Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-05-28 - AGENDA REPORTS - RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION MODULAR (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approv / Item to be presented by: Vince Bertoni PUBLIC HEARING DATE: May 28, 2002 SUBJECT: AN APPEAL OF A PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVAL OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A PRESCHOOL AND A MODULAR BUILDING AT A SITE DEVELOPED WITH AN EXISTING RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION. THE PROPOSED MODULAR IS 1,920 SQUARE FEET AND WILL BE LOCATED IN THE REAR OF THE PROJECT SITE. THE SITE IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL SUBURBAN (RS) AND IS LOCATED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF NEWHALL, IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA. DEPARTMENT- PLANNING AND BUILDING SERVICES RECOMMENDED ACTION The City Council conduct the public hearing and adopt a resolution affirming the decision of the Planning Commission to adopt the negative declaration and approve Master Case 01- 354, which consists of Conditional Use Permit 01-022, subject to the conditions of approval, and adopt the Negative Declaration. BACKGROUND On August 28, 2001, an application for a Conditional Use Permit for approval of a modular building and preschool was submitted to the City's Planning and Building Services Department. On January 16, 2002, the Planning Commission heard a request for a conditional use permit and continued the item to February 5, 2002 requesting staff to facilitate a meeting between the applicant and the neighbors. On February 5, 2002, the Planning Commission heard the item and continued the item to March 19, 2002 requesting the applicant work with the adjacent religious institution on an alternate access from Newhall Avenue. On March 19, 2002, the Planning Commission heard the request and continued the item to April 16, 2002 requesting the applicant hand deliver a letter requesting the two property owners work together in an attempt to develop an alternate access for the project. No agreement for alternative access was reached. The Planning Commission approved the project on April 16, 2002 with a 3-2 vote. Agenda Item :S PROJECT DESCRIPTION The preschool will operate between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and the temple will continue to have services on the Friday nights and Saturdays with some youth activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The proposed modular building is 1,920 square feet and will comply with all development standards, including setbacks, parking and landscaping ANALYSIS Response to grounds for appeal In their April 26, 2002 appeal letter (attached), the residents on Hilse Lane listed the basis for their appeal of the Planning Commission's approval of Master Case 01-354. Staff has reviewed the letter and prepared a response to the appellant's points. The appellant's comments are provided in italics below with staff response in paragraph form following the statement. Staff has addressed all appropriate project issues. Traffic Increase: This conditional use permit will increase the traffic on Hilse Lane to allow at a minimum 180 car trips per day five days a week. As is the case at this time, the Temple has meetings on Friday nights, and classes are conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays from approximately 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The congregants of the Temple continually disregard the residents' rights to live on the 12 -house narrow cul-de-sac in a quiet and peaceful manner. The City's Traffic Division has reviewed the proposal and determined that the project will result in between 140 — 160 trips per day. The roadway is fully improved and is able to accommodate the additional traffic generated by the proposed preschool. Safety: The Temple congregants jeopardize our safety by "speeding" in and out of the narrow cul-de-sac in an unsafe manner jeopardizing our safety and our childrens'safety and right to play on a cul-de-sac of the size that it is. We fear that our safety and our childrens' safety will be jeopardized now five days a week and on weekends from the special events that are held by/at the Temple. Staff has reviewed the application and finds it consistent with the technical requirements set forth within the UDC. Furthermore, the Planning Commission has heard the testimony and determined that the application is consistent with the findings required for a conditional use permit. Hilse Lane Entry: The entryway to Hilse Lane is less than 29 feet at its opening, and therefore creates a bottleneck and the inability for two cars to pass side by side with parked cars on the allowable city parking. Hilse Lane is a fully improved roadway. The proposal does not require the modification of the roadway and therefore, the existing condition will not change. Staff presented an alternative to post no parking on one side of the roadway, however, the residents were not in favor of this due to the reduction of available parking. Therefore, this condition will continue to exist regardless of the preschool. Parking: To comply with City requirements, the Temple is going to provide 29 spaces as required for preschool requirements. However, our viewpoint is that the Temple has, according to them, 136 member families. What would be the parking requirement for 136 member families as opposed to parking for 45 preschool students? At the present time, Temple congregants do park on the cul-de-sac when parking becomes an issue within the parking for of the Temple creating a hazard to our children and parking problems for the residents. Currently, the members of the Temple are parking on the cul-de-sac to facilitate easier ingress and egress fromlto their lot making it hazardous and inconvenient for the residents such as parking in front of driveways or illegal placement of parallel parking. Parking for the preschool is based on the parking requirements for day care facilities which require one parking space for each staff member and any vehicle used for the facility and one space for every 20 children. The religious use is parked based on the occupancy of the largest meeting assembly area. The parking ratio is one parking space for every five occupants. The occupancy of the temple is 146, thereby requiring 29 parking spaces. The temple is reconfiguring the parking to provide 29 parking spaces. Although, the 29 spaces meet the parking requirements in the Unified Development Code (UDC), the temple is proposing to add an overflow parking area on the Los Angeles County Flood Control easement in the rear portion of the property to address the parking concerns of the neighbors. Quality of Life: Every resident on the cul-de-sac movedlbought on this street because it's cul-de-sac. The Temple existing was/is not a problem. However, the proposed influx of traffic impedes our ability to enjoy our quiet, peaceful cul-de-sac life. The residents of Hilse Lane also feel that this conditional use permit would NOT be in harmony with the neighborhood which is one of the conditions for issuance of the permit. This point was also brought up by members of the Planning Commission at one point. The proposal was evaluated by the Planning Commission and was determined to meet all the required findings for a conditional use permit, including the harmonious operation of the preschool with the neighboring uses. The proposed preschool and modular building will comply with all applicable requirements and will be contained entirely on the subject site. Property Values: Because of having a preschool on this SMALL cul-de-sac, property will be devalued as a result which will also have an impact on the residents and will cause financial hardship. Preschools are permitted within the Residential Suburban (RS) zone with the approval of a conditional use permit. The proposal meets the requirements within the UDC and is consistent with the General Plan. No evidence has been submitted to support the claim that property values will decline as a result of the preschool expansion. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. Council adopt the resolution approving Master Case 01-354, adopting the Negative City Council may approve the project with modifications. Council deny Master Case 01-354; Conditional Use Permit 01-022. FISCAL IMPACT No fiscal impacts are anticipated with this proposal. JJL: VPD: WD:lep s:\pbs\current\01-354\agndrpt ATTACHMENTS Site Plan Building Elevations Vicinity Map Resolution 02 - Conditions of Approval Appeal Letter dated April 26, 2002 READING FILE Minutes from the Planning Commission hearings (Reading file) Staff Report to Planning Commission hearing January 16, 2002 (Reading file) Staff Report to Planning Commission hearing February 5, 2002 (Reading file) Staff Report to Planning Commission hearing March 16, 2002 (Reading file) Staff Report to Planning Commission hearing April 16, 2002 (Reading file) Planning Commission Resolution P02-06 (Reading file) Initial Study and Negative Declaration for Master Case 01-354 (Reading file) CITY OF SANTA CLARITA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: A Public Hearing will be held before the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita in the City Hall Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd., 1" Floor, Santa Clarita, California, on the 28th day of May, 2002, at or after 6:00 p.m. to consider Master Case No. 01-354 (Conditional Use Permit 01-022). The applicant is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit for the expansion of the religious use to include a preschool and the installation of a pre -manufactured modular building. The subject site is located within the Residential Suburban (RS) zone. The project location is 23023 Hiise Lane, and the project applicant is Temple Beth Ami. A Draft Negative Declaration is available for review in the Planning and Building Services Department of the City of Santa Clarita, California. Proponents, opponents, and any interested persons may appear and be heard on this matter at that time. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Planning and Building Services Department, Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Third Floor, Santa Clarita, CA. 913,55, (661) 255-4330, Wendy Deats, Project Planner. If you wish to challenge this action 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 Council, at, or prior to, the public hearing. Dated: May 2, 2002 Sharon L. Dawson, CMC City Clerk Publish Date: May 6, 2002 \cones\phtemple.wpd