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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-06-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - APPEAL PCMSN DENIAL OF CARWASH (2)AGENDA REPORT City Manager ApproN Item to be presented PUBLIC HEARING DATE: June 13, 2000 SUBJECT: AN APPEAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DENIAL ON A SPLIT DECISION FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FULL SERVICE HAND CAR WASH ON MCBEAN PARKWAY THAT INCLUDES A RETAIL BUILDING AND DETAIL SHOP. THE APPLICANT IS SPEEDWAY CARWASH. DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council adopt a resolution adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project and approve Master Case No. 00-108 which consists of Conditional Use Permit No. 00-008 subject to the attached conditions of approval. BACKGROUND An application for a conditional use permit was filed with the Planning and Building Services Department on March 15, 2000 to allow for the development of a full service hand car wash. Staff presented the application and recommended approval to the Planning Commission on May 2, 2000 which resulted in the meeting being continued to May 16, 2000 for more information related to the car wash's valet parking and site plan modifications associated with the stacking areas. At that meeting, the Planning Commission voted 2-2 on the proposal that resulted in a spilt decision thus a denial of the project since all split decisions are an automatic denial. The split decision was a result of two Commissioners believing the car wash use was an inappropriate land use for that area. However, the two Commissioners that voted yes on the proposal believed the use was consistent with the area taking into account all of the constraints on and surrounding the property. As a result of the denial, the applicant appealed the decision to the City Council. However, because the Planning Commission's vote was split there is no recommendation to the City Council by the Planning Commission. Thus, staff will not change the previous recommended action which is for the City Council to approve the p oi.ect. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The .67 acre project site is located within the Valencia community of the City. The site is currently vacant. There is an earthquake fault zone that runs through a majority of the western portion of the site and a pedestrian bridge on the eastern portion of the site, which prohibits any structures from being built on a majority of the parcel. The car wash facility would be built between the pedestrian bridge and earthquake fault zone and would include a wash tunnel, a 1,161 retail building, and a 500 square foot detail building. The wash tunnel consists of no machines other than wheel tracks to pull the cars through the tunnel and tubes splashing soap on the cars. All cars will be hand washed and dried. The water used for the wash tunnel will be recycled through reclaiming pits. The detail shop will consist of two bays, which will be adjacent to the retail building that will include basic retail products for cars. The applicant will also provide valet service for the Valencia Town Center Mall, Spectrum Club, Hyatt Hotel, and the Greens. The applicant will provide each valet service customer with a claims ticket which will be dropped off at the requested business with the customer's car and keys. ANALYSIS Landuse The proposed project site is in the Commercial Town Center zone that permits a variety of uses that include basic retail, restaurant, and office uses. The applicant has received support from the surrounding businesses which include the Greens Restaurant & Putting Green, Hyatt Hotel, and the Valencia Town Center. In addition, the City's Transit Division will be locating a Bus Transfer Station adjacent to the project site. The Transit Division has seen the proposal and have made the standard comments and made the applicant aware that there will be buses driving by the proposed site throughout each day. Because of the constraints, such as the earthquake fault zone and pedestrian bridge, the parcel is severely limited on the allowable areas to build. In addition, the pedestrian bridge gives the site very limited visibility from McBean Parkway. The site is also somewhat of a distance from the Town Center area where most businesses would rather be located where all the restaurants and retail uses are and away from the Bus Transfer Station and Hyatt Parking lot. Because of all these constraints, staff believes it would be relatively difficult for office or retail uses to survive in this area. A full service hand car wash, however, would work well with the constraints and would compliment the immediate businesses, which has been expressed specifically by the Greens Restaurant & Putting Green. Thus, staff believes this use is consistent with the surrounding area. Traffic/ Circulation Staff and the Planning Commission had the applicant revise the site plan numerous times in order to provide the maximum amount of stacking square footage as possible. The entrance of the tunnel has a stacking ability of 10 cars and the drying area has an area of approximately 4,700 square foot for stacking which results in 22 cars. The stacking for the car wash does comply with and exceed the Unified Development Code and has been approved by the Traffic Division. Aesthetics /Landscaping The aesthetics and landscaping was reviewed by the City's Design Consultant. The Design consultant comments included the applicant incorporating stone stacked decorative walls, a landscaped berm and 48 -inch box trees around the tunnel's entrance and exit areas, textured crosswalk paving, additional stone work on the elevations, and include a water fountain within the waiting area. In addition, staff worked with the applicant to ensure architectural consistency with the surrounding buildings which would include a lot of the same features the Greens building has just south of the proposed site. Staff also wanted the applicant to incorporate trees and landscaping along McBean Parkway to screen all of the cars waiting to be washed and dried. Staff believes that the architecture and landscaping being proposed will be consistent with the surrounding area. FISCAL IMPACT The proposal will bring in sales tax revenue for the City ALTERNATIVE ACTION 1. Deny the conditional use permit. 2. Other action as determined by the Council ATTACHMENTS Resolution of Project Approval Minutes from the May 2, 2000 and May 16, 2000, Planning Commission Meeting 81/2 X 11 Colored Site Plan 8 1/2 X 11 Colored elevations Vicinity Map Appeal letter (reading file) 2 Staff Reports to the Planning Commission (reading file) Initial Study / Negative Declaration (reading file) Cross Section along McBean Parkway (reading file) Letters of Support from surrounding businesses (reading file) Petition of interested residents for the car wash (reading file) Full sized colored elevations (reading file) Full sized site plan (reading file) JWH:VPB:JJL pbs\council\arc ash CITY OF SANTA CLARITA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA APPROVING CONDITION USE PERMIT NO. 00-008 (MASTER CASE NO. 00-108) AND THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE PROJECT (SPEEDWAY CARWASH FACILITY). PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: A Public Hearing will be held before the City of Santa Clarita City Council on this matter at the following time and location: DATE: June 13, 2000 TIME: At or after 6:30 p.m. LOCATION: City Council Chambers 23920 Valencia Boulevard First Floor Santa Clarita, CA 91355 PROJECT LOCATION: Northwest corner of McBean Parkway and Valencia Boulevard adjacent to the Green's Restaurant and Hyatt Hotel. APPLICATION: Master Case No. 00-108, Conditional Use Permit No. 00-008 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: To allow for a full service hand car wash facility and detail shop. PROJECT PROPONENT: Speedway Carwash Proponents, opponents, and any interested persons may appear and be heard on this mattter during the public hearing. Further information may be obtained by contacting Jeff Hogan at the Planning Division, Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302, Santa Clarita, California. Phone No. (661) 255-4330. If you wish to challenge the action taken on this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clarita at, or prior to May 31, 2000. Published: The Newhall Signal May 23, 2000 JWH: S \ PBS \ current \ notcarwash NOTICE OF CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF SANTA CLARITA CITY COUNCIL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita, at its regular meeting held June 13, 2000, continued a public hearing on 12. APPEAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSIONS DENIAL ON A SPLIT DECISION FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FULL SERVICE HAND CAR WASH THAT INCLUDES A RETAIL BUILDING AND DETAIL SHOP — The proposed car wash would be located on McBean Parkway adjacent to the Green's Restaurant and Hyatt Hotel on a currently vacant site consisting of .67 acres. An earthquake fault zone runs through a majority of the western portion of the site with a pedestrian bridge on the eastern portion which prohibits any structures from being built on a majority of the project site. The Planning Commission reached a split 2:2 decision resulting in denial of the proposal which was appealed by the applicant. to June 27, 2000. The continued public hearing will be held at or after 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber at 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita, California. Dated this 14' day of June, 2000. SHARON L. DAWSON, CITY CLERK STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) SHARON L. DAWSON, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that she is the duly appointed and qualified City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita and that on June 14, 2000, she caused the above notice to be posted at the door of the Council Chamber located at 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita, California. SHARON L. DAWSON, CITY CLERK Santa Clarita, California -contph