning Map Amendment to rezone the property located at 000 West Street from Residential 2 (R2) to Planned Unit District (PUD) and approve the Unit Development Plan and PUD Development Standards and Design Guidelines ® Approve a Resolution approving a Tentative Subdivision Map for eight lots and two conunon area parcels on 1.66 acres ® Introduce an Ordinance Designating the Lundholm/Patocchi House and landscape at 200 West Street as a local historic landmark li -Tax C 1 )►11 Project Description The 1.66 acre site is the designated remainder parcel from a 2013 lot split which created two new parcels; one for the original 1897 Queen Ann era farmhouse at 200 West Street, also known as the Lundhohn/Patocchi residence, and one for a new single family residence currently under construction at 120 West Street. The project site is in the middle of a developed neighborhood with R2 zoning to the west and north and R3 zoning to the south and east. The applicant proposes to subdivide the designated remainder into eight lots and two parcels. Each lot will be developed with a 2 -bedroom detached single family home that together cluster around a central courtyard with an approximately 400 square foot Commons Building for use by the residents and their guests. Each home will be on a separate lot with a private garden. The project also consists of three garage buildings containing a combined total of eight enclosed parking spaces and an additional nine unassigned, uncovered parking spaces located on the west side of the site off of Keller Court. One garage on the north side of the site, near Cherry Street, has a fitness room on the upper level. A more complete concept and project description is included in Attachment 11. ---�--------C-�--: Land Use The requested Zoning Map Amendment is to rezone the existing undeveloped properly from R-2 to a residential Planned Unit District (PUD) to deviate from standard zoning district requirements to allow clustering of lots to preserve open space, minimize disturbance to the slope on the eastern portion of the site (average of 11 % across the site), and to preserve more than 30 existing, protected Coast Live Oaks. The lots are 2,040-2,780 square feet and are surrounded by two commonly -owned parcels providing open space, access and views to Sonoma Mountain. The project results in a density of 5.75 units per net acre. Floor plans and renderings are included in Attachment 13. The application includes site and conceptual renderings of the 1,384 to 1,509 - square foot homes which reflect the standards and guidelines proposed in Section V -- Architectural Design of the PUD Development Standards and Design Guidelines (Attachment 2, Exhibit 1). Access and Parking Access to the site is by a 25 -foot wide private drive from the intersection of Keller and West Streets. The parking is generally not visible from the residences of adjacent neighbors or the street but is within a short walking distance of the dwellings. The garages will include extra space for storage including bicycles and each garage space will contain an electric vehicle charger; additional bicycle parking is located at the south and west entrances to the courtyard. The project has an extensive network of internal sidewalks (four feet wide in public areas and three feet wide on private lots) that connect the parking, the houses and the Commons Building. The Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) design includes a hammerhead located in the central part of the site west of the courtyard. The private drive is constructed of asphalt except for the permeable paving used within the drip kine of the oaks to be preserved. Tree Preservation and Landscaping The tree inventory conducted in 2014 indicates that there are 38 trees on the site, including 37 Coast Live Oaks. The oaks are considered a protected species per Section 17.050 of the IZO. Eight trees (seven oaks and one box elder) are proposed to be removed (Attachment 13, Sheet TM -4). The entire site including the entry drive, common areas, and parking court will be landscaped. The eastern portion with the moderately steep slope will contain groundcover and a variety of fruit trees. Individual lots will be landscaped by the owners with plant material selected from an approved plant list. Fencing There is a variety of fencing designed to reflect the rural and rustic character of the historic farm site (Attachment 13, Sheet A8). The project proposes to repair and/or extend the existing split cedar/redwood picket fence with frontage on Cherry Street. A 42 -inch transparent farmhouse fence of cedar posts with a galvanized metal double -loop design will separate the project site from the historic, 1897 residence at 200 West Street. Cottage fences, of horizontal cedar rails supported on posts at 6'-7" on center, will provide separation around the individual lots. The height will range from 24 inches in the front yards to five feet on the rear of the perimeter of the individual lots. There will be a no -climb wire grid fence, a maximum height of six feet extending along the northeastern portion of the site. Landmark Designation The 1897 Queen Anne Lundholm/Patocchi family farmhouse is located on the adjacent parcel at 200 West Street. Part of the previous Tentative Parcel Map approval (File No.13-TPM-0016) to create two new lots and a remainder parcel was a condition which stipulated that any future application to develop the remainder parcel should include local landmark designation of the farmhouse. Reports prepared by Clark Historic Resource Consultants and Montoya and Associates in 2006 and 2013 respectively found the house eligible for the California Register. The Historic and Cultural Preservation Committee/Planning Commission staff report (Attachment 9) details the features and criteria for designating the home. Lundhohn/Patocchi Farmhouse HCPC/Planning Commission The Historic and Cultural Preservation Committee and Planning Commission considered the proposed Landmark Designation, the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, Zoning Map Amendment, and Tentative Subdivision Map for the Keller Court Commons Subdivision at a noticed public hearing on August 12, 2014. The Historic and Cultural Preservation Commission reconunended designation of the Lundholm/Patocchi House as a local historic landmark. The Planning Commission voiced support of the conceptual site plan and renderings and found the 3 project in conformance with requirements of relevant plans and documents, including the 2025 General Plan, Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, and Implementing Zoning Ordinance. The Commission unanimously (4-0 with Wolpert, Gomez, and Lin absent) approved resolutions recommending that the City Council adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration, adopt an Ordinance approving the Zoning Map Amendment for the project site, approve the Tentative Subdivision Map and designate 200 West Street a Local Landmark (Attachments 5-8). During their deliberations, the Commission discussed and provided feedback on several items, including: ® The loss of Tree 910 ® Application of PUD flexibility ® Types of fencing ® Preference for the small homes versus townhomes or condominiums ® Good use of land Tree 410 is a healthy Coast Live Oak located in close proximity to the Commons Building and proposed for removal. The applicant indicated that in order to open up the views to Sonoma Mountain the tree was proposed for removal. However, the great majority of the existing Oak trees were being preserved and the design and layout of the project was based on the desire to preserve as much of the existing tree canopy as possible. The Commission expressed an interest in seeing Tree 410 preserved but also indicated that they thought the applicant had been sensitive to preserving the existing trees and proposed mitigation for those to be removed in compliance with the requirements of the Implementing Zoning Ordinance. There are a number of types and designs of fencing proposed as illustrated on Sheet A8 of Attachment 13. Each fence design responds to or is compatible with the adjacent land use and maintains the desired agrarian character. For instance. there is a metal loop fence on the east boundary with the historic Lundholm/Patocchi house that is representative of that property's heritage and differs from the fencing along the west and north property borders that provides screening between the neighboring property and the garage structures. In addition, the applicant sought comments from neighbors and modified the fence palette accordingly. The Commission expressed appreciation of the ability to utilize the Planned Unit District zoning provided in Chapter 19 of the IZO and the inherent flexibility this zoning tool provided the applicant. The Commission's support for the project largely came from their appreciation of efficiently using the infill property to develop a small, innovative neighborhood that fit within the character of the surrounding community. Comparison of the flexibility granted through the PUD zoning is outlined in Table 1 below. 4 Table 1. Development Standards Comparison Residential R2 District Minimum Lot Size 6000 sf Setbacks Primary Structure - Front 20 ft Side (interior) 5 ft Detached Accessory - Interior 4 ft - Rear 5 ft Height - Principal 25 ft - Accessory 15 ft DISCUSSION Planned Unit District - KCC 2000 sf 5 ft from common central courtyard; 25 feet to primary structure on Lot 8. See Sheet TM -7 of Attaclmient 13 5 f 5 ft 5 ft 25 ft; 35 for tower/cupola (Lots 3 & 6) 15 ft; 20 feet over garage 93 The Planning Commission found the Keller Court Commons Subdivision to be consistent with applicable policies contained in the General Plan and other relevant documents as detailed on pages 8 of the Planning Commission Staff Report (Attachment 9). The proposed project with a density of 5.75 units per net acre, will implement goals and policies through the designation of a local landmark, development on an infill parcel, efficient use of land and clustering structures to protect portions of the site with steep topography. The applicant has incorporated sustainability elements and smart growth principles into the design of the project. The project is an infill development given its location and surroundings and as such has a heightened walkability to other development proposals. The applicant has committed to additional efforts such as recycling of construction materials, high efficiency heating, no conditioned air, 250 square feet of photo -voltaic panels, electric vehicle charging stations, "low -impact" stormwater drainage system, and permeable paving within the dripline of existing oak trees. Architectural design for individual buildings, landscaping, and lighting details will be considered through future SPAR review at the discretion of the Planning Commission and consistent with the vision presented in the illustrative plan and on Sheets AO to L4.1 of (Attachment 13). The following provides analysis of the entitlements currently before the City Council for consideration and forwards the recommendation of the Planning Commission. Local Landmark Designation The Historic and Cultural Preservation's recommendation to the Planning Commission for approval, pursuant to IZO Section 15.020, of a resolution recommending approval to the City Council satisfies the Condition of Approval for the Tentative Parcel Map approved in 2013 for the Luidholm-Patocchi House to be designated a local landmark as part of any future development of the remainder parcel. Based on the findings outlined in the Historic Resource Evaluations, the Lundhohn/Patocchi farmhouse has special historic and architectural value based on its association with broad patterns of local or regional history and its embodiment of distinctive characteristics of a type, k period, or method of construction. Additionally, the residence was found to retain adequate integrity to continue to convey this significance. The character -defining elements of the Lundholm/Patocchi house include but are not limited to: • asymmetrical massing • multiple gables supported by the spider motif brackets • canted bay windows with corner brackets and pendants • front entrance porch with bracketed squared posts, shingled architrave and detailed cut- out balustrade • shiplap siding and corner boards • single Canary Island Palm tree - a defining element of landscapes from that era Zoning Hap Amendment The requested Zoning Map Amendment to change the zoning district from Residential 2 (R2) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) complies with Implementing Zoning Ordinance Section 19.030 which finds that the rezone clearly results in a more desirable use of land and a better physical enviromnent than would be possible under any single zoning district or combination of zoning districts. The PUD district allows inclusion of the context sensitive development. The Planning Commission determined that these findings could be made for the following reasons: 1. The PUD is located on an undeveloped parcel between West and Cherry Streets. Access to the site is by a 25 -foot wide private drive from the intersection of Keller and West Streets. West Street is designated a connector street in the Thoroughfare Section of the General Plan. 2. The PUD presents a unified and organized arrangement of buildings and parking that minimize intrusion on the existing neighborhood. The clustering of the eight homes on the 1.66 acre site on small individual lots maximizes tree preservation, views to Sonoma Mountain, and open space for the use of residents. While the setbacks between the individual lots are a minimum ten feet, the development as a whole has generous setbacks of the residential buildings from the property lines on the north and south and the adjacent homes on the east and west. The garages are setback five and ten 10 feet from the west property line. 3. The proposed development is not detrimental to the public welfare as it is infill on undeveloped land within the City's Urban Growth Boundary, not proposing additional public streets, and is being developed at a lower than maximum allowed density. 4. Under the proposed Keller Court Commons PUD, only small modifications would be allowed. Major modifications require an application and approval of a PUD amendment, which is a public process that includes noticing to neighbors within 500 feet. Tenlalive Subdivision Map The project satisfies all the requirements of the City of Petaluma's Subdivision Ordinance per Chapter 20.15 of the Municipal Code. As required by the City's subdivision ordinance, the City Engineer prepared a written report to the Planning Commission with recommended conditions for approval of the Tentative Subdivision Map (TSM). Those recoimuendations along with recommended conditions of approval from the Planning Division. Public Works and Utilities Gi Department, Building Division, Fire Marshal, and advisory committees were incorporated into the TSM Resolution approved by the Planning Commission (Attachment 7). The following development standards are a few of the most significant site and design components that depart from the typical R2 District standards and contribute to the uniqueness of the innovative community. Parking The proposed 17 off-street parking spaces are based on the ratio for multifamily residential development of one space for each bedroom, instead of the traditional R2 single family rate of three on-site parking spaces (one covered and two uncovered) per unit. The amount of parking in fact exceeds that required by the SmartCode which implements the Central Petaluma Specific Plan, the boundary of which is not far from the site. The proposed parking is expected to be sufficient for residents and visitors as typical property owners for the residential product in the "pocket neighborhood" tend to be empty nesters and single professionals. Access and availability to transit is detailed in the Attachment 9. Hillside Protection The project site exhibits an elevation change of approximately 40 feet across the site with a minimal slope on the majority of the site and an increasingly steep slope in the eastern 50 feet of the site. The cluster of 8 residences and 3 garage buildings occurs on portions of the site with a slope of a little more than 7%. The moderately sloped eastern slope will not be disturbed for building construction and is proposed to be planted with groundcover and fruit trees. Building Height Within the R-2 zone, principal buildings may have a maximum height of 25 feet. Six of the residential units and the Commons Building comply with the standard but two of the proposed residences (units 3 and 6) have a height of 25.8 feet in order to take advantage of the view to Sonoma Mountain as illustrated in the conceptual renderings in Attachment 13, Sheets A2 -A7 and further detailed in the PUD Development and Design Standards. Informal Path There is an informal dirt pedestrian path that transects the project site that has been used by neighborhood residents providing connectivity between West and Cherry Streets. The previous approval of the Parcel Map on March 14, 2013, created the 1.66 acre remainder parcel and included Conditions of Approval #1 and #16 related to the informal path and the previous approval as follows: 1. The informal path that has for decades connected West and Cherry Streets shall not be barricaded or made unusable by this approval. The path lies largely within the remainder parcel; when this parcel develops in the future, formalization of a pedestrian path through the parcel can be addressed. 16. There shall be no barricade of the informal path that has connected West and Cherry Streets for decades; pedestrian access shall continue to be possible between West and Cherry Streets. VA As the current project design was being developed, the applicant brought up concerns with maintaining the informal path due to unsafe conditions on Cherry Street. The City Engineer and the applicant's engineer met on site and the applicant evaluated four alternatives (Attachment 11) to the informal path. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC) reviewed the project on June 4, 2014, and agreed with the ultimate decision to eliminate the informal path due to the challenges and constraints of the site and the Cherry Street right-of-way. Specifically, these challenges include: ® Lack of existing pedestrian improvements on Cherry Street to convey walkers upon leaving the site ® Irregular right-of-way on Cherry Street for the City to make access improvements ® Desire to preserving protected mature Coast Live Oaks planted on the north property line The closure of the inforrnal path diverts pedestrian access to formal sidewalks located adjacent to the project site on Keokuk and Kentucky Streets. Although as currently proposed and conditioned by PBAC, the project would eliminate the path, however the project still achieves General Plan goals and meets Subdivision Code requirements related to maintaining adequate pedestrian access. Site Plan mid Architectural Review Site Plan and Architectural Review at the discretion of the Planning Commission will be a subsequent entitlement needed for the project. Architectural concepts and a landscape plan are part of this submittal for the purposes of reviewing the PUD guidelines in concert with the TSM. Future submission for SPAR review will include building design, colors and materials, landscaping, lighting, signage and other site amenities. Public Comment The applicant held a neighborhood open house on July 11 and 12, 2014, to discuss the project prior to the Planing Commission hearing. Notice of the public meeting was sent to all property owners and occupants within 500 feet of the project site. Approximately 17 neighbors attended the open house and asked questions about the project; most were about the use of the Commons Building. The Planning Division has also received comments (Attachment 12) related to traffic on West Street, construction times (Condition of Approval 435 of the Tentative Subdivision Map Resolution No. 2014-17 was modified to delay the start to 8:00 a.m.), and closure of the informal path. Discussion of the informal path is included above and a conceptual architectural plan and rendering of the Commons Building may be found in (Attachment 13). Regarding traffic, a neighbor at West and Keokuk Streets requested a speed burnp on West Street due to the additional traffic that would be generated by the proposed development. The General Plan anticipated development of the parcel and designated West Street as a connector street intended to cant' a medium volume of vehicles rather than as a local street. Based on this designation and traffic volumes consistent with the definition of connector streets, staff does not believe that a speed bump is warranted. 8 A Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) and Notice of public hearing was published in the Argus Courier, posted with the Sonoma County Clerk's office, and mailed to all property owners and occupants within 500 feet of the project site on July 24, 2014. The 20 -day public comment period on the Initial Study ran from July 24, 2014 through August 12, 2014. At the August 12 hearing, the Commission received testimony from neighbors about the consideration shown them by the developer who had listened to their concerns and incorporated them into the plans, comments from a citizen who supports "pocket neighborhoods', and comments from another who thought the project was excellent and had been against the pathway continuing to traverse the site. Errrironmental Review Pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an Initial Study of potential environmental impacts was prepared for this project. The potential for significant impacts was identified in the following eight categories: Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology/Soils, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality and Noise. Based on the Initial Study, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared and circulated for public review for twenty (20) days (Attachment 1, Exhibit 1). There has been no public comment on the MND. The MND and its supporting Initial Study proposed mitigation measures which have been agreed to by the applicant and will reduce potential impact to less than significant levels. There is no substantial evidence in light of the whole record that the project, as mitigated, would have a significant effect on the environment. FINANCIAL IMPACTS The project is subject to cost recovery with all expenses paid by the applicant. The applicant has paid $30,145.58 cost recovery fees to date. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: Draft MND Resolution Exhibit A: Mitigated Negative Declaration Exhibit B: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Attachment 2: Draft ZMA Ordinance Exhibit A: PUD Development Standards and Design Guidelines Attachment 3: Draft TSM Resolution Exhibit A: Conditions of Approval Attachment 4: Draft Landmark Designation Ordinance Attachment 5: Planning Commission Resolution No. 2014-25 (MND) Attachment 6: Planning Commission Resolution No. 2014-26 (ZMA) Attachment 7: Plamning Commission Resolution No. 2014-27 (TSM) Attachment 8: Planning Commission Resolution No. 2014-28 (Landmark Designation) Attachment 9: Planning Commission Staff Report — August 12, 2014 E Attachment 10: Project Description submitted by the applicant Attaclunent 11: Cherry Street Pedestrian Access Exhibit Attachment 12: Public Conmient (letters, emails, voicemail) Attachment 13: Project plans, half-size 10